Ground hunting pressured whitetails

[LostArra]

Archery only but no crossbow.
No blind other than available brush.
Who does it?
Ultimate challenge for me.
I get close but drawing the bow is my downfall. I probably need to practice holding at full draw longer.
Not seeing the deer until they are "right there" is also a problem.
Might try a decoy.
Any pro tips?

 

[AppalachianHollers]

Listened to a podcast recently where the solution was to practice releasing the arrow about as soon as you anchor, like with traditional archery.

The key to this, according to the guy preaching this, was to focus on the pin and put it on your target as you pull. So you’re already there by the time you get to full draw.

Not sure how well it would work from the ground, but it seems the deer would focus on you for a split second before bolting.

 

[TN2shot07]

My biggest hurdle is still getting in the right spot for the deer, not necessarily where I want to be. Most of the time the best spots have very limited opportunity to shoot and aren’t comfortable.

I haven’t heard about shooting immediately but can see where it could be handy in certain situations. Most of the time I can see enough to get drawn but it could be a couple minutes before they are shootable so building up the ability to hold 2-3 min helps

 

[Swamp Fox]

I've done a little for deer and turkeys. I think there is too much brush in most places I hunt (Carolinas and Virginia) to make still-hunting (creeping) with a bow very practical or effective.

Been out west a few times and between less brush and less-alert animals, I can see it there.

Back home, though, I got to the point where I put together a dedicated high let-off, low draw-weight bow with an easy, buttery draw and rock-solid back wall, and I started looking exclusively for field-edge and youngish select-cut pine plantation opportunities.

Had some luck with that approach, and it is a kick!

 

[*zap*]

stalk standing corn.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

We've been doing this for 20 years, highly pressured Texas public deer no corn no stands nothing. The key is two peephole shooting lanes 45ish degrees apart. You only see the deer walk through the first one, then you draw while they can't see you (lookout for second deer entering the first lane) and be ready to shoot when the get to the second one. Don't worry about what's behind you just setup for those lanes so you get the trail either direction. We've been highly successful for the last 15 years.

 

[Rich M]

Set up where you can see the deer coming and draw before it is on top of you.

Also draw when deer is looking away, head down, etc.

Can you draw your bow straight or do you need to poiint it at the sky? Straight draw, hit your anchorcdpot while pin remains on target. If you cant, make it so you can.

You are really hunting. Be hapy w what you get.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

Set up where you can see the deer coming and draw before it is on top of you.

Also draw when deer is looking away, head down, etc.

Can you draw your bow straight or do you need to poiint it at the sky? Straight draw, hit your anchorcdpot while pin remains on target. If you cant, make it so you can.

You are really hunting. Be hapy w what you get.

On that note, I had a little hole one year where I didn't have any upper cover and shot two deer there, both times hunched over and drew my bow sideways in front of me pointed at the ground, then slowly rotated up to vertical to let it fly.

 

[Drenalin]

I managed it a handful of times when I was still bow hunting. In each case, I was able to come to full draw behind a large tree, then either wait for the deer to step into my line of sight, or lean out to get the line of sight I needed. My first whitetail with a bow was taken this way. It’s a lot of fun, but simultaneously a lot of frustration. Getting to full draw was usually my issue ground hunting whitetails; I was getting busted by non-target deer, and sometimes when I thought a target’s sight was obstructed they still caught my movement. Hunting from behind large trees helped, but it usually isn’t exactly the right spot in my area.

 

[*zap*]

Best way I have found is to draw the bow when the deer's eyes are behind something. Smaller cedar trees and huge hedge trees work well round here.

 

[WCB]

Ghillie suit is a must. Leafy suits are B.S. for dedicated ground hunting deer. I have literally sat with my back against a fence post with nothing more than knee high grass around me and killed deer with a bow.

-Lighten your draw so you can draw straight back and very slow if needed.
-Get a stand for your bow so it is sitting up. makes it easy to just slide you hand in and lift it up a few inches.
-clear the ground around you to reduce noise and so things don't catch on clothing or your bow.
-Be in a ready to shoot position the whole time
-If you know the main direction of travel...set up the shot so the deer is slightly past you(quartering away) I've shot many deer out of make shift chicken wire blinds with no holes cut to shoot through. Just have the blind/cover blocking where the deer will walk by you and leave it open so when they get just past you, you have a shot. Same with a natural material blind.

 

[TxxAgg]

Great thread

 

[ResearchinStuff]

I like to use large trees and leafy branches to break up my outline and give me cover to draw when they walk behind. Natural topography and shadows help a bunch too.

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

I've been trying in vain to kill a deer from a tree for years now. All the whitetail I've killed with my longbow or recurve have been from the ground. I disagree that leafy suits are useless... the ASAT Leafy suit works. ASAT camo is legit, and I have some great stories about deer walking circles around me in bow range after busting me (I'm a twitchy guy and sitting still is difficult).

Drawing when their head is behind a tree is really helpful, and you have to maintain a light silhouette imprint, because deer are excessively aware of their surroundings. Most of the time when I get picked off, it's because I don't have enough back cover. They don't blow out, but they often don't calm down enough to get drawn and shoot.

I drew when this guy was behind a couple trees, coming my way. He stopped right at the edge of the clearing, and wouldn't budge. Had to lean over to clear his vitals. 17 yards. My buddy went to look at my "blind" and flat out declared I was crazy for having sat there. But I had back cover, a little foreground cover, and the ASAT leafy suit on (took it off for tracking).

 

[MallardSX2]

Killed this buck while hunting from the ground in September. I broke some branches and put them in front of me and killed him at 10 yards in 105-degree weather. He came out from left to right and I shot him in the first opening.

This was on HIGHLY PRESSURED public ground.

2 things that made this a success.

1- I was listening carefully and heard this deer walking towards me and was ready.
2- I was sitting there with my bow up, ready to draw, with my release hooked on the string.

 

[LostArra]

Can you draw your bow straight or do you need to poiint it at the sky? Straight draw, hit your anchorcdpot while pin remains on target. If you cant, make it so you can.

You are really hunting. Be hapy w what you get.

This is a great point and one I've had to stress with my nephew, a relatively new hunter. He and his buddies have some kind of pissing contest about their draw weight which results in excessive draw weight and multiple contortions to get to full draw. He was very successful killing deer at 45# but once he started playing with the allen wrench he got busted in a treestand every time.
I told him if he wants to kill a deer this season he better reduce the draw weight or hit the weight room immediately.

 

[Dos Perros]

I hunt them in western Kansas just like they were mule deer. Glass at first light and watch them go to bed and then stalk in the open grass using terrain and yuccas to maintain cover.

I don't care what anybody says, whiletails are SWITCHED ON compared to mule deer. I swear some of them can hear you think.

I'll post a few pics of bedded deer when I have my phone...

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

I hunt them in western Kansas just like they were mule deer. Glass at first light and watch them go to bed and then stalk in the open grass using terrain and yuccas to maintain cover.

I don't care what anybody says, whiletails are SWITCHED ON compared to mule deer. I swear some of them can hear you think.

I'll post a few pics of bedded deer when I have my phone...

Tottally agree! Whitetail deer are like a 150lb methed out cat that eats grass instead of mice.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

Archery only but no crossbow.
No blind other than available brush.
Who does it?
Ultimate challenge for me.
I get close but drawing the bow is my downfall. I probably need to practice holding at full draw longer.
Not seeing the deer until they are "right there" is also a problem.
Might try a decoy.
Any pro tips?

I killed my top 2 archery bucks from the ground without a blind. They go 145 and 161 gross and are the left and right hand bucks in the pic. Center buck was a late muzzleloader kill from the ground and grossed 151.

Tip 1- Choose a setup where you have good visibility for a decent distance. Typically try to position with a high vantage point so you can see the deer first and then hatch a plan to get in range leveraging terrain, wind, and thermals.
Tip2- Depending on the season use grunt calls, snort wheeze, and rattling to your advantage to draw them in.
Tip 3- Draw when the buck is distracted behind a bit of cover or not looking your way. Just remember, if you can see either of his eyeballs, he can see you and most importantly your movement.
Tip 4- The best days for this strategy are those with a decent amount of wind. 10-15mph or faster increases consistency in flatter terrain and also gives you some cover for your noise when approaching.
Tip 5- Stay positive and stay at it. You will learn a ton about whitetail behavior during spot and stalk hunts. Be patient and learn from your failures. IME, movement will bust you before they smell you, so draw early and be prepared to hold full draw as long as possible.

Equipment-wise, I really like a Whisker Biscuit or similar rest that holds your arrow in place when stalking. The last thing you want is your arrow falling off your rest and banging against the riser when you're in the zone.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

Can you draw your bow straight or do you need to poiint it at the sky? Straight draw, hit your anchorcdpot while pin remains on target. If you cant, make it so you can.

This is a huge fundamental point and one that cannot be underestimated. If you can't draw your bow straight back you're pulling too many pounds.