Austin/WI

If you could spell that would be well said I'm just messing around, I couldnt agree more with ya. I stand hunt for bow and do mostly still hunting and ground blindhunting during Gun season.

npaden

This isn't really intended to stir the pot, and I didn't think I said that ALL stand hunters were lazy, I'm just trying to get people to think outside the box a little. The same reasons that many use to say that someone else's way of hunting is lazy or unsportsmanlike can usually be used to say that their methods might have some of the same issues. The way many talk,the only "pure" hunting would be stalking with homemade devices.


I added the bold. This is what I'm trying to point out. Hunting styles seem regionalized to me. You aren't going to do a lot of spot and stalk in the east or south. It just isn't practical. In the west you aren't going to do much hunting from a stand. Some areas allow bait, some don't. To accuse people of being lazy slobs based on the hunting methods in their area is wrong.

I still have yet to hunt deer in Texas but have recently purchased some property and this fall will probably be my first attempt. I will probably use a stand of some sort and willprobably use bait of some sort. I would have never dreamed of doing either of thosethings even 5 years ago and regularly made fun of people who "hunted" deer in Texas because it must be like shooting cattle in a penusingbait to hunt deer.After seeing the areas and talking with people whohunt deer in Texas Idon't feel that way any longer.I doubt I will get to the point of riding around in a golf cartto hunt quail but if my knees gave out and I had the opportunity to do something like that Iprobably would.

Oh well,not sure if I will get anyone to think differentlyabout anything, I would just like to say that you shouldn't knock it until you've tried it, and just because you have had one bad experience with huntersusing one style of hunting doesn't mean all hunters that use that style of hunting are the same way.

My 2 cents.

AJ52

npaden - That sure sounds more "open minded" on the subject.

While stationed out in Soutern CA in early 70's still hunt/stalking with good set of Binochs was the way to go.I used to get as far back as I could in mountains where back then few hunters had ever walked - That's great hunting.

Hek I never saw or heard of ATV and 4WD couldn't afford one.
I did see alot of guys using Walkie Talkie to communicate.Back then I thought that was cheatin.I use them now

npaden

Ooops!!! Using a walkie talkie is illegal in Montana even to help line out someone to come help you take out your animal after the kill. That has to be cheating if it is illegal in some states!!

You better be careful who you mention that to or you will be accused of being on the dark side!

AJ52

I have heard they are illegal in some states.They are legal here or I wouldn't use them.

ugmo2

I think people look through different windows. I think its great that hunters are diverse. These forums wouldn't be interesting if everyone did eveything the same. The name calling and degrading of other's methods seems to be uncalled for and cruel.

WKP Todd

Kill a couple booners with a bow and then tell me it's easy!

Offshootboy

npaden

I dont get this, first you knock stand hunting and the hunters that use this technique, then you admit you are going to try hunting from a stand and to top it offyour going to bait them in. If its so lazy and it makes us slobs why are you going to do it yourself?
You sound really two faced to me!

ChrisAU

Hmmm. Well down here about 85% of our hunting is from a stand, 10% stalk hunting, and 5% pushing. We have our reasons for hunting in stands:

1. Our areas that we hunt aren't very friendly to still hunting due to the fact the deer will most of the time detect you before you detect him.

2. Bow hunting and stalk hunting don't really seem to go hand in hand; possible, and I've done it; but I'd prefer to stand hunt with a bow.

3. I do love to still hunt, but with the thick areas we hunt in, its just not practical unless your stalking the edges of fields, which I will touch on later.

4. (In defense) Our stands are all at least a 1/3 mile book, some a lot more.

5. (In defense) What gives the deer a larger percentage of survival? If I stalk him and purposely look for him, risking scaring him off the land, or if I chance that he might come in to my range, perhaps coaxed by my calls or scent, but usually not. Think about that; now which one is more ethical? Basically put, what if I wanted to see you. Would I have a better chance coming to where you live and moving around looking for you, or just posting up in your town/city and waiting for you to possibly walk by?

6. Stalk hunting is, for the most part, as I understand, glassing for deer in a field. I liken this to driving a truck through our farm and looking out the windshield for one -- and then stepping out and shooting it. It just seems that it is more ethical to research a particular deer's habits, watch him a few days, and then make him mess up with an educated placement of a stand. Stalk hunting doesn't require a lot of work in open areas...where's the scrapes? Who cares. Where's the tracks? Who cares. Where's the bedding areas, the rubs? Who cares. We are just gonna walk around till we see one. I don't like that -- do what you want, but it just doesn't seem quite as ethical to me.

whitetaildreamer

When I posted on deer drives I looked at both the possitive and the less than possitive issues. The same as stand hunting. I the public area of Manitoba where I hunt streatches for approx. forty sq. miles. Due to the seclusion of the area the majority of the hunters that I see (and they are few and far between...many years none), choose to slowly travel the old loggong roads (to their credit many of these guys are quite elderly and I don't believe could push much bush or even climb a deep stand). To get the big bucks you have to go into the woods. The forest is thick, rolling and can really turn yourself around if you do not know where you are going. There are also areas of iron ore deposits for your compass at times will be spinning like a top. Due to the rough hunting area I've seen guys walk a few yards into the bush a hang a stand over what they believe is a deer trail. For all they could have known it may have been a beaver, elk, moose, bear or deer trail.I't's like finding a tree that is the easiest to climb with out any regard to what you are there fore. Now that's a waiste of time. Now if that same guy would spend the countless hours in the bush scouting, themiles of ridgewalking, the hours of watching willow swamps, the carefully placing of many standswith each placement placed for either bow, ML, rifle, change of wind (the wind patterns in this area change from south to northfrom the beginning of bow to the end of rilfe), the time of day, cutting of shooting lanes, and then further scoutingby glassing the area from afar perhapsthe hunter would havemore success. Perhaps some would call all this a waiste of time but I just call it hunting. In factmy hunting starts months before when I'm making sure I have the perfect loads for my family's ML's and rifles, my sons plinking at the range, the bow practise,the tuning and re-tuning in of the scopes, (oh yea, that huningwith just irons was an issue also....). Some times in the stand you have that chicadee land on your shoulder, or see that martin or weasel catch a mouse. Just a waist of time? You can't eat antler (though there are many on my walls), but the freezer is full by early Dec. Is stand hunting the way to hunt? Depends on where, when and what you are hunting fore as well as if you can be silent, still and patience. This typw of hunting is not for everyone but for those that can master it, it is a very successful. Time in=meat in the freezer. If hunting was just a sport and I didn't have the time to put in, I would just write the cheque to one of my outfitter buddies and I would a B/C every season (like buying tickets for a great sporting playoff game)but since it's a lifestyle I'll be out later this afternoon and evening getting ready for next fall.