Bow season is just 38 short days away. If you have not started pre-season scouting it is time. Now is the time to think about stand placement. A lot of guys get locked in on only hunting feeders from tree stand and never put much thought into alternative, often more productive method.

During your scouting, locate the trails leading to feeders or trails between bedding areas and feeding areas, a pinch point or where two trails come together is a GREAT place to start. Put your camera on the trail and pour a bag of corn on the ground. You will know in a week or so what bucks are in the area, often bucks you never see at a feeder.

Once you find the right location, it is time to get out of a tree and on the ground. Get yourself a good ground blind and brush it in. Get it out sooner rather than later is best.

There are a lot of options for ground blinds on the market today but you will be hard pressed to find a better blind for the money than a Covert Hunting blind.

http://www.coverthunting.com/

Covert Hunting blinds provide total concealment and scent control and the camo patterns blend easily with any type of landscape. With Covert Ground Blinds, there is no climbing required and no risk of falling or dropping equipment.

One of the big advantages of a Covert blind is the easy set-up and take down, making it easy to move as you needed to put yourself in position to intercept a mature buck.

If I can help with ground blind tips let me know, the first step is to start with a good blind and Covert is a good place to look.

These deer never came to a feeder that is just over 100 yards from the trail.

Get off your feeders and on the ground.

Ground blinds can be an invaluable tool.

But I like being in a tree!!!

Agree with Squgy about the tree. Both kind of stands have their advantages and disadvantages

I most definitely agree with the hunting the trails and not the feeder analogy.

We have had very hit/miss luck, 99% miss luck with pop up blinds at our place, even ones that are brushed in and have been sitting there for some time before hunted.

Our trees wont support a stand. Had my best luck sitting on the ground next to trees in head to toe cammo. This year have a few tripods out we are going to give a try.

YUP pop ups spook way to many deer

Been prepping my East Texas bow spot the past few weeks with a bag of corn per week. The deer really come in good now that I removed the feeder and just hand throw corn to the ground. Tree stand has been up for several months and will be putting a camera up soon. Can't wait

I like pop ups cause I can lay on the ground and take a nap and not worry about falling out of a tree. I am getting old and find it hard to sit still for very long. Good Bowhunting too all, I think I will fling an arrow this year!

How are you gonna fling an arrow if you're layin on the ground taking a nap???

I've never drawn a bow back while laying on the ground. Sounds tough

I prefer to sit in the zero gravity lounger kicked back for the naps in the popup blind. When I wake up can sit up and check out the scenery before the next nap

I have had good luck in ground blinds, popups, and tripods. As long as they have been there for a while and have become part of the deer's environment, it has not been a problem. But we have a spot on a creek with a stand up about 35ft in a very tall oak. It is awesome up there, like you are on top of the world. Sunrise on a cool morning is a fantastic sight, you could almost forget that you were there to hunt.

You just can't throw up a pop-up and have much luck, not saying you wouldn't ever get lucky. They have to be up for a little while, you would have better luck with a natural blind or sitting behind a bush, JMO of course.

Might work if pop up looked like this:

Or this

I hate the noisy velcro on the window openings. Double Bull has the right idea.

Ever since the back implant I've hunted nothing but ground blind for last few years. Actually been just as effective for me! Scent and outlines are keys to consider.consider. I've been busted for ignoring both.School cost "money time "doesn't it :P!