How far to start going "stealth mode"

[Waymore]

Ok I have to admit me and stealth are antonyms. I have never attempted to hunt a bed probably because I do not scout enough to find any. ( just learning how to hunt after 25 years )

So obviously hunting a bed requires a very quiet approach. Let's assume light winds and rather loud ground. Are we talking the last 100 yards? 200 yards? How long (slow) on average does it take?

What about hunting an area closer to a food source or a trail that the deer are not bedded nearby. How important is it to be quiet then? My usually approach is just walking at a rather slightly less than normal pace but wonder if I am going to fast. I hear most hunters sounding like a train walking through so I think I am in the majority.

Thanks

[Stanley]

I think this is a great question. Conditions kind of determine how close you can get. Ground cover also determines how close you can get. I think my low impact approach may apply to your case. I like to get about 100 yards from a known buck bedding area. This gives me the best chance of not bumping the buck out of it's bed. To me this is key, you can't hunt a buck if he's not there. Keep in mind I usually have a good idea of the direction the buck will travel as he leaves the bedding area. To me this is also key.

I know some guys can get much closer but it sounds to me, like your not one of them (like me). I had one hunt this year where the buck bedded down with in 40 yards of me on a morning hunt. I couldn't stay all day so I had to try and get down and leave with out being detected. It was very windy but the buck still caught me getting down. Had he been 100 yards away I believe I could have snuck out of there undetected. I think understanding your skill level is huge. Sometimes confidence can be a deal killer.

A positive attitude is important. A positive understanding of your capabilities is even more important in my opinion. Ive said it before, you are not going to be the best. You can however always do your best. I know many, many (maybe most) hunters that have greater hunting skills than I do. I don't know of many hunters, that understand their hunting skills and can utilizes the skills they have better than I can.

[xpauliber]

In my personal progression, I'm still in the bedding "area" stage of hunting bucks. Meaning that I definitely have it narrowed down to the thickets that bucks are bedding in but I haven't been able to narrow it down to the exact piece of dirt that they are laying on.

With that being said, when I'm traveling towards the thickets that I want to hunt, if it's still and the leaves are crunchy, I'm slowing my pace down big time when I'm 150-200 yards from where I'm expecting to setup. If it's windy and/or I'm walking through a field or something that isn't loud, I'll wait until I'm about 100 yards from where I expect to setup before throttling down.

My pace will slow down to a few steps in the crunchy leaves and then I'll stop for anywhere from 5 seconds to 5 minutes just to break up the cadence. There is NOTHING more recognizable than the rhythmic "crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch" of a man walking in the leaves and the deer key in on it big time. When I'm getting close, I'm stopping to check out deer trails, rubs, acorns on the ground, scrapes, or any other fresh sign that may make me want to alter my original plans; BUT I'm using my eyes to look 360 degrees around me. I'm not walking over to every rub I see or walking up and down each trail. I'm trying to gain as much intel as I can with the least amount of intrusion that I can.

I used to be so paranoid about making noise getting to my stand but I've learned that deer live out there and hear leaves crunching, acorns falling, sticks breaking all day/night long and as long as they can't pin it to a non-natural sound (ie. metal clanking on metal or the cadence of a man walking, etc.) they won't bolt out of there. UNLESS, they smell you which brings me to another point; MAKE absolute sure that your entry route is designed in such a way that the wind will NEVER blow towards where you expect the buck is bedded. If it does and he smells you, you can be as stealthy as a bobcat but the game is over before it even began.

Last point; remember that this style of hunting is generally going to produce a buck sighting the last 30 minutes of shooting light. So you have plenty of time to slow down, take it easy, get to your stand, and take your time making your set so you don't make any unnatural sounds. I used to race to my hunting spots, pretty much run through the woods, and climb a tree as fast as I could so that I could "give the woods some time to settle down before primetime". Now, it's more of a methodical, tortoise approach rather than the hare and we all know how that story ends.

[Kraftd]

I'm kind of reaching this conclusion too a bit. I just have a really hard time being as quiet as I think I need to be. Being 6-6 and 250 with size 16 boot doesn't make it any easier.

[flinginairos]

In my personal progression, I'm still in the bedding "area" stage of hunting bucks. Meaning that I definitely have it narrowed down to the thickets that bucks are bedding in but I haven't been able to narrow it down to the exact piece of dirt that they are laying on.

With that being said, when I'm traveling towards the thickets that I want to hunt, if it's still and the leaves are crunchy, I'm slowing my pace down big time when I'm 150-200 yards from where I'm expecting to setup. If it's windy and/or I'm walking through a field or something that isn't loud, I'll wait until I'm about 100 yards from where I expect to setup before throttling down.

My pace will slow down to a few steps in the crunchy leaves and then I'll stop for anywhere from 5 seconds to 5 minutes just to break up the cadence. There is NOTHING more recognizable than the rhythmic "crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch" of a man walking in the leaves and the deer key in on it big time. When I'm getting close, I'm stopping to check out deer trails, rubs, acorns on the ground, scrapes, or any other fresh sign that may make me want to alter my original plans; BUT I'm using my eyes to look 360 degrees around me. I'm not walking over to every rub I see or walking up and down each trail. I'm trying to gain as much intel as I can with the least amount of intrusion that I can.

I used to be so paranoid about making noise getting to my stand but I've learned that deer live out there and hear leaves crunching, acorns falling, sticks breaking all day/night long and as long as they can't pin it to a non-natural sound (ie. metal clanking on metal or the cadence of a man walking, etc.) they won't bolt out of there. UNLESS, they smell you which brings me to another point; MAKE absolute sure that your entry route is designed in such a way that the wind will NEVER blow towards where you expect the buck is bedded. If it does and he smells you, you can be as stealthy as a bobcat but the game is over before it even began.

Last point; remember that this style of hunting is generally going to produce a buck sighting the last 30 minutes of shooting light. So you have plenty of time to slow down, take it easy, get to your stand, and take your time making your set so you don't make any unnatural sounds. I used to race to my hunting spots, pretty much run through the woods, and climb a tree as fast as I could so that I could "give the woods some time to settle down before primetime". Now, it's more of a methodical, tortoise approach rather than the hare and we all know how that story ends.

This is absolutely spot on with what I have been doing the last year. I have slowed WAY down entering my spots, taking extreme care not to make any unnatural sounds. When I killed my big buck Oct 1st this season it took me a good hour to travel the last 200 yards because it was so dry. I would take a few steps and stop and listen before doing it again. I got set up within 75-80 yards of him and killed him about 20 minutes before dark.

[Dewey]

Once I get within 100 yards I stop and relax a bit to allow myself to slow way down. Once I survey the area a bit and chose the quietest route I start my sneak. This is the point most bed hunts are done well before they even start. I have taken over an hour to sneak that last 100 yards. This is why I head in at noon for an evening hunt even early season. If you are short on time you will rush. If you have very thick cover or wind you can get away with a lot more. I time my movements with wind, flocks of geese or airplane flying over or anything else that covers my sound and gives me an advantage. Bucks hear noises all day long and as long as it's not an unatural sound they will usually forget about it rather quickly. Once you get to your tree the real challenge begins. Setting up a stand within sight of bedded buck is a huge challenge. This is where your pre-scouting will pay off huge as far as knowing exactly where the bed is and what the buck can see from it. Singing Bridge had the greatest idea ever when he mentioned while scouting to hang an orange hat or glove in the bed at the bedded bucks head height then going back to your tree, climb and then see what you can get away with. Many times we set up way too high and get busted in the process.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Stanley]

I'm kind of reaching this conclusion too a bit. I just have a really hard time being as quiet as I think I need to be. Being 6-6 and 250 with size 16 boot doesn't make it any easier.

Great, great point. You can't be as stealthful as a 5' 5" 125 lb guy with a size 8 boot. You just have to use what you got to the best of your abilities. So you have to hang back 50 yards more than the runt guy? Just do what you have to do and then do it. The smaller hunter may not be able to carry what you can 2 miles into the bush.

[flinginairos]

I'm kind of reaching this conclusion too a bit. I just have a really hard time being as quiet as I think I need to be. Being 6-6 and 250 with size 16 boot doesn't make it any easier.

Dang I thought my size 13's made it hard!

[headgear]

Generally about 200 yards from where I plan to setup I will stop and take a break to let everything settle down a bit. I try and be quiet beyond 200 yards as to not spook other deer but I am less concerned than I am when I close the distance to my tree. Every setup is different, that last 200 yards can take a half hour or it can take a couple of hours. I tend to lean toward more stealth and less time hunting outside of the rut. Just go slow and take a lot of small pauses and break. If you crack a branch just stop and chill out for a couple of minutes. You will be amazed at how close you can get to deer when you do this. Every now and then the buck will bed in a spot you don't expect and bust you, don't get discouraged, this means you were in the right spot and were doing everything right even if the hunt was a bust.

[fishlips]

this is one thing that always makes me wonder how many times deer have snuck out before I even set up without me knowing it. I know that I do bust some and see them, but I would bet that there are a lot more that I never even knew were there.

[Dewey]

Bigfoot is a pretty stealthy fella. Just saying.

I have seriously thought about throwing a pair of moccasins in my pocket to put on just for those final approaches. The indians were onto something there. Can't argue with their stalking abilities.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[PK_]

Dry, crunchy leaves are the toughest imo. Listen to squirrels in dry leaves. Learn to make the same type of rustling with you boots. Usually it is 2-3 quick steps then 'tap' or 'nose' the tip of your boot around in the leaves. Don't break sticks. If the deer can't see or smell you they will let you walk right up to them. Literally. You WILL look like an idiot so hopefully nobody is watching you.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[tgreeno]

I've slowed myself way down this year, but I think I'm still too fast.

To me setting up the stand is the toughest part. It takes the most movement & makes the most noise no matter how careful you are.

I'll probably never know if the buck just wasn't home or he slipped out while I was setting up. I set-up on 4 specific buck beds this year and went 0-4.

[AAAK]

I've slowed myself way down this year, but I think I'm still too fast.

To me setting up the stand is the toughest part. It takes the most movement & makes the most noise no matter how careful you are.

I'll probably never know if the buck just wasn't home or he slipped out while I was setting up. I set-up on 4 specific buck beds this year and went 0-4.

I find if I sit at the base of my tree for a few minutes and then start setting up it is much smoother

[Crazinamatese]

Windless day, Im stealth mode all the way to my set up.