How quietly do you walk to your stand?

[Edcyclopedia]

Not very...
I'm like a shorter white Shrek

[E72]

Trying to get close to beds the first two weeks here in hill country was painful . Dry as a bone and seemed like I sounded like a freight train rolling through the timber every hunt. This rain will be nice for the next few days.

[cw2gsp]

As a new Beast hunter one of the things I'm learning very quickly is that its the quality of hunts over quantity of hunts. It now takes me 3x-4x as long to get set up than it used to. If I don't have that time I just don't go. I feel sooo much less rushed and can truly take the time needed to get into my stand when the right day comes along.

[justdirtyfun]

The approach is so important for this stuff. I have adjusted my mental attitude and can get in close MOST of the time.

Last season I was at my chosen tree and dropped something. Bam! Deer jumps out at like 7 or 8 yards. So I'm on the right path. It would have been too close to set the stand visually speaking but I was there!

If anyone has a diaphragm turkey call and can use it( I can't) having it ready for the unavoidable noise SHOULD help. But maybe doing that would end up with bad habits of accepting too much noise.

[<DK>]

My last access video I recorded was 22 mins the last 100 yards. That included cool down time for stepping on 3 twigs

[BA-IV]

My last access video I recorded was 22 mins the last 100 yards. That included cool down time for stepping on 3 twigs

That should be on YouTube buddy...I've always wondered how other guys do the access deal.

[<DK>]

My last access video I recorded was 22 mins the last 100 yards. That included cool down time for stepping on 3 twigs

That should be on YouTube buddy...I've always wondered how other guys do the access deal.

Thanks BA, Ill consider it but this is my first season trying to record a lot. Most of my stuff is unlisted and early season access gets me cursing a little bit...

[<DK>]

Not very...
I'm like a shorter white Shrek

[tgreeno]

Not very...
I'm like a shorter white Shrek

Are Ed's like onions?

[Ognennyy]

Not very...
I'm like a shorter white Shrek

Are Ed's like onions?

When I get my first buck kill I want Ed to show up and, with a thick Scottish draw, say "That'll do Daawwwnkey. That'll do."

[oldrank]

I am pretty stealthy but when leaves start falling not much you can do but go slow.

[Edcyclopedia]

I require a good steady wind, say 5-6 mph or better.
Preferably under 15'ish.
Also wet leaves!

[headgear]

Dry leaves can be done, you just have to go at a snails pace or hop around like a squirrel. One time I took my boots off and walked the last 100 in my socks, big improvement on sound if you want to try it. Otherwise crunching the leaves slowly under your foot will quiet them, got within 40 yards of a bedded bear one time in these conditions, just too bad it wasn't a huge buck instead.

[xpauliber]

When you snap twigs and branches going through brush, that means large animal to a deer. That gets their attention. Coons, squirrels, fox, rabbits, etc don’t snap twigs very often. They rustle grass and leaves. Heck a mouse can sound like a 10 lb animal in dry canary grass. You can get by rustling grass and such but snapping twigs is a big no no. that and letting them slap against your stand.

Bingo. As painful as it seems at the time, if I snap a twig when I'm closing in those last crucial yards, it's an automatic timeout for several minutes.

Something to keep in mind is that while you're sneaking those last yards, you're basically still hunting so make sure you have your release on and you're ready to rock. I've had several deer move in around me in the past as I'm sneaking into my tree. I haven't shot any yet while approaching my stand but it very well could happen.

[<DK>]

Dry leaves can be done, you just have to go at a snails pace or hop around like a squirrel. One time I took my boots off and walked the last 100 in my socks, big improvement on sound if you want to try it. Otherwise crunching the leaves slowly under your foot will quiet them, got within 40 yards of a bedded bear one time in these conditions, just too bad it wasn't a huge buck instead.

Cool story about the bear though! I noticed one day while wearing cowboy boots that it was much quieter walking on leaves, my issue is not much tread on the bottoms and not comfortable. I will keep your tip in mind tho that sounds like a great story if successful!