still hunting, stalking, or natural blinds, always fun. especially ghillie suiting up and backing into a cedar tree or leland cypress near the runs.

I've never hunted from a stand I've sat on a log for half a hour a few times but that's about it
Jim

I'd wade through the swamp in dead winter before I'll tie myself to a tree anymore. I enjoy being a little more proactive these days. Is it the best way to kill deer? Probably not....but it sure is a lot more exciting! I spend my springtime scouting out spots, looking for signs from the previous season and building natural blinds on all of my hunting areas and then spend the hunting season slippin' back and forth between them.

This may sound silly... but it seems to me that you can "get in the zone" when still hunting. That term is used when an athlete gets fully focused... like in basketball when he/she just can't seem to miss a shot.

I feel that way at times when still hunting, not all the time, but often. It seems you just have to slow down from normal life and "blend in" with nature. Squirrels seem oblivious to my presense during those times.

Anyone else know what I'm talking about?

I love the idea of setting up natural blinds and slipping between them too. However, I like to roam like a "free spirit", changing direction based on what is happening in the present... wind change, spot animals in a different direction than I intended to go in, etc.

I'm leaving the house now and may have pics after bit.

I love to stalk, but the conditions have to be right or else just wasting time educating the animal.

I'm not skillfull at it. I hunt groundblinds and trees but don't stalk. I would caution those that do to make sure you don't mess others up by sneaking around a hunting property when others are in stands or blinds. Some clubs and leases frown upon it. We had a situation in the 60s where three of us were in trees and one guy still hunted the property running the deer out.

I learn so much when I still hunt. I'm more successful from the ground with the bow. It's a long hike uphill to where my tree stand is, and I've learned to really enjoy the hunt in and back out.

It's my favorite and how I have been the most successful.

The most enjoyable way to hunt for me.  Neve liked sitting still for hours.

QuoteOriginally posted by mrjsl:
I much prefer still hunting, and am considered eccentric where I live. no one still hunts around here.

Same up here....but most don't even know how!!

This is my 1st season with trad gear and I have still hunted several times. I love it!! Unfortunately, my body is telling me I need to work out more during the off season....

Guess my Cyber Name says it all...  :rolleyes:  ...

... mike ...

Yes Mike... your cyber name says it well!

This afternoon I was still hunting in some greenbriers and caught movement above me to my left, about 35 yards uphill from me. It was a spike and he saw me before I saw him. I wasn't carrying a nocked arrow (for safety reasons) and had to have a long stare down. He eventually moved in my direction closing the distance to 25 yards, occasionally looking me over. If I had had an arrow nocked... I would have had a shot as he passed slowly by broadside.

He walked past (and behind) me and caught my scent. But it was fun while it lasted. Saw a total of 11 deer between daylight and 1pm but that was my closest to getting a shot.

LOVE IT!!!

I think most people would prefer to still-hunt, but my question is how much property do all y'all eastern stillhunters have to prowl?

I have had a big time trying to slip up on mule deer, elk and javalina out in the vast western landscape, but I don't still-hunt for eastern whitetails much unless I am on very large tracts of property because I'm afraid of blowing the deer out of the area.

It's not the deer that I see that I am worried about, but every deer that crosses my scent trail.  If I blow out a tree stand I can move to another, but if I pressure the whole property by walking around all the time I can make deer go nocturnal or change their movement to otherwise make them unhuntable.  I can also ruin the hunting efforts of the other people that are hunting the property with me.  In fact most of the hunt leases (deer) that I have been a member of have some sort of expectation that you are in a stand at prime time and not moving around while others are hunting.

Spot and stalk on pigs is a blast, but mostly people around here do that outside of deer season so that they don't mess up the deer hunting.

Of course public land is another thing altogether...

What is your still-hunting scenario?

Greg,

Blowing out the deer isn't a problem where I hunt. I hunt relatively small tracts (100 acres or less). It is very brushy and the deer return into these areas every day. I've hunted the same "hollow" for 4 days in a row. The deer were there every day.

When pushed... by "true still hunters" the deer do not go far. Usually just out of sight. There is enough contact with landowners, farmers, dogs and hunters that the deer just "move around" the present threat and then go on with life.

I only hunt private land that I have permission to hunt, including an 80 acre tract that belongs to family. There is no one else hunting these tracts during the weekdays (I'm retired).

Also, I'm not "trophy hunting". I've taken one p&y buck in 50 years of hunting. It just doesn't happen (often) in my area. There are plenty of deer, but not many quality bucks in my hunting areas. That would be a totally different scenario. You could say I'm a meat hunter. (yum)

Hope this helps explain.

Wayne

Yesterday I did a bit of still hunting through a nearby woodlot. At 75yd a round brown shape caught my eye that looked out of place. It was a bedded legal buck that just happened to be looking my way and already had me pegged. Two steps later it got up and trotted off taking an unseen BB with it. I later bumped an unseen doe and a small buck. Lots of trees down from gypsy moths several years ago and deer are nearly invisible while bedded.

The conditions were perfect. Sandy left the woods damp with a bit of unmelted snow still in spots. The breeze was steady with a hint of snowflakes in the air to confirm wind direction. It was a good day.

Still hunting is such a primal thing and certainly makes you feel alive.

I just returned from Ray Hammond's Hog Heaven where I spent three days still hunting the cypress swamps and oak flats. I couldn't think of a more intense pleasurable form of hunting.

My last two bucks have been a result of still hunting.

Now i don't hunt deer, just pigs but spot and stalk 50% and still hunt 50%. Every once in a while ill find a watering hole or some wallows that are being hit every day and i will set up a natural ground blind or just set by a bush but i don't sit very well.    

Just to be clear... I don't think that it would be wise to attempt still hunting on a lease with several other hunters hunting the same property. Especially if you don't know where they may be on a given day/time. It would be very frustrating to join a lease, only to have someone come through and run deer AWAY from your chosen stand location!

I was just trying to say that there is a vast difference in "deer drives" and still hunting. I have still hunted on family property while other family members were on stand. It actually helps the stand hunters if deer are not moving on their own... but you do take the chance of moving them off the property (at least temporarily).

I'm fortunate that there are very few other hunters (except in rifle season)on or around the properties that I hunt.

I like all methods of bowhunting, just prefer still hunting to the others.

Have fun and be safe!