Marc Anthony...Some Questions!

[Marc Anthony]

The Oriental Hunnysuckle is a real problem here in the Midwest as it is overtaking our oak forests. It stays green nearly all year and is still green as I write this post. I use it to my advantage whenever I can. Just a few weeks ago I was kneeling behind a hunnysuckle because of its ample foliage, watching a buck come into range. He stopped literally, on the other side of the tree where I was and stayed there for about 2 minutes messing with a scrape. I was filming him while he was doing this! He finally stepped out and at less than 10 yards he presented a nice broadside shot. Unfortunately, I had an issue where I bumped the arrow at full draw, trying to focus the camera and spooked the buck! Nevertheless, it can get in the way when trying to see long distances but I just try to use it to my advantage. I'm sure it hinders tree stand hunters greatly!

[Woods Walker]

Got one more for you Marc.......

What would you say is the error you make most aften with this type of hunting?

Obviously moving too fast (and not seeing EVERYTHING....even when I thought I did) is probably the most common. For me it's this, and NOT CHECKING MY BACKTRAIL as much as what's ahead or to the side of me. I have to keep reminding myself that as slow as I'm moving, that the area behind me (that may only be 40 to 50 yards) I may have moved through an hour ago, so that area is just as viable and area to have deer in as what's ahead.

How about you?

P.S. Please let us all know on here when your book comes out...I WANT AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY! [:)]

[Marc Anthony]

That's definitely something I forget to do also WW! I have to remind myself to look behind me now and then.

Wow, that's a hard question to answer because I make so many of them. I think the biggest mistake I make is not watching what I step on. As mentioned before, I try to walk like a deer or a squirrel sounds (when they walk) but every once in a while, I'll fail to look down to see if there's a twig under a leaf (or over it) and I'll step on that doggone thing and hear a "snap"! That's one thing a deer will notice no matter how hard you try to mimic your footsteps. They understand that when a twig snaps, it means "weight" walking. In other words, they know it's not something light like a squirrel. Deer very rarely snap twigs if you've ever noticed. It's our broad feet with all of that surface area that catches those twigs.

[Woods Walker]

I hear you Marc. When the temps are above freezing and it's reasonably dry, I wear Converse high top sneakers with a couple of extra pair of socks and/or a Thinsulate bootie. With these I can feel the ground, and as long as I don't immediately put all my forward weight on that foot, I can usually feel if there's any sticks larger than a pencil....most of the time. I agree that a "snap" sound will give you away quicker than anything, and I usually don't move for a good 5 to 10 minutes after I do that.

Do you wear any special type of footwear? I try and stay away from Vibram soles, and when it get's colder/wetter I'll use an insulated Bean's Maine Hunting Shoe. I do have my eye on a pair of Carl Dyer hunting moccasins when the economy gets better. They are NOT cheap, but they're made specifically for stalk hunting. I even read that some special forces guys use them for their missions.

http://www.carldyers.com/ Click on the Eight Eye moccasin

[Wanderer]

Marc and Woodsie,
I've not done much still hunting, and, what I have done, is probably moving way faster than you guys do. We used to do a lot of "2 man sneaks" where my partner and I would still hunt in tandem. One guy is not moving while the other one still hunts for about 50 yards. Then the second guy moves out while the first guy is immobile.Kinda like leapfrogging each other. We were usually seperated by whatever distance we could get away with while still remaining in visual contact, usually one guy on top of the ridge with the other 2/3 of the way down. After following this thread for awhile, I got to wondering if the deer that you encounter while still hunting are in the area and you move in on them, versus you are still hunting and the deer wanders into range of you. Maybe it's a little of both. What say you guys?

[Woods Walker]

Speaking for myself, I'd have to say that most of the time the deer come into me, sometimes VERY rapidly...like that doe this season that darn near ran me over!

I have seen deer moving away from me or parallel with me that I've intercepted. It's harder to do, because you have to move faster, and the times when it's worked is when I've been able to put terrain features between myself and them. If I see deer a hundred yards or more away, I usually don't try to intercept them, because that would mean I'd have to move faster and then most likely spook other deer that may be between myself and them. Now I've not only blown chances on TWO deer, but I've probably messed up that particular woods for the day.

But like I said, I'm still learning!

[bowman12]

Awesome thread, my old man has two ghillie suits, he liked the idea of it but never really got into using them. I'm still amazed at how you guys can shoot deer on the ground with the bow, it's tough to get drawn in a tree let alone the ground. Question for you...

I'm patterning a good buck right now away from a food source and I have him trailed now to a large willow thicket that he's crossing, not bedding in. He's bedding in a large cedar swamp, crossing a large willow thicket, and going to the clover field. I'm a through and through treestand hunter, but guess what, willow patches don't have trees, and I think he's bedding just inside the cedar woods so I don't want to set up a stand on the edge of it because I don't want to spook him. I could go in late at night after he's moved out and get it set up but I think what I'm going to do is ground hunt the trail with the ghillie suit.

Any tips...He has the burlap style and we have about 18 inches of snow right now. The plan I have worked out at the moment is to get back on the trail so I can catch him during shooting hours, tuck myself into a willow bush with my back facing where he's coming from and trim enough so I can shoot him after he is past me a little ways. I'm thinking I'll probably roll around in the snow to get some stuck to the suit and I'll bring a small fold out stool to sit on. Any other tips, I'm most worried about being able to get drawn on him without getting busted.

[Woods Walker]

Try and set up so that with his most likely path of approach he won't ever be looking straight at you at any time. For example, if the trail has a bend in it, set up on the INSIDE of the bend, so that as he walks the bend his eyes will be looking towards the outside of the bend. What's more important than having screening cover in front of you is to have it behind you so that you are showing no silouette. Play the SHADOWS for the time of day that you do this also. That's a biggie.

Another thing you could do is if you have a good idea of his approach, set it up so that at some point there's a tree or heavy brush that will block his vision for a bit so that you can draw.

Finally, for the situation that you are describing, I'd never set my bow down for a nano-second. Keep it in your hands, and if you're sitting, between your legs so that you can bring it up with minimal movement . This is one of the reasons why I believe that a stickbow (recurve or longbow) has an advantage over compounds in this kind of ambush. They weight almost nothing, I don't use a bowquiver, and I can shoot mine at partial draw and from almost any angle. Just a little more versitility, as your shots are most likely going to be short as well as the time you have to get the shot off. But that's me. Marc has done OUTSTANDINGLY well with his set up!!!

If there's that much snow cover, you might also want to take an old white sheet and cut numerous strips out of it and tie it into the ghillie. That certainly can't hurt, and in a set up like this at you may well only get one crack at him, so make it count. This kind of a hunt is INTENSE, and your concentration is going to have to be "ON" at all times. This is not an easy hunt, but even if you don't get a shot at him but get him in your ambush it will be a rush like you've never had before!

Good luck, and let us know how it goes! And if you DO kill him, POST PICTURES!!! [:)]

[Marc Anthony]

Wanderer, I do a little bit of both. I would rather have deer walk into me but if they don't, I'l go out looking for them. If I can find them far out, it's a good thing! I now have time to sneak up on them for an ambush. Yesterday morning, for example, I had a monster buck walk right toward me and at 20 yards, he spotted me. Instead of running, he walked right up to me! I was waiting for him to turn broadside but he just kept coming. At 18 feet, I hammered him straight on! He ran about 20-30 yards and fell over. He just couldn't figure out what I was, so he decided to check me out. He later found out what I was LOL.

WW, I also use sneakers in the early season and some thinsulate type boots in the winter. I can "feel" with the sneakers but not so with the boots. Either way, you just have to take your time and calculate every move to stay undetected. It's not hard, it just takes getting used to!

[Woods Walker]

You know Marc, many will read of your last hunt and say, "Yeah....RIGHT!"

And several years ago I'd of thought the same thing.....but no more. I've had it happen, more than once, and it's just amazing. It doesn't happen all the time, but it does happen. The big difference between you and I, is that you can close the deal better than I can! But I don't get to hunt all that much in recent years. That's alright, the experiences I've been having are priceless!!!