Brodie Swisher
There was a time when deer hunting from the ground was standard procedure each fall for hunters waiting out a whitetail deer. However, over the years, the evolution of elevated hunting changed the game. Hunters everywhere began to climb trees in an effort to best position themselves at the opportunity to punch a deer tag.
However, if you look close, you’ll notice a trend developing that’s finding deer hunters climbing down from their treestands to take advantage of the many perks of hunting from the ground for deer. What are these advantages?
Here’s a closer look at the 10 reasons to deer hunt from the ground this season.
1. It Eliminates the Bulk and Weight of Gear
One of the greatest advantages of hunting from the ground is the ability to ditch the treestand, sticks, harness, and other gear that goes with hunting from an elevated position. This is truly a burden off your back. Seriously, you’ll immediately feel the freedom when you drop the bulk and weight that comes with this gear. You’ll be able to move through the woods with a streamlined approach that allows you to be smooth and steady.
2. It’s a Safer Method
Hunters are injured every year when hunting from a treestand. Elevated hunting comes with some serious risks. If you want to eliminate any opportunity to find yourself as a treestand accident statistic, hunting from the ground is the answer. Keeping your feet on the ground eliminates the chance for a fall, but also frees your mind from the worry and concern of the ascent, descent, or time spent sitting in an aging treestand. Ground hunting allows the older generation of hunters to stay in the game longer after they’ve retired from the risk of climbing in and out of treestands.
3. It’s a More Comfortable Method
A safer method of hunting also makes for a more comfortable method. Hunting from the ground offers peace of mind, a comfort feature, no doubt. But it also allows you a variety of options to keep your body comfortable through the long hours waiting out whitetails. You can go as simple as a butt cushion on the ground, to a chair or stool for greater comfort. The options are wide open when it comes to making your ambush from the ground.
4. It’s a Quieter Method
No treestand, no climbing sticks, no noise. Well, maybe not exactly. But you get the idea. Regardless of whether it’s a climbing stand, or hang-on stand with sticks, there’s a considerable amount of noise that comes when hunting from a portable treestand. You can say goodbye to that extra noise when hunting from the ground. A stealthy walk in and minimal prep work at the base of a tree make ground hunting one of the quietest options of the season.
5. It’s the Ultimate in Mobility
Mobile hunting has been the trend in recent years among avid hunters that want to stay in the action. Hunters buy all sorts of super lightweight gear to help them move quickly and quietly from location to location. However, nothing allows you to be as mobile as when you commit to the ground and pound game. Hunting from the ground allows you to move at a moment’s notice, fast and easy. There are no stands to pull and climbing sticks to grab. You simply pick up and move to that other location. You can literally be in a new location and hunting in less than a minute.
6. It’s Easier to Play the Wind
The fact that you can stay more mobile when hunting from the ground allows you to better play the wind, no matter the conditions. Far too often, hunters gamble on the wind direction for a treestand location, simply because they don’t want to mess with the hassle of moving the stand to a location that’s better suited for the current wind direction. When it comes to hunting from the ground, you simply jump to the downwind side of the trail, food plot, or bedding area. It’s quick, easy, and allows you to always hunt the optimal stand locations, regardless of weather and wind conditions.
7. It Delivers an Exciting Eye Level Encounter with Deer
There’s a special excitement that comes with having an unsuspecting deer below your treestand, but if you want to crank up your adrenaline level a few extra clicks, try hunting from the ground. There’s nothing like it. Face to face on the ground is hard to beat for any big game animal encounter, particularly whitetail deer. The bar will no doubt be raised as you begin to find success on deer at ground level. But it won’t come easy. It’s a unique challenge to dupe the eyes of a deer when you’re on the ground, up close and personal. However, when it happens, you’ll know you’ve outsmarted one of the toughest critters to ever walk the woods, on his own playing field.
8. It Eliminates Any Worry of Shot Angle
Ground level is where we typically practice with our weapon, so it only makes sense that we are most accurate from the same shooting position while on the hunt. Shooting from a treestand can be tough, particularly when it comes to angle compensation with a bow or trying to secure a solid rest with a gun. Things can go south in a hurry when shooting from an elevated position. Hunting from the ground offers the most solid and secure foundation you’ll find anywhere, without the worry of severe angles and tricky shot techniques to make the shot happen.
9. It Allows You to Deliver a More Realistic Calling Sequence
The options are nearly endless when it comes to your calling routine when hunting from the ground. The ground level calling game allows you to present a much more realistic routine with your calling presentation. No longer are you delivering the sounds of a buck fight from 25 feet in the air. Now, you’re on the ground with the ability to get down and dirty with your routine. You can stomp the ground, rake the leaves, bust brush, grunt, slobber and snort, all in a more realistic setting and scenario.
10. It Saves You a Pile of Cash
For the budget-conscious hunter, the most attractive aspect of ground hunting just might be the cost savings that goes with it. Think about it. No treestands, no sticks, no harness – no cost. Just more money in the bank for you and your family. Let’s face it, the cost of treestands has continued to go up in the last several years as premium treestands continue to raise the bar on quality. $500 treestands are becoming more and more common all the time. And rarely can you get by with just one. Hunting from the ground saves you a ton of money as you eliminate the need for one of hunting’s most expensive pieces of gear.
If you’re looking to mix things up in the whitetail woods this fall, consider a ground attack this season. It’s safe, comfortable, and will open up endless opportunities as you go head to head with America’s favorite big game animal.
