Successful hunters can effectively mix tips and tactics which are tried and true with contemporary equipment. It’s a recipe for success which creates a legacy of hunting accomplishments. And while raised stand deer hunting has decades of accolades, that’s not to deter hunters from implementing other methods such as ground hunting.Deer hunting from the ground can be an effective method for filling tags with antlers and freezers with meat.

While it seems that hunting from a tree stand is the only way that most hunters hunt deer, the old fashioned ways of deer hunting from the ground such as stalking can produce just as well, but there’s a few key tips for deer hunting from the ground.When we think of the settlers and Native Americans hunting in wooded areas we imagine them stalking their prey in the mindset of a wolf honing in on their next kill. This manner of deer hunting from the ground can be quite challenging even for wolf . However, either stalking a deer that you have seen or still hunting your way through the woods looking for deer can be an effective hunting method.

One of my favorite methods of hunting is to sit in a high area and glass for deer to stalk.This method of deer hunting from the ground requires that hunters learn how to move silently and a must is to intentionally understand the terrain and use the wind and weather conditions to their advantage. A good way to get practice at this is to use the same mindset and methods on small game like rabbits or a squirrel hunt. Of course, you can also practice stalking deer without a gun year around to build skills, but be sure to leave guns, knives or other devices which may construe hunting game to a conservation officer. Along they way you’ll learn first hand deer behavior and responses to wind, rain, atmospheric pressure and moon phase. Always mentally document key animal reactions to your movement and weather conditions as future predictors as to where deer will gather or which routes deer will designate as escape routes or cover.

Another method of hunting deer from the ground is tracking. Tracking involves finding fresh tracks and stalking the deer that made them. Few hunters are fortunate enough to have enough land to hunt on to effectively track all the time but it is a lot of fun and can provide key tips as to deer behavior and habits. Effective tracking can expose feeding habits and indicate deer size and sex based on track density and patterns. This form of deer hunting from the ground can be a lot of fun but can also be quite frustrating as well. In conditions such as with a fresh fallen snow or rain can make tracking deer a lot easier and allow you to do it on a smaller scale. If you find tracks leading into a small brushy area, walk a circle around the area to see if the deer have come out. If they have not come out of the brush, you can then either track the deer, still hunt the deer, or simply wait for the deer to emerge.

The last form of deer hunting from the ground I’ll discuss is a ground blind. Either a purchased blind or a homemade blind can be used effectively. Essentially a blind is just an object that a hunter hides behind. A natural ground blind used as concealment like a brush pile or long established tree claim/shelter belt is perhaps the best to hunt from. Combining knowledge gained on local deer behavior and available food or water sources a hunter can strategically place himself out of the deer sight line but providing an unobstructed view.

My most used method of deer hunting from the ground is a combination of still hunting and stand hunting. A key is familiarity of the area as I know places that are good to sit and generally start my day at one and then spend the day still hunting and sitting. I like the freedom of being able to move over the stability of a deer hunting tree stand. If you are looking for a fun and productive way to hunt deer and prefer not to sit in a tree stand then one or more of the various methods of deer hunting will can be just as successful.