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As you saw in Day 10, still-hunting can produce results if you know what cover the deer are using.  I talk to many hunters who abhor still-hunting and would rather just glass.  While glassing will likely be your first choice in semi-open terrain, if you don’t learn to still-hunt, you’re ignoring an important and effective technique for killing big deer.  Like yesterday’s hunt, I choose still-hunting under the following conditions:

 

1) Fog.  Nothing hampers a spot-n-stalk hunt like fog.  You can’t afford to lose too many hunting days waiting for the fog to lift.  If you think you’re going to be fogged in for more than a few hours and have an idea where the deer are, try still-hunting.  Just get the wind in your favor and don’t be in a hurry. Moving 100 yards or less an hour is plenty fast and once you get into fresh deer sign, slower is better.

2) Thick areas.  As you’ve seen, most good bucks stick to the cover even during the rut with little hunting pressure.  Binoculars and spotting scopes are a good way to figure out where the bucks might be, but to kill one, you often have to get in their living room.

If a hunter can get over any bias against still-hunting, he’ll likely find this to be a very enjoyable pursuit.  I rank still-hunting only behind tracking in levels of excitement.  I put glassing down as the most boring of techniques.  You won’t feel more alive than when pussyfooting through the cover with big tracks underfoot and glimpses of deer ahead.  If you get lucky enough to kill a great buck that way, you will be satisfied beyond imagination- few hunters these days are capable of the feat.  I’ve killed at least five of my best bucks at close range in the cover.  I wouldn’t trade those kills for any 400-yard shot.

Thanks for all the great feedback, questions, and comments during this series.  It’s like having a camp full of guys to come back to every night.  

Now let’s take this hunt down to the last day and see what happens!  

Day 11:

Previous articleBackcountry Rifle Mule Deer Hunt: Day 10
Next articleBackcountry Rifle Mule Deer Hunt: Day 12
Robby Denning
Robby Denning
Robby Denning started hunting mule deer in the late 1970’s, only missing one season in 35 years. At 25, he gave up the pursuit of all other big-game to focus on taking the best bucks possible. He began hunting the West on a DIY budget hunting an average of 30 days a year for mule deer. Robby loves the hunt as much as the kill and the entire process from research to scouting to hunting. He’s killed four bucks over 200 inches in the last 15 seasons, mostly on easily-obtained tags. He owns a public-land scouting service and runs a private-land outfitting business helping other hunters in their pursuit of deer and elk. Robby has scouted and hunted literally thousands of square miles of mule deer country and brings a wealth of knowledge about these experiences with him. To him, the weapon of choice is just a means-to-an-end and will hunt with bow, rifle, or muzzleloader – whatever it takes to create an opportunity to take a great mule deer. He is also the author of "Hunting Big Mule Deer" available on Amazon. Robby believes all of creation is from God for man to manage, respect, and through which to know its Creator

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7 COMMENTS

  1. Great adventure! I always learn as much by observing what you do in addition to what you say you do. Habitat, game habits/tendencies ect….. Thanks!

  2. I’m glad I came across this series a couple days ago; almost as good as getting the actual experience of hunting with you. Normally my hunting is basically over by the time November comes around, but I may have to start looking into some hunts in that time frame.

  3. I’m glad I came across this series a couple days ago; almost as good as getting the actual experience of hunting with you. Normally my hunting is basically over by the time November comes around, but I may have to start looking into some hunts in that time frame.

  4. Robby, it has been really fun and educational following this hunt. Thank you for all of your hard work and time in making it possible for us to be there with you. That’s not easy!

  5. Thanks for the great hunt Robby. I always learn a lot from you…. you also extended my hunting season by a week! 🙂

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