Share a tip on being "sneaky"

[Mike Theis]

Since it's hunting season, I thought that I would start a thread on little tips that can give you an edge while hunting. I like this kind of stuff, and it can make all the difference sometimes.

My tip to offer is on tree stand approach. I am always looking for little ways to make this work as best as possible. I have two stands that I always approach from the south, through 1/2 mile of cornfield.

Now with that setup, here is the tip. The farmer that runs the land uses a 6 row corn planter. You can generally tell this by looking at the end rows, counting and dividing by 2. (If you don't know for sure, then ask the farmer, or take a good look at the field in the spring.) So when I am choosing a row to walk in on, I always choose between the sixth and seventh row. It will tend to be a little wider than the other rows. Less noise, better scent control, better cover than on the edge. Sometimes it can actually be narrower, but then sidestep one row until the sixth row widens out again.

Share a few tips of your own. Doesn't matter if it's for deer, hogs or squirrels. I'd like to hear about them.

Good hunting to you.

[Pat B]

I think Ishi said..."walk little, look much".

[Shawn Leonard]

Wear moccasins or other soft soled shoes, even a couple pair of socks when moving in for the final 60-70 yards of a stalk and try and move when the wind picks up or another animal like a squirrel is bouncing around. Shawn

[straitera]

Any of you sneaky boys come on down to Texas. So hot & dry for so long, any walk in the woods sounds more like the 4th of July! Was out yesterday ALL day. Used the climber. I love to hunt! We need some rain so I can get my sneak on!

I too like thinner soft soled shoes or moskins.

[Rob W.]

I always carry a turkey call with me.


Rob

[Uncle Buck]

a month before the seson starts take a rake in the woods and rake a path the last 100 yards to your stand. It doesnt have to be wide and it wont stay clean but it does lessen the chance of crunching leaves or sticks buried in the duff

Opener yesterday here. Got within 30 yards of an 8 pointer with an 18 or 19 inch spread and a nice high rack. Normally I would have shot, I was plenty enough accurate on my warm shots earlier. The problem was it is too warm and it is warmer today and I had an HTM on the bow for squirrels. Gave it thought about whipping out a broadhead but just let the buck pass. I was working the edge of a corn field moving when the leaves rattled, for squirrels. It works for deer as well. I did manage to hammer and skin a couple of squirrels after I let the buck pass, so all was not lost. I would have shot a turkey if I had the chance but the grass they were in was to high. I prefer to hunt the corn now days on the edges where they come flush with brush and trees. Back in the old corn picker days the rows were wider. I have worked fields with Toad Smith back then, we worked in more less a pattern, if the deer avoided one they will have a chance of walking into the other.

[bucksbuouy]

When stalking, bend over as you walk and try to look at things from the deer's perspective. They usually see your legs moving while your still peering through the branches. So get down. On their level. And if they do see you or hear you just freeze. It will stare at you for five minutes and snort, stomp, head bob, but its a bluff. They dont know what they are looking at. Hold still and if your lucky it will forget the reason it got spooked to begin with. Oh and hunt into the wind!

[Ragnarok Forge]

When you have a deer that is alert to your presence.  Sit still for 10 to 15 minutes.  They will often move closer to see what made the noise.  When stalking always stop with a good background of brush behind you to break up your outline.

[Mudd]

I haven't had a chance or the memory to try this yet but I read somewhere that if you take a small sapling cut so you can attach it to you so it drags along that the noise it makes will help break up the sound of your foot steps.

Has anyone ever tried this? If so, with what kind of results?

God bless,Mudd

[Bjorn]

Most of my kills are by ambush-spot and stalk and then figure out where they are headed next and be there. This has worked on Hogs, Deer and Elk, and is my go to technique.
One of the tricks that Hogs use is if they suspect you are there they will stick their noses in the ground to look like they are feeding again and instead they are eyeballing you looking for movement and confirmation..........if you listen closely you can hear them snicker as they disappear!

[lpcjon2]

Tell your wife your volenteering at the soup kitchen and go hunting instead. always buy gear with cash(no paper trail)...LOL

  Try and wear same color schemes as the area you are hunting in. And find a cover scent to match whats in the area.

[Scott Beitzel]

im trying something new sort of with cover scent .i usually carry some sort of a pakwith me so with taking care of spraying cloths and such i will often leave my pack that i carry in my corn container i use it to pack corn out to my stand and such and then often use another to cover my fletchs with haven't seen any differance yet but heck its worth a shot

Scott

[overbo]

Squat alot!!!!!!!!

[Bud B.]

Originally posted by Uncle Buck:
a month before the seson starts take a rake in the woods and rake a path the last 100 yards to your stand. It doesnt have to be wide and it wont stay clean but it does lessen the chance of crunching leaves or sticks buried in the duff

I have taken a back pack blower to do this. I hunt on my father's land and it's easy to do this frequently.

While in the stand or blind I also like to close my eyes and listen. I try to listen to the sounds and estimate how far away they are. I listen to the squirrels as they bounce along. The birds as they chirp tell a tale also, and can tell on an approaching deer. There are many sounds that can help you and if you know the alarm sounds you can stalk better if you hear these as you are sneaking about. If they sound like alarms then either you are the cause for alarm or maybe a deer you haven't seen yet.

[JimB]

Being sneaky,I guess,would encompass both stalking and still hunting.If you are serious,I believe being sneaky starts when you are preparing equipment,pre-season.

Clothing
Some of the quietist clothing would be wool or fleece.They may not be the best for pants if you run into a lot of burrs,but use the most quiet you can get.LL Bean uninsulated packs are excellent for quiet travel.They are as quiet as moccasins,have better traction and can get you through mud,muskeg and shallow stream crossings with dry feet.If possible,choose clothing that doesn't have large buttons in areas that may bump the bow or binoculars.Check metal zipper pulls etc for noise.

Bow
Everyone knows how to quiet a bow.Don't forget on recurves that when drawn,a waxy string at the curves can make a small noise.Some say remove the wax.I say use a well waxed string and install Bow Hush.Your string stays protected but no noise from wax plus string slap noise is reduced.

Pack
If you carry a pack,make sure there are no noisy contents and of course go over zipper pulls etc..I personally like to roll up any dangling excess straps and tape them so that excess doesn't flap in the breeze.If you stalk in the wind,it can be like 5 or 6 little hands waving"here I am".

Sneaking
It's a good thing to have face and hands covered,probably more important than when in a tree.Some say put the ball of the foot down and roll the foot back till the heel is down.I think just starting with the heel and rolling the foot works as well.You just have to hope that your foot gear lets you feel any invisible twigs.

Fred Bear said take one step and stand still for four.I think that's pretty good.At any rate,if you are to ever fool a deer,you have to spend more time looking and being still than the deer does.Think about that.99 % of the times you get busted,will be while moving.That is why stand hunting is so effective.

If you snap a twig,it helps to use a call-turkey call,squirrel call or cow elk.Have it at hand.Stand still and give it a rest for a bit.Rythm of your steps should be broken up if there is any noise.Two legged animals sound different than four and animals recognize it.

A tool that has helped me a lot is a small pair of pruners.I carry them in my right hand jacket or pants pocket.Especially in brushy areas,you may have to push through or bend back limbs in the way.Some limbs are dead and noisy.I can still hold the bow in my left and quietly snip a branch with my right and keep moving forward.It sometimes keeps me from having to squat or crawl under something,creating extra movement.It helps a lot.
 
A small pair of binoculars in the 6-7 power range are invaluable in picking through brush ahead for a part of a deer,an eye,an ear or maybe a lower leg.I prefer a lightweight pair and shorten up the strap so they sit right on my chest.I then take a piece of 3/8" wide elastic and sew or tie it on one side where the bino neck strap attaches.The other end of the elastic is fastened to the other connection point.It now looks like you have two neck straps,but the elastic goes around your back and keeps the binos close to your chest and out of your way when you need to shoot.On your chest,it is just a short,one handed movement to get them up to take a look.With lightweight binoculars you don't need a bulky bino harness.The simple,elastic strap works very well.

The Final Stalk
Deer and other animals recognize an upright form very quickly.Even bears can pick up on it quickly from a distance.Getting low helps a lot.If your boots aren't real quiet or don't let you feel the ground,you can slip them off and put on a heavy pair of wool socks and proceed.

A word of caution here,if you drop your boots and or pack,you have to be able to find them again.I know that sounds like a no brainer but when you are focused on moving forward and later have to reverse course and come back,everything will look different and I have had deer move and take me much farther than I expected to go.I read a story recently of an elk hunter that never could find his boots and had to walk two miles to the truck,in his socks,through cactus country.It could happen.

I never lost mine but I have had a few scares.It might be worth tying a piece of surveyor tape at a visible level,lean a pole against a tree,rock marker,GPS-something.Just have a plan.

As you move forward in a crouch,it may require you to pick leaves or rocks from the next spot to put your foot.One at a time you can make a smooth spot for your foot,if needed.When close,I have often sort of crab-crawled,keeping my left side forward and bow in left hand.My right hand acted as a third leg.From there,I can ease up into a low kneeling position and shoot.

Well,good luck.It's a tough way to take a big game animal but still very rewarding,even if you don't.

[GANDGOLF]

I use vanilla extract as a cover scent (smells like a skunk). I've  had coyotes trail each step. I ALWAYS use a pair of socks over my boots to dull the corflakes sound.  

[Mike Theis]

Good tips from everyone - keep them coming.

Things sound simple, but easy to forget sometimes. Lots of new hunters read our stuff here on the web, so you are helping many more than those that respond directly to the thread. We who do respond are ambassadors to the sport. So thank you on their behalf.

Also, regionally, conditions are different. Here in WI, things are wet, and we don't have the "corn flakes" issue as those folks in TX and other drought stricken areas. But, when we travel to hunt somewhere else, we need to keep in mind the conditions where we are going. So it's a when in Rome kind of thing. Some of you guys live in a kingdom of thorns! Years ago while hunting in Missouri, I put a tree stand in a honey locust because it was THE TREE. Knocked them off with a tree peg, but would have been better off with a small pocket saw. We have locust trees here, but not with 3-4 inch thorns.  Just a thought on some of that stuff. I'm sure the southern guys around the swamps have lots of tricks to share.

[Recurve50 LBS]

I wear LL Bean boots. They have a soft sole thus making them a very quiet shoe to wear. I also play the wind as best I can. I have a small squeeze bottle with sentless talc powder to check the wind,in addition to the powder I have a piece of dental floss glued to tip of my upper limb, the free end is frayed and that helps figure the wind too.