Roger, I don't "still" hunt, nor do I "stalk" the deer that I hunt. The only ground hunting that I do is "ambush". I try to figure out what locations are potential ambush spots by hunting from a tree where I have a huge visual advantage (flat as a pancake around here). It allows me to identify movement patterns from afar, BEFORE I make a decision to move in for an ambush. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.
In most cases, my ambushes have been successful the first or second time in that location. If it doesn't happen, I move to other areas and don't allow that setup to get "hot".
Obviously, wind direction is a key element to successful ambushing. Wind speed (10 mph or better) is a big help, as they can't pick-up your movement as easily as when it is fairly calm. Being pretty sure of the deers' directional movements in a particular scenario (whether it be morning or evening) is a big plus in the confidence factor. It is difficult to sit (or stand) there, not knowing what is going on around you until the very last moment (in some cases, only a few seconds) when the deer arrive. It is tough going when you are mostly hidden from their approaching direction and all you have is the confidence that a deer WILL pass by.
An ambush scenario. I had seen deer (from my tree stand location) entering the bean field in the evenings on many occasions. They were mainly crossing through a tree line and hitting the beans at mid-field. So one day (at mid-day), I went over there to find the trail they were using and whalaa! Intersecting trails at the tip of a tree line 80 yards north of the bean field in a grassy field.
I got lucky the first time I had good wind for that setup. Two bucks walked across the field at sunset heading for the bean field, and I took the second one that passed by.
Topic: Hunting on the ground (Read 1519 times)
