Deer Hunting From Ground Level?

I've been out deer hunting from a tree stand for a couple years now, being fairly new to hunting. While a tree stand gives you the advantage of a better view, it's a chore to set it up. Does anyone hunt deer from ground level, from something like a duck blind?

I hunt from the ground with a bow and rifle. I must admit I am thinking of doing the tree stand thing for bow. Walking on the ground here in Oregon is very noisy unless it rains or you can find a good trail. With a gun it doesnt matter so much since you can reach out a whole lot farther. I am also considering doing the ground blind(probable what I will do). It is alot cheaper than a tree stand but easier to be seen. Thats where the tree stand has a decided advantage as long as your atleast 25 feet above the ground.

I periodically hunt from the ground. Generally, I don't use any of the ground blinds but I have seen others use to them to some success. The primary issues when on the ground are:

-safety - you do not have a downward angle on your shot so you must be careful about your location (ideally you are up on a rise so you are shooting down) and the targets location (make sure there is a good back stop behind it).

-scent - your scent will be closer to the ground so you have to watch the wind to a greater extent than if you are up high.

-movement - you are more likely to be seen by the deer if you are on the ground than if you are up high. Also, you are less likely to see them since your vision will be obscured by bushes and trees.

I hunt from a pit blind. its just a 3 foot deep hole in the ground,and i pile logs and whatever else i can find around the pit to help hide me.so the only thing thats above ground is my waist & up.but that i hide by building a brush pile around the hole.

Last year I used a brush line on a peanut field for a back drop and hung camo netting in front of me. Set up to kill was about 45 min. I took my first deer ever, for 19 years of hunting. A 152# 8 point white tail in Southern Oklahoma. Hunting from the ground is the way to go in my book. Easier set-up, no need to wory about falling out of the tree and hitting the ground or getting wrenched by the safety rig, and if you are using a portable blind you don't have to wory about some creep stealing you gear. I am going to use a portable blind this year, but I think that it is a good idea to use a little bit of florescent orang to top it with. Might keep you from getting shot.

There are several ways to hunt from the ground. You can find a deer trail or an open field where they've hit the crops and set up a blind. Or, you can wear camo and still hunt (slowly move through a forested area or along a field just inside the tree line, going from tree to tree, spending about 15 minutes at each tree where you 'set up'. Or, you can drive the roads along ridges and scout, then stop, get off the road and stalk when you find a likely place or see some deer in the distance (we did a lot of this quite successfully in Arizona). Finally, you can drive the deer using beaters and dogs (we do that here in the Virginia lowlands where there are thick pine forests and thicker swamps in which the deer can hide forever).

All of these can be successful strategies, depending upon the terrain and the amount of vegetation.

As I've gotten older, I have to admit I really love to sit in a tree stand with a long-range, high-powered rifle, but any day deer hunting is better than one in the office.

Good luck!!

safety - there is a very real danger of falling out of your tree stand, even (or especially) when you are climbing the stairs.

The further you are away from the deer, the greater the likely hood this is a non-issue. At one time, the 'experts' claimed deer never looked up because danger didn't come from above. Well, I've been big game hunting for 37 years, and I'm here to tell you that whitetails sure as hell do. I've had does walk directly below my stand, scent my tracks then look straight up at me and stare for 5 minutes.

In my opinion, the only real advantage to hunting from a raised platform is that *I* can see further.

Have killed several deer and hogs.Slipping thru the cypress ponds in the middle of the day.Drag my feet slowly in the water.

Last year was my first year deer hunting. I spent several weekends both in a tree stand and on the ground. The day I took my deer (a monster 10 pt.

I have been hunting from the ground for the last 12 years as I can't afford a stand. Here in Oregon it isn't so bad. I use the beginning of the season to scout as it is too dry for much else. After the rains come I get heavy into it. Stalking the areas I know are run by bucks and does as the end of the season brings on the rut and where there are does the bucks are not far behind. I rarely see anything from the truck so must get out and stalk. I use ridges in place of stands when I can and use the heaviest cover I can just like the bucks do.

Next year I hope to modify the tactics by adding a 4x4 quad. Mainly because my back is too bad any more to pack them and I know dragging them will even be a chore that might put me on the couch for days after ward depending on the disatnce. In fact I neglected to hunt prime areas for that reason this year. You can go to WalMart in the Sewing section and buy all kinds of camoflauge from military patterns to Advantage, Realtree and MossyOak. Hem up the adges and sew in some mesh for windows(green mesh) get some PVC poles or even wooden dowels and some duct tape and you have an inexpensive blind that you can make exactly how you want it. Good luck and enjoy the season. mauser270