I am getting cabin fever really bad, and when that happens I usually start dreaming about hunting season and replaying previous hunts gone wrong in the past. This leads to strategizing for future encounters, and a gradual organization of little tricks and tips I've learned.
My favorite hunting style is spot and stalk. Spotting animals is a whole topic in and of itself, but stalking is where every little trick could turn the tide in your favor, or blow the game completely. So I decided to share my three best tips for getting up close and personal on wild animals.
1. Patience kills critters. Having the nerve to sit tight at 70 yards until the wind gets better, or the animal faces another direction, is an excellent, if not indispensable, skill to have.
2. Play the wind when you can, trust your sent elimination scheme (if you have one), and decide if the rewards outweigh the risks when the wind is dicey.
Wind checkers are great, and cheap to make(cornstarch in a small bottle works fine).
I am a firm believer in the power of smoke as a scent eliminator(only green pine branches need apply). I have been dead downwind of 300+ cow elk(within 30 yards) and they didn't bat an eyelash.
3. Thick wool socks... you might hear guys talk about it but until you've tried them for yourself you just can't understand how much quieter you are in socks instead of shoes. I always carry these with me.
Those are my top three tips, lets hear yours!
Wear appropriate footwear-no hard boots on dry leaves.
Don't stare and never make eye contact.
Move only when they are relaxed and not looking.
Don't walk at them instead approach indirectly.
A suspicious animal will look for confirmation-like put their head down to look like they resumed feeding and all the time they are eyeballing you looking for movement.
I'm with ya on the cabin fever!
The above are good and ill add some new ones I I like as well...
Once I get to around 100 yards I try to always take a few extra minutes to really look around for any animals that I missed or can not account for once I'm in closer.
Pick a path from my intial spotting postion that gets me to a spot inside of 50 yards and worry about the last half once I'm there.
Be in shape... More stalks = higher odds. Not to mention shooting is easier when you are not winded.
Do not look for the animal, look for parts-ear, eye or horizontal lines
I often glass from my knees, the undergrowth hides reclining animals, but getting under the lower limbs of junipers, they appear.
Good stuff guys. I will add another.
4. Once you are in range, you need an arrow on the string at all times, even if you are still trying to get closer, or trying to maneuver for a clear shot. Did you see the video of Cade stalking hogs a couple weeks ago? Every step he took left his torso oriented in a good shooting position.
Curt, Terry, and Cade showed off some mad stalking skills down there, and we should learn from them. :thumbsup:
Also don't get diarrhea like I did stalking a Bull Elk one year. It put a halt to that stalk.
Trupkin, I have been dead downwind of lots of critters, especially elk, and they never winded me, but I sure smelled them ! :bigsmyl:
I hear ya.
Lots also depends o the critters you are sneakig up on. They all act different, so that knowledge is indespensible. Like the song "you got to know when to hold em, know when to fold em".
Always move slow. Commit to as much time as needed. Learn to always play the wind, however, For some critters, the wind is Everything, for others, not so much.
The more you do it, the better you get.
Besides, it is pretty cool to sneak in close.
ChuckC
I see all you guys who have posted so far are all from the west. Here in NY, stalking is almost non existent,at least where I hunt. I hunt all forested hills, with few if any fields or open places.Still hunting is an option when ground conditions are favorable.Crunchy forest floors are usually the norm during our Whitetail season, making sneaking up on them next to impossible.It's difficult even when conditions are good, as wind is always shifty due to the topography.With all that said I will attempt to add to the subject.
If the ground is noisy to walk on, there are two options while still hunting.
1} Walk abruptly until game is encountered and then attempt to intercept them upon their flight paths.
2} Work an area walking very, very slowly, using the wind and the lay of the land to hide your presence. Watch for game 90% of the time, walk (step} 10% of the time. Try to sound like a squirrel moving and feeding ect. When you stop, stop by a tree or other object to blend your body form.Once game is spotted, Crawling on hands and knees slowly like a patient cat can get you in range.
Also, Turkey calls can be used to fool while attempting an approach.
Hunting in favorable conditions
Tracking is now possible, using the above methods and methods used by other hunters such as the Boneits.
I could expound further, but good books have covered these subjects.
To be successful the final approach is crucial. Have the bow up and in position with your hand on the string. Look at the ground briefly to plan your steps and look at the animal without staring directly at it. Take your time, any extra movement is liable to attract attention. Cover your face and hands with camo make up work at blending in. Practice every chance you get including animals you have no intention of shooting not all approaches are going to be successful but they will all be exciting.
Chuck C! You caught me. Meant to say upwind but was really tired.
I read a story in a magazine titled "the man who could touch deer". He said nothing in the woods moves, even on windy days. So to give the illusion your not moving it should take you about a minute and a half to complete a step. I did this a few times and had success only once. It is a very fatuiging way to hunt.
I've killed two does from the ground going to my stands. Both when the leaves were as crunchy as can be. Both times I purposely did not try to be quiet or walk stealthy. One, I heard a doe walking and crouched down. She was going to pass by at 40 yards so i figured whatthe heck and i strted moving and stopped like i ws feeding like she was. She stopped and looked bt did not know what i was. I moved at an angle which brought me closer to her but from her perspective it looked like i was feeding past her. At 20 yards I was able to get a shot off with my very quiet longbow.
Another time i was walking by some mountain laurels heads,(huge thick bushes) when i heard a deer walking on the other side. I stopped and gave a bleat and then continued walking to the end and waited, sure enough the doe got curious and came around the laurels looking for me and i shot her at 10 yards.
Both times if i had walked like i was stalking them their alert system would have made them run off but since they thought i might be another deer or turkey I was able to score on them.
QuoteOriginally posted by Trumpkin the Dwarf:
Chuck C! You caught me. Meant to say upwind but was really tired.
I was going to ask if you meant upwind as well. lol.
I would have to agree with the whole crunchy forest floor thing, here in arkansas in the fall, if its dry like it was last year, still hunting/spot and stalk is virtually impossible. The only days I got within spot and stalk range was a couple slightly breezey and drizzly days. But I was moving too fast, didn't expect to spook them where they were, and they bolted before I had spotted them. But I got to within 40 yards before they spooked. If I had been moving slower and actually spotting (gotta get me some good binos) I think I would have seen them and maybe even have gotten closer before I blew it lol. I actually feel lucky to have gotten so close to harvesting a deer several times my first season, I know close doesn't count, but I've heard and read about people that went years before harvesting their first trad deer and I got really, really close several times.
So to sum up, I like to still hunt and spot and stalk when theres a predictable breeze to rustle the leaves and a nice drizzle to dampen the leaves. Even then I still wear 3 pairs of Omni-wool (sams club) socks, or wool socks inside leather moccasins. Heavy boots even when its wet leaves under foot, don't transmit those small twigs and sticks your stepping on to your feet and then "crack" deer goes on alert.
Oh, and always avoid thorn vines and thorn bushes when stalking, even if you have to go way out of your way, those things will blow your cover quicker than the wind changing, nothing says "human coming" like the sound of fabric ripping and snagging on thorns 1/8-1/2" long.
I've had some fun times when it's either really windy or raining or snowing or especially all three!
cheap water shoes with a wool sock on thme quiets down your footfalls considerably.
also remove your glasses if you can, as they flash light
I have seen two things happen often enough that there must be something to it. One. It is fall and you have a deer tag and are stalking deer. You will run into a fall flock of turkeys and they won't be very concerned about you, providing that you do not have a turkey tag. I have been very close to turkeys a number times when in pursuit of deer when I had no turkey tag. Two. Then in the spring and you are trying to get into position for a roving midday tom and you don't have a deer tag, you will walk into deer they will get up, look you over and then calmly go lay down a little ways away and pay very little more attention to you. There must be something about a hunters intent that animals can pick up on.
One tip that I don't see. Make sure its a possible stalk. I see lots of guys blow stalks that never had a chance. If it isn't there it isn't there.
On pigs I try to watch them a bit and get ahead of where they are headed. RC
If the area you hunt is your own back 40, and it is crunchy, take an afternoon and go rake the leaves. Just hit a couple main trails. The deer can tell you aren't huning them and likely as not will watch you doing it, if they are around. Then it isn't crunchy any more !
I do this on my main walk about trail and it is amazing how quiet it can get. Heck, I have done this on the public land I hunt. Who cares, nobody else is crazy enough to try ground hunting anymore.
ChuckC
Good thread Thumpkin, I like to see this type of informative thread. I have started a couple myself (prefered foods of the Whitetail)and( Natural ground blind construction) I think these threads share knowledge for the benefit all hunters, both seasoned and novice. Not only informative,but fun and should be a larger component of the
tradGang experience IMHO. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
It has been briefly mentioned/let slip, but using good binoculars all the way through your stalks will help a lot!
I like the raking of leaves idea...never woulda thought of that.
I think someone already mentioned the importance of good scent control. Playing the wind works well if you have steady reliable winds. If not, scent control is of utmost importance whether on the ground or in a tree stand. Wood smoked clothing is one of the best cover scents there is, but don't forget the rest of the regimen. Keep your body clean and as scent free as possible. Always keep your foot ware away from human odors and scent free inside and out. Your head creates a lot of scent, so keep it clean and wear a hat or covering if possible.Brush your teeth with baking soda and chew grass or anything with clorophil. If acorns are present you can keep one or two in your mouth and chew them upon a deers approach.Keep exposed skin to a minumum and wear clothing the wind can"t blow threw.
Don't get sweaty.Dress at bare minumum. Being a little cold is better than sweating.
On one stalk for turkeys they hung up along a creek with nothing but open fields around. Well the creek had banks almost 3-4' deep so I hopped in the creek and waded waist deep until I was bout 20 yards away. Popped over the bank and let one fly. I missed but still remember the hunt.
Sometimes it pays to be aggressive and think outside the box. Even if you don't get your quarry you come away with some fun memories.
Plan your next move and slow down. Use natural cover to your advantage. Open your ears not just your eyes.
I understand there are those who stalk dee-especially in the West for mulie but in our eastern autumn hardwood forest it is not a productive(a shot) tactic in my opinion. HOWEVER. on a wet,misty or foggy day,you have a real chance-if- you still hunt. Hunting the sides of hills, especially their benches has provided me with a few shots over the years hunting in this fashion. The strategy is to have the deer moving to you with as little adjustment in your position as posible This probably isn't strictly speeking "stalking." But on these grey days it's an attractive alternative to stand hunting. Lou
I don't know how ya'll eastern blokes survive. I can't stand not being able to see a long ways, even in the "thick timber" that I occasionally hunt I can usually see thirty more yards.
Oh yeah, as you can see by the various experiences shared above, sometimes you have to be cautious and other times it pays off big to gamble it all on snake eyes. Making the decision to attempt, or hold off on, a stalk is a skill in and of itself.
I lean towards the "try anything, even the crazy stuff" camp, especially if I am in a time crunch. The stalks that work out for me seem to be the craziest ones.
Stay to the shadows if at all possible, even if you think that you are in cover. Got busted on a hunt in Georgia with RC when I was crouched but moved through a beam of sunlight.
Sunlight to your back is a good thing, if possible.
All critters are different, but I learned that Buffalo in particular hate lateral movement. Alot of times you can close the gap in very open ground by pretending you are a tree and moving straight line, but only when they are not looking.
Walk softly and carry a big stick....
Kirkll, Being as big and hairy as you are must have it's advantages and disadvantages. Stay down wind!! :biglaugh: :biglaugh:
Kirk wins!
Windy days while stalking thru a dry standing corn field also works well. The clattering of the field is very noisy. Stalking cross wind works the best as deer mostly face looking down wind.
Get low real low. When your on your hands and knees you look like an animal not a human.No eye contack, donot stare at them.Slow, slow, slow,
GO SLOW and look for "horizontal lines" in a "vertical world" !
Don't spare money on good glass.
Lots of really good points here so ill add in a few from over the pond as most, if not all of our hunting here in aussie and in NZ is spot & stalk or ambush.
* Once you have you animal spotted and are stalking in, try and keep cover both in front AND behind you to stop your outline being silhouetted.
* Hunting in the rain is super if you can put up with it. The deer get all sulky.
* Always remove your shoes and stalk in on your socks. 100% quieter.
ak.
- I like to scoot on my butt for the final stalk. This allows a comfortable position to remain motionless should a stare down ensue, compared to crawling on hands and knees.
- when topping over a rise where I believe an animal might be, I sneak bit by bit while standing, surveying the area that comes into view. Should I spot the animal I can quickly duck out of sight and plan the final stalk/reevaluate my position.
- Don't be afraid to change plans half way through a stalk. Conditions, weather, animal movement, additional animals, wind direction, unforseen terrain obstacles, will all determine approach routes and timing. Think of the stalk as multiple stalks.
- Always be looking for additional animals in the group. Probably busted more by this than most other factors.
- Choose landmarks when stalking mountain country. Everything looks different when you get over there!
- Have fun! Stalking really makes a man feel like a predator!
Cheers, Matt
If you are hunting where there are other noises being made, time your moves to when the other stuff makes a racket.
This morning we got right under a rooster gobbler tah was basically eye level to us due to the terrain.
We only moved while the Whipperwills were singing. Works with traffic, crows, trains, boats, wind, or whatever else is out there not being quiet.
Sorry, somehow got double post??
Here in the midwest the crunchy leaf thing is always an issue. Going out after a good soaking rain you can be very quiet and the animals are usually up and moving. I've had success getting close (but not closing the deal) a few times by sneaking up on deer that were in or near the edge of hay fields. Once while driving with a friend I noticed two nice doe standing about 200 yds out in the field. I told my friend to drive a about 20 yds past the tree line, stop and then take off after I bailed out with my bow. Once he left I basically sprinted down the edge of the brushy fence/tree line and cut the distance in 1/2. When I got to the end where the fence lines met at a "V" I peeked around the corner and verified the deer were still there feeding. Between me and the deer was a bout 50 yds of open hay field and then about another 30 yds of waist high tall swamp grass where the farmer could not till in a low area. I quickly decided that if I belly crawled from the end of the fence line to the opposite side of the tall grass they wouldn't be able to see me over the grass. Once I got to the grass I began to slowly crawl on my hands and knees through the grass in their direction. I was focused so much on going slow and quiet that I somewhat lost track of how far I had went and where I was in the middle of the patch of tall grass. So I decided to peek my head over the top and get my bearings. Turns out, I was about 3-4 yds from busting out the other side of the grass and when I peeked up over the top, I found myself staring into the face of one of the does who was right at the edge of the grass. I think we were both equally surprised. She stood wide eyed and taken off guard for few seconds and then bolted. That was fun! Had another time where I used large round bales and tall raked hay wind-rows to duck and crawl behind to get very close as well, but that ended with the deer bounding away snorting as well. One of these times it will all come together.
So I guess if I had a stalking tip, it would be to use whatever natural and unnatural objects are available to your advantage.
TTT