Stalk and Groundhunting vs Treestand

[tnbucs1]

Out of the last 6 deer I have killed. 3 out of 6 have been from the ground vs stand or vice versa.
If I count how many times (roughly) ground hunting with a gun when the conditions are right comparative to mostly stand hunting. My odds have to lean toward ground hunting or stalk hunting.(But I stand hunt a majority of the time)
How do your kills compare relatively?
Do you think ground/stalk hunting is a lost art? Do you base your ground sessions vs stand sessions on conditions or time?
Most of mine have been a combination of time,rain,wind or lack their of and taking my time stalking to a stand or that feeling of I need to get down and hunt my way out(if the conditions are right). Or just leaving my stand at my vehicle. Just curious how many guys have a majority of their success from the ground.

 

[deerhunter10]

I kill way over the majority of my deer from a stand. it is very hard to kill a mature deer from stalking not impossible but not for me I think you can do more harm then good from that. I just don't ground hunt a whole lot we have a lot of stands and have tripods in the places most people would have blinds so I would say 98 percent of our hunting is from a tree stand or tripod so our average will not be that great from ground hunting because of that. I will say ground hunting and stalking if you can get it done from that especially on mature deer I give them major props.

 

[rem270]

I've killed lots of deer from a ground blind or sitting on the ground. But have killed more from a stand. But the ones i have killed from a stand i could've killed 99% of them if i would've been on the ground too.

Can't say i've ever really just "stalk" hunted on purpose.

 

[huntintn]

Killed my 2 biggest deer while on the ground. I've gotten to where if the winds not right for the stand I want to hunt I'll find a spot and sit down. Hunt one creek bottom where there is nothing big enough to hang a stand on and a couple of field row ditches where theres nothing bigger than a christmas tree.

 

[TLRanger]

After the leaves fall, I think hunting from the ground is just as good if not better than a tree stand. Most hunters don't give enough credit to a deer's eyesight. When the leaves are gone, you stand out like a neon sign when you are in a tree stand.

 

[catman529]

I ground hunt more often with a rifle (mostly treestand w/bow) but have killed deer from the ground and tree with bow and gun

 

[catman529]

After the leaves fall, I think hunting from the ground is just as good if not better than a tree stand. Most hunters don't give enough credit to a deer's eyesight. When the leaves are gone, you stand out like a neon sign when you are in a tree stand.

deer don't have good eyesight, only for picking up movement really... they will learn to spot hunters in the trees but if you are sitting still they won't see you if they aren't looking for you. I could be wrong but I think a lot of times when a deer is stomping and blowing, it's because the deer saw you move but can't see what you are. Just a guess though

 

[Food Plot 101]

More like poser, 100% bowhunt from stand, a bit less during mzl and about 50% on the ground for rifle.

 

[Mike D]

I have about a 50/50 kill percentage.

 

[BHC]

In this part of the country still hunting is definitely more efficient when hunting mature deer. However each has it's place! Deer seeing me while still hunting is rarely my concern. With good cover deer usually will not pick up on u, unless you move.. I will argue deer have good vision though, and say most of the time when I get picked off it's because my set up doesn't offer much cover and they pick me out, because I look unnatural, and not because I'm moving. With a bow it is obviously much much easier when in a tree.. With a rifle it just depends on the specific set up... I would say I see an equal number of deer per hunt whether in a tree or on ground.. But I rarely hunt from the ground, only when it's the only option. I rarely stalk hunt, and have never seen a mature buck while doing so.

 

[timberjack86]

I hunt from the ground 100% of the time. Bow, rifle, or Muzzleloader. I hardly ever use a blind. I find a nice tree scrape the leaves away from it and plant myself there. Probably not the best method for hunting mature bucks but it has worked often enough that I take a mature deer every so often. I figure my best chance is the first time I hunt an area anyway. Good thing I am a meateater :grin:

 

[Bone Collector]

I kill a majority of my deer from the stand, but killed 2 off the ground last year. I generally get a shot at a deer off the ground every year, but I don;t always shoot.

I generally let, time, conditions, and my lack of desire to lug a stand in determine, whether i hunt off the ground.

 

[woodswise]

I've spent many years stalk hunting. I didn't start as any sort of plan I just always was too antsy to sit in one place very long. I did want to stand hunt and tried but mostly without a lot of success. I always saw many more deer travelling and eventually became more successful as I learned how to stalk. I love to travel in the deer woods.. it became an adventure. Most will tell you you're not going to kill Big Bucks still hunting that's simply not true and I have the mounts to prove that. It's a lot to do with the ground you have to hunt and I've killed most of mine on public land. I've probably caused as many other hunters to be successful as I have been and maybe made some mad but it was just how I learned to hunt. I was blessed with great eyesight and learned how to decipher why a deer was where he was and use that to my advantage. I'm no Mr. Deer, not a trophy hunter per say and now because of my age I have to sit in a stand more than I like but you'll learn a lot more about the deer you're hunting travelling with them rather than waiting on them it's not for everybody.

 

[Winchester]

I stand hunt the majority of the time and even with leaves gone deer will not see you in a stand unless its too low to the ground or doesn't have the necessary elements needed for good cover, movement is also a killer as deer don't have the greatest vision but do detect movement very well.
That said I love a good still hunting session and don't hesitate to hunt this way when the conditions allow it, gun or Bow, and have had some success with both over the years.
Stand hunting is by far the most effective method for the average deer hunter however.

 

[DMD]

I stand hunt 99% of the time. But, in recent years, I have taken to still hunting some in rainy or windy conditions...I enjoy the moving around aspect of still hunting - BUT, I feel my chances of success are much higher in a stand.

Funny, I am too impatient to still hunt - I tend to walk to fast and not stand still long enough...that is why I prefer stand hunting - I stay still.

 

[Snake]

Stand hunting for me unless conditions are favorable for slipping around .

 

[catman529]

I guess I should add, there are 2 reasons I like stand hunting. One being concealed movement and scent. The other being that I love to look down at a deer that might even walk right under me, and I can see farther. I like shooting an arrow down at a deer although it feels like more of an accomplishment shooting an arrow from ground level