I wanted to get some more experienced hunters opinions on their favorite way to hunt Whitetail with trad tackle. This will be my second season with trad gear (got very close last year, but got busted right before I got to anchor) and Im hoping to fill at least one tag.
So do you prefer treestands, ground blinds (natural or pop-up), still hunting or something else?
On a side note, I learned more about hunting and deer behavior in one season with my recurve than I did in 8 years with a rifle...Dont know if Ill even pick up my gun this year...Im hooked!
I usually end up just trying to scare them to death, but so far, that hasn't put any meat on the table..... :biglaugh:
(Sorry. I couldn't resist.)
QuoteOriginally posted by Fattony77:
I usually end up just trying to scare them to death, but so far, that hasn't put any meat on the table..... :biglaugh:
(Sorry. I couldn't resist.)
There's always one.... :biglaugh:
I generally hunt from a ladder stand, but I also have a couple of ground blinds. Opening day, in the ground blind, I had a doe come in at about 12 yards. I decided not to take the shot, but it was very exciting.
I am very clumsy and walk very loudly in the woods, so a stand of some sort is a must for me. I envy those who can do the spot and stalk routine successfully. I have been reading books and magazine articles about stalking quietly since the 1960's, but I still sound like I'm walking through corn flakes. I have not killed many deer with the bow, but have passed on many dozens of high percentage chances. I believe an elevated stand is the most productive form of deer hunting.
I prefer tree stands ( always wear a safety harness) hope you have a great season, it took me quit a few before I connected with my first with a Trad bow. That was in '94'. Weather I shoot anything or not every time I can get in the woods with my stick bow I consider it a successful outing. Enjoy your journey :thumbsup: :archer2:
Scouting, lots of scouting, patterning the last few months before season, multiple ambush locations for multiple wind combinations based on food, security, bedding using any of the above stands, blinds or stalking.
Everything the do has to do with filling there bellies'and security until the rut then that's a whole different story for a month or so. IMO
Good luck this year!
Tracy
Be well rounded, and learn all approaches, because you'll need them all at some time.
I utilize quite a variety of tactics. Just like you need more than one play in the books to win a football game consistently, you need more than one tactic to consistently be a successful bowhunter.
Thanks for the replies everyone. I have 2 climbers that I move from property to property where I dont have stands up. 3 places I hunt have a few stands up that have always been productive with a rifle. I also have 2 ground blinds I hunt from that I made. I do a decent amount of scouting in the pre-season, and try to pattern and read sign. I do wish I could invest in some cameras, but they arent in the budget, and it seems that many many generations of hunters got by without them...
I would like to begin to get better at stalking. I have gotten to within about 20 yards of deer by stalking a few times, and it was fun. That was with a rifle, and on doe that I didnt have tags for...just practice. I eventually want to stalk some with a bow and take one. I feel like that would be the ultimate reward and most "authentic" trad hunt.
This time of year, up a tree around oaks (preferably white oak or chestnut oak) that are dropping acorns. That's my favorite place to be.
Stalking is hard sometimes. I hunt mostly hardwoods bottomlands or mountains covered in oaks and hickories. At certain times of the year, even in just wool socks there is no real way to move and stalk up to a deer. It's just too noisy. Sometimes a stand is the best option. Often, especially when winds change and screw up my plans, I find myself changing where I hunt and on the ground instead of in my stands. I try to stalk no closer than when the animals show the first signs of hearing me. Then, depending on their behavior prior to hearing me and/or when they see me, I will freeze until they quit looking and use a call or something to make them think they heard another animal and NOT a threat. If they take interest, I let them close those last few critical yards. If not I watch and sometimes continue to close the distance or sometimes just watch them walk away depending on their behavior. I'd rather them walk away calmly than force distance on them and spook them so they run off stomping and snorting and raising you know what. That'll ruin it for the next deer I can't see yet and certainly make those areas a no-go zone for a while.
My favorite method is a silent push for my buddies in the woodlot behind my house. It's pretty exciting and a lot of fun.
QuoteOriginally posted by Shadowhnter:
Be well rounded, and learn all approaches, because you'll need them all at some time.
Great advice
Having a treestand for every possible wind direction and situation. Then I find find the best possible route to that stand that has low impact. I only use camera in low impact entrance areas such as tractor paths, and never close to my stand areas. I firmly believe the more times that you enter your hunting area, the more chances you have pushing deer out.
Good one Fattony. I tried that approach last night but not voluntarily, I might add. Sailed one right over her back at about 15. Knew I missed cleanly and was waiting for her to collapse from fright. Didn't happen. Guess I'll have to try something new. This damn trad is SO frustrating but so much fun.
Anyway, my favorite tactic is treestands, the ladder variety. Think I'm going to give the ambush from a natural ground blind a try. Nothing to lose.
For whitetails I'm 100% tree stands. I like hang-ons (Lone Wolf or Muddy) better than ladders. The rails on ladders like to bang my bows (or vice versa).
I love the view from trees.
Been doing it that way since 1970. I enjoy the scouting and stand hanging. I'll be doing more of that in about 3 hours.
For my less smart-alecked answer, I hunt every thing from the ground. As my screen name suggests, I am a big fella (6' tall and 350lbs.+ right now) and I don't trust much of anything to hold my fat butt up. I have a hard time even finding chairs or stools that will handle the job, so I'm not about to try to put that seat 15-20 ft. up off of the ground!
I also really enjoy the fun that goes with still-hunting. So I generally walk very slowly through an area and if/when I find a place that looks like it's worth the effort, I make a make-shift natural blind and (if I have my fold-up stool with me) sit there for a while, or just make sure that I sit there the next time that I go through with my seat.
Although I haven't killed anything yet, I have had quite a few awesome encounters with all kinds of animals doing it this way. I just manage to find a way to screw it up EVERY TIME! Lol. And I have seriously scared the crap out of quite a few deer this way (either by making them think that I'm a Sasquatch comin' for 'em, or by slapping them harmlessly with the fletching of one of my arrows as it zips by). But, so far, they have all had good strong hearts (and legs) that did not fail them in their moments of fright, and they have all lived to tell the tale to their buddies.
My favorite .... Put bow in trunk, drive around until you find road hit. Put deer in trunk with bow .... Lol
I'm kidding, but only sort of. The best harvest in my opinion is one where I don't have to take a life but I can salvage one already lost. Food for thought, that's all.
I usually tree stand hunt as it allows you to get away with so much more movement and noise. It's just easier. This year I'm strictly ground bound. By choice I might add. I've never killed a deer with a bow from the ground and it's kinda on my bucket list. So until I do I'll be on the ground hiding behind whatever is available. Never did like pop ups and I like to move so no point in making blinds. Just sit against a tree behind some brush. Become the tree lol
#1 choice for me is an enclosed ground blind. #2 would be treestand. I will look for ways to fill those options, but if the situation dictates another way (brush blind, tripod, etc) I will go with whatever I need to to make it work.
Bisch
I prefer to still hunt and or enjoy it the most over other methods.I have tried all methods and the other methods are basically much more successful.I think anyone knows that and that's what most hunters are going to do.No problem.I have rotted in tree stands alot.Its the number 1 way to kill a deer no question.I still enjoy a good treestand setup.
I do enjoy the challenge of ground hunting as well and find it very challenging to close the deal from a hide on the ground.Thier is a lot of tension and angst when you are in that space trying to reach the end game.
I find myself not so motivated to make a kill these days and am doing things a bit different to get more joy from my pursuits in the woods.Stillhunting,stalking and ground hunting get me in my soul a bit more and I find it very exhilarating.A still hunt often leads to a stalk.Or you become a ground hunter as a deer may approach your location while stillhunting.I have killed almost all my animals using these methods over the last 10 years and its really very enjoyable,rewarding and inspirational.Stillhunting is my favorite way to go about a day of hunting.I see so much and feel so much.It really immerses you in a total experience.Whether you make a kill or not.
These methods are kinda like relics from a bygone era.They do take skill and woodsmanship.
These days many hunters use more modern methods that are very successful and some methods are particularly aimed at killing big bucks from prime stand locations in a perfect setup at the perfect times.Thats very often what it takes to be consistently successful at taking more mature deer and that's not easy even with all the modern day knowledge/information about mature bucks and how to go about killing one
But these other methods do work and you will find that you enjoy your time when using these other styles and eventually you make a kill and its going to be vary memorable.
Treestands and groundblinds
I love deer hunting, and love being in the timber. For me, 99% of my hunting is sneaking in the timber playing the wind against trails in between feeding and bending areas. I use a Waldrop pack seat, a leafy coat or a Guillie suit and wait in ambush. My shots seem to range from 14 to 25 yards, occasionally closer, rarely farther.
It is very challenging, but is the most fun and rewarding for me. I love ground pounding.
Bob.
Agree with use multiple methods, but I believe all my bow (not traditional so far) kills have been from a climber. Gun kills - about everything. My one shot with the recurve was from a climber; top limb on the bow failed!
Still hunting along the edges, water-ways of corn. Points also!
The rut, also still hunting creek bottoms, narrow travel, funnels, fence rows.
Not always succesful, or tag filling, but OH the action can be a rush!
I mostly hunt from ladder stands now ( since my knee replcement ) but I do hunt on the ground if the situation calls for it . Last year I hunted on the ground using a gillie suit . No luck with the gillie yet but it's seems challenging !
Tree stands
Folks take this "Deer Hunting" thing, too seriously.....
I usually just grab my bow, and go for a walk. If I see a good spot, or I'm feeling "lucky"... I sit for a spell. If I come to a spot where I know I've seen or shot deer before, I'll slow down and sneak around a bit... Also, if I see a squirrel that just needs to be shot... I shoot it!!!
Fred Bear said you can learn more about deer hunting in one week with a bow than you can in a year with a gun.
Tree stand mostly but I do stalk walking into my afternoon stand. The woods I hunt are covered with crunchy leaves and it is impossible to be quiet.
One time while I was in my stand a friend walked to me late morning and I saw a bunch of deer fleeing his approach and he wasn't able to see any of them.
My favorite method is to find a gentle sloping hill with soft green grass that is bug free with a level spot to put my tea and a convenient hump to put my butt pad to use for a pillow when I need my nap. I am always ready to shoot, because deer come and watch me sleep, I need to be ready when I wake up, in case one of them is a deer that I want to shoot.
I usually end up just trying to scare them to death, but so far, that hasn't put any meat on the table..... [biglaugh]
(Sorry. I couldn't resist.)
SO funny!
May favorite way is still hunting...I love the rush I get when I suddenly realize that once again I've been within shooting range of a deer and not seen it until it goes wooshing off into the woods.
Seriously - I LOVE my lone wolf climber. It is light, quiet and allows me to set up darn near anywhere.
I try to be as versatile as possible. I will say I haven't had the best track record but I tend to hunt heavily pressured deer.
I'm not afraid to move and try new places. Usually I have a couple opportunities every year which I tend to goof up.
But adapting to deer and other hunters where I hunt is key. Its not good enough to pattern deer ahead of time or hunt sign because usually everyone else in my area is also and those deer become nocturnal fast.
I find that once I can pattern the hunters, I can get a pretty good idea what the deer are doing.
Usually that means mid week and often mid days are best.
I'm a tree stand guy and early in the season I run and gun with a climber hitting the acorns. The where I hunt is the most critical, which I noticed no one mentioned. I hunt the heaviest cover I can find that has food or access to food. I hunt a lot of ditches and subtle funnels too. This took several years to learn but is has been very rewarding. Remember even a slight 3' depression can make a difference on travel influence.
Hope this helps, John
Tree stands for me.
I love natural binds...this season though I may get up in a ladder stand for the first time in a lot of years...just for a change in perspective
Strategic positioning from 12 to 15 yard from the ground....go well beyond the extra mile to be able to possibly compete with the average tree stand hunters...if a deer even looks at my blind, I haven't done enough...my stick bow only lease stand hunters enjoy twice the shot opportunities........prime time scouting. for myself, is primarily January thru March with major consideration of anticipated available food sources....multiple setups to accommodate food sources changes and the rut... as well as referencing logs maintained from the years before.
Have seen 8 bucks and have passed on four totally separate buck opportunities, thus far, out of three hunts this season alone...one quite respectable 2 1/2 yr old 8 pt at 8 yards...passed on at least 70 separate shot opportunities last season.
Note: Am limited to ground hunting. The thrill of close encounters is most fulfilling.
Have managed to routinely setup effectively on smaller 2 1/2 year olds and on occasion a 3 1/2 yr old buck....wishing to prolong the full experience...quite far from mastering 3 1/2 yr old and older close encounter experiences.
No expert here....just roll the dice quite often, especially when cooler temperatures arrive.
Favorite method......any way I can!!