Turning point/ reccomended books.

[Exophysical]

I feel that I've hit a turning point in my hunting this year, up until now I've employed all the usual hunting techniques but I've slowly been gravitating towards still hunting and tracking. Over the years I get better at it and my success rate gets higher, thinking back I'm having a hard time remembering the last animal I took from a stand, I still force myself to stand hunt because its what all the cool kids are doing, but this year I honestly think I'm done with sitting. I don't have a lot of hunting literature, and most of what I do have only touches on this type of hunting in a very rudimentary fashion. While I'm happy with the success I'm having I would like to buy some books that will help me hone my skills and knowledge of still hunting and tracking, I was hoping you guys could give me some good suggestions.

[Swampbuck]

get the Marsh bucks and hill country dvds that dan did... they are great

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[headgear]

The Benoit books are good reads and right up your ally.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_ ... noit+bucks

[62kodiak]

If your looking for tracking books, word on the street is that it is hard to find one better than Hal Bloods "Hunting Big Woods Bucks". I just started reading it and so far it seems pretty good. Hal is really knowledgeable on the subject of tracking.


http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Big-Woods ... 6JBCAX1NVD

[bigwoodsmn]

I've mailed some of my things to Beast's - even in Canada - and they've been good about mailing things back. You've got the turf to do it up where you're at. Just like the other guys said: Hal Blood has two books and two DVDs. The two books are great. Some of the same stories are in both books but there is different information too. I have the two DVDs also.

Outdoorsman's Edge Version: http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Big-Woods-Bucks-Outdoorsmans-Edge/dp/1580112196/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409286574&sr=8-1&keywords=bigwoods+bucks+benoits
Hard Cover: http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Big-Woods-Bucks-Whitetails/dp/1616080434/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1412032785&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=hunting+big+woods+bucks

Hal Blood's products: https://www.bigwoodsbucks.com/Products.aspx

Here are the 3 Benoit books and 5 DVDs
http://www.amazon.com/Big-Bucks-The-Benoit-Way/dp/0896896765/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409286756&sr=8-1&keywords=benoits+hunting
http://www.amazon.com/Benoit-Bucks-Whitetail-Tactics-Generation/dp/0873495977/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1409286748&sr=8-8&keywords=benoits+hunting
http://www.amazon.com/How-Biggest-Buck-Your-Life/dp/1592280994/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1409286748&sr=8-3&keywords=benoits+hunting

You can get all 5 DVDs and the “Big Bucks the Benoit Way” Book here http://benoitsbigbucks.com/order/FORMORDER3.html for $110.

[Zap]

If you are looking for reading I have:

Strategic Whitetail Hunting by Hooey.

The Complete Bowhunting Journal by Sapp.

Balanced Bowhunting 2 by Holt.

$42.50 tyd........

This may be considered an advertisement....

[Exophysical]

Thanks for that, I ordered "How to bag the biggest buck of your life" today, I didn't realise that the two Hal Blood books were different as they seem to have the same name. Today I did my first serious stillhunting of the season, I didn't see any deer but I got within 20 yards of a cow moose and her calf and saw a couple other cow moose at close range... way more fun than the trail watching I've been doing up until now.

I've mailed some of my things to Beast's - even in Canada - and they've been good about mailing things back. You've got the turf to do it up where you're at. Just like the other guys said: Hal Blood has two books and two DVDs. The two books are great. Some of the same stories are in both books but there is different information too. I have the two DVDs also.

Outdoorsman's Edge Version: http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Big-Woods-Bucks-Outdoorsmans-Edge/dp/1580112196/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409286574&sr=8-1&keywords=bigwoods+bucks+benoits
Hard Cover: http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Big-Woods-Bucks-Whitetails/dp/1616080434/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1412032785&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=hunting+big+woods+bucks

Hal Blood's products: https://www.bigwoodsbucks.com/Products.aspx

Here are the 3 Benoit books and 5 DVDs
http://www.amazon.com/Big-Bucks-The-Benoit-Way/dp/0896896765/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409286756&sr=8-1&keywords=benoits+hunting
http://www.amazon.com/Benoit-Bucks-Whitetail-Tactics-Generation/dp/0873495977/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1409286748&sr=8-8&keywords=benoits+hunting
http://www.amazon.com/How-Biggest-Buck-Your-Life/dp/1592280994/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1409286748&sr=8-3&keywords=benoits+hunting

You can get all 5 DVDs and the “Big Bucks the Benoit Way” Book here http://benoitsbigbucks.com/order/FORMORDER3.html for $110.

[62kodiak]

Save yourself some money on the Hal blood books. The link I included above is a book Hal release a couple of years ago that is just Vol I and II in one book.

Good luck tracking this season.

[bigwoodsmn]

"How to bag the Biggest Buck..." is the classic and it's inspiring. It's Larry - pedal to the metal. Kind of where it all began for the Benoit books.

The newer Benoit books get into more detail with regard to which tracks to pick and why, what to do, etc... Hal Blood adds a different slant on scouting for bucks to track and he has a different style when he jumps a buck he's tracking. He talks a lot about setting pace when still-hunting, where to still-hunt ... etc. I got the stuff, I read it.. started doing it... and I did kill the biggest buck of my life shortly after still-hunting. And I'd like to do it again. I've shot a few others recently too using things I've learned. I also sent the materials to a friend two or three years ago and he tracked and killed a slob last November in northern WI, with his primitive muzzleloader. It's good stuff.

I remember the buck you guys shot last year in the snow - late season -- the pictures with your little kids and wife. You've got some brute bucks to chase around up there.

[Terry]

I have all the books mentioned and I actually prefer Hal Blood's first book over all the rest. My second choice would be Larry Benoit's.

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[PK_]

'Still-Hunting Trophy Whitetails' - Bill Vaznis. Very good book, you will want to throw away your tree stand after reading it.
http://www.amazon.com/Still-Hunting-Tro ... rds=vaznis

If you want to get into tracking, serious tracking, look into 'Practical Tracking' - Liebenberg, Louw & Elbroch. Fascinating book. Not a deer hunting book, but incredible how-to for tracking in a variety of conditions.
http://www.amazon.com/Practical-Trackin ... l+tracking

Personally I liked Larry Benoits - 'How to bag the biggest buck of your life', much more than Hal Bloods.

[Exophysical]

"How to bag the Biggest Buck..." is the classic and it's inspiring. It's Larry - pedal to the metal. Kind of where it all began for the Benoit books.

The newer Benoit books get into more detail with regard to which tracks to pick and why, what to do, etc... Hal Blood adds a different slant on scouting for bucks to track and he has a different style when he jumps a buck he's tracking. He talks a lot about setting pace when still-hunting, where to still-hunt ... etc. I got the stuff, I read it.. started doing it... and I did kill the biggest buck of my life shortly after still-hunting. And I'd like to do it again. I've shot a few others recently too using things I've learned. I also sent the materials to a friend two or three years ago and he tracked and killed a slob last November in northern WI, with his primitive muzzleloader. It's good stuff.

I remember the buck you guys shot last year in the snow - late season -- the pictures with your little kids and wife. You've got some brute bucks to chase around up there.

Lol, I didn't think anyone would remember that buck. My wife usually does more sitting but she took that one still hunting. That pace, place, direction thing is well covered in an old book I have called "The Deer Hunter's Guide". It doesn't so much cover still hunting in particular, or tracking at all, perhaps because its such an old book that the author assumed this was common knowlege. It does however get way further into working the wind, matching the game movement, and interpreting trail sign than any other book I've read which has been useful over the years.

[bigwoodsmn]

'Still-Hunting Trophy Whitetails' - Bill Vaznis. Very good book, you will want to throw away your tree stand after reading it.
http://www.amazon.com/Still-Hunting-Tro ... rds=vaznis

If you want to get into tracking, serious tracking, look into 'Practical Tracking' - Liebenberg, Louw & Elbroch. Fascinating book. Not a deer hunting book, but incredible how-to for tracking in a variety of conditions.
http://www.amazon.com/Practical-Trackin ... l+tracking

Personally I liked Larry Benoits - 'How to bag the biggest buck of your life', much more than Hal Bloods.

I forgot about the Vaznis book - it is awesome - and I've been keeping it near my throne. And I don't have the other book you mentioned. I'll check it out.

The fact of the matter is if a big woods guy is going to take his game to the next level he might just need one of these Koozies.

[hunter_mike]

I have a feeling I will be receiving at least one or two of the books mentioned specifically in this thread for christmas

[Exophysical]

I have a feeling I will be receiving at least one or two of the books mentioned specifically in this thread for christmas

By now I've bought and read most of them and I have to agree that Hal Blood's book is deffinatly the best. Larry Benoit was an entertaining read once I got over his weird, aggressive way of saying everything and decided that he probably wasn't a jerk, he just seems that way sometimes. As was stated it is inspiring, it will get you motivated, as a reference it is somewhat lacking IMO.

Bill Vasnis book was also good and as a reference its better than "How to bag the biggest buck of your life" but as far as reading it in years to come and picking out stuff I've missed I don't see it happening.

Big Woods bucks is great in pretty much every way, lots of info, easy to read. The most important part of big timber hunting is reading the sign and Hal covers that very thoroughly. Where as the other two authors hunt their own signature way and suggest staying home under certain conditions Hal, being a guide, knows that not everyone is wired to hunt the same way and also knows that not everyone has all season to cherry pick the best days to hunt in their preferred method. He gives the reader lots of options to work with and knows how to roll with the punches and still make the most out of your time afield even when conditions aren't great. This book helped me "connect the dots" in that big timber hunting is not any one tactic but rather a collection of skills and knowledge... read the sign, asses the conditions, and hunt accordingly.