Stealth Thread

[funderburk]

What are your tips and tricks or routines for maximum stealth especially when close to bedding?

[Hawthorne]

Move slow and take your time. Use any cover available to hide your movement. Use any noise to cover your noise. Gusts of wind, airplanes, traffic noises etc. It’s amazing how close you can get especially early season

[Noreast10pt]

Move very slowly and make sure to step on every available rock, log, stump, grass, or bare ground, and when you have to step on dry leaves try stay on tip toes.

[backstraps]

Knowing the terrain prior. Goong slow and checking the wind often

Closing the last yards to get setup should be focus related slow and calculated movements

[Drenalin]

Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Make time before the season to silence your equipment, put it all on and give it a test run. Don't let yourself be surprised by something you can control.

[NutterBuster]

I do a lot of stalking for pigs. Full-sneak for me is small steps. Like left heel to right toe, right heel to left toe. This helps you keep your balance, and turns a step sound into just a rustle. The woods are full of rustles. Keep your upper body as still as possible, and just go slow. I have been known to kick my shoes off during the final few yards.

If I'm trying to sneak to a deer stand, I take a minute or two to transition into sneak mode once I get within 100-200 yards. I stop, set my gear down, and just stand or sit for a minute or two. This resets my "baseline" to be more in tune with the silence of the woods.

For maximum sneakiness, have a buddy walk in with you if possible. My dad and I "drop off" each other whenever practical. Deer hear footsteps in, and footsteps out. They don't register the fact that somebody stayed behind. I've had deer move under me immediately after a hunter walked under me on public land. I believe they thought I had left.

[funderburk]

Awesome! Keep em coming! This is great stuff.

[isitseasonyet?]

My Dad will do things like run, jump, scratch is feet around walk with a stick, take only odd numbers of steps... all in an effort to not sound like a person. He has shot several deer walking in that way.

Doesnt work for me. I just try my best to take calculated steps when I get close. Toe down first then lower your heel.

I have also had good results riding a bike in as far as possible. Saves time and makes much less noise than walking if its possible in that area.

[jman22]

I like utilizing creeks for walking in whenever possible.

[greenhorndave]

Literally read in Jim Roy's book yesterday that he shuffles his feet as he walks and uses a walking stick to shuffle-step the ground with the stick between every footstep. Gives the impression of a creature with more than two legs. Then he combines that with varying levels of pauses. Claims to have been able to walk up on a lot of deer this way, including bow kills in beds. I haven't tried it yet but I may mess around with it scouting this weekend.

[Ahawk116]

I’ll give a little more specific advice for your area. Use the horse trails. They are beat down and quiet. The other thing you’ll need to use are the ditches. There are a ton in the area your hunting.

If your trying to get real close and the leaves are crunchy I’ll bring an old pair of wool socks and take my boots off. That’s an extreme example though.

[freezeAR]

Wind is your friend. I need fairly high winds to access some spots. Rain is your friend. My favorite time to hunt is a light rain. Its amazing how quite you can be. When above options aren't available I use Fred Asbell advise. He advocates to sound like a 4 legged animal by stepping down with toe side of foot (crunch) then heel (crunch). One step sounding like two sounds like the walk of a four legged animal. I routinely get close to deer using all three techniques.

[JAK]

Slow, wind, or wet , any noise that can help you . Just dont be like me and get so excitex u make a quite entry you clank something setting up

[Jdw]

Use terrain and vegetation to your advantage. When you stop don’t get caught off balance or on one foot.
Move slow enough that small animals and birds are acting naturally.

[funderburk]

Literally read in Jim Roy's book yesterday that he shuffles his feet as he walks and uses a walking stick to shuffle-step the ground with the stick between every footstep. Gives the impression of a creature with more than two legs. Then he combines that with varying levels of pauses. Claims to have been able to walk up on a lot of deer this way, including bow kills in beds. I haven't tried it yet but I may mess around with it scouting this weekend.

Which book? And do you recommend?