"Still hunting" tip?

[JerryToth]

I'm thinking ahead to the Early Muzzzleloader Whitetail Deer Season already. So, here's a question...

Often, my flintlock and I walk along real slow, maybe 2,3, or 4 steps, then stand for a minute or so. Often, I see a deer, often 30, 40, or 50 yards away. Invariably, the deer is looking right at me. So what happens next?

If I move quick to pull up on the deer, it will bolt and all I will be presented with is either a "Texas brain shot", or at best a quartering away shot. Once, a long time ago, I shot a deer running straight away... after that field dressing mess, I decided to never do that again! Whew!

So what do you do when you see the deer and it's already looking straight at you?

Or, maybe the question should be "What am I doing wrong?"

Regards to all,

Jerry.

 

[tg]

Sounds familiar, I try to hunt with cover enough to hopefull spot the deer from a greater distance or before he sees me.....if spotted I freeze and hope for a shot if he drops his guard after judging me to be a non threat, sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't, also many times you can read the type of place a deer will likely be and be ready... or not, that is why it is called hunting.

 

[Stumpkiller]

DO NOT MAKE EYE CONTACT! Squint, tip your head slightly forward so the brim of your hat covers your eyes, whatever. If you need to keep an eye on the deer, watch it's butt or hind legs. Do not move. Be patient. The deer will either bolt (it's smelled you or ID'd you as a human), walk jerkily, legs like springs, stomping a foot - trying to get you to move (bolt again) or return to walking while still keeping an eye on you. Wait for some bit of cover between you and the deer's eye(s) before you move. Shoot when the chest is in the open.

If the deer are seeing you first it may be because you are looking for a whole deer. Look for a deer's ear, a deer's ankle, the horizontal line of a deer's back, etc. In cover, you rarely see a whole deer before he's spotted you.

You can't move too slow when still-hunting. I sometimes pause 15 minutes in a spot that appeals to me. Sometimes, I opt for a temporary stand. Click on:
Stumpy's tree seat

Know where the wind is at all times and walk into it, or at least quarter into it. Deer trust their noses before their eyes.

Take up traditional bow hunting. Imagine removing your ramrod and holding it perpendicular to the gun's barrel and then lifting a 60 pound powder horn to shoulder height with your left elbow. That's about the movement and strength needed to pull a bow - and it has to be within about 20 yards of the deer.

Makes m/l hunting seem like a walk in the kitchen to open the refrigerator by comparison. ::

 

stumpy said it,
DO NOT MAKE EYE CONTACT! if you do,,then avert immeidiatly and act like another stupid human that doesn't see.. Take another few steps then sit down and wait. Use your "periphral" vision,then move your fire arm slowly towards port arms,and wait. And don't think too loud!,aka; adreinalin! they can smell that.
He knows your there, let him think he's still hidding!
Yawn, and wait. He'll put his head down.
A close running away shot is a good shot! Goes through liver, diaphram and lung!
So what about he "whew" part,,our human "whew" part is so bad we gotta ship it down stream in pipes,use exhaust fan's and "bury" our dead!

 

[Huntinfool]

I agree with most everything Stumpy said as I too am a Traditional Bowhunter. While reading your post I thought of one more thing that has helped me. Slow down take one or two steps at the most. Make your pauses longer also! Every step you take opens a whole section of terrain you couldn't see before.

We club footed humans think we are going slow but the truth is if they are seeing you first you're probably moving too fast. Once I realized this my score greatly improved. If you've ever sat back and really watched a trophy buck he moves slower than molasses in winter time. He may stand perfectly still for several minutes taking in all his surroundings.

So my tip is to S L O W D O W N and when you think you're going slow enough, slow her down some more. On my best still hunts I'm lucky to cover 200 yards in a whole day, I try to get in the right area before daylight or when I expect deer to be moving! After all most of my bucks were killed while in the l o n g p a u s e mode. I have been know to sit still all day if in the right place.

Just :m2c:

YMH&OS
Chuck Goodall
"The Original Huntin' Fool"
&
Kanawha Ranger Scribe

 

[buckknife]

So what do you do when you see the deer and it's already looking straight at you?
Freeze an dont move a muscle.If its seen you first chances are its gonna run.Deer dont see real well but they pick up movment real good.So its seen you an is trying to figuare out what the movement was or what you are.
From most of the close encounters i have had the body language of the deer is what i have come to watch.When a deer is looking trying to figuare out what you are its ears will be pointed up an out trying to catch any sound it can.If it was a feeding deer it may prtend to go back to feeding for a couple of seconds an then pop its head up quick trying to catch you in movement.Been stomped at a mumber of times alsne thing you can be sure of 95% of the time is if it see's you first an it goes from having its ears out tryinf to catch sound to laying them back..its gonna run.From what i have seen once the deer decides you are not something it wants to be around it will lay them ears straight back.This will be about 1 to 2 seconds before you see that big fuzzy white tail we have all come to know so well. :cry: :crackup:

 

[roundball]

and watch the tail...it's a good early warning indication of their state of mind...if their tail does the normal little side-to-side swish every 15 seconds or so, they're fine...but if it stops tail movement and just let's it hang, they're being very intent on you...and if that tail even thinks about starting to straighten out and lift ever so slightly, the launch sequence has begun and if you're going to take the shot, take it right now

 

[BrownBear]

I'm not a whitetail hunter, but our Sitka blacktail deer (especially the wise old ones) behave a lot like whitetails in terms of smarts and habits, according to friends who hunt both. Since your Pennsylvania hills probably have a lot in common with the timbered hills and mountains I hunt, here's a really good trick to help you see the deer sooner, even before they see you:

Look low, almost like you are hunting rabbits, and look for deer heads rather than whole deer. With a little bit of roll to the country, the first things to come into sight is their heads, and they're going to be really low to the ground rather than up at the level where you expect to see whole deer. When you finally spot the whole deer, it has already been watching you trying to be sneaky and acting suspicious for a LONG time. Spot the head first and freeze, then wait for enough of them to come into sight for a shot, or else wait for the head to drop and do your sneaking each time it disappears.

Biggest blacktail buck I ever shot dropped to a 4 5/8" 45 Long Colt at 21 yards, but I saw him first at something like 60 or 70 yards. When he first came into view, I literally thought the head was a rabbit and its rack was a bare bush the rabbit was jostling. Most esciting stalk I ever made!

 

"Texas Brain Shot", Huh?! I resemble that remark...

Bowhunting turned me into a better stalker. I walked way too fast when carrying a rifle but the bow forces you to hunt properly or you will never get a shot. That's helpful when you switch back to a firearm.

Deer function primarily off scent ID so if the wind is in your favor, stand still if sighted and you may be able to wait out the alert. If they smell you, they are probably gone. Some bucks will circle around to try and catch the scent and follow you for a ways. Makes one feel stupid to leave a trail, then see fresh deer tracks a couple hours later on top of your spoor.

 

[54JNoll]

Try moving from tree to tree and stopping for longer times. The tree will help break up your outline. Also soft soles boots work better than thick soled boots by allowing to to "feel" the ground better. Put your foot down toe first that way when you "feel" a twig or stick under your foot you just move on tip toe and that way you do not break the twig resulting in a loud snap. Learn to vocalize a buck grunt or some basic simple turkey sounds (squack, and contact "puck") with only your mouth. That way when you make an inadvertant sound you make a "natural" noise which helps calm them down. If imitateing a turkey walk a little and scratch a little also to imitate the turkey's nature to scratch for food. Also a humans to legged walk and an animals four legged walk have a different cadence of sound. Vary you stide length and mix up intermitently adding an intermediate step or foot placement while walking. It makes you sound less like a human walking.

As stated look for parts of the deer. You should be able to get some shots at standing deer this way.

 

[Randal Zartman]

Thanks for the reminder about eye contact Stumpy. Three other things I would like to suggest - Practice, Practice & Practice. I am so used to shooting leaning against a post or tree that when I am still hunting I can't move the tree fast enough. I plans to change that this year. I got upset and proud when my daughter shot her first deer free handed last year, something I have never done(free handed). Good Luck
Zman

 

[Livbucks]

Something that has helped me:
If you are caught in their sights, stand perfectly still as long as it takes. The deer are still trying to ID you. If they knew what you were they would depart. If they are looking at you they may have ID'd you but are not aware that you see them. At any rate, stand perfectly still as long as it takes. When they finally move they will do either of two things.
1) Go back to feeding and believe that you were just another sound in the woods, squirrel, deer, falling branch, etc.
2) Spook and walk or run away.

If they choose #1 you are in business. If they choose #2 you still have an opportunity. If you can immitate the sound of a deer's snort (or BLOW)do it now. I can't tell you how many times I have played with deer this way. As soon as they turn to leave, make the snort sound. They will stop and look back at you. I have jumped deer that started running full tilt away and when I made the snort sound they stopped dead in their tracks and looked back. Sometimes this will give you that one good chance at a shot. This is all dependant on the fact that they didn't wind you. If they catch your scent this probably won't work.

 

[NORD]

A high pitched whistle or a bleet will work too...just in case you can't snort really loud... :imo: :m2c: