Stalking

[funderburk]

Any tried and true tips for stalking through dry leaves? I'll do the common wait for cover noise (wind gusts, cars, planes, etc.) and hunt after a good rain, but wondering if there's something I haven't tried or heard of.

[NH Teufelhund]

And also, at which point do we start going quiet? When we first enter the timber or when we think we are close?

[Uncle Lou]

I had to deal with some crunchy snow and dry leaves a couple times this year. What I did was clear an area the best I could with my eyes. Pick a path and walk 50-100 yds and stand for a bit. Clear the area, then proceed. You are wanting deer to be moving into you when you are standing. You bump a few, but it worked for me this year.

I did have to tip toe a couple hundred yards on one hunt. Just wait for gusts, crows, plains, trains, and autos (if your near a road) and slow way down. Took me a couple of hours to move the couple hundred yards.

Also, pay attention to how far you can see an animal or other hunter moving, then see how well you can hear them. Beyond 50-100 I can't hear people and deer that well in the crunchy stuff. So you can still walk around in crunchy stuff sometimes and get within 50-100 yds - shooting distance with a gun. If you are moving slow, sometimes they stand up to look around when they hear you instead of just bolting.

I will say again if you are not exhausted from trying to move quietly (over a period of time), you are not trying hard enough.

Good luck

[funderburk]

I had to deal with some crunchy snow and dry leaves a couple times this year. What I did was clear an area the best I could with my eyes. Pick a path and walk 50-100 yds and stand for a bit. Clear the area, then proceed. You are wanting deer to be moving into you when you are standing. You bump a few, but it worked for me this year.

I did have to tip toe a couple hundred yards on one hunt. Just wait for gusts, crows, plains, trains, and autos (if your near a road) and slow way down. Took me a couple of hours to move the couple hundred yards.

Also, pay attention to how far you can see an animal or other hunter moving, then see how well you can hear them. Beyond 50-100 I can't hear people and deer that well in the crunchy stuff. So you can still walk around in crunchy stuff sometimes and get within 50-100 yds - shooting distance with a gun. If you are moving slow, sometimes they stand up to look around when they hear you instead of just bolting.

I will say again if you are not exhausted from trying to move quietly (over a period of time), you are not trying hard enough.

Good luck

Good words!

[Wolfshead]

Also you can try and not walk like a “human”.
We walk in a predictable manner “step, step, step, step, step....”
Watch a deer walk.
“Step, step, step, pause. Step, step, step, step, step, pause....”
What I like to do is work in odd numbers 3, 5, and 7. I mix up the combination of steps so as not to be in a pattern. I will take, for example, two short steps and the third step evens up my stance so that I am balanced and I pause for a moment or two. Then maybe take two more short steps and the third will come to balance again. When I pause i scan for movement or sign of deer and like uncle Lou wrote “clear an area with my eyes” then I move again only this time it might be for five or seven steps. I just like to make sure that last, odd numbered step” comes to balance so that I can react to whatever may happen. I also found, when I first tried this, and I did not use that last step to come to balance, that I sometimes I might stumble and make too much noise and sound “human” again. Pause for as long as you feel is needed. When I say “a moment or two” that can be something like 1-5 minutes. What ever is appropriate for that moment.
Also, as I go especially with the longer sequence of steps I try to work towards a tree or something so my siloette is not too obvious and easily picked out.
Just something to consider.
I would just like to add that I did not come up with this on my own as I am not that smart but found it elsewhere. Just can’t remember who to give the credit to! I will take credit for the last “balance step” though

[brancher147]

If you have a lot of squirrels, walk when they walk. Or use the terrain to your advantage by staying below a hill or off to the side of where you expect deer to be. Walk on rocks and logs. And go slow and take lots of breaks-if you are going slow enough you should have to watch behind yourself to make sure nothing is passing you. I have shot deer and bear that came from behind me when I was stalking.

[PK_]

2, 3 or 4 quick steps. Stop. ‘Nose’ your boot around in the leaves. Wait a couple minutes and repeat. Match the cadence of a squirrel. It works incredibly well as long as you don’t snap a stick. If you do snap a branch or make some other noise do a few squirrel barks and don’t move for several minutes.

[matt1336]

Everyone has great advice here as usual. The best advice I can give is to try your best to prepare yourself to be unbelievably patient. Remember each step you take will give you a bit of new look at the terrain.
The hardest thing for me to grasp when I track or still hunt is to know when to go and when to take my time. I’m just starting too.

[ScottSpitzley]

There was an episode of THP, where Zach kind of went on and showed how he approached an area slowly with crunchy leaves. One tip that really hit me was to pick out where you take the step first. Once getting ready to take that initial step, lift your head looking into the direction you are going and keep repeating the process each step. I tried it after seeing that and it worked well. For some reason when you lift your head up while settling your foot, it makes you really concentrate on what's going on around you and how quiet or loud you are being, and how you can then adjust using that method. That being whether you should slow down a bit more.

I do not remember which episode that was, and I may have even missed a couple tips. But that tip alone right there was a game changer for me.

[funderburk]

There was an episode of THP, where Zach kind of went on and showed how he approached an area slowly with crunchy leaves. One tip that really hit me was to pick out where you take the step first. Once getting ready to take that initial step, lift your head looking into the direction you are going and keep repeating the process each step. I tried it after seeing that and it worked well. For some reason when you lift your head up while settling your foot, it makes you really concentrate on what's going on around you and how quiet or loud you are being, and how you can then adjust using that method. That being whether you should slow down a bit more.

I do not remember which episode that was, and I may have even missed a couple tips. But that tip alone right there was a game changer for me.

I saw that episode! Great advice.

[funderburk]

Everyone has great advice here as usual. The best advice I can give is to try your best to prepare yourself to be unbelievably patient. Remember each step you take will give you a bit of new look at the terrain.
The hardest thing for me to grasp when I track or still hunt is to know when to go and when to take my time. I’m just starting too.

You’re absolutely right. Patience is key. I’ve actually started to not plan stalk hunts on days that aren’t completely open. Knowing that all I have to do is stalk this or that ridge helps me take the time necessary to do it right.