Tips and Tricks For "Ground Pounders"

[scottflesher]

Awesome WW.
I will. Time will only dictate the pace of my gallop when the sun finally sets. I'll more than likely spend the entire day trying this tactic. I know that if i'm doing it properly, my pace should be very slow. More glassing and observing than "walking".
I'll keep you posted as to the outcome.

[tonyotony]

ORIGINAL: Woods Walker

INTERESTING! If I'm stillhunting along hillsides, I will many times cut a hiking staff to help me keep myself balanced while I have one foot in the air as I walk. In dry leaves I also use the sound of the staff hitting the leaves as the sould of a "deer walk". What I may try, is cutting a staff that has multiple branches at the top for just the purpose that you mentioned.

OK WoodsWalker, I'm not ashamed to say that I'm not yet sure what the cadence of a "deer walk" is. Would that be: 1. human foot strike, 2. silence, 3. staff hitting ground, 4. silence, 5. other human foot strike, 6. silence? How's that for a beginner?

[Woods Walker]

Listen to the sound that large quadraped, like a horse, makes while it's walking slowly on it's own. Because of the 4 legs, the rythym is a 1,2...slight pause...3,4. If you listen to a horse on a hard surface, there's also a sound cadence that's sort of 1. Low 2.High.....3.High, 4. Low, or the classic, "clip-clop...clop-clip".

Deer walk the same way. Think of all the times you've watched deer walk while they feed. They usually move TWO feet when the move...rarely just one. Then they will follow it up with the other two. They also DO NOT drag or shuffle leaves when the walk, because they pick their small narrow hooves up clear of the ground and then set them down. That's why most of the time it's easy to distiguish between a deer and a squirrel moving in the woods. Squirrels "shuffle" when the move, deer don't (usually).

Try this...take a broom stick or a similar narrow piece of wood, and try making the sound a deer makes when it walks, and in a two beat pattern.

G.Fred Asbell in his EXCELLENT book, "Stalking and Stillhunting, The Groundhunter's Bible", describes a technique called the "deer walk" that he uses when the leaves are dry and there's deer in the area. He will set his foot down TOE FIRST (and he will point the toe down, kind of like a ballerina), purposely making a step sound like a deer's toe. After a very slight pause, he will arch his foot, and then bring the heel down in the same fashion; the idea being to sound like a deer. I have done this (it does take a little practice to do it right), but never in the presence of deer. The important thing is to NOT sound like a human, and like squirrels, a human being walking in the woods is akin to fog horn going off!

[MSHunter]

WW, Marc, Shaman:
I was in the market for a climbing stand this fall, but I had to have some work done to my pickup, hence no climbing, at least at this point. But I can afford a ghillie suit. Any recommendations on a type: poncho, tactical, bow hunter and brand?
Thank you in advance for your input.

[Woods Walker]

Here's the one that I use......

http://ranchosafari.com/index.php?main_ ... ucts_id=98

It's not cheap, but just like with everything else, you get what you pay for. A lot of people like to make their own, and some places sell kits for a lot less money. My friend bought a kit form The Sportsman's Guide for a lot less $, and it works for him.

The only thing I would strongly advise is that whatever you do go with, it's best NOT to have an attached hood, but a separate headpiece. The Rancho Safari Shaggie comes with what they call a "Bonnie Hood", which is not a hood at all, but a headpiece. You can buy these separate from Rancho Safari.

[woodsalta]

When I go hunting in upstate NY and in Maine all we do is still hunt. a couple of tips I have learned are:

1. Walk slowly. Take a few steps, stop, and look all around. You could have walked by a bedded deer and it's waiting for you to keep going so it can make it's escape. When you stop and look around it's thinking "did I move, and this guy sees me?" and sometimes that is enough to get them standing/moving.

2. If you jump a deer stop and drop. Make yourself as small as possible. Drop to a knee, idealy near a tree, rock or stump. These will help break up your shape, but will also give you something to rest your gun on/against for a better shot.

[AlleganBowhunter]

woodsalta:

Good tips.  It reminded me of one I read a long time ago.  They said when you come to a thicket or dead fall.. stop and stare at it.   Theory was the same the deer will get nervous and get up.  I think it was a story on deer drives, but could still apply in some situations.

Good luck everyone!

[LiveOutdoors1]

A great tactic I use during the rut, is "2 way stalk". I still hunt quietly, but every so often I pull out the grunt call & make a few "pop grunts". Those short, burp burp, kind of grunts that a chasing buck creates while in pursuit of the ladies. Not only does it help to disguise human presence, it frequently causes deer to stalk you in return. To add in realism, stop every so often and kick some brush around, make a little noise, just try to keep your silhouette hidden and movement to a minimum. Follow up the brush kicking with a low tending grunt or maybe even a snort wheeze. The key is only calling from locations with adequate cover, so an approaching buck doesn't see you from 100yds away. Even call shy bucks will investigate, they are used to hearing some guy rattling 400 times from the same exact stand night after night. But if you put some mobility into the mix, you will be amazed with the results. Take extra care to be scent free, if you're sweating then you're moving to fast/much. Relax, take your time. I will admit the one downfall of this, young bucks. You will see every young buck within ear shot. They are usually roaming aimlessly looking for that lonely doe without a badass boyfriend already laying claims. But it still makes for an exciting day... especially when you call in a stud & thump him from 6 yds on the ground!

Good Luck, Jas

PS... Awesome Thread!

[Woods Walker]

Jas: GOOD POST! I like this idea, and I will try it!

[EatDeer]

Sure am glad all you guys are stalking deer, somebody has to push those big bucks out of the brush so I can shoot them from my tree stand!![;)]

Seriously, have any of you used that new mirror blind/ sheild, I saw on Jim Shocky's hunting show?

I'm thinking about making a small blind out of old mirrors, that is if they work good?