Okay, some of what I have has been covered. Some was learned in the Corps other from experiance. I am no expert, that said I have taken few deer, hogs and turkey still hunting.
1)play the wind, goes with out said, always know is direction
2)Look more than walk. All animals have a hard time picking movement when body in motion. Stop and study whats around you. Before move plan your move.
3)when you look around, study everything, remember you need to see the animal before he knows your there, look for movement, straight lines, or something out of place. Look for sign, one day was walking through slowly, looked down and seen water on leaf, knowing it hadn't rained figure it was a deer moving, stayed on course and followed fresh tracks, she busted me, but noticing it made a great experiance in stalking
4)When you move slow and deliberate, plan your steps, look down at the path and know where you are and where you want to end up and move slowly. Take two and three steps and stop.
5)When you stop always try and stop next to a tree, bush or shrub to help conceal you. Preferably in the shade, for harder for all animals to pick up shape and movement in shade than light.
6)If you think you seen movement, you did! WE have tendancy to talk ourselves out of things, animals don't they realy on instinct. If you seen something, you did, but was it a squirrels tail, a bird or an animal you are afer, see next
7)to me the most important is the hardest, PATIENCE! Whe you go stalk and animal, forget the clock, animals don't wear them, and the only thing on your mind is move when the animal tells you to, If you are thinkging its been 10 minutes, maybe I can get by with doing this, you will be busted. Many great stalker, are known for waiting for long time to move when the animal moves.
8)Study the animal, is it nervous, eating, moving with others (always look for second or third animal). There behavior will obviously dictact what you may get away with
9)On deer a turkey call helps in certain places, and yes turkey's can be stalked.
10)Use Terrain, use the dips and draws to advantage taking the wind into consideration. blowdown and/or fallen trees for long sighting stops. If can circle around a hill, to get better advantage of and animal position, the longer road usually has better pay off.
11)Dirt is our friend, may people are afraid to get down and crawl on all fours or belly. there are plenty of times when its better, low sillouete, more control over movement. Funny how a turkey with two legs sounds like a person making alot of noise walking, but a four legged animal like deer seems to appear out of no where without making noise, instead of on contact with earth, there are three, huh, imagine that
12)concentric rings- I heard this along time ago and read it several times as well as seen it. If one animal in the woods gives off alarm, will set off a small chain reaction with others, like a squirrel barking at you, then the deer you are stalking is little more alert to something wrong, then deer bolts, bumps another deer, then they run into turkeys they run yada yada. Works both ways too, many times as am sure others will relate, sit there and out of blue hear a squirrel bark at something, then look here comes a big buck.
Just some of what I have experianced and found works for me and few others I got into it. Remember, to have fun, many busted stalks taught me alot and great memories. Go Slow
Topic: Still Hunting Whitetails, any tips or suggestions? (Read 1175 times)
