Hunting

Everyone knows there's more than one way to skin a cat. Or deer. To skin a deer, first you have to kill it. Before you can kill it, you have to find it. While your finding it, gotta make sure it doesn't find you.

What's everyone's favorite gear or setup or method? What do you look for when you pick a hunting spot. What do you do before the hunt to prepare? While your in the woods, what do you do?

This is my first deer season and I've had a blast trying to bag one for the past few weeks. I've had to refine my techniques quite a bit since my first hunt where I sat on a tree branch 8 feet off the ground. Those deer smelled, saw, and heard me before I could nock an arrow... Today I went to one of my favorite Conservation Areas to try a bit of slow stalking. Had a hard time at first but I slowed down and started to actually see some animals. Scared up a couple deer that were sleeping (still need to work on creeping) but I locked on to a group of gobblers roosting in the grass and was able to sneak up close enough to get a great look at 5 or 6 turkeys as they blasted off the ground and scattered, never to be seen again.

Anyone thinking about trying a stalk of their own, listen up. It's not about getting to a destination. When you are sneaking through the forest, your destination is wherever there is an animal is. If I have a place I'm traveling to I tend to move too quickly and not pay enough attention to everything that surrounds me. Take a couple small steps, pause, and do a 360 scan of as far as you can see.

Once the target is in range, don't change your pace. It's tempting to "catch up" and try and squeeze off a shot before they notice you. If I would have been patient and watched the turkeys more closely, moving only when they turn their goofy looking heads, I may have been calling my old lady to heat up some gravy.

Anyone else have some tips or insight that can help?

I hunt trails, in open forests to thick bedding areas. The best advice I used was look at overhead maps and guess where food/bedding will be. Then get out in the woods and confirm or reevaluate. Since I stand hunt, I look for well used trails and funnel points and hunt them. You won't see many BIG boys on these trails unless it's early season. One thing I noticed while bowhunting, you have to know your prey.

In the years I've hunting, I finally reallized that deer LOVE to move in valleys, next to cover, around things that keep them hidden. What looks flat to my naked eye, once I get into it, I see that a slight depression will draw deer to them in the evenings. It's like fishing, 10% of the water hold 90% of the fish, well, 10% of my hunting areas hold/transfer 90% of the deer. The wide open forrest is the most interesting to hunt. The pine needles hide most trails pretty good, but I scout on a dry day and listen to every step, when you are able to step silently along, more than likely you are on a deer trail. After practicing this for a few years, I can spot the deer trails almost instantly. When following one, if it gets noisy, I know I am off it.

Scent control is important to me, but camoflauge is as well. I stopped using cover scents cause I didn't see as much when I use them. Now I just try to be scent free. My 'killing stand' is one I stumbled on by accident. The deer come from a field about 500 yards away, pass through some medium thick woods, cross a road and right of way to come by me. Behind me about 70 yards is a public road, and about 50-60 yards to my right is a public road. Like real roads with cars on them. About 20-30 cars a morning hunt travel down these roads. The area is really thick as it borders the planted forest and a large depression (compared to the rest of the woods). That spot has not failed me yet for deer. Passed on lots of shots in bow season, killed a good many in gun season. Seen the biggest deer of my life there (mabye a 155-160 class deer - HUGE) , but couldn't shoot him as he was in some REALLY thick stuff. I still dream of him today!

I don't think I answered any of your questions, but now I want to go hunting!

JBD...one thing I have learned when doing stalked hunts...when you find a deer/turkey, don't try to walk right up to them. Study them and try to determine which way they are going to make their move. Then try to position yourself where you think they will move.

Find good sign, set up a stand and put lots of hours in it. You'll learn where they like to come and go from

I wash all my stuff and spray down good in scent away but if the wind changes or swirls up the mtn they'll still bust you every time

Our deer bed high in impenetrable laurel thickets and travel the ridges.

Loggerhead Mike said:

Our deer bed high in impenetrable laurel thickets and travel the ridges.

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Thanks! I'm going to have to remember this if I ever hunt somewhere like the smokeys. I've only hunted in Texas and WI, both in relativly flat areas.

rain is your friend. get a full rain suit and go out in a windless drizzle. remember to aim a little higher as a wet string is slower.

I have a buddy that used to go out just about year-round deer hunting. During the non-hunting portions of the year, he would go out and sit in the stands, stalk, whatever, with nothing but a camera. This way, he got to know what was out there, got some great pics, and ultimately, knew where the deer would likely be come hunting season. I always thought that would be kind of fun, but never got around to doing it myself. I am a terrible deer hunter: I walk too fast, and I can't sit in a stand for more than ten minutes without tapping the machine gun drum riff from Metallica's "One" with my feet. #-o

Headed out for a weekend of hunting and camping at the Lamine River in Missouri. Last weekend before rifle season...time to bag the big one.

Finally got one! It's the ugliest, smallest deer I've ever seen. Just kidding...it's a possum. Double lung shot from 30 yards though...

jbd6c6 said:

Finally got one! It's the ugliest, smallest deer I've ever seen. Just kidding...it's a possum. Double lung shot from 30 yards though...

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Nice skunk!!! LOL!!!!!

You killed my kitty!