I will be bowhunting in Northern Missouri in a few weeks. I have always hunted from a API grand slam. However, earlier this year when I hunted there, I had trouble finding a good tree in the areas where there were deer signs. As a result, I was only about 10 feet off the ground, about 15 ft lower than I prefer. Which gets me to my question. Has anyone had any luck bowhunting from a ground blind? Does it take some time for the deer to get used to seeing it? Ameristep makes one that has a carbon liner to help with scent control and a replaceable shoot thru window. It sets up in about 15 seconds, and I figure it would be a little warmer than sitting up in a tree. Please let me know what ya think. Thanks in advance for any info!!!!

Edited by - swamp dawg hunter on 12/09/2002 17:45:46

I just got a 9pt whitetail deer last saturday from a ground blind in the North of Mexico. (we don't have to many trees around here)

I use a natural blind (just hide behind some trees or bushes) a carbon suit and a 3d camo. keep your scent free and your noise very low.

good luck!

Ditto. I hunt from the ground 95% of the time. I don't own a portable tree stand or ground blind. Around here we got a lot of cedar trees and hedgeapples and stuff like that. Not too much mature hardwood timber except for the ocassional cottonwood. I use the cedar trees most often. I find a good trail with a lot of sign. Then I look downwind for and locate a mature cedar tree with the first set of limbs about 3 feet off the ground. I slide in under the limbs and clip off whatever small branches I need to clear a SMALL shooting lane. I carry a pair of gardening shears in my backpack, which also serves as a pretty good backrest. I then break up the fresh cedar branches around me. The scent of fresh cedar helps cover my scent. I've had deer come within 5 feet of me doing that. Be careful of your movements though. One turn of your head at the wrong time and it's over.

PS: I'm in southwestern Iowa so I imagine the terrain I have is somewhat similar to what your hunting in northern MO

KEEP IT LEGAL. KEEP IT SAFE. OR WE MAY NOT GET TO KEEP IT AT ALL.

Edited by - budbowhunter on 12/09/2002 19:11:30

I have the ameristep dog house that has the black interior, and shoot through mesh. I didn't want the TSC because I'll be mainly turkey
huntin out of mine.
they work great for turkeys, but I've heard deer are a little more
leary of the blinds. I would think they would work a lot better
by brushin them in real good, and make sure you get the camo that
matches the woods you'll be huntin. I think you'll have success even
with huntin deer<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

daytona 500 winner- Ward Burton
go Cat-22

I've taken several deer from the ground. The closest was at a distance of 7 FEET. That said, if you can have some cover even 10 or 12 feet up will do you better than ground hunting in most cases. WIND WIND WIND is the secret ingredient even more so than when in a tree. Don't feel like you have to be totally hidden with a lot of junk in front of you. Clear out the ground so you can shift your feet without making noise. Position your body so you can shoot in the widest possible arch without having to shift you body if seated. I've set up in blackberry briars, golden rods, behind an abandoned vehicle, in a ditch and in blowdowns to take deer with the bow. On one occasion I sat on a stool in a foot of water backed into some tree roots. I shot a buck at 15 yards when he crossed the creek. I've used a ground blind where there was NOTHING else to do and in some strange places. One of the most successful hunts(but without a kill) was in Ohio a couple years ago. I cut a hole back into a brush thicket no deer would come through and just had two small lanes out to the field which was 10 yards away. I could have shot any one of 4 bucks that night at under 15 yards but passed as I had seen a monster there in the AM. It was my last night in Ohio and I didn't fill my tag. He never showed. My nephew crawled in my hole a week later and got a beauty(although not my monster) at 12 yards. Do what you got to do. Watch for termals. They can be killers.

i have always hunted in a ground blind and have been very succesful with getting deer very close to me and seeing deer i usually make a natural blind and i have the ameristep outhouse and it all work it doesnt take very long for the deer to get used to it. a friend of mine has the blind u are talkin about and has gotten many deer out of it. you will not be dissappointed.. good luck

I have always used ground positions and elevated stands and have been equally successful from both. If they made a law that only allowed me one choice, I would take the ground.

If your area provides good cover and terrain features, the ground blinds are very versatile, allows you to easily play various wind directions, and can be changed without much difficulty and very little noise. I use only the natural objects from the area, or simply sit behind a tree where good breakup features are at my back.

This season, so far, my &quot;crew&quot; and I have taken a total three deer while positioned on the ground.

I hunt mainly from the ground just due to the ability to move easily, I prefer natural blinds over anything built on the ground, most of the time you can find enough cover to break up your outline. When determining where to sit you need to make sure of four things, first that your outline is broken up inbetween you and the deer, second that your outline is broke up behind you also, third you must have good shooting lanes even in direction you don't expect them to come from, I missed a shot at a real nice 8 point last yer due to this, and last, but the most important of all, the wind.

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club

[Deleted by Admins]

as I said before in this post, I got a 9pt Texas WhiteTail last Saturday from a natural ground blind.

Just find some bushes, bend some branches and make a small window just make sure you have some cover in your back.

here's the picture from inside; the deer came up and went by my right side at 10 yards, he stoped at 20 yards just ...