Well as knees are getting worse thinking about landing on the ground on my own terms. Am thinking about getting me a "ghillie" suit..so far from what I've seen asat leafy suit or Rancho safari long coat seems to be the most talked about anyone use or know how they. Compare to each other? Would like to hear ..thanks.
I use an ASAT Vanish suit....works amazingly well
I hunt about half the time on the ground, and only use ladder stands to get up. I wear one of those net suits with strips of camo sewed on. I can slip it on over whatever I'm wearing and be ready to hunt. It's excellent camo. I can get away with a little more movement; great for stalking on a breezy day. Off the rack at WalMart or some such.
A couple thousand acres of public land here will find hunters on the ground that thought they were going to be up. I have been working with the game warden locating illegal stands. dozens of illegal stands. I sometime use a Big Jim 'bush in a bag' when I know that I will be sitting fairly exposed on my Huntmor chair. I had a fork horn get a little close, I wanted him to move along, but I didn't want him to make a big scene, so I poked him with my bow. Don't ever do that, what a fuss he made.
I got a inexpensive leafy suit.
I think the best advise is use what you are comfortable wearing.
Some suits hang on brush a lot and your fighting brush more than hunting.
Hunting from the ground is way cool (did I say "way cool"?)
couple key points is
1. stay in the shadows
2. watch the wind
3. draw the bow when there are NO eyes in your direction
Ive been amazed at how close deer have gotten to me on the ground.
Im also a big fan of a bee smoker to smoke your clothes and self prior to the hunt.
I've noticed I've hunted the ground more and more in recent years for a variety of reasons. But during this learning curve I've had a few "learning experiences" that continue to shape how I hunt from the ground. Some of the things that jump out at me that I now focus on:
1. The cover immediately behind you is more important than a little bit of cover in front of you.
2. I hate the "leafy wear" style clothing - here in the south in early season I spend more time untangling myself from brush than I do hunting....no thanks.
3. I prefer to use large tree trunks to set up against / next too.
4. As mentioned above - shade is your friend when on the ground.
5. You have to be on red alert all the time, especially with your movements compared to a tree stand. I've been busted quite a few times when I thought no deer where around, vs. being in a tree where you have some cushion until they are good and close (typically).
6. I feel safe at all times on the ground...which results in more naps and probably more deer spooked by my snoring, "springing" awake after nearly falling off my seat, or just missing deer that walk by while I'm asleep. LOL :bigsmyl:
I have a Rancho Safari long coat and hat. I find it is too hot to wear during most of our bow season here in N Alabama and Southern TN. Any weather above 60 degrees with turn the suit into a sauna.
J Cook
Got busted one time sittin in the low fork of a big ol tree.....a snort startled me, opened me eyes and was looking strait up at a blue bird sky with beauty clouds......musta been sleepin with my head flopped all the way back n I imagine I was snoring like a locomotive. Great tips from ya and thanks for the candid admissions....funny
Hunting from the ground adds a whole new dimension, if you've always used stands. I use nippers pre-season to clear a few sneak trails through my property, which helps with the possible hangups of a leafy suit. I also carry the nippers when I'm not on a trail, to quietly clear something from my path if necessary, or to clear a sitting spot. I stalk my way from place to place, and wait a while in good spots. It's a combination of stalking and sitting. For me it's more satisfying to take one on the ground than 10 from a tree.
If you are going from Tree to Ground due to knees, dont forget to buy a good stool. I found over the year just sit in front of something dark, move slow and no gillie needed (so no bow string issues getting caught in suit)
Tree trunks in groups and clusters of tree trunks are the best, basswood trees tend to cluster here, perfect trees for tree stands and strap on tree seats, but terrible for stools that sit on the ground. Like the painter Bob Ross use to say 'don't forget to give your trees foots, they need something to stand on', lots of trees have big foots. A Nifty Seat can often get closer than a stool, but with a nice combo of larger trunks can be nothing but angled foots where the spike or stool need to be. After doing the stand searches my hip hurts, I don't think that I would want a very low stool today, I am sure sore knees don't like low stools either. A strap on tree seat can be set up higher, that is why I like the Huntmor better than the small cheaper folding stools, it is taller. With my Grizzly tree seat I need to add a small cushion for my tender tushy and a piece of old leather belt use for a pad to against a trunk to level the seat sometimes. I should have stated in my first post that I rarely use any camouflage, mostly for turkey hunting. It takes very little camo if there is cover like cedar shrubs, tree clusters and standing corn to hunt from.
Might go without saying but if you're sitting on the ground, practice shooting while seated on the ground. Anything but the shortest bows will require an aggressive cant to keep the lower limb from smacking the ground. I developed a secondary anchor point and dual gap (windage & elevation gaps) that works for me. Haven't yet taken any shots at deer but I did use that system to get my turkey last spring. From the ground, no blind, leafy suit, tree behind me & a few branches in front.
I like sitting on steep hills when I can. The hill itself becomes a bit of a backdrop to break up my silhouette if I lay flat. Sometimes I just carve out a nook for my foam pad (half of a cheapo foam stadium pad that I stuff into my pack) with my boot, use my backpack as a back/head rest, lay the bow on my lap, arrow nocked and I'm good for a few hours of sitting. Often, I get the elevated position of a tree stand without the risk of falling or the burden of the extra gear. But that's more a function of the rugged terrain I'm usually in -- flat areas are the exception and roads are far away.
Quote from: Slickhead on September 07, 2018, 08:09:31 AM
Im also a big fan of a bee smoker to smoke your clothes and self prior to the hunt.
I've used my smoker on my clothing for the previous 2 years. But the mosquitoes have been so bad that I find myself covered in insect repellent, defeating the point of using the smoker. I'm planning to head out this evening to a place in the foothills where mosquitoes might be light. Maybe I'll give it another try.
Sam, I don't have trouble using 66" and 68" longbows for hunting even from my Nifty seat. The only times when I use more than my natural cant is when there is obstructions for the bottom limb and when shooting up a steep hill while sitting. About half of the deer I have taken while standing and about half sitting, with a few that I was sitting butt to the dirt and using a smaller tree as a back rest, not one from a tree stand, although i have spent time in tree stands. I shoot Hill style as taught by John Schulz, an individuals shooting style does need to be taken into consideration with any hunting setup and needs to be accommodated before the deer shows up.
ASAT leafy suit is awesome. been using one for many, many years. had many an animal, including turkeys, look right at me and pay no attention at all.
Shot timing from the ground. Everyone has opinions on it. Everything from raise the bow first to go into super slow mo draw to wait until their head is behind a tree. For me, shoot with hard intent. My normal under 30 yard shot tempo is a smooth one second from draw to release, I do not shoot when a deer is looking at me directly. I tried the slow thing and have gotten caught mid stride too often, shooting quicker works better for me.
Personally I would rather be one stick high in a tree then on the ground. I just can't get comfy and have had a hard time getting bow clearance. Sometimes I don't even take a stick just set the stand a couple feet off the ground.
I own both the rancho safari full ghillie suit and an ASAT leafy suit. I have tried multiple ways to stop string interference while wearing the rancho ghillie and I cannot do it. That's why I bought an ASAT leafy suit. So for bow hunting I use the ASAT. String clearance is not a problem with it.
The other big difference is that the rancho ghillie is hot! I can wear the ASAT in the middle of summer down here in South Louisiana and it doesn't bother me much but the Rancho ghillie is uncomfortable for me over about 70 degrees. So I use the rancho ghillie for gun hunting from November through April and the ASAT for everything else.
If I could only have one it would be the ASAT leafy suit. Lighter weight, more versatile, better string clearance.
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I learned a lot of lessons last fall, hunting from the ground. ASAT leafy suit was a HUGE help for me. I still found that getting drawn was incredibly hard unless I had brush in front, and behind me. But I didn't know enough about setting up for quartering away shots, so that had something to do with it.
Dean Torges was a ground hunter. He would set up with a simple tree seat he made, and turn his back to where he expected the deer to come from, to get a quartering away shot after they passed him.
Having your back to the expected deer direction is the proper setup, but it is amazing how often the deer around here are never on established trails. Just like the group of bucks that came past me the other day, six of them just moving kitty wampas across the side to the wooded slope. I was taking a short cut to get a GPS fix on a line of illegal tree stands when I saw movement. i froze, some went to my left and some to my right. I was wearing no cap, a white T shirt and bluejeans. Give those bucks a couple of weeks and they will be a lot smarter. The Torges seat is a very good tool, I have played around with various ropes to eliminate stretch and the rope squeaking on the bark. They need time to settle in on certain trees. You would think you could leave a cruddy looking Torges seat alone for a few days and it would still be where you left it, not here. Another handy ground hunting tool, the Big Jim tree leaner seat. On burr oak bark it can squeak, I put a pair of gloves on the top fork, one of these also needs an addition of a butt pad for my boney butt.
When I used a climbing stand, I would sometimes take it off the tree and hide it close by, to keep from having to carry it. Now I only use ladder stands when not rambing. I hate carrying anything, so I sit anywhere I can shoot my bow. I carry a 1" foam pad I can get into my back pocket. Minimalist mentality. :)
I use a ghillie quite a bit when it's cool enough, whole suit if I plan to still hunt, but if I have a place that I want tosit most times just the jacket and hood which I'll carry in. I have two suits that I made, one built off BDU which is way hot in the south and the other built off a bug suit which is cooler and handy for mosquitoes. I also have two Marc Anthony Bushrag suits, one that I use more than any other which I have further modified to suit my shooting and another kept new still in reserve which I have never used since they are no longer available.
As far as moving and stillhunting, well that's where the learning curve comes in and you'll have to learn what works on your own. As far as sitting, what is behind you cover wise is more important than what is in front of you, and you are always on stage even if you don't see game, they may see you.
It's a more enjoyable way to hunt for me and after the first season I was figuring things out, when stillhunting you become an active predator and I like that a lot more than sitting in a tree.
This morning I took my first deer of the season moving between two spots that I had picked out to watch, had I not been out and on the move, I would not have crossed paths with him.
When I used to be a serious tree hunter, I hated the idea of ground blinds. I then got a lease where there were very few trees big enough to place a stand, and was forced to the ground. While the view is much better from a tree, everything else is better in the ground!!!!
Bisch
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I really like the ASAT jacket that I purchased before last turkey season its lightweight and not too bulky. I hunt in South GA and its pretty warm until late November. Like others have said I do try to find back cover and hide in the shadows when on the ground. I also bought about 9 feet of duck blind material which rolls up and packs into a pullout bag to create cover if needed. To go with my system I bought a Waldrop Pac Seat which is really comfortable to carry and sits great. When the Push guys came out with their Alpha Pack this summer I ordered one to attach to the Pac Seat and so far the whole setup is really slick and packable. Best of luck to you.
I have found that clothing is not the most important factor to consider. Being still and hunting the wind are by far the most important things to do when on the ground. Camo doesn't hurt, but any muted colors are very effective as well. I shoot 68" longbows and have no problem shooting while seated. As the knees get older, I don't even try to stand up to make a shot.
Just an aside:
A Torges tree seat is pretty good for ground hunting: height adjustable, CHEAP, light weight, customizable, and it sets you up against a tree for back cover and back support.
i swear by an ASAT leafy suit.
i think the other ghillie suits work just as well, if not better. But the asat is light weight, doesnt stink- , easy to wash- and the under cloth options are limitless.
I have used mine in Africa, on the prairies in Alberta and now in the coastal Rainforests of North Western BC.
i have found it works incredibly well everywhere- irrespective of surrounding colours etc.
i have had a Duiker so close i could have touched it with my hand.
had a Girraffe stare at me for half an hour , snorting and bobbing, not more than 15 feet away, and recently had a red tail hawk, set on my head, while i was sitting real still on my hunting stool , behind a log. It must have sat there for at least a minute- that was the closest encounter i have ever had.
had a skunk amble past me as well at about 2 or 3 feet- but i wasnt going to mess with it- i just watched :biglaugh:
my shot distances on the ground range from 5 to max 12 yards, chasing these Sitka blacktails up here.
Good thread. Years ago, I taped a reminder message to a coffee cup, which read "do not leave the spot, idiot." The spot was a small 5-6 ft "ridge" on an island in Missouri, Howell Island. I took a doe ground hunting, and slow-motion won that race.
This weekend, cleared out some shooting windows, and could have harvested an old doe at 8 yards, were does legal in Az. Not into the camo thing,but been trying out ASAT. The ASAT and a buff over the face, hat worn low, and shadows were key. Girlfriend shot down the small ladder stand idea, and I am now fully into ground hunting. A shorter bow helps.
I'll be wearing a ghille suit this year if I go hunting [health problem]. Had to trim it up some and it seems like it will work fine. Dave
Thanks for all the info. I broke down and ordered me a leafy suit. I realize it's just another tool in the arsenal of things...appreciate all the good info
Quote from: Don Stokes on September 08, 2018, 03:13:30 PM
When I used a climbing stand, I would sometimes take it off the tree and hide it close by, to keep from having to carry it. Now I only use ladder stands when not rambing. I hate carrying anything, so I sit anywhere I can shoot my bow. I carry a 1" foam pad I can get into my back pocket. Minimalist mentality. :)
ain't it funny how we change....the same over the years.. :archer2:
Don't stink, don't move when yer quarry is lookin', don't make eye contact. Don't don't don't don't......but have fun😋
Beech brush leaves will die but don't fall much so there is brown screen in later season. Good tips all around
Alot of great information here and advice. I made the transition to the ground about 10 years ago, bad knees. I will add this, I have used a guille suit that I built my self (military taught me), found that it wasn't needed. For me nothing works better than, staying in shadow, with back cover, and little front cover. I find hunting from the ground of course more challenging, but in my area more effective. Let me warn you, you can not beat the view from a tree stand. Woodsmanship, come's into play more to me hunting on the ground, to read sign. Many get to inpatient because the view is not as prestine, and often get amazed at how deer just appear. Once you figure out how to set up, it get's better. Keep your string waxed.
I've hunted the ground for the last 5 or 6 years and like to keep the wind in my face and sun at my back. Like multiple tree bases and use a strap on lightweight seat which makes setting up fast and easy. Last two kills were 4 and 12 yards and never knew I was there. Not easy but sure is fun when you have something so close you can see eyelashes. Enjoy and blow off any frustration in your learning curve.
Been on the ground for a few years now. Love getting deer within 5 yards of me. Your blind is as important as your clothing. I wear generic camo, old Marine BDU pants and quiet upper camo. BUT my blinds, (on my property) well made. It is just as important to have your overhead covered as around you. Not having overhead covered is like having a spot light shine on you.
Forgot to add, when it comes to camo, I am a huge fan of just regular ASAT camo. I am convinced that it makes a huge difference on the ground with the final movement of the shot. Have had several deer I harvest that was 10 yards in, that never knew I was there, and two turkeys. Without any form of blind or other material, just ASAT. Just my opinion.
Todd,
You using regular ASAT or leafy version?
Regular ASAT
This will be my last year of hunting elevated stands. I already have some ground blinds but still have my tripods backed into a cedar tree or patch of scrub oaks. Plan on getting a very comfortable light weight seat and a ghillie suit which will be modified. I may also have to include an ASAT Leafy suit as well. I sometimes think we get very comfortable with our stands, so much we lose our ability to adapt. I want to use nature to my advantage and not have such a thing as a "wrong wind". It all boils down to the fact that I will be 65 next season and I don't bounce as well as I used to. I believe I can still handle falling out of a stool on the ground.
I ground hut almost exclusively. The key is don't move sit still I can't sit still if uncomfortable. I have a folding stool I carry with me. Set up in good cover and don't move or draw until deer are looking away. I cut out around set up with hand clippers and clear ground of leaves and sticks. I find ground hunting gives me more flexibility and I can hunt were the deer are. Not look around for a suitable tree that is a less than prim spot. More versatility at working the wind.
Buy two things: 1 Rancho safari longcoat with hat/mask, and 2 a Waldrup packseat. That is pretty much it.................
Michael, I totally agree with those two items.
I bought a ASAT Leafy suit this year and had success the first day out - bottoms are super long so you can hem them up
I have read several posts about ghillie suits being heavy, hot and prone to have your bowstring hang up on it. If you are interested, you may look at a video on the Waldrop pack seat website. There are four short videos on the seat and in video number 4 Mr. Waldrop talks about issues with a ghillie suit and how he has overcome them. He has cut out a lot of the heavy burlap, cut off the arms and made several slits in the suit. I know it may seem rediculous to take a scissors to a garment you spent dollars on, but I am going to give it a try. The "stock" ghillie suit may be fine for shooting a gun but for a bow I think the modifications are well in order.
As others have stated, I think cover is your most important consideration. And you don't have to go crazy with it. I like a tree stump, trunk, criss-crossing sticks or brush at my back to break up my outline. I like to lean a stick or two 4-5 feet in front of me against a tree for the same purpose. I've found that deer have a hard time with depth perception and you can get away with a lot if you have something in front to mess with their vision.
As far as leafy suit or ghillie - I've never used one - but would like to try it. I've found patterned wool to work the best. Its dull, its quiet, and it works well. Your feet will get colder. Wear warm socks.
Overall, picking when you draw is paramount. Its a chess game. Good luck!
76Aggie, one of the best thinks that I did was cut off both sleeves of ghille suit. Bob
each to their own i guess, but i bought an ASAT leafy suit about 10 years ago- i wear it hard every year- our season is a 9 month season.
i have used it in South africa ground hunting, had a duiker so close i couldve touched him, Kudu at 6 yards, impala at less than that.
i used it in alberta on the prairies and the coulee bottoms in the willow scrub and snow, and now i live in a coastal rain forest- thats green all year.
it really works everywhere, even when the colours "dont match".
it breaks the body shape up so well.
they are light and dont soak up water, as our hunting season is during the rainy season- thats key!
i had a small hawk land on my head and sit there for at least a minute maybe two- i could feel his talons through my wool cap :o
our average distance for shooting here is between 5 and 12 yards ( the roads are about 5 yards wide)
and never had an issue with the close range.
just soooo many close encounters over the years with a leafy suit.
when i used to guide in south africa, i never had that many close encounters with normal gear.
Quote from: pavan on September 07, 2018, 02:13:04 AM
A couple thousand acres of public land here will find hunters on the ground that thought they were going to be up. I have been working with the game warden locating illegal stands. dozens of illegal stands. I sometime use a Big Jim 'bush in a bag' when I know that I will be sitting fairly exposed on my Huntmor chair. I had a fork horn get a little close, I wanted him to move along, but I didn't want him to make a big scene, so I poked him with my bow. Don't ever do that, what a fuss he made.
I'd love to do this if I lived closer to where I hunt, constantly seeing stands that look abandoned or aren't tagged properly.
I have the rancho safari ultralight mini. Basically is a shaggy suit vest. No string interfererance and coupled with the hat you are still invisible. I tried the coat first but it is a pain. Check it out although you may have to call to order it.
Big Jim has a bush in a bag that looks really good. Actually I've been meaning to get one of those. I have used a Ghillie many times with success, however it's really hot down here in September....
However I've had great success with My Predator green Western shirt, cargo khakis, and using my bow and bow quiver as a blind to the point where it's hard to believe how much I got away with just that.
I've only hunted off the ground a handful of times. Only have had the opportunity to shoot once. And I made a bad shot. Learn from my mistake please! Watch your limb tips. I didn't and the bottom limb tip smacked a tree next to me making the arrow fly horribly off course resulting in a wounded animal I couldn't find the next day. Please, learn form me.
-Jeremy :coffee:
Terry,
I don't think Big Jim has the Bush in a Bag anymore. I called a couple of months ago and I do not think they carry them anymore.
I set up where I can with my back towards the avenue of approach. Hoping they don't come on the wrong side. I hope they are past when I draw. It's kind of like setting up a defensive position and you maintain your interlocking fire responsibility. You only shoot one way. If you turn game over usually.
As others have said, just sitting against a tree in the middle of the day will result in some good naps, especially as the day warms up around noon. Make sure you have plenty of clearance for your bottom limb tip; I sometimes end up digging a hole into the ground to make sure I have enough room in the case I fail to cant my bow enough. I got some good tips from a youtube guy called DeerNinja or something like that. He is a compound hunter, but he hunts on the ground and just has deer almost on top of him (a bear was sniffing his back one time), using a leaf suit, good scent control, and nearly no movement while waiting. One video, he took his son ground hunting and recorded him the entire time. The son thought he was doing a good job of staying still until he saw the video and how much he was actually moving, and getting busted by a few deer, I think because he didn't realize there were deer around. Sitting that still is one of the hardest aspects, but I seems to work well for him.
Will have to say haven't got out as much as I wanted but I have a 4 pointer at 12 steps downwind of me and he kept looking at me or in my direction and after 6 min just walked off..have had couple of does come from behind me and never spooked...they were a little farther 18 steps...so far its been fun and a whole lot different look....maybe I will get a shot soon...
Hi everyone .I had my 1st ground hunting trip a few weeks ago in Mo..
I was not successful in getting a deer ,but like how my set-up went. I used a Guilly long coat and a Hammock seat.I had very comfortable sets with great maneuverability .I really like the hammock seat and with my set up was able to blend in to a cedar tree.
Tim Mullins
Acadian Woods Custom Bows :-)
Long overdue post here. Great thread with lots of helpful info. First full fall bow hunting on the ground and a lot of lessons learned. No harvest but the 4 point who snuck up on me to about 10 yards was the highlight of my season. Already looking forward to next fall!
I am far from an expert but have hunted the ground game for a while.
Ive made some mistakes and learned a few things.
Here are some golden rules IMO
1. Be careful how and when you move
2. Dont shoot at an alert deer
3. hands and face need to be covered or camo'd.
4. Best shots are after the deer passes and is qtring away.
5. scent stops are helpful (a curiosty scent in a place you want the deer to stop and smell the roses) anise or vanilla or a combination
6. Ive had deer so close i couldnt draw (keep that in mind when setting up)
7. A comfortable seat lessons movement
8. Hunt light as you may need to move at times.
Things are funner on the ground.
I have the Rancho long coat with the hat as well as a lightweight "leafy" suit.
The good thing about the Rancho is that its very well made and I suspect that with any amount of care will last longer than I will be around to hunt. In colder weather, it helps keep you warm, but as already mentioned, in warmer weather, it will plain cook you out. It has built in straps so you can just roll it up tight, snap strap it in the roll, then use the attached shoulder belt to easily carry it around. If you get one, practice with it on. I had to trim off some of the "stuff" on my bow arm and off the brim of the hat or I couldn't even see to shoot.
I use the lightweight leafy suit in warm weather. It's very cheap.
Frankly, I don't use either very much and have had many critters right on top of me sitting on the ground in NON-camo gear. A few weeks ago, in late muzzleloader, I had a fawn two feet from the end of my flintlock barrel and the doe just 8 feet of so away. I was sitting there on a turkey chair (low to the ground) in my orange capote and an orange voyagers hat! Both looked right at me and just blew me off (wind right in my face). They must have wondered who threw that big orange halloween pumpkin out in the woods!
I've used NO camo now for two years and don't notice any real difference with deer. Being still and having something behind you to blend into is the key, IMO. Now, for turkeys on the ground without a blind....the Rancho is top notch.