Ground Hunting Q's

[gudspelr]

So I'm going to be bow hunting for the first time this fall and was hoping for some pointers from you experienced ones out there.  Hunting with trad gear seems to necessitate getting close and that's something I've never really had to do before.  So, here are a few questions.

1.  It seems playing the wind is what most consider at the top of the list for getting close.  I've seen some cool wind checkers on here, but I don't have any of those neat dried seed pods here to make one.  What do you guys use to help-those squeeze type bottles w/ powder?

2.  I've got plans to buy some good boots that are supposed to be pretty quiet.  Any other thoughts on gear that is good or should be avoided?

3.  What are some of the more important variables I need to keep in mind when deciding on or attempting to stalk up to an animal?

Oh, and I'm primarily going to be hunting elk and mule deer, but will gladly shoot whatever I legally can   .

I'm looking forward to camping/scouting this summer and plan on doing my best at improving my skills prior to the hunt.  Any and all advice is very appreciated.


Jeremy

[chopx2]

Hey when you figure it out let me know!

[huntin_sparty]

Originally posted by chopx2:
Hey when you figure it out let me know!

Right is always a work in progress thats why I love it!  
If you ever bowhunted from a tree you can set up ground blinds or little mini forts as my son likes to call em at the base of the same tree.
Playing the wind along with staying still IMHO is key to ground encounters.  I use a little unwaxed dental floss and tie to bow and also in my blind to check with out requiring my movement to spray something.  There are a lot of home and cottages that use wood burning stoves so smoke is common in the areas I hunt.  I smoke myself and my clothes before every hunt also.  Ive seen a lot more deer since I started doing this.

As you can tell by my response I dont stalk whitetails unless it is in corn rows on windy wet days.  If you can do that consistently successful (stalk whitetails in dry leaves or crunchy snow) your doing something!
Good luck and have fun.

[ron w]

Keep the wind in your face, I tie a length of thread or dental floss to the tip of my bow to keep track of the wind. If stalking you can not go to slow when your getting close. One or two steps and stop can sometimes be to fast, go slooooow! Practice on woodchucks, gophers, bunnies, whatever you can sneak up on and draw your bow. You don't have to shoot, just see if you can get close. Scout for ambush points also. Get behind some cover to hide, blowdowns and such. Most of all.........make sure you have fun do'n it!!!

[spike buck]

I'm no expert either, but definately practice shooting from your knees and sitting.

[Shedrock]

You say you will be mainly hunting mulies and elk. I'll give you a few tips on mulie hunting.

Use your binos and spotting scope alot. It is nice to watch where a buck beds, but it doesn't always work that way. I like to still hunt during the heat of the day, or when the sun is at it's highest point. All the shadey spots are smaller then and it is a great time to glass the shade by every rock, bush, and bank you can find.

Once you locate a buck to put a sneak on, look the whole area over. Which way is the wind blowing? Are there any other bucks bedded near by that may blow your stalk?

Draw a little map which shows landmarks where your deer is laying. You may spot a buck across a canyon, go around, get above him, then wonder where he is exactly, because everything now looks completely different. Trust me, I have had to hike all the way back to where I spotted the deer from, just to get another look.

Once I do get within 100 yards or so, my boots come off. I put on an old pair of heavy wool socks to help muffle any noise. Keep the wind good and take it slow.

I have shot two bucks in their beds, both at six yards. That is not the norm though. Where I hunt, there are alot of boulders these deer lay behind in the shade. I have got even closer than six yards to many other deer, but could not get a shot. All I could see was antlers sticking up in front of me, while the deer's body is out of sight. Then patience comes in to play. Stand there with an arrow nocked and wait for him to get up. He will have to urinate, or move because the sun is starting to hit him, or he may just get up to leave. Throwing rocks and whistling to get him up will more than likely send him to the next county. Just have patience. I have had to wait any where from 10 minutes to 3 hours for a buck to stand up. I have also stood on a cold cold chunk of granite, freezing my feet for over an hour, only to have the wind switch and blow the buck out.

My largest mulie took alot of patience. I spotted him around 6:30 am. Two smaller bucks bedded right above him. Around 2:30 pm, the big one got up and bedded above the smaller bucks. That is when I made my move.

I suggest reading Hunting Open Country Mule Deer by Dwight Schuh.

Good luck, mulie hunting is very addictive.

[Bjorn]

You got some good tips on getting to a bedded animal.
You can also sneak up on them if they are alone or in a very small group. Move only when they are facing away or feeding. Go slooow. The bigger the group the tougher it will be to get close.
The most effective stalk is 'no stalk'. I like to try and figure out where the animal is headed and set up an ambush. Have them walk into you-intercept them. Take cover behind a tree or bush and act out how your shot is going to play out beforehand but be super still and quiet.

[gudspelr]

Thanks for all the info and advice.  Also think I'll be trying out the string or floss method for checking wind-easy, and dummy proof.

Shedrock-I started getting into your response like a good article in a magazine   .  I actually just read that article you mentioned and it was certainly a good one.  The area I'm planning on doing most of my hunting has a mix of the more arid, desert stuff mixed in with timber higher up and in all the draws.  Figured that might make it easier to spot the animals and hopefully narrow down their shady spots to bed.

Thanks again.  Now for the practice...

Jeremy

[Shedrock]

Hunting Open Country Mule Deer by Dwight Schuh is a book, not just an article. I really recommend it. IMO, best book on hunting mulies with a bow.