Any one out "still hunting" from ground?
Connecticut
I purchased a crossbow last year and have been out still hunting and have had deer 15 to 20 yards from me. Its nice to get out of a stand and stalk the deer while they are not spooked yet. I have passed on the deer so far because they have had spotted fawns.
its a real rush to be on the ground with deer so close. anyone else do this too?
I do a bit of that each year with a recurve. The light bow is easier to handle when stalking, and the shots are usually very close due to foliage. Sometimes I don't see the deer until it's inside 20 yards. Closest kill on the ground was 3 yards.
I have always done it. Got close but no shots were good enough for a clean kill
I spend most of my time on the ground with the bow. I still hunted all morning yesterday. Saw two no shots offered though.
This is the only way I hunt. The early season is easier with all of the foliage. It gets more challenging when the leaves fall.
I killed my first 2 deer this way, and every year usually have one down this way. I've had nice bucks come in on me this way too, but never connected with a buck on the ground yet.
I use still hunting at the start of the season, do some scouting while hunting. It's much more interesting than sitting in a tree hoping you picked the right spot, especially if you don't do pre-season scouting like me.
There have been several times where I found new spots where the activity was much hotter than my current stand location, and still hunting is one way to find those spots. One tip, still hunt spots where most hunters don't go, like a tough ridge, thick areas, swamps, etc.
I cut my teeth still hunting. My father and grandfather only hunted that way. That's how I was brought up. By far the most unproductive way to hunt with a bow.
grizzly
not sure I agree that still unhunting is less productive than stand hunting. I would lay odds that if you tracked all of the time you spent on stand without seeing a deer, or getting a shot at a deer and compared to the same info for still hunting, you might find they're closer than you think.
I can recall several instances while still hunting at the start of each season where I had deer 15-20 yards from me broad side without spooking. The last time was a last year. I still hunted only about 100 yards and saw 2 does browsing, and while I watched them feed towards me a nice 6 point buck came up from behind and to my left and began walking after the does. He was 10 yards from me as he passed and the does were 25 yards ahead of me.
I say whatever type of hunting peeks your interest, then that's the one you should do.
Good luck.
Productive as far a seeing deer or dragging them out? I'm talking about success. Yes I used to see plenty of deer still hunting. Getting to draw and shoot is a different story. Seeing deer within shooting range vs drawing and getting a clear shot at an unalarmed deer are two very different things when you're on your feet on the ground. I stand by my words, by far the most unproductive way to hunt with a bow.
