Ep. 810: Foundations - How to Get Your Whitetail Ground Game in Order

in ground blind than tree stands. The truth is, a ground game just matters to whitetail hunters like a lot. I know, all the advice seems to come from saddle hunters or just mobile hunters in general these days, or well, I guess tower blind hunters too. But if you don't have a good ground game, you're just missing out. I'd say probably like thirty percent of the deer I kill end up falling for this trick, which in my humble opinion, makes it pretty valuable, so valuable in fact, that I'm

going to talk about it right now. As a young little fella, there was one week a year that I could not wait for. It was the week that my family would pack up my dad's truck and haul our boat to northern Minnesota, where my mom grew up way up there in Canada South and what they used to call the Iron Range due to all the mining, although you don't hear it called that much anymore, and that region sits a pile of lakes. The glaciers really did us modern humans as solid in that region, and all

those Canadian Shield lakes are chalk full of fish. While most of the residents up there seem laser focused on croppies and walleyes, I was far more focused on throwing spoons for northerns than anything else. It was the best week of the year, and not in no small reason due to the fact that we fished so dang much up there. We also stayed with my uncle Billy, who, besides my dad, was the guy who I looked up

to the most when I was in grade school. Billy was a cop at a black belt in Karate a generally lovable lunatic and a dog fanatic, and he always had a male black lab. At that time, his lab was named Rebel, and while I've fallen pretty hard for some dog since then, Rebel was the first dog that I really got to know, and he was your typical bird dog who hunted everything from ducks to geese, to

grouse to pheasants. He was also typical of that time because he lived in a kennel in Billy's backyard even in the winter, which in that area is no joke. Rebel just lived outside. No one even thought about it like we do now. I mean, if you lived in town, even a small town and a rural part of a not very populous state, and you left a lab outside all winter long, you'd probably get your house burned down now. But things were different then, and they were different with

dogs in general. Dog training involved a lot of well pretty heavy handed lessons. Not everyone did this, and I never saw Billy lay a hand on a dog, although he did punch a guy so hard in the face during a grouse hunt that the guy flopped around on the forest floor for a while, but to be fair, that was the result of him kicking Billy's dog during a retrieve. A lot of dog trainers and dog owners did go pretty heavy handed with their dogs at that time, though.

It was one way to get what they wanted out of the dogs. Now, whether that was like a heavy bolt on a string which they could swing around and whack a dog on the ass with, or a stick, or the earliest versions of e callers, which were then called just shock callers for a good reason. You know, they only had one set and that was fry them until they're nut sizzled. Now, if that seems barbaric or even short sighted, given what we know now about how

to train dogs, that's not an unreasonable take. But things were different then and people didn't know then what we know now. Along the way, training techniques evolved to more positive, reward based styles, and the dogs moved from the backyard to the house. Some folks still argue that this was a bad move, but those folks are either stuck in the past, don't really like dogs to begin with, or probably are just pining for the good old days that

we only remember as being really good. The greater lesson here on how we treat Fido is that there's always options there are always different ways to do things. That applies to dogs, but also to this thing we know and love called you guessed it deer hunting. He thought I was going to say gulf, didn't you? Maybe next time. When it comes to how we ambush deer, the most common methods all involved of us getting above them and crossing our fingers that they'll focus mostly on the threats

at ground level. This works great if you have a way to get elevated and stay hidden and the deer aren't super conditioned to looking up for threats. The problem is there are so many spots where a good tree just doesn't exist. Now, while some folks, you know, they solve this problem with an elevated blind, a lot of people just don't have or don't want that option. This is where a ground game comes into play.

describe it any other way. I feel the same way when I sit in a box blind, and they both work great and more power to you if that's your jam. But for me, I always just feel this little nagging feeling like I'm missing something. But the other thing that drives me a little crazy, you know, especially sitting in a hub style blind, is that I just can't see

very much in most setups. Sure, field edge blinds can give you a chance to see some deer in other critters, but a lot of blinds keep you, you know, kind of in the dark. U pun intended. Now, The plus side of the whole thing is that blinds allow you to hunt all kinds of places effectively, which is huge. I really can't overstate that if you set them up right, they also produce the kinds of shots that I personally love to take on deer. Shooting a deer from ground

level is just so nice. And while it doesn't seem like much to have to not think about your downward angle like you would from a tree stand. It is a big deal. It has been my experience that's growing up. An easy shot is way easier from a tree stand than a ground blind. And believe me when I say this, I'm the kind of fellow who can screw up an easy shot with the best of them. Now I like to use small ish ground blinds for myself, you know,

with the girls, I need a little more space. But if I'm heading out on a public land deer hunt somewhere, I always have at least one small blind. Usually this is sold as a two man option, which means it's really a one man option. I like small but functional. They're easier to brush in and hide, and they allow me to set up for just one shot where I expect it the most. They're also lightweight and often don't

really even need to bring a chair with me. I can use a little turkey hunting stool, or sometimes just a pad to sit on a kneelon. The goal is to treat this like my mobile setups for elevated hunts. Small, lightweight, easy to move, and quiet ish to set up. Of course, a lot of you find folks can get away with a bigger option because you can set them up ahead of time, you know, and let them season. It's up to you. But the truth is, I think every white

tail hunter should at least entertain this option. Now. If you think you don't need to ask yourself if you have setups everywhere you want them on the properties you hunt, do you have every fence row or waterway or water taker grassy slew fully covered? What about if you're on stand during opening week and you see that all of your bucks walk straight through the beans to feed in the middle of the field where there's just some small

patches of cover. You could try to call them in, or you could go and set up right where they want to be, and you know, not a coincidentally, I guess where they don't expect you to be. The key to ground blinds is making them seem like they are truly a part of the terrain. Shadows are your friend brush them in really good? Then you think, take your time and do this part right and make sure that you have a way to get into them that is quiet and doesn't require you to touch a bunch of

brush or walk where the deer will also walk. My favorite situation is where I can put a blind in an edge of something, a feel to kill plot, a meadow, something, and then I brush it in really really well on

the front. Then I leave myself some access to get in the door from the cover, which means I never have to show my face in the opening or leave a single molecule of scent out there, or expect a deer to be The next biggest consideration, aside from just setting yourself up to shoot from inside the blind, is how you handle the rest of your stuff inside the blind. If you can kick out or rake out all of the leaves and debris and whatever else and leave yourself

a dirt floor, do that. There's no shortcuts here. Clean it out so you can move around and stay quiet. You want to be able to set your buind down or pick your bow up or whatever without making a single sound. This is where a lot of people screw up. They think a blind is sort of like a force field that keeps deer from detecting them, But the truth is deer are real sensitive to unnatural noises that occur

on the ground in close proximity to them. They don't like them from the tree either, but from a ground blind they often swing down wind if they hear something funky, and if they do, you're most likely in trouble. It's not enough to use a blind in a good spot. You really want to prep the area. This is why I like putting blinds out ahead of time. If it's at all possible, they can season out there, But that also allows you to really cut shooting lanes and access

routes if you have the opportunity. Treat them just like you would a tree stand and they'll treat you pretty well. Keep as many of the windows closed as possible and keep it dark in there. Wear you're black, cover your face, or use black face paint, and remember that any movement you do that's close to the window is an invitation to get spotted, so make those movements slowly and deliberately.

Remember also that blinds work best when the sun is blazing away, because that keeps you tucked deep into shadowland. The lower the light, or the more even the light is like on cloudy days, the more they are likely to see you. Of course, you also have the option for a natural blind. This is something I love to hunt from because I feel like I'm really hunting. I

also kill deer almost every season this way. It just works, and I think it works because it's pretty easy to hide yourself in a spot that just allows for the element of surprise. There are a few mistakes people make on this front, and a big one that I often see on public land is bringing a share out look. If you're going to sit on the ground, you have to accept the fact that you're going to be somewhat uncomfortable.

If you sit on a chair, especially like a full camp chair, you're going to put yourself at eye level of the deer. That's going to be trouble. Almost every time, sit on the ground and use the cover if you can find it. I like to sit behind a big tree and brush myself in really well. The goal is to have the tree on my front and kind of left side. Since I'm a right handed shooter, I can lean into it to hide, I can draw behind it, and then I can lean out slightly to shoot around it.

Not every spot works this way, but this is a simple strategy that has put a lot of venison in my freezer. Plus you can find this in so many different places. But you can also tuck into dead falls or sometimes just hide behind a barbed ware fence. This is how I killed a public land buck last year in North Dakota. And if I showed you that setup where I killed that ten pointer, you probably wouldn't believe it.

The whole area was super sparse, just full of little saplings, but the fence a bunch of grass and weeds growing up along it that gave me and my camera guy just enough coverage. It was also the only way I could shoot to an oak tree that was dropping so much of the good stuff on the ground that I knew that's where the deer were going to be. The key here is to think about what is in front of you, to the sides of you, and behind you. You want three hundred and sixty degrees of cover, and

you want to stay low. Most of the time, when I sit a natural ground blind and a deer comes in, I'm practically laying on the ground. If it's a non target deer, I might stay that way through the whole encounter. If it's a deer I want to shoot, I stay that way until I can draw an aim, which is

a part you kind of just have to anticipate. Now, while it's fun to brush yourself in, really well, it's not fun to try to pick your bow up and draw it when your broadhead is caught on some brush and your bottom came is scraping on some dead leaves. Give yourself the space to draw, and then practice exactly that. Practice how you'll pick your bow up, how you'll draw. If you encounter any snags during your rehearsal, you can

remedy them long before any deer wanders in. Now. I don't know if I saved the best for last year, but this point is one that I can't stress enough. When you're scouting or when you're hunting, always always look for ground blind options. If the deer always seem to leave the neighbor's CRP field and walk the fence line on your side as they had to wherever, don't write

that off glass it with intention, study their route. Is there some old farm machinery or a patch of sumac or something you can bury yourself in to catch those deer way off guard? What about when you go into a spot that is just on fire with deer activity, but there's only one tree and it will only be good with say an east wind, Maybe you should set that up. But what if you don't get a true east wind for three weeks. That program might die in

a few days, which means you're out of luck. Look for another way to hunt, which, when it comes to options for playing the wind, usually means sitting on the ground. I don't know how many times I've gone out to sit a stand only to realize the wind was just wrong and had to scramble to figure something out. The times that this has happened and I have a backup plan that involves a ground game, I've often killed deer.

I think this is the biggest reason to always have ground blinds, at least in your mind, because they allow you to be a hell of a lot more versatile in your approach. One of my favorite spots to hunt in North Dakota involves a river that the deer like a lot. The downside of the river is that it's shallow and the deer can cross in multiple spots on most falls. Sometimes they cross right by the perfect stantree, but often they cross where the cottonwoods are enormous or nonexistent.

This means that if they are really hitting a crossing that you just doesn't have the right trees. I either have to go to a secondary spot or try to make a ground play now I've made the ground play a lot, and it has worked enough to convince me that I need to think about this everywhere I hunt, even on the properties where I can set stands all summer and really take care of the preseason work. Sometimes a good area just requires you to hunt the way it will allow it, not the way that you want.

So we are down to weeks now. Everyone is getting the itch to get out there and hunt, and I know you are too. Think about your ground game and the tree stands setups you have, think about your strategy for the fall. Think about the times last season or the last ten seasons, where you've watched deer do something that made you think you didn't have a good way

to get them there. Maybe you do, And if you do, it might just be because you're willing to leave the saddle or the stand at home and get on the level with them. If you do this the right way, you won't feel like you're disadvantaged at all. And when you hunt with that feeling, you fill to do that and come back next week because I'm going to talk about what I think might be the most important week to scout in the entire season. That's it for this episode.

I'm Tony Peterson. This has been the Wired to Hunt Foundation's podcast, which is brought to you by First Light. As always, thank you so much for listening and for all your support here at med Eater. We truly appreciate it. If you're just so geeked up that you need more content, or you're maybe taking a road trip or driving out west to hunt Elk or whatever and you need a podcast or twenty seven podcast to listen to, or you want to read some more articles, whatever, watch some videos

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