Set up

[eyedr]

Ya there is one place in wisconsin that I hunted from the ground last year. It was a disaster because they had an ice storm the night before so there was 1/4 inch of ice on top of a foot and a half of powder snow. Made for loud walking and the deer didn't want to move around. But I was thinking about getting a cheaper stand and some screw in steps just for this year. I know it will be a little more work but I will just have to allow for extra time and go slow like recommended earlier.

I appreciate all the advice, it sure is helpful to hear from people who have been doing it for a long time.

[deerminator]

I second the ground hunting. I set up a number of ground blinds on the private properties I hunt about a month before season and leave them up til I'm done hunting. That's another option. Had I decided to sit in my ground blind on one property that was 100 yards from the stand I ended up sitting in the second weekend of November last year, I would have been about 10 yards from a big 12 pointer versus trying to call him in and watching him strut away.

[deerminator]

And I'll add I bought 3 of those pack and stack ladder stands from Rivers Edge (I think) a couple of years back. I think they were each $60 on sale at the Farm and they're a breeze to move around. Put together or pulled apart and carried to the new set up. Not the quietest. But I usually just move them a few times a year and before I hunt.

[deerminator]

And also, , Wally World has an ad today for a Bone Collector Assassin Blind for $80. That's about as cheap as you'll get a quality blind if you go that route. Sure, it's not Double Bull or whatever, but its easy to set up and lasts awhile if you treat it well. For the most part, they all do.

[musky hunter]

About ground hunting again: the reason tree stands are popular is it gets you up above the game. While this isn't always available, there are places where terrain can do that for you, I have several where a hill sits above a trail. A little work to brush in a blind, maybe use some existing natural cover, and you've got an elevated location above a trail, and it cost only effort. Nothing against the $500 tree stands, but this is something you can do this year. And you can have several built preseason. At least in Wisconsin, there are no restrictions on the number of or building and leaving natural materials for blinds. Quiet in, quiet out. Wind changes, move to a different setup.