Still hunting

[woods89]

So December 24 is the start of Missouri's alternative weapons season, which turns us blackpowder guys loose in the winter woods. Some time ago I negotiated with my wife that the 24th and the 26th were my blackpowder hunting days, after which we would go to her parents place for the rest of the week.

For the last two years blackpowder season has been my still hunting season. By this time I'm ready for a change from sitting in a tree and ready to just prowl the woods. I have access to plenty of public land in which to do so. Last year I was fortunate enough to see a doe coming down a ridge before she saw me coming up the ridge and easily made the 40 yd shot.

Apparently this year I needed a lesson in humility. Between those two days I walked 12 miles, saw 11 deer, and didn't get a shot opportunity at a single one. Thats right, not even one. All were under 100 yds, and all had saw me before I saw them.

To set the scene, I'm hunting hilly hardwood forest. Maximum visibility is 100 yds, with most being 75 yds or less. My method is to ease through bedding areas, moving about 20 yds at a time from tree to tree. I use my binoculars almost every time I stop hoping to find bedded deer. Both days this year had rain the night before, so the leaves were quiet. Winds were quite calm, which didn't help me at all.

So can we have a still hunting tips thread? I love hunting this way. To me it feels like hunting in its purest form. But I also find it frustrating at times and mentally draining. And I frequently realize that I have much to learn on the subject.

Questions I would like to see addressed include:

Do you count on catching game in its bed or hope to get a shot when it stands up?

What is your ratio of glassing/looking to moving?

How do you identify high probability areas?

Anyone do this with archery gear?

Anyone use a ghillie suit?

As well as any other relevant questions.

There have to be some die hard still hunters on this board! All discussion is appreciated!

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

I just started using glass while still hunting last year. I use archery equipment mostly anymore. I do this intermittently throughout season when I get bored of sitting in stand or get there late. I've yet to find one bedded, they've all been moving and I saw them before they saw me. Light drizzling rain has been my best times.

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[a_staud13]

I archery hunted for the first time this year during late season. I can't stand trees stands or groundblinds so decided to still hunt. I had a spike at 20 yards and had 5 separate does at 30, 40, 50, 60 yards before I finally shot a lone doe at 30. I tried to average 10 steps for every 10 seconds I watched. The doe I finally shot had no idea I was there. Most of the deer I just catch glimpses of through trees our bushes. I apologize for not being much help but this is just my experience from this year.

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[wncbrewer]

Get Robby Denning's mule deer book. He's one of the founders of rokslide and even though it's a muley book, and still hunting cover is just one of the methods he outlines, I definitely think it could be applied to whitetails. I was astonished by how slowly he moves. iirc he shoots for 100 yards an hour pace in situations where he feels like there are deer around. Great read. I stayed up all night reading it.


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[JPHuntingAUS]

It's our main method of hunting in Australia though we call it stalking.

To answer your questions

1. Depends on the time of day. Early morning and evening stalks deer are more likely to be on the move. Around the middle of the day they'll also get up to stretch their legs for a little while. I shot 4 stags stalking this year, 2 I busted out of cover and shot on the run, one I called in and shot and one I snuck in on and deliberately pushed him to give me a shot.

2. Ratio is all dependent on where you are. If you come up to a good feeder gully or a spur where deer are likely to travel I spend more time glassing there. I hunt deer over a dog so she helps indicate when deer are near by which also let's me know when to glass more.

3. That's just knowledge of deer and deer habits/movement which comes with experience. Look out for high traffic areas for movement and feeding though.

4. I do it with archery gear, good fun. Got in to 20m of a solid stag but buck fever got me and fluffed the shot this year. Shot a female couple of weeks after stalking with the elite.

5. No, they're good when you're still but I think when you're moving there's just too much movement With a ghillie.

It's normal for deer to bust you and not give you a shot. Their senses are far more attuned to ours. Just pay attention to where and when you see them and make use of other animals to let you know what's moving. Birds are very helpful I find.

Took my pb blackpowder stag this year stalking so it can't be that bad!





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[Desk Jockey]

I still hunt eastern hard woods in ny and pa with archery gea for the past two years.

I take long pauses. 5-20 mins. At potential ambush sites. I have had several deer walk up on me or past me using this method. Stop where you have a little cover and can stand comfortably.

I basically try to intersect deer on the move. If I can see them first I try to sneak into a position where I can get a shot on them based on what I think is there movement pattern.

As far as sneaking up on them, I was able to ninja up to 35 yards on a bedded forky.

I have had better luck catching them while they are feeding and sneaking into shot range. A lot of my shots have come as I crested a hill that was between me and the animal. Sound travels in hollows and valleys. I nailed a small buck with this earlier this year.

If you can, listen to another hunter still hunter at different distances. The sad fact is that it is loud. On lead cover I can hear someone else at 100 yards. I imagine a deer is at least 2-3x that good. Another sad fact is that deer will blow out without a sound. You will be bumping deer at distances where you will never know they are there. They will just move off before you ever know they are there.

A few things that have helped me are hunting during and after rain and new snow. Hunting current or old trails where there is less leaf clutter and snapping twigs helps.

In all I prefer 4-5 miles of still hunting to 3-4 hours in a stand any day.

 

[LostArra]

I have found that calm days are the worst for any kind of still hunting whitetails. I live in Oklahoma so those days are somewhat rare. High wind days can also be tough but the deer seem to stay bedded and lose a lot of their defenses due to noise. I've gotten very close to deer on high wind days and usually still hunt then because I hate treestands when everything is swaying and the deer aren't moving much.

I forget who wrote this but it seems to be a good general rule:
When the predator/hunter is moving and the prey is still, advantage prey.
When the prey is moving and the predator/hunter is still, advantage predator.

If the OP covered 12 miles in two days, he still hunts much faster than I do. During off season (not pre-season) scouting I will cover a lot of ground to just get an idea of the deer present in an area (Wensel idea).

 

[camping1601]

A couple small tips

Wait for the right conditions only. Snow, rain, high winds. I once waited two years to hunt a ridge in PA.
Me personally I get a few hours in and I get mentally drained and get careless so I don't plan on more than a half day out.
Concentrate on high percentage spots. I will beat feet or drive to spots that I have learned to have better or higher odds. Make a day of this.
#1 is practice and experience.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

1. Totally game dependent, but the majority of the time I see them standing already.

2. Again very dependent, but I would say on average glassing/looking ten times as much as moving. I can honestly say that unless I am just blowing through an area to get somewhere specific I never go 20 yards at a time. It is typically three steps and glass type stuff.

3. Maps, google earth, and scouting..whether that be in or out of season.

4. Archery, muzzle loader, and rifle. One of the most exciting ways to hunt in my opinion.

5. Never a ghillie suit, but I have used the 3d leafy suits. I like ASAT's version.

 

[woods89]

Good stuff!

Someone mentioned 12 miles in 2 days being pretty fast still hunting. I should qualify that by saying that my hunting area starts about a mile from parking in both those areas. Then, I figure about 20% of ground is good bedding area. Those areas have to be approached with the wind in mind so I'm moving quite a bit faster some of the time to get from area to area. Having said that, I'm quite a bit faster than the 100yds/hr. I suspect I do need to slow down some.

The mental aspect I find interesting. I have to take a break every couple hours because I just can't keep my focus up, also. It is so different than stand hunting, where you sometimes are fighting boredom.

 

[fngTony]

I still hunt for mule deer. Its in thick forest with lots of dead fall. Visibility is similar but some open areas to three hundred yards. The forest is almost never silent, even a slight breeze the dead trees are cracking. This is archery early September and relatively dry. I use any natural noise to my advantage and try to make my steps sound like a browsing four legged creature ( short step step, instead of crunch crunch). Read somewhere a guy would stop and tap a stick up a tree to mimic a squirrel.

I found a camo that breaks you up helps a bit when busted. I play the wind but don't worry too much about scent. Wind will change without notice, when a gust kicks up I look toward where my scent goes to see what may pop up.

Decent bucks have always been found bedded or up and already spooked. Does and young bucks found up but not spooked. I've had many shot opportunities but too picky. So I'm 2 for 5 with this tactic. Last year I blew two shots.

I'm no expert at it just naturally better than spot and stalk to get in archery range.

Quiet clothes. Swish swish is why many hikers don't see wildlife.

I typically only use my range finder unless I know there is a large open area. Typically make a cloverleaf pattern from base camp, almost no luck doing a straight line.

 

[ChrisS]

I hunt the Adirondacks and stillhunt/track deer there when I'm solo. I've yet to catch a buck in his bed up there. Generally I move fairly quickly, stopping every 50-100 yards until I get on a good track or get to where I want to go (saddles, benches, choke points, etc. that I've identified previously), then I start creeping around. I'm hoping to catch a deer standing and feeding or even looking at its backtrack. If I see a tail, I'll make some quick calls and drop to my knees. Deer stop sometimes and if you're on your knees, it breaks up your outline so they have a hard time picking you out of the background. Usually, if the deer aren't too heavily pressured, they'll blast off a few jumps only because they're startled and not necessarily because they've busted you. I play the wind and generally keep moving into it while looking ahead for spots that may hold a deer and adjust my path as needed. Stop to look when you can lean close to trees.


I do take breaks too, usually if there's a spot I want to watch for a bit. I'll set up shop and make lunch/coffee, glass bigger draws, check my maps, etc. Deer in the ADKs aren't pressured and can be wandering around at any time.

 

[Sodbuster]

woods89,
I hunt the alternative season in Missouri also using either BP,bow, or handgun in no order.
I love to still hunt but only when the weather is right.Rain or wet walking and a little to a lot of wind in the face.
Slow,slow,slow is my rule and I play pick the landscape puzzle apart with my 10x binos.
I have a couple of ghille suits that I have never used but am sure would work.I always wear some type of leafy suit,usually two different colors.
A leafy face mask and thin came gloves. The mask and gloves hiding your glassing movement are very important.
I have had many animals hear me slithering around and lock up. If I spot them and freeze, many times the leafy suit will fool them into not running.

 

[JustinSmith1754]

I do love still hunting for whitetails. Intercepting traveling whitetails on foot is just exciting, and it is fun to change the game a little as season progresses.

I do pick the days to still hunt strategically though. I typically pick rainy days (or the day following a rain), heavy dew, or windy days. This makes it easier to move without them hearing you.

Best advice I was ever told for still hunting is slow down...way down. I think it takes more patience to still hunt than it does to sit in a deer stand. You have to make yourself move at a snails pace; looking more than moving (I'd say 70% looking to 30% moving). I judge my pace on two (2) things: First, if I have to look where I am stepping to be quiet, I'm moving too fast. Eyes should be looking for deer. Second, if I am seeing deer running away (they're seeing me first) then I am moving too fast.

 

[woods89]

Thanks for all the discussion.

I read from another resource also that you simply have to slow down until your not bumping deer. Sounds like I just need to work on that.

Thinking back, I think at least a moderate breeze has been more important than I even realized. Even just after a rain the leaves still make some noise, and a little wind noise makes that a non issue. In the future I think I'll still hunt more based on conditions than just deciding to certain days.

One thing I have realized is that there is no better scouting than still hunting. I've found a lot of sign while sneaking along.

 

[woods89]

double post

 

[adamm88]

Iv still hunted more this year than i ever have, i get borded sitting especially if im not seeing anything, my motto is if they arent going by me in going to get them.

My advice iv learned this year, have a target area to go to but if you have to hike to get there pay attention to whats around you, i had a deer at 25 yards my first day archery hunting about 1 pm. It was along side a logging road i wasn't expecting to see anything there.
Early season is actually pretty good before the leaves drop as the moss/soil is fairly quiet.
Moisture helps a ton, and keep quiet is key. I havent killed a deer still hunting in archery yet but have killed two in rife(no bucks, yet).


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[blackdawg]

I can only say to have the gun at the ready when still-hunting. A whitetail buck I harvested during muzzleloader season still hunting gave me perhaps 2 seconds to make it happen and it is not the first time being quick has paid off. I typically stay on trails or old logging roads = quiet, move very slowly and frequently pause for 3-5 minutes in areas that give me the best possible view. My best luck usually comes if I stay in an area with a field or large openings barely visible as I move along, most of the time I pick up the movement of the game along the edge. Crosswinds have been better for me, the deer are usually working into the wind at angles. I like to use a Primos tall trigger stick. I realize that I am not skilled enough to kill whitetails with a bow stalking them, my hats off to those who are! Also, wear plenty of ORANGE!

 

[elkyinzer]

I seem to be pretty awful at still hunting. Like you, we have an after Christmas flintlock season and by that time I am tired of sitting in a tree and don't need a deer that bad anyway so I take the smokepole for a walk. I've taken a couple does over the years but I am sure my success rate would be better sitting in a tree. The big key to me is the amount of ground I cover. One of the reasons I am out there is to cover ground, see some new spots and get an overview of the deer sign in my areas. To be an effective still hunter, covering ground can't be a part of your plan. You have to pick one or two deery areas and very, very slowly pick those areas apart. So when I do it I guess it's more like jump shooting them with a few glassing areas interspersed. Most of the deer I see doing that I just can't get a shot. It doesn't help that many of my hunting areas are choked with mountain laurel and blueberries such that I sound like an elephant crashing through the brush.

 

[Cgeb]

I'm in the Mo too. My pop wasn't much of a hunter. I learned to still hunt from an old timer, he was pretty good, his oldest son is hands down the absolute best deer hunter I have ever known.

Not saying I'm great at it, but I did pickup a few things from them and added a few of my own.

I was hunting with the old gent once, I was a kid then, he could see I was trying to be so quiet and still making noise. He turned to me and said you can't be quiet in the leaves (forest where we hunt nothing but oak leaves) just kinda of shuffle your feet slowly. what he was trying to tell me was move like a deer as far as sound goes. We would walking maybe 20 feet, stop scan the area, repeat, rinse over and over. Don't be in a hurry.

If we were going to stay in an area for more than a couple minutes, after scanning the area, he would take his feet and scrape the leaves out from under his feet. It did two things first it covered the human sent (if you have done this before it just releases an "earthy, musty" scent" and if he needed to turn or adjust his position he could do it without noise.

We woulds always talk out what we were going to do for that day before we hunted. Like if it was really cold we would "theorize", the deer will probably be on the sunny slope of the hill if they were bedded, to stay warm. It was fun and helped me to visualize what were were trying to do. At least it made me think about what we thought the deer were doing.

We did the standard stuff too, used the wind, he would pick a direction of travel and try to keep a tree or some brush between him and the direction he was traveling.

He never hunted from a treestand until he got much older. I asked him one day why? He said we never had them when he was a kid, never really got used to them. Plus I think as he got older the movement kept him warm.

When I'm hunting by myself now, I always think of the old timer now. I use it to slow myself down, covering ground isn't the end game, it's seeing deer and hopefully taking a big one.