Ground Hunting Tips

[Whitetailaddict]

Minimize movement, have good shooting lanes at your yardages, use natural blinds if possible or build them, play the wind. Always be scanning the terrain and don't sleep because if they get on top of you game over. Also if you hear a deer coming and it's going to be close to being in range draw and wait if possible to minimize unnecessary movement.

[Josh_S]

I'm no expert, and certainly not as successful as many on here. But I have put a lot of time into ground hunting the past 2 seasons, so here are a few suggestions that come to mind.

When hunting natural ground blinds get a comfortable seat. Like others have mentioned being as still as possible is key, so comfort level is very important in my opinion.

I think blindly calling does more harm than good on the ground, you are just alerting deer of your presence and they can pin you down pretty easy on the ground. I blew an opportunity last season when I was blind calling and had a shooter buck aggressively approach my ground set up, he saw me first and I never got a chance to draw.

If you have a natural frame, throw some soft vegetation such as tall grass or leaves on top to add more cover. Its much more quiet than noisily moving tree limbs. Your natural ground blind doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to be good enough.

Get elevated a little bit if possible. Its nice to be above where you expect deer movement. Even the slightest elevation can increase visibility and create more shooting lanes. This is especially true in hill country when thermals are rising.

[drew13]

Great advice here. About the only thing I have to add is to make absolutely sure you have clearance to draw your bow. I have been guilty of creating what I thought was a great natural ground blind that offered great cover - but if you don't have enough room in front and to the sides of you to draw, aim and shoot your bow without hitting something then it doesn't matter how well you are hidden.

[justdirtyfun]

When I was hunting pre-beast I used a five gallon buck with a swivel seat. That swivel was key to success. It can be done without, but your shooting zone will be more restricted.
I agree that space in front is important. Keeping yourself facing shot location instead of moving with deer is a great tip too.