Bow hunting help
 

I will be starting out this year with shooting a compound bow. But I am not a tree climbing type of guy. Is it possible to hunt from the ground with as much movement that you make drawing a bow back? Also I will be on public land. Where you cannot construct a blind and leave it there.

Blinds and stands are allowed but have to be taken down at the end of each day.

Like stand hunting knowing the what's, where's and why's the game will be doing what they do is key. If you know their route setting up on that route undetected is what it takes. Some where on that route will be the best place to setup and you can use whatever's there to build a blind, brush, downed limbs, anything that's there can be used and it's best to make it before a hunt keeping it looking just like it would be found in the woods. Good for hunting and good for not telling others your work. You can even pull over small trees tying them down making a blind. Just untie them when your done and no one will be the wiser. This you can do when hunting, you just have to know where and what trees will be used before you hunt.


Your biggest problem besides figuring it all out is seeing them coming before they see you. From a stand I use bino's a good 80-90 percent of the time so I see them way before they see me, tough on the ground but that's what it takes. If you see them before they see you most of the movement is already made before they get close, then it's just picking a time when they can't see you pull.

Deer have an uncanny way of stopping when I pull so I make sure they are committed to coming into view before I pull. Trying to hold for long isn't good for me.

clear the ground you'll be on of all noise and make sure your clothes and gear are silent, they will hear you and key right in on you for noises as light as clothes rubbing against itself. My hands are kind of rough, if I run my hands across clothes and they make noise, that's too much for me.

Popup blinds are pretty cheap these days, but they can be noisy to set up and require a lot of brushing in to conceal. A very nice portable (and cheap) blind that sets up quietly can be made of 54" camo burlap stapled to 54" 1x2 poles. Drill holes in the ends of the poles and then drive in extra long pole barn spikes. Then cut off the heads of the spikes. The spikes stick in the ground. Cut out a shooting hole that will face your trail that you hunt. Bring along your own pine or spruce branches to brush this blind in. If you set up among some spruce trees and brush in, you will be virtually invisible and the blind itself will help contain some of your scent. I use this type of blind on public land quite a bit.

On public land you can (usually) legally construct a permanent blind of natural materials that have been gathered (no cutting of trees or branches). That said, you might want to just partially construct some blinds and then when you hunt, finish by attaching camo burlap lined around the inside. By only partially constructing, you will not be giving away your hunting spot locations so easily.

From a blind, be extra diligent in scent control. You can, however, successfully hunt this way. And it is kind of exciting to be on ground level so close to the deer. To draw back in a blind, set up so you can draw back to the side of your shooting opening and then ease into the shooting window.

I have a pop up blind from menards. It was like 60 bucks but is pretty quick set up and fairly quiet.

Are you able to fold this thing back in its original small shape? If so, let me know what blind it is. The one I have is left in a flattened state as I could not get it folded back up, at least not very easily. You got it at Menards?

Yeah, it does fold back into a smallish shape. It also comes with a back pack carry case. My dad and my brother have both been in the blind at the same time and they said it was pretty comfortable.( my dad is 6 foot 2). We practiced setting it up in our living room a few times to get the hang of it so that we could do it quietly in the field. I left you a link to the website. It's only 50 now.

http://www.menards.com/main/outdoors...971-c-9564.htm

I've hunted on the ground for 18 years... Have fallen, wont do it again.

I shot my first deer sitting in a fold out chair in the middle of the timber. I'm sure you can make it happen.