DeerSlayer53

Can someone give me some tips/strategies on stalking whitetailed deer?

Bees

move slow, very slow,

mrfritz44

Read books by Tom Brown and the Benoits. Tom Brown isn't a hunter, but a tracker who teaches stalking skills. The Benoits hunt almost exclusively from the stalk and are famous for their abilities.

The one thing that I took from Tom Brown is the fox step. You step like you're walking down a balance beam and place the outside of your foot down first. Then you slowly rotateyour foot until the inside heel is on the ground. Thisis simple enough and it works well, especially if you've got on soft souled shoes.

NorthernHunter

I've stalked successfully and unsuccessfully during shotgun season here in NJ. It's pretty tough. I've never tried this during bow season.

Prior poster recommends stalking slow and very slow and quiet. That's true, but you need to have locations where you can conceal yourself. I suppose if you had heavy cover and some fields, you could sneak up on some deer and then set yourself so that when they walk close by you can get off a decent shot. This is not truly stalking, but close. I believe it all depends on the usual factors like terrain, wind direction, how skittish the deer are in your area, etc. I know in my neighborhood where hunting is not allowed, I can walk up to within 20 feet of a deer before it takes off. However, as is the usual case, in the woods where I hunt the deer are always walkiing around on egg shells and nervous!

RedAllison

Slayer Bees is right, lol perhaps overly simplistic on the face. BUT most of todays hunters think slow means taking 5 minutes to walk 100yds instead of one hour! I have successfully stalked several deer with a bow over the years. The right conditions must first exist and the deer must be in the right places for success to begin with.

Realistically you aren't going to stalk an animal that is in the middle of a field and is surrounded by plenty of other animals. Now take that same animal, put him within 30yds of the edge of that field or perhaps a lowlying depression, ditch of wash runs nearby and he is by himself, suddenly you have options if you can contain your sound and remain downwind (or at least crosswind) from him.

Likewise you won't obviously stalk upon an animal on a crystal clear day that is silently still while in the dry woods with 6" of leaf cover on the ground. But if it is windy you can possibly position yourself for a stalk using moving brush and the winds "background noise" to cover your own noise.

The main thing is to take it s l o w l y and resist the urge to walk at a normal pace. When stalking I rarely take a step that is any longer than the length of my foot. You have to do that for balance and in case you have to stop in mid-stride. The right boots make it easier as well. A thin soled boot will allow you to feel sticks and other objects that would SNAP loudly if you continued to put your weight upon them. The busiest part of my body while stalking is my eyes. I am constantly watching the animals heads and also looking in front of me for where I am going to cleanly (and silently) put my next footstep. I typically can remember "3 steps" in front of me, that being I can look down and decide where I am going to place the next three footsteps and then go back to watching the animals. I also place the toes of my foot down first. This allows you to feel what is under your foot first and forces you to walk slowly. Also, when stopping to survey the terrain, stop next too a tree or bush so that you are concealed. Many times while slinking around on a ridge top I have stopped for a few minutes to just "look through all the brush" and had animals come in from beside or behind me at close range. Because I am near cover I don't get busted. If you are standing by yourself and the nearest object is 10' away, the human outline will REALLY standout too an animal.

It is also MUCH easier to get into position when in front of them or beside them. Obviously you will be seen easier if you are in front of them so you must be careful and alert and that much slower and deliberate. But stalking behind animals (with a bow I mean) is hard simply because you don't know where they are going next and you typically can't move quick enough to catch up too them. Knowing the lay of the land and common travel traits helps as well.

Sometimes I just get tired of sitting all the time and want to "force a little action" or on the coldest days I might not want to battle the elements while in a stand so I strike out to "sneak one up". Stalking with a rifle is a MUCH easier obviously, you aren't that restricted and need only be concerned with wind and hiding from their eyes. Many times during rainy weather I will strike out and slip around through the woods. The typical rainy day doesn't bother the deer one bit, makes for uncomfortable stand hunting conditions and is PRIME for stalking.

The secret with stalking ANYTIME is seeing them before they see you, but it is of prime importance with a gun because many times you can get within gun range of them before they even have a clue you are around. Just gotta be slow, deliberate, patient and EVER so alert! Look for movement, a tail or ear flicker. Most things in the woods are vertical, study EACH and every single horizontal line you see. Many times it will be the back or belly of a standing deer while maybe even 200yds away through otherwise thick woods.

I LOVE "makin stuff happen" and it can be alot of fun and VERY rewarding. Just don't get in a hurry and keep those eyes and ears strained. Many times I will watch deer through the binoculars (so that I can see EXACTLY where their heads and eyes are) and step as I am looking at them through the binoculars. That's why I say it's a "busy undertaking" to stalk deer, yet from a physical standpoint there is not much action.

Good luck undertaking the truest "lost art" of hunting,
RA

ps
While I was writing this two other posts were put up. The Benoits are WORLD REKNOWN for their stalking prowess and are obviously master instructors. BUT I have always thought that they were "on easy street" because so much of their stalking takes place in the snowy country of Maine. Give me snow to track and also see ALOOOOONG way through the woods with, and I can promise you I am gonna hurt something before dark! Snow during deerseason is a rare treat to most of us southern boys.

Arthur P

Ishi said, "Walk little bit, look too much."

Use the natural cover, bushes, tall grass, keep low behind a berm or ridge. Always keep low. When you've got bushes, you can do the old crouch walk. In high grass, crawl on your hands and knees, or even belly crawl if you have to.

Move slow and try to postion yourself so you're moving directly at the animal. It's a lot easier for them to see lateral movement than it is to see movement from something coming directly at them. At sunrise or sunset, try to approach with the sun at your back
I try to always keep the animal in sight, and move only when it's head is down and feeding. When the head comes up, freeze. Don't even twitch a muscle. Never, ever establish eye contact with the animal.

Always keep track of the wind.

That's just some basics. You've got to be inventive and fit your stalk to match the conditions.

Tuffbroadhead

The Wind, always keep the wind in your favor.....

by23856

I like to Still hunt, which may or may not be the same thing as stalking, depending on how literal you want to be. I just move very slowly through the woods, very slowly, and usually wait for the deer to appear. Then, if conditions are right, I try to intercept them or position myself for a shot.

In still hunting, you are spending more time standing/crouching than youare moving. I take one or two small steps and crouch, heading from one place of concealment to another. You can always adjust your movement to keep the wind in your face.

mr4pt

The wind can be your friend or your foe....

A deer's worst element is wind. It takes away most all of his senses. A strong wind not only hinders his sense of smell but also his eyesight (too many things blowing around and limbs whipping back and forth) but it affects his hearing worst of all. Deer are always more alert during a strong wind because they feel more defenseless. That said, I have put some extra-ordinary stalks on deer during a strong wind, mainly due to the fact that the deer just don't move as much during that time. Move when the wind gushes the highest. This will cover your noise and movement. Look HARD for bedded deer during stong wind. Look for ears, look for tails, look for a leg...not just the whole deer.

Hope this helps

Good luck

kshunter

Patience and hard work. You need to know when to stop, and when to run. Always be very patient. I've killed a lot of whitetails by stalking. It's the funnest way for me.