Learning to adapt

[B-Logger]

Ray, I hunted for many years from the ground as that is all we knew. It was illegal here to hunt from trees until around 25 years or so ago. I tried many things but I many times have that problem of sitting still too and motion will give you away just as easy as scent will.

My solution was to just buy some of that camo material (not burlap). I like to use a strip about 8 feet long. Then you can tie it to trees or brush of if none there, just take a small stake or pole to stick in the ground.

Hunting from a set up like that with only the head above the camo gives you good concealment. Good enough so that I too was once able to actually touch a deer when she walked past me. I reached right out and touched her hind quarter. Talk about a thrill! That was great.

[Kelley]

I haul my ladder stands into the woods behind my 4-wheeler in a trailer I bought at WalMart for less than $100.00. It is big enough to haul a 2man stand.
Kelley

[lscha]

Ray,
I use a Lucky's Tent Blind and love it. It was made for vertical bows but with a 7 1/2 foot base there's plenty of room for a crossbow. Can you leave it in the woods during the season? After a week none of the deer seem to pay any attention to it. Also, this blind holds up really well. A friend of mine has one that is 15 years old, and I believe Jim Shockey uses them.

Randy, you must be from Michigan.

[bill morrison]

another thing you might try is to set the blind back a little bit into some brush or grass, if material has a shine on it try draping some of the tank como available from larger stores or maybe even army surplus, then brushing over that so that it then blends with the thicket or overgrown field or whatever is the natural vegetation. i have had deer walk within feet of the blind and never even look up. but it has to blend in. turkeys don't care, they won't pay attention to blind in a cleared field.

[raydaughety]

Awesome tips folks!!! Thanks for the heads up on the cart Sumner . I'm fixin to send munch a PM. My issue is just the opposite of B-Logger's. I have hunted from stree stands all of my life and have very little confidence in harvesting a deer from the ground but I will just have to prove myself wrong won't I .

[sipsey]

Hey Ray--Have you seen the chair blinds by Ameristep?--they have a 1 and 2 man version with even a leafy option. I use folding stony point short shooting stix and they are perfect for shooting out of this thing--One thing someone else brought up is that wearing regular camo in a factory blind tends to contrast against the black interior--so they wear black headgear and black pullover of some sort--

[Farmer]

Ray , I hunt with a group of friends in the black powder season . Several use the chair blinds with good success . A few others in our group including me use a turkey chair from cabelas . It is very comfortable ( maybe a little too comfy , I fall asleep in it ) .

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[wheelie]

Ray, why not use the blinds you already have, try them out and if you do get busted who cares, then cover them in and with experiance and learning how to make it better, u will be learning how to improve so u don't get busted. To me shooting something is only a small part of hunting. Get out in the air, and any day out hunting beats the heck out of the couch watching tv. Thats my opinion, With my back now days I am reajusting also. Taking my two beagles with me everyday to sit in my blinds, just think how many times I get busted, but the dogs love it. Really love it when they escape out the bottom and I have to call them back. LOL

[groundpounder]

Ray I'm pretty much always on the ground hunting. Here in Georgia and on public land even. My style is pretty much like what you mentioned with turkey hunting. I look for a good sized tree or stump or rock or whatever is naturally there to give some cover. Then sometimes I will add to it. If I need to do some pruning for shooting lanes I will take those limbs and stick them in the ground around where I'm sitting(leafy ones are the best.) I will also get larger deadfall limbs and lean them up against the tree I will lean against and build like a wall down either side of me. Don't make it too high though because that would make it more difficult to shoot over. You really just need something to break up your appearance. You do not have to have complete concealment. All of my xbow deer have been shot this way and I even called the one in my avatar in to me with a grunt call and it never saw me. Not saying that you wont get busted any. That happens plenty of times too but its all part of hunting. I will usually just bring a seat cushion to sit on if anything at all.

[saxman]

90% of my hunting is from ground blinds.
I would say put them up well in advance and wear black inside the blind.

[raydaughety]

Well, I tried it for a while this morning but just couldn't get comfortable so I made my way back to the truck and laid in the back seat while Tyler sat in his climber not more than 200 yards away. He saw a fawn and a doe that came in for some corn on their way back to the thick cutover where they spend their days. It's going to take time and I am thankful for the hour that I was able to sit in my turkey lounger. BTW, it's the same chair that Farmer posted. I think that it's going to be best for me to buy a couple of more inexpensive ground blinds, brush them in and put a comfortable chair in each one so all that I have to do is arrive with my pack and my bow. Much cheaper than tree stands and I don't have to have help moving them from place to place. Tyler and I can set up and take down the ground blinds pretty easily . You all have given me some excellent advice and I really appreciate it. Walmart have a ground blind that has the Remington name on it but looks exactly like my Ameristep Doghouse blind. I think that they are only $40-$50 each .

[VixChix]

... Walmart have a ground blind that has the Remington name on it but looks exactly like my Ameristep Doghouse blind. I think that they are only $40-$50 each .

We've got some of the really cheap-o Rifleman blinds as well as Ameristep Outhouse and DogHouse. The Ameristep ones are nicer and the DogHouse is roomier, but Tim's shot deer out of the cheap-o ones as well. Set up in shade if possible, brush it in, minimize wind flap, wear black in the blind.

BTW, I've started to look for hunting clothing that is camo on the outside and black on the inside - dual purpose. With my jacket I can just wear it inside out when I'm in the blind. On cold days I pack along a cheap black fleece throw and drape that over my shoulders or lap - makes a huge difference in comfort level.

[raydaughety]

Sounds comfy on a cold winter days Vix . I wasn't able to get out this afternoon but will try again one afternoon this week.