by Joel Spring » Thu Oct 20, 2011 4:41 pm
Im a longtime stand hunter, but have killed my share of bucks from the ground. That book IS a great one.
Here in western NY, not many people still hunt that I know of. One of my best friends killed a monster bedded in a thicket behind his house. It remained bedded at about 10 yards, and he shot it there. Together, we got a large 10 pointer that remained bedded rather than bolt. A couple of years ago, I shot a doe while walking into my stand with my muzzleloader. I kept my cool and walked past her (not easy to do) and turned and fired just as she stood up.
It's amazing how they'll just lie still and let you pass if they think you're not onto them. But, that said, if you have one hitch in your step or come to a complete stop, they'll often jump up and run.
Mostly, hunting in snow is how we spot them in the thickets, their dark silhouettes standing out against the snow. The ten pointer appeared to be a dead deer back in the thicket, until we stood there just a moment too long looking at him....my hunting partner shot him as he stood up to run.
It's a heart pounding way to hunt. I always HUNT on my way to and from stands, just for this reason. It can be done....it can be done...it can be done....
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