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The Official Ground Hunting Thread

I went out yesterday and did another walk about and hunt form the ground out of the Packseat. I was covered up with squirrels and had good sign, but nothing showed.

I saw that Robert Carter posted another ground hunting video this morning and thought it was very timely to what I am doing. I thought I would share.

 

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I had another fun hunt from the ground and the deer taught (retaught) me a lesson tonight. I went in around 10 and scouted my way back and by about 11:30 I had found what I was looking for. I soft bumped a doe out of a blowdown, and she didn't really spook, just bounded off. I dropped down, did my usual turkey calls, and raked some leaves back and forth. After a few minutes I eased over to the blowdown and after a little work I had cleared out a little V shaped hole among the dead limbs and had the Packseat all set up.

I put on my facemask and gloves and readied my bow. Then I took out my phone and marked the spot on Onx, since I always like to keep track of where I set up and hunt. I finish and I look up and two does are staring at me from about 20 yards at most through some branches. They must have heard the turkey calls and rustling, and sticks being scraped away and came in to investigate. The big one huffed and they bounded off. They didn't go off and blow so that was good. Dang! I thought I had more time. I mean it was no more than 5 minutes from when I moved in toward the blowdown and started to set up to when they were on top of me. No doubt they would have seen me if I had attempted any sort of climb at all. I wonder how many deer have seen me setting up over the years and just eased off without a fuss?

If I had been paying attention and not messing with the phone a doe would have likely taken a ride in the truck this afternoon. Oh, well, it was fun anyway. They have to win some of the time.

On the way out in the dark I saw a pair of eyes glowing in the light of the little Streamlite I keep clipped to the bill of my hat for the walk out. I thought it was a raccoon and walked toward it. As I got closer, I could tell it wasn't a raccoon and thought it was a coyote. It turned out to be a doe over in a little blow down and I tried to see how close she would let me get. She looked like a giraffe standing there with her neck craned out looking at me. I bet I got to 12 feet before she bounded out of that little clump of sticks. She didn't get my wind and didn't blow. That was a fun experience.

All and all it was a good day and a fun hunt. Moral of the story: Put the dang phone away, lol.
 

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Sometimes I think that joining the deer hunting contest (saddle use required for deer submissions) clouds my game plan on any given day. Sometimes the ground is the place to be. I just killed this buck 2 weeks ago, on a morning that followed 2 days of heavy rain. The ground was silent and water was still dripping from the trees. My buddy and I both went into the same area and did what we call “parallel still hunting.” I’ll never know if this buck was evading my buddy or just happened to cruise up to me. He’s a healthy young buck and made excellent sausage. I felt a little bad that I couldn’t submit this buck to the contest - but points don’t feed my family.

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Jammintree said:
Sometimes I think that joining the deer hunting contest (saddle use required for deer submissions) clouds my game plan on any given day. Sometimes the ground is the place to be. I just killed this buck 2 weeks ago, on a morning that followed 2 days of heavy rain. The ground was silent and water was still dripping from the trees. My buddy and I both went into the same area and did what we call “parallel still hunting.” I’ll never know if this buck was evading my buddy or just happened to cruise up to me. He’s a healthy young buck and made excellent sausage. I felt a little bad that I couldn’t submit this buck to the contest - but points don’t feed my family.

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I do NOT support this post!!!!
 
I'm in the contest too and I struggled with the idea of entering again this year because I planned to do a good bit of ground hunting. The two are not mutually exclusive because several folks hunt successfully off the ground but tethered into their saddles. That said, I have tried it and seem to move more like that. On the ground I like having my back up to something that breaks up my human outline.

Luckily, I got two bucks under my belt so far from the saddle this season, so I don't have any qualms about hunting off the ground at this point. That was not the case last year and I was out until the 11th hour trying to skewer a deer or two from orbit.
 
Hunting with my kids a bunch this season got me back into the Walkstool that I bought a while back. My kids used the pacseat but I’m glad because I found some appreciation for the walkstool! I liked using it collapsed so it balances on one point then lean back into a tree. I could see myself hunting from it next year. I just wish it had adjustable length legs.

I might have to try modifying the legs for a better height.
 
I got busted on the ground using Sitka Optifade. Don't do it.
I ordered a Kill Suite. Everything I wanted, plenty of room to wear over heave clothes. Long enough to go below my knees when sitting.
Next season they are mine.

allpredatorcalls.com

Kill Suit® 3D Woodland Digital, Mesh Lined KS001

Predator Hunting and Calling Superstore. Quality Coyote, Hog, and Predator Hunting Electronic Calls, Mouth Calls, Night Hunting Lights, Hunting Supplies, Optics and Gear. We Offer Fast Shipping, Great Prices and Knowledgeable Staff.
allpredatorcalls.com allpredatorcalls.com
 
GeoFish said:
I got busted on the ground using Sitka Optifade. Don't do it.
I ordered a Kill Suite. Everything I wanted, plenty of room to wear over heave clothes. Long enough to go below my knees when sitting.
Next season they are mine.

allpredatorcalls.com

Kill Suit® 3D Woodland Digital, Mesh Lined KS001

Predator Hunting and Calling Superstore. Quality Coyote, Hog, and Predator Hunting Electronic Calls, Mouth Calls, Night Hunting Lights, Hunting Supplies, Optics and Gear. We Offer Fast Shipping, Great Prices and Knowledgeable Staff.
allpredatorcalls.com allpredatorcalls.com
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That's the Sitka pattern that has a lot of white in it? If so, it is a good color, in my opinion for elevated since it blends pretty well with a grey sky like we often get in winter. Maybe not good on the ground.

Due to necessity, I have been just wearing a cheap orange hoodie I bought over my Scentlok clothes and have had good luck hunting off the ground and have had deer close. I did get busted for moving when two does came in within 5 minutes of me setting up and I just wasn't thinking anything would walk through the exact spot I was standing minutes before. I was messing around on my phone, and they made me. That was on me, not the camo, or lack thereof. I've had several deer within 20 yards dressed like that this season and they had no clue.

I wear a simple mesh ghillie turkey jacket early season before the orange army invades.
 
NMSbowhunter said:
That's the Sitka pattern that has a lot of white in it? If so, it is a good color, in my opinion for elevated since it blends pretty well with a grey sky like we often get in winter. Maybe not good on the ground.

Due to necessity, I have been just wearing a cheap orange hoodie I bought over my Scentlok clothes and have had good luck hunting off the ground and have had deer close. I did get busted for moving when two does came in within 5 minutes of me setting up and I just wasn't thinking anything would walk through the exact spot I was standing minutes before. I was messing around on my phone, and they made me. That was on me, not the camo, or lack thereof. I've had several deer within 20 yards dressed like that this season and they had no clue.

I wear a simple mesh ghillie turkey jacket early season before the orange army invades.
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Yes that's the pattern. Great in a tree.
I was not in a good ground spot, a saddle on a somewhat open ridge. I have been busted too much, I have to try something and Mr Waldrop used this type of suite.
 
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So, here is what I looked like last week when i visited the blowdown. I took a selfie for my daughter, because she likes to laugh at "how ridiculous I look !" On that day, I heard a deer behind me to my right, prob 30-40 yds away, at 06:30. I figured that he'd come down one of the cross trails to the main trail that's in front of me, & head into the laurel (to my left) to bed. I figured wrong! At 07:00, a spike stepped out to my right, literally 8 ft away, & stood there for about 10 minutes. He looked at me three times, but briefly, then kept looking around. Then the wind swirled a bit, & he caught my scent. He didn't spook, but just turned around & walked beside the deadfall up and around behind me, & headed into the laurel...Such it is when hunting from the ground!
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TradBowGuy said:
So, here is what I looked like last week when i visited the blowdown. I took a selfie for my daughter, because she likes to laugh at "how ridiculous I look !" On that day, I heard a deer behind me to my right, prob 30-40 yds away, at 06:30. I figured that he'd come down one of the cross trails to the main trail that's in front of me, & head into the laurel (to my left) to bed. I figured wrong! At 07:00, a spike stepped out to my right, literally 8 ft away, & stood there for about 10 minutes. He looked at me three times, but briefly, then kept looking around. Then the wind swirled a bit, & he caught my scent. He didn't spook, but just turned around & walked beside the deadfall up and around behind me, & headed into the laurel...Such it is when hunting from the ground!
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Wookie!
 
I went out yesterday and did a ground sit in the Packseat in some thick cover. I was scouting mid-day for some new areas way back. Gun season and the rut have made the deer very hard to pin down. I was scouting along and found a couple of good fresh scrapes with a thick busted off licking branch on the backside of a thick marshy area. I set up in the brush with the Packseat in freestanding mode since there wasn't a good tree handy to lean against. The versatility of two modes of set up make this a great method to hunt out of. I had a good 17 yard view out to the scrapes. Unfortunately, nothing showed but I think it is a spot worth revisiting. I need to file this spot away and hit it pre rut next fall.
 

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