Hunting method

[Petrichor]

Alright. We’ve seen the setups and man y’all got some pretty bows. So what’s your method stalking, blind, tree stand, etc?  How long have you been using this method and what do you like about it? Brands of equipment? Mods?  Action shots of you in your element are welcome!

[smag]

Never hunted off the ground until early 2000's. Like killing stuff eye to eyeball. I went to only selfbow about the time. Hunting with glass just did not do it for me anymore. Figgered I shot my rigs as good as any glass bow I ever had and rather harvest with a HedgeHunter Custom Selfbow. Have those bows in 30-60lbs covers everything I will ever stalk.

Some guys harvest an animal with selfbow and jump back to glass or I see lots of guys who shoot a few then miss one and they right back to missing with glass. Either way, whatever blows yer hairback I reckon?

Some harvests with the HH over last few years.

[frassettor]

Never hunted off the ground until early 2000's. Like killing stuff eye to eyeball. I went to only selfbow about the time. Hunting with glass just did not do it for me anymore. Figgered I shot my rigs as good as any glass bow I ever had and rather harvest with a HedgeHunter Custom Selfbow. Have those bows in 30-60lbs covers everything I will ever stalk.

Some guys harvest an animal with selfbow and jump back to glass or I see lots of guys who shoot a few then miss one and they right back to missing with glass. Either way, whatever blows yer hairback I reckon?

Some harvests with the HH over last few years.

Wonderful trophies!

[woodchucker]

We have a few tree stands up on the mountain... But, I don't do tree stands.

I have several spots around the mountain that I like to sit. But, I've got a bad back and can't sit more an hour or so.
I walk the wood roads, from spot to spot, slowly stillhunting my way along... Actually, I've seen and killed more deer while I was walking, than I have sitting!!

[ESP]

I have hunted most styles.  I have been most successful out of pop up blinds ( I don’t like them much but they are effective).   Tree stands would be a close second with the way I am built I struggle with clothing contact out of the higher tree stands unless I shot a sub 60” bow.   With a 31.5” dl there are limited number of options that are comfortable. 

I like stalking out west but I am not real good at it.  I have been unsuccessful at harvesting a mule deer on 7 trips.  I also like calling to animals.  I have been successful rattling deer, calling elk and with help of a guide calling in a pronghorn. I’m usually willing to try most things that are legal.  I have never , not learned anything by trying something new. 

I have been known to stop hunting big game when I am in some real small game action.  IE:  grouse while elk hunting.  Their may not be a more enjoyable time than being on a mountain in the middle of a covey of grouse with lots of arrows to shoot. 

[Possum Head]

I like trees. Love the view and concealment when placed just right! Summit with open front.

[GCook]

We hunt mostly from blinds over feeders here but we also have tripods and ladder stands around the place on trails, fence crossings and at the water tank.  I like to spot and stalk pigs when the acorns are dropping but have to limit that to when other hunters aren't there as you can mess up their hunts by moving around.
In Missouri I like a fold up tripod and ladder stands.

[TIM B]

My favorite is hunting from the ground in big brush blinds but I have a bunch of ladder stands as well
Tim B

[smag]

Welcome to the SELBOW adventure. Still hunting is the best and I will give you that. Sitting in a stand in productive area's is a great way to see lots animals. When it comes to wind and big mature whitetails their is no better option than a stand. I agree still hunting is the best if you have the room to strech your legs.

Hedge~

[Petrichor]

Been doing research like crazy and will be running and gunning on public land for hang and hunts. Considering a saddle or a hang on at the moment but leaning towards the saddle.

[Sam McMichael]

I started deer hunting in 1964 with the rifle and transformed into a bowhunter exclusive ly 29 years ago. Most of that time has been in tree stands. I am just too clumsy to stalk quietly, except when the woods are wet.

[SlowBowKing]

I only started back to hunting three years ago. I’ve got one ladder stand, one pop up blind, a couple of brush blinds, but I mostly like to just prop up beside a tree in a ghillie. That’s the only way I’ve taken a deer, and passed on a small buck that way again this past year. Never even used the ladder stand last year, and may not this year. I’m not a fan of hunting from trees, and only partially due to a fear of heights. 

I do put out mineral, but have given up on feeding corn. Don’t really like the idea of baiting with food, and I don’t want to spend tons of money doing it. I just can’t get into the idea of shooting a deer over a 400 lb. pile of corn.

I wear lots of old, handmedowns left from my dad. I spend less money on hunting than anyone I know. I also prefer to hunt alone. I’m pretty particular about how I hunt. That being said, I don’t kill many deer and no big ones at that. But to me there’s a lot more to it than that. I hunt the way I want, and don’t worry about others.

[NY Yankee]

I do what I call "meander". Some call it still-hunting. I just pick a piece of woods I want to hunt and slowly work my way through it being as quiet as I can and going in a direction where I can keep the wind in my face. Usually, in the woods though the wind swirls and always seems to be coming from a different direction. I have jumped deer, had them walk up to me, and have walked up to them. I believe good face and hands camo is important. I've had deer stand there looking at me then just continue feeding. I'm 320 pounds so maybe they think Im a bear or something. Or a sasquatch? lol

[RedShaft]

I’m almost 90% ambush hunter. Stand mostly some on the ground. Natural blinds.
Here is the deal. I LOVE to sneak around. But the Pa woods and dry leaves make it tough! So I’m limited on my days that I can sneak around like that. But when I can I will.
I have never got a deer doing that with the bow. But I have come be close many times. I would probably really enjoy hunting out west or where spot n stalk I big thing.
I prefer to dress lighter and move. Stand hunting gets old sometimes especially when your not seeing deer. Moving around and sneaking. Let’s me scout new areas too that I may have not ever found just going in and hanging a stand.

Oh I forgot. I do a good bit of scout n hunts. What I do is take only what I need. With my stand on my back. Scout n sneak and set up on the freshest sign I find that day.

[Red Beastmaster]

Ladderstand in the woodlot behind the house, after work evening sits. Saturdays I'll go to a buddy's place to hunt with them. Late season is mostly deer pushes with friends.

[YosemiteSam]

For me, it's a mix of stand and still hunting.  I'll sit for about the first 3 hours of the morning and the last 3-5 hours of the day (depends on time of year & how much daylight there is), still hunting in between.  If I can find a spot with a good vantage point, I'll post up and watch an area hoping for a spot and stalk.  Usually, I'd do that in the first or last hours.  But haven't run into anything legal to stalk yet.  Still looking for a buck to take during the archery season.  Got a bear last year & some turkeys over the last few years.  But ne'er a buck during the archery season.  Found a good spot over the summer & hoping to find something to chase here in a couple of weeks when our season opens.  There's a granite mountain overlooking a miles-long meadow and river corridor.  Should give me opportunities to try just about everything.  I've only got 2.5 days to hunt it.  Wish I had longer.

[smokin joe]

I love ladder stands. They are easy to climb and comfortable to sit in. I also like ground blinds and I have a Hidden Hunter pop up that I use too. I will still hunt a little, but I prefer to ambush from a stand or blind.

[Friend]

Likely, my favorite hunting method is to have a viable decoy setup. Have a 20 acre hi grass field with trees 12 to 18 ft hi….~20% is brush cut each year to maintain control of the field… Numerous deer use this field for bedding, rutting and as a sanctuary. I have 150 yard …20 -25 yard wide clover plot that borders the hi grass field on one side and the woods on the other. The clover food plot leads to a hidden two section food plot adjacent to a tree line deep ditch with crops on the other side.

My ground blind setup is just inside the woods edge along the clover food plot which is 100 yards from the hidden food plots 75 yards away. Using grunt tube /can sequences in conjunction with a buck decoy has been both quite productive and exciting. Have called in 19 bucks the past two seasons from this location….12 w/I bow range…17 of the bucks emerged from the hi grass.

[smag]

Let an arrow loose Scott on a biggun, Please!!!

Hedge~

[kennym]

Deer love tall grass!! So do coyotes and many other critters...

Bro and I had 16 welded steel hang ons we built 20 years ago. They were totally silent but heavy to hang .  A buddy fell while stepping onto his stand and broke his back, so I told bro we need to change up.  I rebuilt one stand into a ladder stand and he liked it so much , I had an Amish weld shop do all the rest plus had 8 built to put on the lease I manage.

They are 12' to platform , made of square tubing and angle iron. Sounds heavy but they aren't noticeably heavier than a store bought ladder stand.  No joints on legs to squeak either. Totally silent unless super cold and tree is frozen, then you might get a little creak where stand hits tree.

Still have a strap on ladder and a hang on for emergency hunts, also a ghillie for ground hunting.   I bought an asat  suit too but man is it light colored!!