Tree stand/groundblind/ or stalking?

[tjwierz2]

I would guess 90% of folks hunt from a treestand when hunting with firearms....

Thinking about doing a little more moving around this year and stalking or hunting from the ground.

Any stories about having better success this way? Suggestions? Favorite tactics?

[B. Amish]

stalking corn on a windy day can be effective. key in on hilltops, wetlands in the middle of a corn field, or other areas where the deer bed in.

if you do it with more than one person, make sure you know where the other person is at all times. if i'm with another person, i like to stay next to each other and as you step into a new corn row, each person is responsible for looking down their side of the row.

[crazyice]

I too have done the corn field stalking on windy days. My buddy suggested it after a very boring morning of sitting in the stands, and I thought that he was crazy because we hunt with bows. Well, long story short, I didn't even get probably 50 rows in to the field and I had a dead doe! I have also sucessfully spot and stalked whitetails as well. That can be a real adrenaline rush for sure! I have also taken a deer from a ground blind. I guess of all the tactics, my least favorite would probably be the ground blind. But that is only because of visibility. I like having the "bird's eye view" from a stand, but love the blind on windy days too.

[BobT]

After thinking about it I honestly can't remember ever taking a deer from a tree stand. That isn't to say that I haven't spent any time in one though. I'm not very good at sitting in a stand for very long either and that might be part of the problem.

I also can't say that I've ever managed to walk up on a deer and take it by surprise. Again, that isn't to say that I've never walked up on a deer for I have but in all cases, they caught me red-handed about the same time I saw them and so I blew my chance. Take that back. My first deer was taken this way. The direction I was moving put me cross-wind to him. He and his two female companions jumped out of a small group of balsam fur and turned into the wind, which put them right past my position. The does appeared first and he second and so I was prepared for him.

All of the rest of my deer have been taken while taking a stand position on the ground. Only a couple times have I actually built a ground blind to hide my position. I'm usually somewhat exposed because I like to move about every hour or two. This means I might just take a place where I can sit comfortable for a short time.

Bob

[fishinmajishin]

I think it depends on your actual hunting area(terrain/acreage). Some areas too big to pick a specific spot and wait. I hunted National Forest/State Land for several years, and I'd basically still-hunt all day from the time I'd leave the camper. Never even put up a stand. Back when we'd get some snow for firearms season, it was fun to actually spot and stalk deer in the big woods up there. Tough to do with dry late fall conditions..noisy. With snow you could see the deer 60-100 yds in front thru the big tall timber, stalk from tree to tree and sometimes be able to get within 20 yds undetected.

Im probably more of a ground hunter at heart, but the past 5 years I've been hunting a 100 acres by myself and sit in a tree 100% of the time. I don't like to walk around and spook deer out of their bedding areas. I now know where the deer travel so I just put my stands on ambush points on their runways. Lazy man's hunting, but it's what works best where I'm at. I scout them year round now because I'm on private land, but years ago it was 2 weekends scout-as-you-hunt. I have bowhunted the past 5 years and have been equally successful on the ground or in a tree, but I prefer to be sitting about 22 feet up. No matter what, it is all good.

[analyzer]

I'd recommend Dr. Ken Nordberg's Whitetail Hunters Almanac. I'm not sure which addition, 4th 5th or 6th, that is about portable stool hunting. It's about sitting in a spot for an hour, moving 150 yds, and sitting again. It's a very interesting read, and gives alot of very good information about ground hunting. All of his books are very good.

Personally, I like to blind hunt, or use nordbergs moving stool system. I'm too figitty for tree stands. I've shot a few deer from blinds. I'm more comfortable in a lawn chair with a blanket in the blind. You might laugh, but the added comfort allows me to sit for several hours. I can't do that in a stand.

[tjwierz2]

Thanks guys... I like the idea of moving every hour or so... Now all I need is a comfortable stool. :-)

I was lucky enough yesterday to sit and watch a few deer from about 15-30 yards yesterday...in an area where they were obviously used to seeing humans around.

Just gets you remembering what they LOOK like! :-) But its nice to sit there and get a feeling for the sound they make moving through the trees, how they move around etc... And how well an 8-pointer can hide in thick cover.

[SORNO]

I have always hunted in a ground blind. I guess I don't see an advantage of sitting up in a tree where you can be more visable and the wind can cut thru you more.

[fishinmajishin]

It's all about your surrounding terrain. Sometimes you have to sit in a tree to get above the underbrush. Sometimes there are no sitable trees. Find your ambush point, play the wind, and blend.

[BobT]

I agree with your comments fishinmajishin. I think if I hunted on my own property here in farm country, a stand would be the preferred option. Hunting up north near Mt. Iron is a different ballgame or more appropriately...hunt.

tjweirz2, rather than dragging some kind of stool around that will give you trouble hooking brush or making noise, I like to strap on a pad that I hook to my belt behind me. One of those hotseats would be okay accept they make them out of noisy plastic. I made my own using a soft cloth. The disadvantage being that it will take on moisture so I have to be a little careful there.

Anyway, all I have to do is look for a rock, downed tree, or stump to rest my tush and whalla! instant stand.

Bob