Still Hunting
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Go SLOW, stay alert, learn to identify places deer are likely to be holed up, and the major one for me, KEEP YOUR GUN IN YOUR HANDS. A gun slung over your shoulder isn’t killing any deer, and more often than not when still hunting you don’t get a whole lot of time when you do find deer.
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..use binocs...and.scan...move a few yards...scan....move a few yards...the binocs will be your #1 tool for success..
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My biggest thing is after a hour or two I start getting sloppy. End up moving too quickly, making too much noise or not stopping and scanning my surroundings enough. I am trying to work on maintaining my focus once I get into a hour or two of a still hunting expedition. On my end that’s the hardest part.
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I get that way too. These days I take it as a cue to sit down be still for a half hour or so.
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5,875 Posts
Get good glass, and use it A Lot. Dont sound like a human walking. Move slow, and methodically. Use wind, and other sounds to your advantage. A light handy rifle helps. There was a good thread on still hunting tips a month or so ago.
I keep my rifle slung almost all of the time, you have to so that you can use binos as much as you need to. I can get my rifle off of my shoulder and be on target quickly.
https://www.huntingpa.com/forums/#/topics/301463?page=2
I keep my rifle slung almost all of the time, you have to so that you can use binos as much as you need to. I can get my rifle off of my shoulder and be on target quickly.
https://www.huntingpa.com/forums/#/topics/301463?page=2
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3,735 Posts
I'm terrible at it. You have to be confident in the area to do it. Don't waste your time snail pacing through ground where there are no deer. I kill deer doing it but takes lot of patience.
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It depends what your motive is. I still hunt some places that you dont see many deer, might not see any some days. But when you do its a hog of a buck usually.
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11,211 Posts
Never was much of a still hunter; did most of my deer hunting here in the south east out of tree stands. I have done a little around here, and some more upstate, and killed a handful of deer that way. BUT, when it worked for me it was less a matter of me doing it right, and more a matter of stumbling into deer, or more accurately, deer stumbling into me.
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12,360 Posts
I will add that some days the conditions are better suited than others. Hunting Ohio this morning it was dead calm quiet and the ground was frosty and crunchy. No way you were sneaking up on anything in those conditions. Of course snow is good and so it windy rainy days. I also like dry noisy days that have gusts of wind. Move when the wind is blowing and stand still when it quits or slows down. I like those days because you can hear deer moving.
I agree with Steel though that my biggest problem is getting sloppy after a while.
I agree with Steel though that my biggest problem is getting sloppy after a while.
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3,693 Posts
On the noisy days (leaves, not so much the wind), use small brooks/creeks that are easy to navigate to your advantage. They hide your outline and mask your noise. It has to be the "right" creek, etc. as you don't want to me rock hopping or climbing up waterfalls, etc.
Use old logging roads to your advantage, especially side hill ones that overlook a valley and give you a good view down and across to the other side. Sometimes, you can kick deer out to yourself by rolling/throwing a large rock into thick bedding down below you and it will make them move out and onto the next hillside but if it is the right terrain, they may stop within range....
And GO SLOW...if you are thinking you are moving slow...you are probably still moving too fast. I have this problem too but, I know to go at a snails pace when I am moving through an area I know is good bedding and holds deer typically.
And as others have said, sometimes, just dumb luck will get you a deer or at least sightings when you are moving about. I have shot a couple bucks just on my walk out during archery season (with my treestand on my back) and have had lots of close encounters but almost always during the seek and chase phase of the rut and mid-day. You can get into that kind of action during the rifle season when the second cycle comes around.
Use old logging roads to your advantage, especially side hill ones that overlook a valley and give you a good view down and across to the other side. Sometimes, you can kick deer out to yourself by rolling/throwing a large rock into thick bedding down below you and it will make them move out and onto the next hillside but if it is the right terrain, they may stop within range....
And GO SLOW...if you are thinking you are moving slow...you are probably still moving too fast. I have this problem too but, I know to go at a snails pace when I am moving through an area I know is good bedding and holds deer typically.
And as others have said, sometimes, just dumb luck will get you a deer or at least sightings when you are moving about. I have shot a couple bucks just on my walk out during archery season (with my treestand on my back) and have had lots of close encounters but almost always during the seek and chase phase of the rut and mid-day. You can get into that kind of action during the rifle season when the second cycle comes around.
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199 Posts
A damp day with wind is great day to still hunt, if you play wind right. Wind blocks out much sound you may make from stepping on twigs etc. I learned the effect of wind on sound from calling predators. My e-caller may sound way too loud to me 10 yds out but if I walk even 40 yds away from caller on windy day, I may not even hear it.
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Lots of great info I will add 1 tip when you stop make sure your shooting foot is forward so if a shot materializes you are ready.
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Sounds like someone may have taken an off balance shot and ended up their butt once😂
I’ve done that spring turkey hunting.
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