HunterStafford

Quite new at stalking deer.. Mostly just hide up in my stand. And I would like a few tips on this kind of technique. I have been doing research on it and been reading that you move Extremely slow and spend more time moving your eyes than your feet. I live up here in NH and there is this area about 300yrds by 100yrds of just white pine, lots and lots of white pine (they are rather short only being 30 feet some making thick cover). i have scouted it and found plenty of deer signs in this pine forest and would like to hunt it. im going to be using a 12 gauge slug which can easily blast through the brush which is no problem. So i guess my real question is. Can you stalk in thick brush?

Krypt Keeper

Yep. like you said you move slow really slow. Make your eyes do all the work. Look around constantly, watch where you step and when you move do it slow and make it count.

dead still days make it tougher. Days with a light breeze can help some with noise, but remember all them noisy squirrels and birds rustling around in the leaves? Use them as noise cover. Being on the ground you need to have perfect scent control,

My last stalk, I got within 30 yards of a couple doe in a grass field. Grass was probably 6 inches tall or so. Skull dragged myself for 30 yards from the edge of the woods to a perfect spot to take one with my blackpowder rifle. Why not take a 60 yard shot? Cause it don't sound as cool as my stalking in the grass to shoot one. I have never taken a deer over 45 yards or with anything other than a bow or blackpowder gun.

Its really fun, wish you luck. Takes lots of patience and time, but can be very rewarding.

petasux

Pine trees are great for stalking in.i would wait for a day with steady winds and maybe a little precipitation to go in.light rain or snow are great cuz they quiet things down where your walking and the deer like pine trees when its wet out.Steady wind in your face will also cover any noise you make and pine trees are thick and move a lot in the wind making it harder to spot youre movements.

ADVWannabee

Definitely move slowly. The two best deer I have ever seen in the woods I have walked right in on. But they saw me first. If I had been moving more slowly and scanning the area I might have gotten a shot.

The 3rd best deer I have ever seen and the only one I got walked in on me. My FIL walked past a nice scrape into a little clearing up on a mountain. We were standing around looking over the place when I turn up to my back, left to see a heavy 6 ptr with his nose to the wind. He didn't even see me even though I was standing in the wide open at 40 yards away. I threw the gun up and shot him. My guess is he hear us walk through and thought we might be a doe so he came over to check out his scrape. He was looking straight toward the scrape and didn't even notice us.

westMDbowhunter

ive been hunting a similar kind of location about the same size pine thicket, entry and exit routes everywhere, seems like anywhere i put a setup im right on top of a trail. stalking through it lengthwise is a good idea.... ill have to give it a try in the morning
im not unemployed, im a deer hunter hahaha

Gunplummer

If the deer are already bedded, you could have trouble. Lay down and look into the pines. If they are old the bottoms will be dead and the deer can see a long way when bedded. They will see your legs long before you spot them. Same way with mountain laurel. Deer usually lay right on the top edge of a mountain. It looks thick to you when you are climbing, but a bedded deer can see down the mountain a couple hundred yards and spots your legs. Not saying it can't be done, I shoot most of my deer when moving around, there is just more to it than you think. Well, the learning is the fun part. Good luck.

fishtaconc

Lots of good info already, another suggestion, go during or after a rain, it'll help with noise and also keeping scent down. I used to hunt a cedar thicket when I lived in TN, took several deer like, best time was the cold windy days they would get in there as shelter. Coming in from downwind will be a big plus. Also depending on how long your season is don't do it too much or you may risk contaminating the area. Another thought if its real thick to walk through find a well used trail and set up against a tree near a trail. I do this here in (SE NC) which has some thick brush, I like to do this after the peak of the rut when the bucks are less active but still looking for does that have not been bred yet. Good Luck