Fieldcraft Stalking/still vs static positions

[wvfarrier]

Now this isnt really "sniping" per se but it applies. I was always taught that movement is life and it always stuck with me. I using this discussion more in the hunting perspective. I have always stalked or still hunted anything and everything I hunt. I cannot ever remember using a blind or tree stand. Just curious as to how the rest of you folks choose to do it

 

[Killer Spade 13]

Well, your verbal structure and sentence syntax, not withstanding, I have never hunted from a fixed blind. Animals do not follow our "rules of the road", if you will.

 

[Sniper Uncle]

I haven't used a stand yet either. I have wandered around a bit, and then sat for a bit, and worked with others for drives. I think that a stand might be a great advantage if you are hunting with a bow or a cross bow, as you can be up above the deer, and possibly not quite as noticeable. Working on making a ghillie suit for turkey hunting.

 

[kraigWY]

Tree stands suck in this area.

Spot and stock.

 

[Wnick308]

Tree stands suck in this area.

Spot and stock.

That's funny right there!


Sent 2700 feet per second.

 

[45.308]

Shoulder around 60#, start walking, after 10 miles or so build a camp. Get up early, walk some more, find an area, glass with binos to find prospect, get details with spotter, plan stalk, stalk, pop head up, animal is there or not, if, make the shot, if not, find it and/or start over.

Bow, same process but take a life size decoy. Find bou, use decoy to stalk within range, shoot or miss, repeat if necessary. Sometimes they stand there looking like, did that just happen, that bou just sent an flying sharp object my way, whats going on!

 

[wvfarrier]

Really? I ask a question and get a smart ass response? Thanks for that

 

[wvfarrier]

Great pics btw

 

[ccoker]

Depends
In Texas most guys deer hunt out of a blind.
Being almost all private land 90% of hunters get on a lease with other guys. Each have a area allotted to them. We are on 6500 acres and have an area that is a few hundred acres with two blinds. We have to stay in this area during deer season.

I LOVE spot and stalk hunting and like to get out of a blind but I can't just go wherever I want.

Pig hunting is treated differently and people are more free to roam aound.

 

[45.308]

Really? I ask a question and get a smart ass response? Thanks for that

How is that being a smart ass? You asked how do you do it, its how I do it, nothing more nothing less. Trees is AK not real good for stands even though some bait hunters do use them and blinds for bears do come find the hunter, but as I said, backpack and go glass and find, then stalk, hunters go find the animal not sit and wait. I have flown in and it helps to get away from the crowds and wheelers but for me, I know areas that I can walk in and hunt without the crowds.

Being in the military and polishing a comfy chair my last years and writing and writing and more writing, I sometimes revert back to bullet points as this was 99% of all the work I did for my major. My colonel had a degree in journalism, what a joy that was. I know it leaves some of the feeling out but its who I am.

 

[stephen_allen]

I think he was referring to the petty and unnecessary jab at his grammar usage. See post 2.

 

[coldboremiracle]

I think he was referring to the petty and unnecessary jab at his grammar usage. See post 2.

Not so much unnecessary, sometimes it hurts to read with poor grammar.

In Texas most guys deer hunt out of a blind.Being almost all private land 90% of hunters get on a lease with other guys. Each have a area allotted to them. We are on 6500 acres and have an area that is a few hundred acres with two blinds. We have to stay in this area during deer season.

1 of 2 reasons I could never live in the great state of Texas, I'd cry into my pillow at night if I had to deal with that.

 

[mark5pt56]

I think he was referring to KS's response only.

Your area will dictate to a point what you can do. As mentioned, you will need to survey the AO and go from there.

 

[Jig Stick]

I hunt exclusively from tree stands and ground blinds. Which one depends on what I'm going after. Which locations I go to depend on the wind.

 

[psinclair]

Glassing and Patience.

 

[ccoker]

Gotta do what you gotta do

I would love to live in the mountains and be ar to spot and stalk.

Every place has its pros and cons.
I get to hunt wild hogs year round with no limits however I want 24x7 !

 

[ddavis]

Same here in TX. We had a place in the river bottoms where you could spot and stalk and I loved it. Now our only land is in an area that is like most of the rest of the state; everything bites, pokes, or stings. It's difficult to stalk when you have 50' visibility through cedar trees, constantly stepping over and around the cactus that is in every open area. Forget about spot and stalk in the southern half of the state. You have to cut a "sendero" through the spiny trees and sit at the end of it to watch for anything that comes out. This place is a barren shit-hole if you enjoy getting off your ass and walking to hunt, though there are big deer. Many people just sit in blinds that often cost $1,000-$3,000 and are padded and heated.

 

[Strykervet]

Whatever it takes. Prefer stalking, but laying in a good comfy spot isn't bad either. Learned WAY more hunting as a kid than I ever did about stalking in the military (I always tell people I could hear or smell humans coming before I saw them --animals try hard not to make this mistake). The biggest thing is to simply understand your prey and work around that, it's what all predators do.

I used to get my boots resoled with thin Vibram soles and no inserts. Helps to feel what you are stepping on. Dad preferred moccasins for that reason. Gotta have tough feet to go that route though. He also made me lay next to a log for a day, something they should do to all soldiers in basic training; I don't know if he got that shit from a movie or a book, or if it was actually the hunting skills handed down through the family, but it did impress on me the virtues of being still and just using my senses.

 

[pprochnow]

Stalking/still vs static positions

Lay next to a log for a day. I couldn't agree more. I prefer to stalk or still hunt, that said sitting silent and observing patterns and sounds for the area you hunt is a must. You can definitely learn more by listening than crunching through the wilderness without pause.

 

[Strykervet]

Yeah, the log thing stuck with me. Where it came from I have no idea. It does have it's drawbacks though:

I took it to the next level at Ft. Benning in the summer. Only thing that moved my ass was when I crawled over a fire ant hole and my cock started burning, I looked and had to take my damn pants off in the middle of the field, it was THAT bad. I tried to tough it out as long as I could. It's funny thinking back. As I recall, I wasn't the only one that did that during summer of '01! The ants were EVERYWHERE! Ground looked like it was moving, made you dizzy. And those black, orange and purple/pink goddamn cowkillers with half inch stingers!

Yeah, ants (and other insects) are my number one bane. And at Ft. Lewis, it's a federal crime (sorta like the woodpeckers) to damage a hill, so the whole place is covered with ant hills as high as six feet or more. Amazing, since it's the only place I've seen here like that. I think they do this shit on purpose, sorta like how they always fuck with the weather when you have to spend time in the field.

They swapped the ants with scorpions and vinegaroons at NTC, that was a nice change of pace. Nothing like getting stung in the ass and sprayed in the eyes with acetic acid at the same time.

 

[pprochnow]

Hate fire ants, haven't run into any locally but they seem to be everywhere in west Texas.
Can't wait to get back into the woods again...