It kind of depends on what the terrain is like wherever you're hunting, but a natural ground blind can be very effective. You will want to make sure you play the wind and that your scent control is spot-on, though. And you will also want to make sure you have good cover behind you, as deer pick up on movement really well.

 

ASAT Leafy Suit over a blind.

 

Tree stand offers superior view, can sometimes put you above the wind (scent), and above games line of sight. These are all tendencies and not absolutes. A climbing stand can also let you move around a bit more to different spots. Maybe moving to a tree 30 yards away will put you in a better position for a spot next time out.

Blind can be quicker to get in and out of, safer (no falls), and usually cheaper. They are pretty fixed in location obviously. I use a pop up which works great for having a roof over my head some days. It conceals a lot of movement too. I set it in one or two spots per season usually and is great for being inside with my son.

So I do a bit of both in different spots or areas. I also rock a ASAT ghille suit and have gotten some great opportunities on rough field edges or next to some shrubbery . Allows me to be very mobile too.


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Depends where you are hunting and the situation.

 

Bottom line right here. Be flexible. Learn how to play the wind, deer movements. Understand if you make a change to their living room they will notice it.

 

I have tried ground blinds but the wind swirls around to much,tree stands are exciting you can see and here more, watching them come in can be tough controlling your nerves.

 

I do both. As others have said, your overall view in a tree stand is better, but seeing is not necessarily killing. I use ladder stands, which are more or less permanent. Ground blinds keep you dry, warmer, I think help somewhat with changing winds. Your view is somewhat minimized. Both work well when placed in the right spot. If you fall out of a ground blind, you will likely be okay.

 

You can get by w/o a treestand, but your options will be limited. I would recommend saving for a climber (depending on trees in your area) or a lock-on and sticks. There are places you can get by w/o a stand, but under most circumstances using a stand will put you at an advantage. If you are going to hunt from a blind, either manufactured or cobbled together sticks, you will be best served by placing/building it a couple weeks (preferably longer) before you plan to hunt it. Any new pile of sticks or hut that pops up in the middle of the woods overnight gets noticed by does. When you do build a blind, make sure you have plenty of back cover, which is more important than cover in front of you. Always hunt the wind and don't forget about thermals, regardless how you hunt. I hunt as the situation dictates. Sometimes its on the ground, but more often than not, it is from a tree.

 

I thought I liked blinds better but once the sun starts going down I can't see my sights. Even with a sight light it bothers me and it's hard to get the right angle at a deer. I'm retiring my blind this year. I'll use it for gun only.

 

Get a treestand. I hunt public land and a climber does the job. I would imagine you have a lot of wooded land in NH and a treestand would be the way to go. That being said I have a spot I hunt every year in the late season where I just take a folding chair in and sit behind a pile of old cut honeysuckle with a steep hill at my back. So as others have said, it is situational, but you wont regret investing a good climber if you have hardwoods that you can climb.

 

Tree stands are heavier and more of a hassle to setup. They offer better visibility, allow easier prep for a shot, and I think you can get away with a little more movement.

Ground blinds allow for more freedom, and are pretty quick to get settled into. It takes time to get good at picking the best cover, and gauging the timing of getting into position and taking the shot. I hunt with longbows, so that makes it a little tougher than a compound.

I haven't fully figured out the ground hunting, but it is a fun way to learn new spots and is very flexible. I think if you can get confident in your setups, then it can be really effective.

 

Anywhere I hunt there is way too much ground level brush and small trees to hunt from the ground. Second, if I miss from a tree or blow through I can find my arrow, from the ground the arrow is gone.
From the tree I can also see much farther, I just like the open view of a stand. In a blind I just feel too closed in. I do like them for the rain and the nasty weather though.

 

Ive done both. For NH, tree stand hands down no debate for deer.

 

I've bowhunted for over 40 years and done both extensively.....killing many deer from both the ground and treestand. Hunting from the air often requires more front end effort.....finding a good location, setting up sticks and stand or the routine of a climber....plus cutting shooting lanes if it is going to be a fixed stand or ladder....but the odds are in your favor being above ground level. From the ground, I've done both natural blinds using only a pair of brush nippers to cut a hole and sitting on a pad or stool to a commercial popup blind. Both can be effective, but your right at eye level and have to be sharp to pull off a shot with a bow. I've killed deer without any blind by wearing my ASAT leafy suit and simply blending into the brushy edges.....which is a rush when you have deer at 10 yards and make a shot.

This spring I purchased a bale blind to use behind our current home as there are no usable trees and just tall bedding grass on an inside corner of two crop fields. I obtained two large round bales and are placed in different locations to be a natural distraction and plan to set up my bale blind in August to become part of the landscape. Quite frankly, sitting inside a blind is my least favorite type of hunting, but there are situations where it is the only feasible approach. I would probably not have killed my 2018 buck had I not adapted to the circumstances and spent some hours in a pop up.

 

Thanks for all the input gentlemen, it sound like there is pros and cons to both. Ill start asking around and see if I can get a deal on one. I built some ground blinds in areas i've scouted and know there are deer, so ill use the stand as a fall back or if I want to hunt some cyber scouted areas. Have a good weekend!

 

Blind!!

 

situation dictates, always be prepared

 

I've done both. I always see more activity from the tree.

 

hunting public land? climber may be best bet. the mobility is great

 

X100 plus you can't drag in a blind throw it up and hunt out of it.....that morning. The deer pick up on that. Maybe if you brush it in really good or use a bail blind in a field where bails were already there you can get by like that sometimes but deer pick up on new items you place in their living rooms. But it's not at all as productive overall as a tree stand in a public land situation.....not even close.

Then when you add in setup time and hassles to set up it's a no brainer. I have blinds and only use them when I have too.

If I had land (and I do now) I might not say that because blinds do offer some advantages but using putting them up & down, moving them around and dragging them in & out of public land sure isn't one of them.

 

natural blind, you will need to be really conscious about scent.

 

Look on Craigslist and Facebook. I just bought another treewalker for $135 on Facebook. Good deals out there. Best ever was an ol man on Craigslist for $20. Still have it and use it when it is a short walk (steel stand).

 

If you're new to deer hunting head over to thehuntingbeast.com and gain some great info on hunting. I discovered Dan Infalt last year and I've tried to learn all I can. Beast style hunting just makes sense. You can learn a lot there before you develop bad habits as a hunter. Youtube is also a great resource.

 

I've done both extensively, and stillhunted successfully, and hunted from trees without a stand. There are places where one is more suitable than the others. You don't have to restrict yourself to just one or the other, unless you're dead set on not purchasing or using a stand. Mix it up. Natural ground blinds have been just as effective for me as a tree stand. If you want a real challenge, and adrenaline rush, stillhunt when conditions are right.
I stay on the ground now all the time. Scent control, setting up in shadows, on the downwind side, out of eye contact when they approach, tucked back in cover so they can only see you when they enter your shooting lane, having a solid backdrop so you're not silhouetted, all helps. A ghillie suit definitely will have deer looking right through you. I've had deer under the same tree with me when I only had my back against the trunk, with no other cover, and they didn't know what I was. Had one snort inches from my ear in the dark one morning. Eliminate as much odor as possible by just using baking soda instead of any soaps or deodorants for everything to do with your clothes and bathing. You'll have deer in range before they get any hint of your scent, and more often than not will continue on as if you were long gone.
Much less boring on the ground, and you can have many spots ready to move quickly to, and quietly, at any time. Easier to get close to bedding areas without spooking deer out. I always wondered just how often I gave my location away when setting up a stand, or how many bucks I may have educated when I started down a tree in the climber at dark. I can stay until the last minute on the ground, and walk out without having to climb down and/or pack up in the dark. You won't be able to move like you can in a stand. You have to stay as motionless as possible, and be ready to shoot with minimal motion at all times, You're not going to see what's behind you until they come around front. A head turn to take a peak is going to give you away.

 

Both are effective in a given situation. Play the terrain and weather to make determinations..
RLTW

 

I've been ground hunting more often this last season after watching The Hunting Public and The Hunting Beast on YouTube. Natural ground blind with ASAT leafy suit. Something different, exciting, and challenging after many years in treestands.

 

If I have the luxury of choosing either I prefer a tree stand.