Stand or Stalk???
#13
I used to hunt exclusively from a stand, whether up or down. Then, back in the mid '70s, when I started to hunt the Adirondacks I began still hunting in earnst. I learned my lesson up there after the first two years of no deer sightings. I first hunted there the same way I hunted in the Southern Tier of NY.
Find sign-scrapes, rubs, trails, and set up accordingly. Problem is, in the Mountains, you could sit a week on a scrape line and not see a deer. Same way with trails. You have to go find them each day, and I developed into a pretty good still hunter. Have had great success since.
Pretty much it all depends on the conditions and gut feeling.
Find sign-scrapes, rubs, trails, and set up accordingly. Problem is, in the Mountains, you could sit a week on a scrape line and not see a deer. Same way with trails. You have to go find them each day, and I developed into a pretty good still hunter. Have had great success since.
Pretty much it all depends on the conditions and gut feeling.
#14
Fork Horn
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Maine
Posts: 328
I agree with Wingbone. Where I hunt on public land theres a guy who still hunts with a bow in the woods and he really disturbs everything.He tromps around, he's not quiet at all and doesn't care about other hunters in area. He upsets a lot of hunters who have put in the time to scout and put stands up.
#15
Typical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Northern WI
Posts: 853
No doubt still hunting is much more enjoyable, but when you are talking under 20 deer per square mile and many square miles of woods, and for me a bow range of 25 yds, sill hunting with a bow won't put much (any) meat on the table. I have, however, converted over to still hunting during the muzzleloader season - almost got one last year and it was a blast. The term "still hunting" is often misused to mean simply walking through the woods - that type of "still hunting" is actually just a silent drive. Real still hunting is stalking and sneaking at such a slow rate (maybe 1 yd per minute) with favorable wind and enough breeze and dampness to cover your sound. Ideally, one should wear some sort of ghillie suit as well - I am going to make up a blaze-orange compliant homemade suit this year for my muzzleloader hunt.
Perhaps after I have some more experience with still hunting with a ML, I will give a try with the bow. And I will need a bit better bow that is reliable at 30 yds.
My brother used to still hunt with a bow in SW WI before the CWD days. Deer were as thick as fleas, he had a bow range of over 30 yds, and he made up zig-zag trails on his own land that cut through the limited heavy cover holding the many deer. He did well, but it in no way matched what I face up in NW WI.
Perhaps after I have some more experience with still hunting with a ML, I will give a try with the bow. And I will need a bit better bow that is reliable at 30 yds.
My brother used to still hunt with a bow in SW WI before the CWD days. Deer were as thick as fleas, he had a bow range of over 30 yds, and he made up zig-zag trails on his own land that cut through the limited heavy cover holding the many deer. He did well, but it in no way matched what I face up in NW WI.
Last edited by MZS; 09-14-2013 at 05:30 AM.