Stalking or still hunting

[Dave K]

Your right as rain. Also, the hunting was entirely different. Today, animals also seem to have the hunting seasons memorized. Back then there wasn't a hunting season and many critters weren't all that aware of hunters. Still hunting would have been a totally different game then. No plowed fields to cross for one. I remember when sitting in a fence row or at least using it to ease into hunting position was possible. Now, I don't almost know what a fence is. Cover is gone, for the hunter,the hunted and the animals of the edge that used to make it their home.

 

[hoochiepapa]

Unless, Bill, you have a place like my magic meadow. Sit there, and you will kill and elk.
Mike :v

 

[CaptainKirk]

I stalk 100% of the time. I follow tracks which is much easier in the snow. That's why I hunt the later seasons, because i'll have a better chance of snow.

I also do a lot of glassing. Once I spot an animal, and I say animal, because I hunt elk the same way. Anyway, once I spot an animal I try and come up with a plan to sneak up on it.

That's pretty much it for me. Track, look, spot, and sneak.

I find it much more natural and interesting than taking any kind of stand. You couldn't pay me to sit in a tree, but I don't even like taking a stand on the ground unless it's part of my sneak.


It's funny, but I fly fish the same way. I fish smaller creeks in the mountains. The fish are extremely spooky. If they see you, or feel your vibrations the game is over. I need to stay out of sight and place the fly quietly and precisely. I don't get a second cast. It's quite a challenge and I love it. It's not just catching fish. It's how you do it that's important to me.

My hunting is the same way. It's not getting the kill that's important. It's how I get it. Give the animal a fair chance. Let it use it's natural defenses. It's called hunting. It takes a certain amount of skill to hunt. Not so much to be a sniper.

Now please. No negative feedback on my post. It's how I do it. You all can do what you want.

That sounds like my kind of hunting, Pete!
I am quite fed up with sitting motionless, up in a swaying tree, for 8 or more hours, freezing my a$$ off. Three years ago I fell from a ladder stand I was taking down, dropped about 15 feet and landed on my left ankle which buckled and collapsed. No broken bones, but I was on crutches for two weeks and limped for over three months. Only intense walking therapy finally healed it.
I like the "walk 5 minutes, sit 55 minutes" theory espoused by Dr. Ken Nordberg in his Deer Hunter's Almanac series. It keeps the game interesting and moves you enough to keep the blood flowing so you don't freeze to death. 5 years ago, I sat in a stand for 8 hours, never saw a thing, and when I went to walk out, my back locked up so bad I couldn't straighten up. I hobbled out in a crouch using a stick as a cane, every step agony. My son had to carry my rifle and pack out. Had I been alone, I would've had to leave them in the woods. Yeah, it was that bad.
Many of us humans choose lousy spots anyway. Still-hunting evens up the chances a little! :grin:

 

[Pete Gaimari]

I'm sure if I tried a tree i'd fall out of it. I'm lucky that way.

I stay in shape by hiking the mountains everyday with my dog. I'm not sure my dog would let me skip a day anyway. I really love it, and i'm always scouting for new areas. If it's a blizzard with 50 mph winds. I still go. I just wear more clothes.

I have a small game licence, so I always take my gun in case I see something. Being retired makes this easy to do. I'm 67 and my blood pressure is 120/65. I know my mountain hiking has something to do with that.

I love Colorado.

 

[Josh Smith]

I begin reading sign well before whatever season it is begins, then during the season, I watch whatever wildlife is about for signs.

Depending upon what I see, I set up or keep walking.

An example would be last time I went hunting, I went for squirrel (took a boy on his first hunt). I showed him tracks, how they bury their food, and asked him which way the wind was coming from, etc. etc. Based on that information, we set up behind a brush pile.

Heard a noise and told him to watch "over there" for anything unusual.

Birds took off, obviously not too happy, and a couple squirrel came running around a tree playing. Big 'uns.

I told him to take it. He tried, he really did. It was a difficult shot, I'm sure he was excited, and he wasn't resting on anything. He shot and missed.

I didn't hear him work the action, so I brought my rifle up and took one squirrel. I tried taking the other but missed. Moving target at 50 yards from a sitting position is not the easiest thing to do.

I didn't bother with deer this year. Didn't really have a spot to put all the meat, and couldn't really afford the license and butchering besides. Indiana, last I knew, doesn't allow us to bone in the field, and I'm not set up for it at home.

The season's not over yet, so I may still go, but it's doubtful.

Regardless, I hunt deer just like I hunt squirrel. The latter is awesome practice for the former.

Josh

 

[Pete Gaimari]

You track squirrel? :grin:

 

[JMinnerath]

Big squirrels. :rotf:

 

[Kentucky45]

That sounds like my kind of hunting, Pete!
I am quite fed up with sitting motionless, up in a swaying tree, for 8 or more hours, freezing my a$$ off. :grin:

ABSOLUTELY!!!! That's one of the biggest reasons I like to still hunt. When I get cold I get up and move. I've set in a tree stand and literally shook from cold and asked myself over and over what am I doing here, thinking I'm not even having fun. And I can't move because I might scare a deer so I just set there looking at my watch wishing it would get to the time my buddy and I decided to hunt until and then I could get down. If I get down early I might bother his hunting and I refuse to hurt another hunters chances so I just set there and freeze.----CRAP!!! I just talked myself into finally doing what I've thought about doing for the last two seasons. I'm going to sell my ladder stands. Thank you CaptainKirk, I needed that little nudge and those words of inspiration. K45

 

[LRB]

I tried an experiment back years ago, on a scout the day before season. I spotted three deer at about 100 yrds in a semi open place in some heavy woods, feeding on grass. I carefully got to maybe 75yrds from them, and then clucked a slate turkey call. I slowly knee walked, and duck walked to 35 yrds from them, clucking that call every time they looked at me. I had them convinced I was just a big turkey. Been called one before anyhow. They didn't care at all that I was that close. Coulda dropped a 4 point, but didn't. But, overall, I hunt most often from a climber tree stand. Death from above!

 

[Pete Gaimari]

Deer can smell and hear real good. I don't think they can see real good. We can use that to our advantage.

 

[Supercracker]

I tried an experiment back years ago, on a scout the day before season. I spotted three deer at about 100 yrds in a semi open place in some heavy woods, feeding on grass. I carefully got to maybe 75yrds from them, and then clucked a slate turkey call. I slowly knee walked, and duck walked to 35 yrds from them, clucking that call every time they looked at me. I had them convinced I was just a big turkey. Been called one before anyhow. They didn't care at all that I was that close. Coulda dropped a 4 point, but didn't. But, overall, I hunt most often from a climber tree stand. Death from above!

I've had 2 experiences where I got on all 4s and crawled trying to pass myself off as a pig. Worked both times. Both times I also had a "WTH AM I DOING" moment and realized almost too late that It may not have been a real good idea to be mistaken for a pig at that time. haha

 

[George]

I don't think they can see real good. We can use that to our advantage.

Here you go, Capper, no need to wonder about deer's vision. :grin:
http://home.comcast.net/~gefferts/deervis.htm

Spence

 

[BrownBear]

Yup. We're about the only thing around that walks upright. Pretty distinctive even from a long ways off.

I gotta say old habits die hard, or is it the fact that I'm just a stubborn old geezer? :grin:

But I bet I'd be in all kinds of trouble if I hunted most places back east, and I probably wouldn't get many deer to boot.

It's so ingrained in me to spot and stalk, I'm sure if I saw a deer from a blind and couldn't get a shot, I'd be out of the blind or down out of the tree and going after it. It kinda feels like that's "against the rules" back there, or something. Or maybe it's been tried and never worked! :rotf:

 

[Josh Smith]

You track squirrel? :grin:

I do.

I hold that if you can track squirrel, you can track damned near anything.

Josh

 

[Josh Smith]

Big squirrels. :rotf:

Yup.

I cut that one out of a picture showing my first "squirrel sniper". It was a modern rifle and I believe showing it would have been a no-no.

Josh

 

[Stumpkiller]

I had them convinced I was just a big turkey.

Wick,

You can't be feeding me a straight line like that. :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

I've mentioned before: everyone who hunts with a traditional muzzleloader should try still-hunting with a traditional bow. After you've tried to get within 25 yards and then draw an arrow in a deer's presence, it makes popping them at 75 yards with a simple hammer set seem like cake.

 

[Pete Gaimari]

You track squirrel? :grin:

I do.

I hold that if you can track squirrel, you can track damned near anything.

Josh

You do realize squirrels don't leave tracks jumping from tree to tree. :idunno:

 

[Supercracker]

I had them convinced I was just a big turkey.

Wick,

You can't be feeding me a straight line like that. :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

I've mentioned before: everyone who hunts with a traditional muzzleloader should try still-hunting with a traditional bow. After you've tried to get within 25 yards and then draw an arrow in a deer's presence, it makes popping them at 75 yards with a simple hammer set seem like cake.

Up until this year 99% of my hunting has been of the longbow variety.

 

[Josh Smith]

You track squirrel? :grin:

I do.

I hold that if you can track squirrel, you can track damned near anything.

Josh

You do realize squirrels don't leave tracks jumping from tree to tree. :idunno:

They do when they're on the ground...

And often, when they jump from one tree to another, even if you don't see the jump, there's a good bet that a bunch of peeved birds are going to take off.

Then again, there are tracks on trees. Let's say you got one tree fallen over on the other. The squirrel is likely going to be using that angled tree to climb the other - less work. There will be claw marks on the trunk.

When they come down for the day or go up for the night, they'll pause where the fallen tree is contacting the ground, to look around. This is where the shot should be taken.

Josh

 

[Pete Gaimari]

You said tracking. That means whatever tracks there might be happen when you weren't there. You won't see any of this happening and one tree jump and you've lost whatever track there might be. A mark on a tree could be 3 days old.

I'm looking at the ground in your squirrel picture. Hard to track anything on that.

Squirrel hunting is pretty much walking slowly and looking in the trees, and sitting down looking in the trees.

Basically, looking in the trees.