Still Hunting Hill Country

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johndeere506
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Still Hunting Hill Country

Unread postby johndeere506 » Wed Oct 18, 2017 2:26 am

Does anyone still hunt big hill country during gun season?

If you hunt beds during bow season and don't fill your tag, do you continue hunting beds on points, and terrain features, or go walking or still hunting?


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Re: Still Hunting Hill Country

Unread postby cedarsavage » Wed Oct 18, 2017 4:34 am

I started doing it last season a bit. Killed a rifle buck had a few opportunities tracking as well. I use it to hit multiple areas of interest in one hunt. I focus on scrape lines a lot, I’ve encountered them high and low. I bumped one out of a giant bed at the bottom of a ravine mid afternoon, ended up losing him to private ground. It is tough to walk the uneven ground on the top 1/3 sidehilling and being quiet. I target all the same stuff I’d be interested in stand hunting. I work slowly through the good stuff then speed to the next good spot. I shoot for about 100 yards an hour. Here the terrain is very homogeneous sobit allows me to hunt an area rather than a single spot and move to the deer. If you’re interested I’d say get out and do it, that’s the only way you can learn.
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<DK>
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Re: Still Hunting Hill Country

Unread postby <DK> » Wed Oct 18, 2017 4:39 am

funny avatar pic JohnDeere!
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Re: Still Hunting Hill Country

Unread postby johndeere506 » Wed Oct 18, 2017 5:37 am

Darkknight54 wrote:funny avatar pic JohnDeere!


Thanks, haha. It was one of those "awe crap...." moments watching it slide down the tree. I had a very rare thing happen just after and almost fell 30ft, so the pic was actually the highlight.
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Re: Still Hunting Hill Country

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Wed Oct 18, 2017 6:02 am

I do it with my bow when conditions are wet or windy sometimes. I have killed several does, no bucks yet. Afew close encounters right at the edge of my effective range. Have best luck hunting a crosswind middle of the day.
Life is hard; It’s even harder if you are stupid.
-John Wayne-
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<DK>
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Re: Still Hunting Hill Country

Unread postby <DK> » Wed Oct 18, 2017 3:34 pm

johndeere506 wrote:
Darkknight54 wrote:funny avatar pic JohnDeere!


Thanks, haha. It was one of those "awe crap...." moments watching it slide down the tree. I had a very rare thing happen just after and almost fell 30ft, so the pic was actually the highlight.


Seeing a grown man shimmy down a tree like a squirrel is a sight only few get to see. My only scare w a climber was not good! I shimmy down that tree. Got back, told Dad and got cleaned up. He automatically grabbed a ladder, took off to my spot (not far from house) to get my climber out of the tree... I remember as I walking up to him he stood at the base of the tree, staring up at it for AWHILE...I can only imagine his thoughts :lol:
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Re: Still Hunting Hill Country

Unread postby Cuzzinfish » Wed Oct 18, 2017 3:51 pm

johndeere506 wrote:Does anyone still hunt big hill country during gun season?

If you hunt beds during bow season and don't fill your tag, do you continue hunting beds on points, and terrain features, or go walking or still hunting?


I used to when I lived in WV. No hills in Central Ohio. :lol: Killed a few deer that way. I actually had my best success doing that at the end of the first week of gun season by walking just below the skyline on the opposite side of thick ditches and bowls in the morning after the thermals started pulling uphill and then peeking/glassing from above. The ridge and bottom pressure tended to push the deer to the middle elevations and into the thickets in the areas I hunted. My gun bucks were all killed out of ditches where they had does, come to think of it.
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Re: Still Hunting Hill Country

Unread postby <DK> » Wed Oct 18, 2017 3:52 pm

As far as still hunting HC goes... I definitely enjoy it more these days. Looking to have some real fun w it on a small parcel this season. I plan to wait for a nice rain, watch some old school Roger Raglin vids to get jacked up & head out w "ol' black magic" (Savage .270 180gr) :D
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johndeere506
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Re: Still Hunting Hill Country

Unread postby johndeere506 » Thu Oct 19, 2017 5:36 am

Darkknight54 wrote:
johndeere506 wrote:
Darkknight54 wrote:funny avatar pic JohnDeere!


Thanks, haha. It was one of those "awe crap...." moments watching it slide down the tree. I had a very rare thing happen just after and almost fell 30ft, so the pic was actually the highlight.


Seeing a grown man shimmy down a tree like a squirrel is a sight only few get to see. My only scare w a climber was not good! I shimmy down that tree. Got back, told Dad and got cleaned up. He automatically grabbed a ladder, took off to my spot (not far from house) to get my climber out of the tree... I remember as I walking up to him he stood at the base of the tree, staring up at it for AWHILE...I can only imagine his thoughts :lol:


Yeah I was thrown a climbing stick and had to learn the one stick method climbing down. I had a non locking caribiner from REI, and a little branch swept it open and my linemans belt out of in in one swoop. I didn't know til I leaned back and almost fell backwards off the tree. Never again will I use a non locking caribiner. I also leanred to use that silly rope attaching the top and bottom of the climber that day. :lol:

Im looking forward to doing this especially in new areas this year. I do remember still hunting last year, the dry leaves were INSANELY LOUD in the hills. I would think walking just across the ridgetop, the noise might not be quite as bad but not sure.

Do you guys walk down and back all the points or mainly stay on the main ridgetops?
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Re: Still Hunting Hill Country

Unread postby <DK> » Thu Oct 19, 2017 8:22 am

I consider still hunting w a rifle my payback for all the blown stalks w a bow or hours sitting in a stand. Im a rookie, in general my plan is go known bedding area to bedding area (does or bucks), on wet/windy day and try to glass ridge across the valley. There are select spots w open timber id like to walk the 1/3 with wet leaves. I prefer still hunting for rough weather days, plus getting to hunt multiple bedding areas in one day, the excitement of any minute could see a buck always gets to me. Late season with windy or snow conditions would be great addition to the scenario. I messed up last time so im gonna try to be better this year... One thing I really like to do in general is still hunt field edges mornings/evenings on my way in or out of an area. Another fun thing learned from still hunting is how to stack bedding areas. One issue iv found tho is running out of ground while muddying up a whole property so again, timing and conditions are key if its a respected property.


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