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Still hunting tactics.

Lukeraw7

Lukeraw7

New Member
Joined
May 27, 2020
Messages
32
The public I hunt here in Alabama gets slammed every year. This year we had an early opener and the pressure was put on quick. With rifle season in it’s calmed down some but there’s still a good bit of hunters every weekend. I’ve got a good idea of where I believe the deer are bedding and hanging out during most of the day. I’m wondering if anyone on here ever try’s to still hunt and stalk to a bedding area and if so what do you do? Obviously I know approach from down wind and move slow but how do you get in close enough to make a shot with your bow?


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Do you have the mental and emotional capacity to take an hour to only move 100 yards? 50?

ive found the two most important details of the successful stalks ive had were moving slow(not the laymen’s version. I mean really really slow), and learning how to stop in a position you can make a shot without much movement. Stopping because you cracked a stick and out in the open is usually less effective than taking one more step to get in a shadow or next to a tree.

that’s all I got. Slow down.
 
Lukeraw7 said:
The public I hunt here in Alabama gets slammed every year. This year we had an early opener and the pressure was put on quick. With rifle season in it’s calmed down some but there’s still a good bit of hunters every weekend. I’ve got a good idea of where I believe the deer are bedding and hanging out during most of the day. I’m wondering if anyone on here ever try’s to still hunt and stalk to a bedding area and if so what do you do? Obviously I know approach from down wind and move slow but how do you get in close enough to make a shot with your bow?


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Click to expand...
The main thing is see them before they see you then keep a tree bush or other object in between you and them and only move when their head is down or looking away! If no objects are present then it gets interesting and you are forced to belly crawl or figure out which way they are going and try to sneak around and get in front of them! Basically it is gonna take experience to figure it out and the best way to do that is to get out there and try it good hunting brother!!
 
Your really talking about the ultimate challenge here, taking a whitetail on the ground while still hunting with a bow. That is even tougher than spot and stalk cause you don't even have a visual on your target. The best time to do this would be when you have some wind to cover your movement and noise. After a rain when the leaves are wet and go super slow. Don't stop out in the open either. Stop behind a tree, a bush or dead fall etc. Try to stay in the shadows too. Stand motionless more than moving and use a good pair of binos to scan the cover ahead. Good luck and have fun. If you are successful your gonna have bragging rights in deer camp that's for sure.
 
Well going into this season I had one goal for myself. to hunt like I never have before. I purchased a saddle and everything that came with it. I’ve bounced around a lot this season going into to places I would have never thought to even try in the past. A couple weeks ago I killed my biggest buck with a bow. Not a giant but I busted my ass for that deer and I’m proud of it. And I really like the idea of a challenging hunt. I came close by accident this year already but I think the deer winded my I’m not sure. After that encounter I can’t stop thinking how awesome it would be to actually go after and kill a buck like that. I achieved one goal already this season so I figured I’d set another and stick with it until I’m successful.


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Hey,congrats on your hard earned buck. Sometimes it's not about how many points the deer scores but how you earned it. I have a buck on my wall that is nothing special as far as size but I got up at 4 in the morning for 11 or 12 days in a row(even though I'm not a morning person) and hunted in below freezing temps before work ever day to take that buck. He's a modest 8 point with a broken main beam and my wife asked me why I wanted to mount it and my response was because I earned him more than any buck I have ever killed that's why.
 
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That’s the one I took. Almost everyone that saw it has made the comment “next year he would have been a good deer” they are probably right but I didn’t feel like finding out lol


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Yes sir! I’m hoping to have that same look tomorrow that’ll be last chance to hunt before my son is born. So I’m guessing when he gets here that will pretty much wrap me up for the season


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Blacksmith said:
My goal this year was to shoot one the first day. Stalked to within 15 yds and shot a doe w/longbow. Not real impressive to everyone else but I was thrilled. A good read is G.Fred Asbells Book: STALKING AND STILL HUNTING
Click to expand...

Is that book on Amazon?


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I kill the majority of my deer from the ground with a bow while still hunting or stalking. I always hear guys say "when you think you're going too slow, slow down". I kind of disagree with this. I tend to move as fast as I think I can get away with. This is obviously easier said than done and takes a TON of trial and error to figure out. Its taken me bumping literally thousands of deer and attempting stalks on hundreds just to get kinda good at it. You have to learn when to move slow, when to be still, and when to move FAST. This is a critical part that I don't hear talked about much. The buck in my avatar picture is a good example. I spotted him moving through a bedding area about 75 yards away. He dropped into a small ravine and as soon as he was out of sight I sprinted 50 yards to cut him off. Not 10 seconds after I got in position he popped back up out of the ravine 30 yards from me... Night night. This is just one example. I find myself fast walking, running, speed crawling etc. during stalks all the time. I would venture to say I spend a lot more time sitting still, or moving fairly quickly from cover to cover once I know the coast is clear than I do actually moving slowly. Like @Recurveaholic said, it's absolutely critical to see the deer before they see you. Binoculars are mandatory for this kind of hunting. When attempting a stalk, if you lose sight of the deer, DO NOT lose confidence and let your gaurd down. He likely didn't go far. I can't tell you how many times I've lost sight of one on a stalk, got impatient and let my guard down only to bump the buck from right where I KNEW he was. Also when you do bump the buck you're stalking (and you will) don't give up. Most guys think if you bump him it's game over. When I bump one it's game on. I've had good luck catching back up with them the same day after a light bump. Again they usually don't go far. That seems to be a common theme with a lot of the older bucks on the pressured public I hunt. They don't go far.
 
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OspreyZB said:
I kill the majority of my deer from the ground with a bow while still hunting or stalking. I always hear guys say "when you think you're going too slow, slow down". I kind of disagree with this. I tend to move as fast as I think I can get away with. This is obviously easier said than done and takes a TON of trial and error to figure out. Its taken me bumping literally thousands of deer and attempting stalks on hundreds just to get kinda good at it. You have to learn when to move slow, when to be still, and when to move FAST. This is a critical part that I don't hear talked about much. The buck in my avatar is a good example. I spotted him moving through a bedding area about 75 yards away. He dropped into a small ravine and as soon as he was out of sight I sprinted 50 yards to cut him off. Not 10 seconds after I got in position he popped back up out of the ravine 30 yards from me... Night night. This is just one example. I find myself fast walking, running, speed crawling etc. during stalks all the time. I would venture to say I spend a lot more time sitting still, or moving fairly quickly from cover to cover once I know the coast is clear than I do actually moving slowly. Like @Recurveaholic said, it's absolutely critical to see the deer before they see you. Binoculars are mandatory for this kind of hunting. When attempting a stalk, if you lose sight of the deer, DO NOT lose confidence and let your gaurd down. He likely didn't go far. I can't tell you how many times I've lost sight of one on a stalk, got impatient and let my guard down only to bump the buck from right where I KNEW he was. Also when you do bump the buck you're stalking (and you will) don't give up. Most guys think if you bump him it's game over. When I bump one it's game on. I've had good luck catching back up with them the same day after a light bump. Again they usually don't go far. That seems to be a common theme with a lot of the older bucks on the pressured public I hunt. They don't go far.
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Moving fast is essential at times but I think it is really determined by the area you are hunting. My state is the most heavily forested state in the nation so most of the time you can't see ahead in the cover more than 30 yards. Many times it is more like 30 ft. Moving fast in that type of terrain will get you nothing but a lot of exercise :)
 
OspreyZB said:
I kill the majority of my deer from the ground with a bow while still hunting or stalking. I always hear guys say "when you think you're going too slow, slow down". I kind of disagree with this. I tend to move as fast as I think I can get away with. This is obviously easier said than done and takes a TON of trial and error to figure out. Its taken me bumping literally thousands of deer and attempting stalks on hundreds just to get kinda good at it. You have to learn when to move slow, when to be still, and when to move FAST. This is a critical part that I don't hear talked about much. The buck in my avatar is a good example. I spotted him moving through a bedding area about 75 yards away. He dropped into a small ravine and as soon as he was out of sight I sprinted 50 yards to cut him off. Not 10 seconds after I got in position he popped back up out of the ravine 30 yards from me... Night night. This is just one example. I find myself fast walking, running, speed crawling etc. during stalks all the time. I would venture to say I spend a lot more time sitting still, or moving fairly quickly from cover to cover once I know the coast is clear than I do actually moving slowly. Like @Recurveaholic said, it's absolutely critical to see the deer before they see you. Binoculars are mandatory for this kind of hunting. When attempting a stalk, if you lose sight of the deer, DO NOT lose confidence and let your gaurd down. He likely didn't go far. I can't tell you how many times I've lost sight of one on a stalk, got impatient and let my guard down only to bump the buck from right where I KNEW he was. Also when you do bump the buck you're stalking (and you will) don't give up. Most guys think if you bump him it's game over. When I bump one it's game on. I've had good luck catching back up with them the same day after a light bump. Again they usually don't go far. That seems to be a common theme with a lot of the older bucks on the pressured public I hunt. They don't go far.
Click to expand...

I mean is this something you start at first light or do you normally wait until mid morning? Or is just an afternoon thing. ‘My plan for tomorrow was set up on a hillside and glass for a couple hours in hopes of spotting one and if nothing shows start making my way through the timber


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OspreyZB said:
I kill the majority of my deer from the ground with a bow while still hunting or stalking. I always hear guys say "when you think you're going too slow, slow down". I kind of disagree with this. I tend to move as fast as I think I can get away with. This is obviously easier said than done and takes a TON of trial and error to figure out. Its taken me bumping literally thousands of deer and attempting stalks on hundreds just to get kinda good at it. You have to learn when to move slow, when to be still, and when to move FAST. This is a critical part that I don't hear talked about much. The buck in my avatar is a good example. I spotted him moving through a bedding area about 75 yards away. He dropped into a small ravine and as soon as he was out of sight I sprinted 50 yards to cut him off. Not 10 seconds after I got in position he popped back up out of the ravine 30 yards from me... Night night. This is just one example. I find myself fast walking, running, speed crawling etc. during stalks all the time. I would venture to say I spend a lot more time sitting still, or moving fairly quickly from cover to cover once I know the coast is clear than I do actually moving slowly. Like @Recurveaholic said, it's absolutely critical to see the deer before they see you. Binoculars are mandatory for this kind of hunting. When attempting a stalk, if you lose sight of the deer, DO NOT lose confidence and let your gaurd down. He likely didn't go far. I can't tell you how many times I've lost sight of one on a stalk, got impatient and let my guard down only to bump the buck from right where I KNEW he was. Also when you do bump the buck you're stalking (and you will) don't give up. Most guys think if you bump him it's game over. When I bump one it's game on. I've had good luck catching back up with them the same day after a light bump. Again they usually don't go far. That seems to be a common theme with a lot of the older bucks on the pressured public I hunt. They don't go far.
Click to expand...
Completely agree with you. There are times to to go stupid slow and times to go all out and every thing in between. The hardest part to learn though is how to really move effectively through the woods slowly. I probably should back up and say the hardest part is learning to read what is in front of you and how to move through it quietly and efficiently. The stupid slow part really comes into play when you are in heavy close visibility cover but havent found the deer yet. Get your creep on then. Gonna screw lots of them up but when it comes together it is spectacular.
 
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