Hunting & Fishing Deer Hunting - in a Ghillie?

[Wicked Weapons]

I hunted opening weekend of deer gun season in Indiana. My partner hunted the opposite side of the 260 acre property. From his tree stand, he witnessed a hunter on the adjacent farm take 4 does on opening day. The hunter shot off a tripod from the ground while wearing a complete gillie with hood and facepaint. The hunter did not appear to know he could be observed from our property. My buddy said this guy was damn near invisible and he didn't notice the hunter until after he shot the first deer. Everything on this guy was totally camo'd up, no orange anywhere.

The tactic was to simply sit on the ground in a hide looking parallel down a tree line that boardered an uncut bean field and wait. As the deer exited a trail from the woods to enter the bean field (or vice versa) he swiftly dispatched them with a slug gun off a tripod from approx. 70-100 yds. The ghillied hunter then grabbed the deer and pulled it in the treeline and resumed hunting. After the third deer was shot, a four-wheeler showed up to haul them off. It reappeared at almost dark to fetch the hunter and the remaining deer.

I'll admit I was surprised at the effectiveness of this technique. Seems very methodical. Likely someone with .mil experience? Never heard of anyone going about deer hunting quite this way from the ground. Other than the lack of hunter orange, I don't think he did anything wrong. Any thoughts on how/why this method worked so well?

 

[blksno]

Re: Deer Hunting - in a Ghillie?

He was in a good location.
He scouted the deer well in advance and had a very good idea where they would be coming OUT of the trees and positioned himself accordingly.

I've gone full out ghillie suit to hunt deer before, but it's always been spot/stalk in the wide open prairie, which usually defeats the purpose because you've gotta at least be wearing a blaze hat.
In the location you described, I wouldn't have bothered...although its still be fun to do it SUPPRESSED with a ghillie. It multiplies the enjoyment.

 

[ggmanning]

Re: Deer Hunting - in a Ghillie?

We often hunt field edges from the ground with no ghillie. Until my son was old enough to handle the weight of a rifle in the tree his first 5-6 deer came from a tripod on field edges from 40-80 yds. A simple stake up blind or blow down is all the cover you need and be still. A ghillie is a total PITA and I would never use a full suit hunting....maybe a cobra hood but not a full suit. As stated above being where the deer want to be is way more important than 100% ghillied out camo.

 

[downhill]

Re: Deer Hunting - in a Ghillie?

Anything to break up your outline. On stalking hunts we use everything we can to our advantage. I know a lot of "hunters" who camo up,sneak to a deer blind under the cover of darkness,wait till sunrise,open a window and shoot their deer. I've always thought if thats your kind of hunting-you could do that in a yellow clown suit with big red shoes! But I could be missing something.

 

[dirty_drew]

Re: Deer Hunting - in a Ghillie?

I use a ghillie when bow hunting turkey and deer. Had deer walk past me at 10 paces not knowing i was there. Play the wind and youll be invisible.

However when I do wear my ghillie I am kinda lax about my scent control. But I never had any problems with it, must be the smell of the suit.

 

[Niles Coyote]

Re: Deer Hunting - in a Ghillie?

First time I wore a ghillie turkey hunting I was surprised by the increased activity of the wildlife compared to times I just wore a camo outfit. I would have had a squirrel run over me had I not moved and scared him off the log, later I ended up shooting a coyote with my turkey load at 7 yards... that was a little too spooky. And turkey shot is not very effective... for coyote, just sayin’!!! Needless to say that was the last time I only took a shotgun with me turkey hunting.

 

[spaniel]

Re: Deer Hunting - in a Ghillie?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: downhill</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Anything to break up your outline. </div></div>

This.

A ghillie seems overkill to me, though to each their own. Most of the time when a deer busts me it is because I moved or they get wind; rarely is it because they spot me sitting motionless. Of course I do my part and make sure I have a tree or something behind me to break up my outline. I have had many deer incredibly close wearing standard camo.

In 2011 on a bowhunt for elk I had 2 mulie does come out immediately after I kneeled in front of a small pine at the edge of an opening. Those does grazed there for almost three hours while I kneeled uncomfortably, not moving. They never knew I was there. When the 6X6 bull busted out of cover 30 yards away he didn't know I was there either, until he got an arrow through him.