Stalking for fun and frolic.

[cynthialee]

So I was sitting here minding my p's and q's and I hear my big dog barking out on his chain. So I stare out the window to see what he was looking at. Well I couldn't see what it was but he was acting like he does when something wild shows up. So I grab my shot gun and head out mainly looking for coyotes. So I went stalking the propery and there he was. A 6 point buck about 75 yards in the brush.
So I took the slug out of my single shot .410 set the gun on the dog house and decided to see how close I could get to him without spooking him.
I carefuly left his line of sight and took the long way around the barn and got within 50 yards of him. (in my crocs none the less) I stared at him for about 3 minutes whispered 'bang' under my breath and snuck off quite enough to not startle him. Last I saw him he was peacefully grazing the trail ambleing into the woods.

I figure chances are if I don't get him come hunting season my neighbor or his son will. Either way, that bambi is going on my grill.

 

[Kentuckywindage]

i tried the stalking deal once but she busted me :shake:

 

[Stumpkiller]

I take "coup" on deer all the time between hunting seasons. Always good to practice setting up a shot with a finger gun or arrow.

Ywo days ago I had two does with two spotted fawns pass by within 20 yards of me as I bored a hole in the lead doe's vitals with my eyes.

Just habit.

 

[hoochiepapa]

I was turkey hunting one time more years ago than I care to relate. I had my back against a huge Ponderos pine and was sitting there almost dozing. I looked up and saw some movement in the trees about 150 yards up the hill, and as I watched, a small herd of does was feeding towards me. I sat quietly and a young one came within about 15 feet and then noticed that something wasn't right. She slowly walked toward me, stopping every couple of steps, and lowered her head to get a good look. She would take a step, move her head up and down, and her eyes were as big as saucers. I quickly bared my teeth and growled real loud, and she almost turned herself inside out trying to get away. Made my whole day.

 

[Trench]

I'll play that game when I'm out squirrel hunting and I spot a deer. It's a 50/50 propsition that I get to a good shooting spot or screw the whole situation ending up in a bust.

I've been surprised at how close I've been to deer sometimes while on the ground. If you're not paying attention, you'll spook them. But, if you take your time and pay attention to wind and noise, it's amazing what you can do.

I don't think they're necessarily the super-game in terms of senses that they've been made out to be if you know how to play by the rules.

 

[cynthialee]

One of the things I have been doing to desensitize the local deer around here is when they see me seeing them I act like a prey animal.
I carefully take a step backwards, look left and right like I am trying to find the best escape route and if the deer moves I bug out of the area.
The end result has been the deer around here are not very intimidated by me and last fall there was a buck who thought it would be fun to advance in my direction occasionaly like he was picking on me. (he also liked to chase my chickens on occasion, funny stuff)

On a side note I have used body language on predators to good effect in the past. When I see them see me I get low to the ground and watch them intently and then try and slowly flank them the entire time I am imagining what it would be like to pounce on the critter and eat it like a wild animal. It tends to make coyotes and bob cats very skitish and look for the nearest way out. Out of curiosity I pulled the same body language trick on a timber wolf in a zoo. He was freaked out and ran to the inside of the animal house and watched me while growling.
Seems predators understand body language that says 'I want to eat you, and I am looking for the easy way to do it' very clearly and it is not something they care to stay around for.

 

[Kapow]

3D leafy wear is unbelieveable stuff. I had an arrow nocked one day standing still in a patch of bush waiting for a deer to show when a group of kangaroos came hopping along.

They stood about three yards from me for ages when one of the females walked over and sniffed and tasted my arrow tip. Hard to be a statue for ever though.

 

[Bill Hall]

Yeah, I do that too. It's bucks only here, so when I run into some does, I like to practice my sneak, and even practice my sight picture on them, hammer uncocked of course. (I even say bang under my breath).

One time while deer hunting, I kicked up a rag horn bull elk. He stopped about 40 yards in front of me and just stared at me. I pretend shot him about ten times with my muzzleloader, and never had to reload. Then my muzzleloader somehow turned into a semi-auto, going bang bang bang as fast as I could whisper. After that, I had the world's only muzzleloader sub-machine gun, aiming at that elk and going rattatatatata. I was about to reach for the pretend flame thrower when he got bored and trotted off. I think he was pretending to give me the bird. :redface: Bill

 

[Woods Dweller]

Anyone ever read the biography of “Tom Brown Jr” he also makes book on “wilderness survival”. He also teaches “wilderness survival” in classes. He has been an survival adviser on Movie sets. Anyway! He was taught from and early age by an Indian on stalking, & survival skills. To sharpen ones skills I suggest his books. :thumbsup:

 

[Rev_William]

Anyone ever read the biography of “Tom Brown Jr” he also makes book on “wilderness survival”. He also teaches “wilderness survival” in classes. He has been an survival adviser on Movie sets. Anyway! He was taught from and early age by an Indian on stalking, & survival skills. To sharpen ones skills I suggest his books. :thumbsup:

I've met him him his books read well to bad HE hasn't read them. In montana he spent more time trying to get drinks and tell his story than do the tracking he was hired to when those 2 guys kidnappped the girl back in '89-'90.