Redtail565

I’ve only been out a few times this year. I set up my Ameristep brickhouse in a blown down tree that gave it pretty good cover. I cut a few limbs and added to the brush in. The first time out with it a couple does walked by and reacted mildly to it. One came back an hour or so later, so I was thinking things were pretty good. Then yesterday a small buck came around from the back side and when he turned the corner around the blow down, he pretty much freaked out and left the area. Not good.

I’m really frustrated with hunting off the ground. I fell 4 years ago and have been using a blind for the last 3. It is just not working well.

Who out there is hunting off the ground. Are you using a blind or natural cover?

If you’re hunting off the ground in natural cover, what type of camo are you wearing?

I’ve been thinking of just sitting in one of these blow downs on a chair and see what happens.

Thanks.

gEtiTrighT

I have a few natural ground blinds I put together but I also take camo blind material with me to hang it there as well if needed. The key is to be still & to face the wind and not the sun. You can't move if they look your direction but must be patient for them to look away before you move a muscle. I also carry and use a rest like Awshucks described made from an alum. crutch cut off yet its adjustable and it has camo tape on it also. The Xbow can rest comfortably on it and it willalready be pointed where I anticipate the deer will be when they get there.

I also own a "doghouse" blind but its kind of crowded with the crossbow but not bad with a rifle. I also mark with rocks or sticks the yardage so a rangefinder doesn't have to be used.

Exocet77

Ive been hunting on the ground since the start. Has for camo and cover. I am just using MO Breakup, choosing cover is the trickier part. My favorite spots are tree lines wih the old cedar fences where you can get behind the fence and tree and watch from behind. Make sure the tree is wider then you are, your best off if you can find 2-3 trees growing right close together and kinda squeeze in/behind them opposed to sitting infront of them. A mnth or 2 before your season opens you can get some dead logs/trees and make a ground blind out of them, just dont make it right on the deer trail. Have it about 30yds off. Thats my biggest prob, I always seem to want to setup right on the action. Doesnt help when you have a deer on top of ya and u cant move. My first buck I ever shot I was just sitting against a big maple tree, happened to look behind an seen him comming so I stood up while behind the tree and drew came out 10yds infront. Didnt know what hit him.

Hotburn76

I think when you set up something like that upit has to be up a while, like a few weeks before they get used to it. I shot my first buck off of the ground and was in the wide open, but it was first light and he could not see me good. Last year I threw together a some ground cover in an old rotten out five foot stump and then put a bunch of limbs in front of it for some cover and my nephew shot his nice eight pointer out of it. We were both on the ground with no chairs so we were pretty low. I see alot more deer now that I am in a tree but I only use ladder stands now. I about fell out of the treefive years ago and it scared the crap outa me! Now I only use ladders and feel alot better in them. But alot of guys use blinds and get deer the same day.

This year me and dad found some new swamp area to hunt and did notwant to spend any money on a ground blind and had no money for another ladder. We went out andmade a blind in a blow down also and had alot of good cover in front of us. We had three does walk right out in front of us with no problems. But dad is63and I could tell he was having a hard time on the ground so I bought a blind for chairs for dad. Both times I have been in the blind since, I could have shot a doe, but played the stare down game both times, and one time they trotted off pretty good. Do you hunt somewhere you can leave a stand or blind? Or do you need to take your stuff with ya every time?

Planter

I have a handfull of ground blinds made up of camo burlap and a 10 gallon bucket to sit on. A staple gun and $10.00 of material makes a fine set up. Try and find the 20 feet lengths. Great for shooting an XBow out of and if you set them a week or so before you hunt them the deer don't seem to mind. The price is sure right and it is a lot easier than setting up a tree stand. The cool part about them is they are much warmer to sit in then a tree blowing in the breeze. I set the top edge just high enough to peek over. Not much good for a vert bow however as you don't have the room needed to draw comfortably.After two back surgeries and a third on the way I am very pleased. I also have a big stack of burlap bags I am going to try and use. A few zip ties and I should be good to go.
>>>>>>>>>>>>Wh ack!!!!!
PS.. Alan is right about the Doghouse blind. You have to stick the whole XBow out the window just to take a shot. Will work though.

smokepolehall

I have a camo chair out on the ridge i sit and hunt from, been out there a month. Its great when i hunt with a ML or Rifle. Its ok with CB and shotgun fer deers, just use the trees as cover. Some of that camo burlap would be ok after letting it unstink out side fer a while. Get the wind in yer favor is really the main thing. I have sat up against many a tree when i was young and killed a truck load of deers! Actually several truck loads

Bigg~BirddVA

Just because 1 buck freaked doesn't mean all bucks will do it. Some deer spot hunters in trees but lots still tree hunt. I set my blind up, a Double Bull Matrix, sat evening. Had been set less than an hour and a 6 pt walked right by less under 10 yds. Looked at the blind a few times but kept right on walking. Too small to shoot and let him go but different deer react in different ways. I've personally found the better the camo the less you need to brush it in. I've had several bucks come by the blind. Most do not see it or react.

lemoyne

I had simalar experance untill I learn that you have to brush them in so good that none of the stright lines show and I put mine out for 3 months before season, Lee

coyote170

Have been using an Ameristep Penthouse blind for three years now have
had deer stick their heads in the window trying to figure out what I was
they work, like the room in mine and have had it set up for three weeks
now and will start using it this week-end,It may not be a Double Bull but
it sure works for me![8D]

Redtail565

I spelled hunting wrong on the topic (I fixed it). I’m glad you guys figured out what I meant!

Thanks for the feedback. Hopefully some more people will add their input.

I like the idea of using a stamp gun and adding some blind material to a natural blind. I wish I had more time to get out there and try more things out.

I have the brickhouse and it certainly has plenty of room inside. I do wonder though if the thing shines a little.

Also true that just because one deer freaked out another may not. I was very disappointed that I didn’t see more deer on Sunday. I’ll be out there all weekend this week, so I’ll get more time to see how the deer react.

If anyone has pictures of their setup, I would love to see them. If I think of it, I’ll take a couple when I am out this weekend.

Coyote, how brushed in is it?