Hunting in brush/timber

[phoenix511]

How did they hunt?

I hunt grouse, rabbit, and squirrel in the north central states in the USA. This means walking through dense brush and wet lowlands. My hunting pouch becomes tangled, my neck knife lost, my horn and my sash ripped off, as I chase the critters.

Clearly, persons did this before me with some measure of success, but I wonder how they carried their gear?

 

[Stumpkiller]

They didn't chase them. They moved slowly and shot carefully. The only thing I have loose is a powder measure. The rest (bag and horn) I wear short so I can tuck them under my elbow.

 

[Macon Due]

I wonder if perhaps back then the old growth kept it from having so much underbrush and mess? Seems like where there are old,big trees there is not much underbrush.......
Macon

 

[Supercracker]

and when it caught fire it was allowed to burn!

 

[roundball]

I wonder if perhaps back then the old growth kept it from having so much underbrush and mess? Seems like where there are old,big trees there is not much underbrush.......
Macon

Plus...it could well be that they simply didn't get as deep into the dense stuff...stayed more on the edges...may have also had a partner with them pushing ('driving') through pockets of heavy stuff...may have used a dog(s), etc.
And with our understanding that they were using very long barreled MLs by today's standards they had to deal with them as well...so they may not have been 'diving in as deep'.

 

[Vaino]

I've hunted w/ longrifles in all sorts of cover and never lost anything or got "hung up" on brush...just hunted slow and looked more than walked. Only squirrels like "big tree woods" which don't usually have enough cover for grouse and rabbits. In yrs past before the big logging operations cut the large trees, the woods was clean" under the canopy and game was scarce...insufficient cover and food. The logging operations did us a favor by cutting the big trees and the regrowth of brush and smaller trees provided ideal habitat for many animals. Fire accomplished the same thing, but don't know how wide spread forest fires were.If possible, game animals are "edge animals" and this "edge" {brush and small trees} provides not only food and cover, but also familiar landmarks for them to follow. Go slow and the "hangups" won't occur and you'll see more game.....Fred

 

[paulvallandigham]

I agree. Animals have to be able to reach their food to get a meal. Old growth, thick canopies, block out the sun and snuff out underbrush, which proved cover, and food to small game, and birds. Both fire and clearing of timber are beneficial to small game animals, and even animals as large as deer.

I have hunted OLD GROWTH in the Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois, and the deer simply run across these areas, to get to brushy clearings on one side or another. There is Nothing for them to eat under these thick canopies, to slow them down at all. These old growth timber sections can be as much as 10-15 degrees cooler than the surrounding area on a hot summer day,however, and therefore make a great place to hike and walk during summers, when you should begin your scouting for the Fall Deer season, if you didn't get out during the Spring to hunt shed antlers. :hmm: :surrender: :thumbsup:

 

[texcl]

depends on if the old growth is oak or not. During the acorn drop there will be deer and turkey everywhere in my neck of the woods, but other than that they just pass through. I almost never bust brush and have found that the ruffies here like to run trails and the edge of the thick stuff.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Where I hunted in Pope County, we had almost nothing but White Oak( used for barrel staves) trees. The acorns had dropped long before deer season, and between the deer and the squirrels there simply was nothing left but the hulls. It was like walking on gravel in the bottoms. :thumbsup:

 

[buttonbuck]

We had a late drop this past fall in central Illinois, I noticed Hickory fell early but I got my deer (bow season) early October The deer were so busy gorging themselves on acorns they were literally under foot at 10 yards and less, and were not under much hunting pressure. I hope we have this next year god willing fill the freezer by Columbus Day and let my daughter go for youth season with a muzzleloader. The Area we took 2 of our deer this past season is covered thick with Autumn Olive, it holds turkey and rabbit as well the coyotes take out the ground nesting birds. The game hold tight in there When you see a deer stalking slowly and looking closely for parts of deer is a must. They hold tight it becomes more like rabbit hunting than deer hunting I have wished I could hunt this with a carbine or ml pistol darn regulations at the site.

 

[BrownBear]

The game hold tight in there When you see a deer stalking slowly and looking closely for parts of deer is a must.

Words of wisdom and firsthand experience.

 

[tg]

I have fpund that even in the toughest cover there is usually a path of least resistance that can often be seen ahead as one move, game trails are also a good path choice and as mentioned one can carrry all gear in a manner that proctects it, at the slower one moves the better, I used to like to find a valley that hunters went thru at daybeak and follow them thru after they leave, it was often productive as I think the other hunters still had the Deers attention differted in the other direction

 

[texcl]

Our acorns drop during one of the deer seasons so I always have a crack at them, this last year during the drop it wouldn't be unusual to have 20 plus deer go by in a 2 hour sit not many buck though.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Unless the rut is on, mama and kids will feed on the mast during daylight hours. Dad feeds mostly at night. Mom won't let Dad near her or the kids until the Rut begins.

In Illinois, it seems the archers get the prime time when the acorns are coming off the trees. By the time any of the gun seasons begin, the drop is done.

In 2010, this past year, we had a huge snow on Nov. 1, and we had snow on the ground until after X-mas. The deer fed on the few remaining standing corn and soybean fields, and then moved into the deep timber, and began feeding on whatever they could scrape snow off. With all that snow on the ground, nighttime was almost bright daylight for the deer, so they had little trouble finding food. The only deer seen during daylight hours were deer that had been spooked from their beds by some other hunter. :thumbsup:

 

[buttonbuck]

Paul Last year was tough I was glad I bow hunted early. The two I harvested on gun season opening day were on edge of the big brush I recall opening day we got a break from snow but not much after that muzzle loading season was a wash and a good chunk of second and late season. the oldest boy got a deer but I had to push the cover to have that one move to him. It was so cold that January day I was glad to be the one walking and to be done at 8:15. The first thing we did that day was dig out the ground blind and rig the the broken fiberglass poles. I went out later that weekend but the deer all held tight on private ground outside the park. They do move between these major feeding areas and use the brush as a highway like TG said in addition to bedding down in them.

 

[paulvallandigham]

I don't know if I am physically up to doing that kind of hunting anymore, but my heart goes out to you. You story reminded me of several hunts.

They call it "hunting", not "Gettin'"! for a reason, and you just described it! :shocked2: :wink: :hmm: :idunno: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[Pete Gaimari]

The best answer I could come up with when I was faced with it.

I moved to Colorado.