Advice on Deer Stalk

[jerry_d]

Today was the last day at my state park to hunt. Most leaves are gone so I decided to stalk instead of hang in the saddle.

I got the the North end of my park and headed West about 400 yards. Had a nice 500 yard path going south planned out. The wind was out of the south so I had that going for me, which is nice.....

I got 20 yards in and to my southwest a deer jumped out about 30 yards from me and bounded 60 yards away. He did not see me, I could barely see him. As a second year rookie hunter, I kept staring trying to get a better look. Well, he got a look at me and snorted all I saw was his white tail (and kept hearing him snort)... I waited about 10 minutes and went a little more west and then went south, but I saw nor heard nothing after that.

So, we doing my after action report -- I wondered how I could have salvaged that, or if that was even possible. I was in waist high grass. If I sat down and was still and waited a 1/2 hour would that have helped? Or once he bounded out was I done? I'd like to think if he didn't snort I could have eventually kept going.

Any advice appreciated!!

 

[131north]

If the wind was in my favor I'd have pressed on. If I heard the deer bound off I'd only wait as long as the sound of that deer persisted. As soon as it's quiet again I'd move. I definitely wouldn't sit 30 minutes on the sound of a deer, unless I was certain it was still there and I wanted to kill it. If you were 20 yards into a 500 yard walk, I wouldn't have let that encounter change my strategy much. In fact, I get real discouraged if I still hunt (which I think is what you meant to say vs. stalk) and don't bump any deer. If there are turkeys in your area, a few cuts on a mouth call can work if they haven't seen or winded you.

 

[Kratz]

I agree with 131north. Still hunting is a craft. You are going to win an loose. Only way to get better is to keep doing it. I really like doing it on windy rainy days. I have probably bumped more than I have killed but that's hunting. Great way to scout out a new place also while hunting.

 

[Hunter260]

Still hunting or stalking a deer is a very difficult but rewarding enterprise. In my experience, if a deer sees, hears or smells you before you see, smell or hear it, you probably aren’t going to kill that animal. The key is to be hyper aware and spot them first.

 

[jerry_d]

Still hunting or stalking a deer is a very difficult but rewarding enterprise. In my experience, if a deer sees, hears or smells you before you see, smell or hear it, you probably aren’t going to kill that animal. The key is to be hyper aware and spot them first.

and hyper quiet

thx

 

[NimbleTimbo]

there are whole books written about still hunting. I will say when they blow at you odds are you won't get another chance at that deer. plus they alerted any others in the immediate area. move on but slow your roll and use binos to pick apart and see through/beyond the brush. busting deer is gonna happen so don't let a few discourage you. at least you are finding them. just learn from your mistakes, it takes time to develop this skill...

 

[tailgunner]

blacktail bucks will only run 50 yards or bound 4to 5 times. you hear them stop.and you know where.then they slowly try to circle down wind .they cant see or hear when they are running and they know that.not like does that do a hundred yard dash..when being snort weesed at ive called deer back to right where they where standing by snortweezing back at them.take a couple steps from where you where in any conveiniant direction solong as you can see where they where. they will look right back where they think they saw something.as long as they didnt smell you.most time they dont know what they saw or heard.has worked better than any call in my pocket.if i jump deer and 1 does a dash and the other just takes a few bounds i direct my atention to the few jumps towards cover .those hooves hit the ground harder and heavyer.if you have been smelled, or he knows what he saw ,he will snortweez from farther and again farther away a few times.letting you know he knows you are there.and he aint hanging around.at that point i dont waist my time and continue on my original plan.still hunting in the rain is standard for bowhunters here.elivated hunting is excentric here...i dont know if its the same for whitetail.but my best call is the snortweez.works about atleast 50/50.this is my repeted experiance.almost exact science.hope it helps.

 

[NATHAN]

I don't have enough experience/success to give advise. I will say that when bedded, the deer I have sat over are constantly watching down wind with the occasional look to the left and to the right. The most successful bow hunter that i have personally known told me to always stalk cross wind.

 

[tailgunner]

I don't have enough experience/success to give advise. I will say that when bedded, the deer I have sat over are constantly watching down wind with the occasional look to the left and to the right. The most successful bow hunter that i have personally known told me to always stalk cross wind.

Yes cross wind rules.This Is a standard.on the coast you have 5 to 15 minutes before the wind swirls

 

[Hunter260]

I don't have enough experience/success to give advise. I will say that when bedded, the deer I have sat over are constantly watching down wind with the occasional look to the left and to the right. The most successful bow hunter that i have personally known told me to always stalk cross wind.

I will say I have not killed a single big buck that came from directly upwind of me. Every one that I can remember came from a cross wind or close to downwind of me.