ORIGINAL: JoeRE
Good points there. The key is deer dont pay near as much attention when the sound doesnt sound like a human. Human footsteps are rythmic. To avoid that, slow down, create an uneven stride, and if you want to really help use soft soled shoes. The key is not so the deer do not hear you, but rather so they dont care, at least as long as you blunder right into them. I have stalked deer in wool socks before, just dont step on a nail[:-]
Here's what I do. I have a rope about 5 foot long with a caribeaner (sp?)on one end and a knot at the other that I drag behind me as I walk in the woods to my stand. I hook it on my belt loop and It covers my"rhythmic" footsteps veryeffectively.