Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Aldeer Bow Talk Bow Hunting on the Ground

I am going to hunt in some hills with some fairly steep banks. Considering hunting off the ground about 20 yards off a well used trail. If in a tree, the angle of my shot will be fairly severe. Does anyone bow hunt off the ground much?

I have with no success (yet), but I'm NOT giving up!

I did it a bunch last year. Got within shooting range of several animals, just nothing I wanted to shoot. Play the wind right, and you should be fine.

To many disadvantages IMO for me to do it much... Wind is probably the biggest one.

I have with good success but never on hillsides. Gotta watch your thermals when hunting hilly terrain.

We have built 2 permanent ground blinds for bowhunting off of our green fields and have had success.

I have with good success. My son at 11 got his first bow kill out of a hub blind on a food plot. I've also stalked and killed a couple with a bow. The hub blinds work well, I like to set them up and not use them for a couple of weeks first. Also if a field or trail is in a dense thicket you can make a blind with natural cover. Here are my tips for what they are worth (I'm sure not a pro):

ALWAYs wear face paint or headnet and hand cover/paint

Make you a holder for your bow to keep it in a ready position

Always test draw to be sure you have adequate space especially in front and in the back where your elbow will go.

I wear ultra quite clothes

Use a comfortable chair. I get folding chairs at academy with a back and the side legs are attached so it won't sink in the ground.

Solid back cover is as much or more important than front cover. If you use a blind open windows in a way so you cant be skylined from front to back or side to side window. Don't open any windows you're not going to shoot out of.

Use your bow in front of your face to break up your outline when readying for a shot.

Clean under your feet so you won't make noise if you move them.

If the wind is swirling or in the wrong direction, go scout or go home and watch a football game.

DO NOT put out 'yard markers' unless you do it weeks in advance! I've seen a stick in a food plot used as a marker spook every deer that came in that day (I have a witness)!

Don't forget you're supposed to wear stinkin hunter orange when it's required. In a hub blind you can tie it on top.

Inside a hub blind, wear solid black for best camo!

Good luck!

Here is a photo of my son Marc's first bow kill. It was a blind on a food plot. He missed her the first shot!

I killed a doe several years ago at 15 yards while sitting on a dove bucket in a pine thicket. No blind, just camo from hat down.

I have killed several from ground and love it. Still use a stand a lot too though. Get you some ASAT camo; it works. Not pretty but it does work in most terrain. As always the wind and thermals are key.

I hunt extensively from the ground. I either stalk or sit in a ground blind. 2009 was my first season bow hunting...and I got 4 shots with one kill while stalking. 3 arrows shot at does struck limbs and deflected; and I killed a big 8-point that mid-Jan. I'm unable to climb tree stands.