Deer hunting on the move

[wombat13]

I have had to sit in a sniper or observation hide for DAYS watching endlessly, and reporting everything I saw. It was boring as heck when it wasn't extremely stressful. I'm done with all that- so now I allow myself a few "luxuries", like a comfortable seat and a good book. And going home after a few hours for a shower, a hot meal, and sleep in my own bed.

Thanks for your service! I may only be barely adequate at many of the skills hunting requires, but I can sit still and quiet. Opening day three years ago I sat in the stand from 30 min before sunrise to sunset. Stood up and stretched my legs twice. Didn’t even take a leak all day. I am confident that there wasn’t a single lousy deer within 100 yards of my stand all day!

 

[Dibbs]

I have had to sit in a sniper or observation hide for DAYS watching endlessly, and reporting everything I saw. It was boring as heck when it wasn't extremely stressful. I'm done with all that- so now I allow myself a few "luxuries", like a comfortable seat and a good book. And going home after a few hours for a shower, a hot meal, and sleep in my own bed.

That's the whole point, to relax and enjoy it. If it sucks, and you are mind-numbingly bored all day, why bother ? You might as well get a part time job, somewhere. You can get paid, to do stuff that sucks.

 

[9x56MS]

Thanks for your service! I may only be barely adequate at many of the skills hunting requires, but I can sit still and quiet. Opening day three years ago I sat in the stand from 30 min before sunrise to sunset. Stood up and stretched my legs twice. Didn’t even take a leak all day. I am confident that there wasn’t a single lousy deer within 100 yards of my stand all day!

After opening day if I haven't seen anything by about 10 am I get up test the wind and go see where they are. Get back on a stand maybe in an area with more sign about 2 pm until dark. No sense sitting where they ain't.

 

[Dale Alan]

I lost my killer instinct 20 years ago , but got back into it because my son showed interest for the first time at 30 years old . I shot a buck my second time out . I was not even going to shoot but I did because of hunting with him as a team . We had a good long talk over that . Turns out we were both hunting because we thought each other really wanted to . Next season we will be at the range in the fall instead of deer hunting . When I was young I lived and breathed hunting , I still love the outdoors part , but just don't enjoy the killing part any longer .

 

[FL-NC]

That's the whole point, to relax and enjoy it. If it sucks, and you are mind-numbingly bored all day, why bother ? You might as well get a part time job, somewhere. You can get paid, to do stuff that sucks.

Or, another option, reduce the suck or even convert it into fun. Do you.

 

[9x56MS]

I lost my killer instinct 20 years ago , but got back into it because my son showed interest for the first time at 30 years old . I shot a buck my second time out . I was not even going to shoot but I did because of hunting with him as a team . We had a good long talk over that . Turns out we were both hunting because we thought each other really wanted to . Next season we will be at the range in the fall instead of deer hunting . When I was young I lived and breathed hunting , I still love the outdoors part , but just don't enjoy the killing part any longer .

Being a life long hunter I have never enjoyed the killing but the eating part I do enjoy. Always try to make my shots so the animal does not suffer and pass on any marginal shots. I don’t care what size headgear they are wearing. Horns don’t even make good soup.

 

[Dale Alan]

Being a life long hunter I have never enjoyed the killing but the eating part I do enjoy. Always try to make my shots so the animal does not suffer and pass on any marginal shots. I don’t care what size headgear they are wearing. Horns don’t even make good soup.

I enjoy the eating part also .

 

[Chuck R.]

Or, another option, reduce the suck or even convert it into fun. Do you.

Or:



IMHO IF you're into racks, stand hunting is a more successful method. Personally I don't know anyone that I'd consider to be successful at consistently taking big bucks by still hunting. Those guys generally locate and pattern big deer, then wait for them.

 

[9x56MS]

You are quite correct sir. In my 42 years of still hunting I have killed 2 bucks that are reasonably considered trophy bucks. But I have put meat in the freezer 40 of the 42 years.

 

[Nature Boy]

Here’s what I noticed. Taking this buck was robotic. No adrenaline, no excitement, no thrill.

All my hunting friends who have gotten to this point have taken up bow hunting, and as a result, have reacquired that buck fever

 

[Dibbs]

Or, another option, reduce the suck or even convert it into fun. Do you.

Either make it fun, as I said, or go get a job, that pays for your time. Soo, yes, make it fun. Or, put in an application at Home Depot.

 

[wombat13]

After opening day if I haven't seen anything by about 10 am I get up test the wind and go see where they are. Get back on a stand maybe in an area with more sign about 2 pm until dark. No sense sitting where they ain't.

Agreed. I will only sit like that opening day. Also, that was before I got into archery hunting. Now that I have a lot more opportunities, I’m not inclined to sit all day without moving if I’m not seeing anything.

 

[.38 Special]

So this may just be me, and the animals and area i hunt, but ive found That if sneaky is out, the method becomes "Dont try to be quiet, try to sound innocuous"

Just walk at a slightly slower than normal pace, while looking around.... but try not to sound deliberate, or appear to be looking FOR something...... and be ready to swing and fire.
Ive shot plenty of standing animals that were just waiting for me to pass. Stoped and talked to a few when I was really just going for a heavily armed hike as my buddy Ed calls it.

If you are spooking deer out of your hunting area you are not doing it right. Try to sound like a squirrel with the wind in your face and you will do fine. Most of the deer I shoot still hunting are standing or walking slowly. Sometimes you sneak up on one dozing in a bed. Then it becomes a crap shoot whether it just stands up or busts out giving you a quick snap shot if any.

I take a step and then look at everything, often with a binocular. Then another step. It's probably one step per 15-30 seconds - and I spend a lot of time sitting on stumps and such, getting off my feet and listening. One trick I picked up from the Asbell book is walking like a deer: stepping down with the toe and then snapping my heel down. I have found that when silence is impossible, the "deer walk" often allows me to get in close.

 

[bsparker]

If you are spooking deer out of your hunting area you are not doing it right. Try to sound like a squirrel with the wind in your face and you will do fine. Most of the deer I shoot still hunting are standing or walking slowly. Sometimes you sneak up on one dozing in a bed. Then it becomes a crap shoot whether it just stands up or busts out giving you a quick snap shot if any.

I took a buddy up to my hunting property for the very first time three years ago. I told him where to walk and set up. He walked in slowly and found an 8-point sleeping with its back to him. Deer heard him, jumped and started running. I’m walking up the other side of the hill when I hear four rounds go off in about four seconds from his 30-30. Guy hit the deer 2 out of 4 rounds (both forward of the stomach). Was a bit unnerving hearing that many rounds going off that quickly on a moving deer with me being fairly close. Had a talk with him after. But it was just first buck. Congrats to him.

You never know what you’ll get when you’re walking. I’ve done mostly still hunting or walk and wait approach, never used a stand till this year for county park deer management. Taken my best bucks while still hunting although I’m often too impatient and want to cover too much ground.

Here’s my buddy’s kill.

 

[Random 8]

Your buddy is a rifleman, not just a deer shooter. That takes instinct and skill.

 

[Skoghund]

I stalked deer in woodland back in the UK for 35 years. In the UK there is always a deer species to hunt year round. Plus there is no bag limit on any deer species So I hunted every week of the year. Knowing your ground is important and a good deal of field craft is handy. Roe deer are relatively easy to stalk. Fallow deer are quite a bit harder in woodland and then Muntjac just seem to pop out of anywhere. With a bit of practice stalking on foot is not a great challenge. Here in Sweden I hunt from high seats as the forest is much denser than the UK. Plus I've shot more than my fair share of deer and now only shoot for the freezer. I've got old and lazy and will only shoot a boar or deer I can ride my quad up too to retrieve it.

 

[Jeff Flannery]

I love my guns, BUT Nothing put the fire in the hunt like using a bow. This guy chased a doe past me at 0Dark:30 and thought he was a 4 point it was so dark. He came back at 8:10 and at 30 yards it was too thick. I buck grunted, he looked, and said no fights for me today and turned a away. I went "#@$%" and dial the grunt tube from B to D and long Maaaw doe grunt and he turned and came right to me. Quartering to shots the whole way and not a bow shot. Finally got right under the tree next to mine and making love with his preorbital glands on the Russian olive and I spined him. Not the largest buck but it was damn exciting shooting him!!

The picture was after I tried to pull the arrow but it wouldn't come. Using a HBX broadhead and it won't come out s the expandables are like barbs. Shot two with it last year and going to see how many deer I can kill with the same one. When deer get close you can spook them and then the hunt is one when you start to loose deer from mistakes. It just raises the stakes in the game and makes it more exciting.

View attachment 988114

nice buck!!

 

[Meeks36]

Something that might interest a few is hunting deer with a pellet rifle. Big bore PCP. Have to get close. And choose one's shot carefully. Failing that bust out the atlatl and do it like our ancestors.

 

[bsparker]

Your buddy is a rifleman, not just a deer shooter. That takes instinct and skill.

probably right.

Although he told me he’s never taken less than three shots on a deer, even if the deer is standing still. He caulks it up to not being sure he hit it when it runs so he tries to speed up its drop with follow up shots.

He is a good shot, that’s for sure, just lacks some confidence or gets too excited. This will change as I’m teaching him to bow hunt and follow up shots are bit slower on that than on the 30-30.