Ground Hunting

[William Warren]

#149248

Its been a good while since I hunted from a tree stand. It was fun while it lasted but being older and wiser, I think I’ll stay on the ground now unless I’m flying somewhere, but that’s another story.

I’ve made wooden chairs and stools and , used commercially made implements for sitting. I’ve made and used the Torges tree seat but this season I’m using the Hammock seat which was introduced to me by my good friend Steve Graf.

The Hammock seat is very reasonably priced, arrived on my doorstep quickly and is very light weight but also very strong. It sets up quickly and the mounting strap is generous enough to attach to a rather large tree trunk.

My favorite way to set up is to find a spot in a shadow with good background cover. I prefer not to have anything in front of me and so far the deer have been clueless. I’m still waiting for them to present me with a good shot though. Part of the fun right?

So what is your ground set up?

[richard roop]

#149249

Folding dove stool with a backrest.  Cut off the bag under the seat and sewed in a decent day-pac with good shoulder straps. Added a hip belt with some pouches and a bow hook. Good still-hunting set-up and if I want to sit a saddle or some such likely looking spot, a few clips with the brush pruners backs me into a bush quite nicely.

 

[Stephen Graf]

#149322

Dapper hat Duncan!

I had 5 turkeys browse by me while I sat in my hammock seat near a persimmon tree the other day.  They either didn’t see me, or understood my innocent nature 😜  Either way, they hung around for about half an hour.

[Raymond Coffman]

#149326

I have , use and like the hammock seat . Normally set up similar to WW with back to a live or uprooted tree / ground clutter etc. In the SW most waterholes / tanks ( tinajas) etc, have old blinds ( been there for years) one can refresh. These days I usually make my own (temporary -‘using old netting / burlap / line ) along heavy use trails. I also sometimes use a upper body covering ghillie suit.

Scout aka Ray

[William Warren]

#149338

I don’t have a ghillie but last year I took an inexpensive leafy suit coat and modified it by attaching burlap strips from a section of camo burlap I had handy. Hot glue and an hour later I had myself a bush rag. It has finally cooled down enough to use it now.

From my perch in the picture above I’ve been eyeballing another likely spot along a fence line. The bush rag as I call it can be worn or just hung up for background cover. I’m thinking I will hang the bush rag on the fence and tuck myself in to a big pine tree with the fence to my left. Good view of the entire hillside. I’m still figuring this place out and part of my strategy is to just be there and watch what happens. So far I’ve found some acorns and that this is definitely an escape route. It is not new to me. I’ve scouted it and hunted it before but I am beginning to understand how the deer move on it.

[William Warren]

#149417

Wrong wind for the fence today so I hunted the other side of the place. No deer today but the squirrels entertained me. Here’s pic of the my hammock seat.

[Stephen Graf]

#149419

I noticed that the rod on the hammock seat is resting at the base of the tree.  I used to set up that way as well.

Recently, I’ve started resting the base of the rod farther up the tree, like at least half-way or more up to the bottom of the seat.  At first it might seem like that would be unstable, but it actually behaves pretty well .  And I have found it even more comfortable.  If you give it a try, be prepared to spend 5 or 10 minutes figuring it out.  But once you do, your nether regions will thank you 😳

Is that an orchid growing out of that blow-down mound?

[William Warren]

#149431

Steve,

I knew I had to be doing something not quite right with all that noise the seat was making . Thanks for the tip. I’ll give that a try. You do have to be careful not to point that stob at the jewel area.

D

 

[paleoman]

#149882

Good tip on putting the support rod against the tree. I’ll have to try that. The noise the material makes when you move has been one of the problems. The other is I get picked off on the ground too much, even when the wind and background cover is good. It seems as though you stick out like a blob on a tree and the deer get it! Otherwise it is light and portable. I have given thought to dispensing with all commercial seats and just roaming until I find good cover and sign but then if you do snuggle into the bushes you have to have enough clearance for the bow limbs. Such problems!

[Stephen Graf]

#149885

I’ve had deer walk near me without knowing I was sitting there in my seat.  I had a coyote stop close enough at my side that I could have pat him on the head.  I had a raccoon climb the tree I was sitting against.   I’ve been very happy with the hiding properties of the seat.  I had a theory that by being against the tree in the seat so most of my body shape looks like a blob, I look like a stump or a branch to the deer.  This year I had 5 turkeys browsing around a persimmon tree I was hunting near.  They stayed around for 30 minutes.  They never saw me. Sometimes deer see me, but they just can’t figure it out…

As for the sound, I took care of that problem by being deaf as a doorknob.  I’m like a ninja in the woods 😜

[Rucksack]

#168403

I am going to give this a try.  Thank you.

[Kees]

#168500

I vaguely remember reading about a hammock seat, but where to find one?  An on-line search comes up with lots of hammocky swing seats, but nothing which looks like what you have.

~Kees~

[Raymond Coffman]

#168551

Kees

Saw the hammock seat on amazon …$30.00

Called the camo camping seat …..says hunting chair later in ad…

Scout aka Ray

 

[Stephen Graf]

#168579

As with all good things, they don’t make the hammock seat anymore.  The new version is called the low down seat.  I have not tried it as my hammock seat works fine for me.  But here’s a link to their humble website:

Low Down Hunting Seat

If you try it, let us know how it works!

[Raymond Coffman]

#168633

Kees

Google up — camouflage camping chair hammock seat hunting chair portable and lightweight…

It may be a different co …. but looks a lot like the one I have, and in the 40.00 dollar range…( amazon)

Scout aka Ray

[Kees]

#168637

Thanks for all the replies!  I’ll have to check it out.

~Kees~

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