Dirt2

I like stillhunting. In the course of a season, I spend about 50% of my time stillhunting. Stillhunting can be more effective than standhunting in some areas. Basically, a stand hunter has only one way to succeed - the animal must walk past the hunter. A stillhunter may have the animal move past him, or he may move to the animal even though it is lying still. This difference may allowone to seeseveral times as much game stillhunting as one would see on stand. The tradeoff comes in shot opportunities. No matter how slowly you move, some of the game you see will see you first and blow out without offering a shot. On stand, you will likely be offered a shot by a much higher percentage of what you see.

Stillhunting will be a better tactic than standhunting if the following general situation exists: low deer density, big woods environment, and unconcentrated, moderate-quality food sources. Basically, I've just described country where the classic funnel theory loses a lot of its traction. If you don't know where the deer are going to feed (because they could feed just about anywhere), if you don't know where they are bedded (because bedding options are limitless), and there just aren't that many deer in the country to begin with, then you have the recipe for some long hours on stand without seeing squat. Stillhunting will probably yield more deer sightings and more shot opportunities.

With my rifle, I carry it 80% of the time tucked in the crook of my right elbow. The stock protrudes past my ribs behind my back, and the barrel naturally hangs down over my feet. I tuck my right hand into my stomach near the belly button. My left hand is thus free. I can manipulate my binos with the left hand, or use it to support my right forearm. With the rifle tucked this way, I can carry it for an hour or so before fatigue sets in.

I agree with others that stillhunting is the most mentally exhausting form of hunting. Unlike on stand, you must keep your mind 100% focused on the hunt. I'm a big daydreamer, so I have to work at stillhunting.If you daydream even a little, that's when the big buck explodes from underfoot. I will usually cover 100-300 yards per hour, and try to stillhunt in 2-3 hour blocks. I take breaks by sitting down over a good looking spot, or by just breaking the stillhunt pace and hiking along for a while. Generally, I'll choose two or three "stillhunting arcs" on the map the night before the hunt. These are lines, a quarter to a half mile long, that cover good hunting areas. I hunt one, then move to the next, and so on.

My typical pace is a very robotic, 2 steps and stop, look for one minute, go 2 more steps, stop for one minute, repeat... I'm going to try a more reflexive approach next season, where I pick a likely vantage point5-20 yards ahead and walk quietly to it without a major pause, then sit down for5-10 minutes, thenrepeat.

Anyhow, hopesomething here clicks for you!