Lets hear it guys.
What is your fav. hunting method for deer?
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Looks like I'm not alone on hunting out of a tree stand.
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When it gets hard hunting we will start doing a lot of walking from daylight to dark just stopping long enough to boil the kettle and have a bite to eat, trying to find out where the big bucks have held up. Would like to try the ground blind thing though as my kids are getting to the age where they want to go with me.
Back when I rifle hunted years ago (1980's-90's)I hunted only the big woods on crown land (Grand John area).
I read a story in an outdoor life magazine by a guy who used a stop watch to time himself while still-hunting (or stalking if you will).
I had great success on bucks with this method. I would walk about 50 feet then stop for about 5 minutes (or less depending on the cold), then another 50 feet, and so on. While you are standing still you scan every inch of the woods for movement, and also pick out the next route to move ahead without making too much noise. I would only cover a few hundred yards in a whole morning hunting this way.
Sort of like sitting…but moving your seat every few minutes. It works great, and timing yourself forces you to not move too soon. This gives you more chances of hearing or seeing a deer before you step on a twig and give yourself away. This method even works well in the noisiest hardwood stands with frost covered leaves on the ground, or crusted snow. After all, a deer makes just as much noise walking in them as you do. You just have to be able to hear it first.
But now since I have turned to the bow pretty much exclusively, I hunt only from stands. I have two API baby grand twisters. One for me and the other for my wife. We also use "Rivers Edge" stick ladders, with ratchet straps on each section.. This puts us up about 20 feet. I have a lot of screw in tree steps and have used them quite a bit in the past. But I much prefer these stick ladders.
A few years ago I shot a buck from 15 yds at 22 feet up(put a couple of steps above the ladder).
As much as I loved still-hunting, and I do miss it every now and then.
I really love tree stand bowhunting even more.
I love that quiet stillness in the morning, and being able to watch and listen without having to watch where you put your foot every step. And I also love getting a big buck in close. I once shot a buck with my 7mm at just 15 yds when we ran into each other. That's close! But not the same thing as having one under your tree with bow in hand.
Last fall I had a big boy at 15 yds twice within 10 minutes and couldn't shoot for limbs in the way. Another local hunter shot that buck a few days later with rifle, while I was in my stand waiting out the season for him to return.
It was tough to take a missed opportunity like that, but hey…The excitement of that morning stayed with me for many weeks after. Can't get enough of that adrenaline rush!
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I read a story in an outdoor life magazine by a guy who used a stop watch to time himself while still-hunting (or stalking if you will).
I had great success on bucks with this method. I would walk about 50 feet then stop for about 5 minutes (or less depending on the cold), then another 50 feet, and so on. While you are standing still you scan every inch of the woods for movement, and also pick out the next route to move ahead without making too much noise. I would only cover a few hundred yards in a whole morning hunting this way.
Sort of like sitting…but moving your seat every few minutes. It works great, and timing yourself forces you to not move too soon. This gives you more chances of hearing or seeing a deer before you step on a twig and give yourself away. This method even works well in the noisiest hardwood stands with frost covered leaves on the ground, or crusted snow. After all, a deer makes just as much noise walking in them as you do. You just have to be able to hear it first.
But now since I have turned to the bow pretty much exclusively, I hunt only from stands. I have two API baby grand twisters. One for me and the other for my wife. We also use "Rivers Edge" stick ladders, with ratchet straps on each section.. This puts us up about 20 feet. I have a lot of screw in tree steps and have used them quite a bit in the past. But I much prefer these stick ladders.
A few years ago I shot a buck from 15 yds at 22 feet up(put a couple of steps above the ladder).
As much as I loved still-hunting, and I do miss it every now and then.
I really love tree stand bowhunting even more.
I love that quiet stillness in the morning, and being able to watch and listen without having to watch where you put your foot every step. And I also love getting a big buck in close. I once shot a buck with my 7mm at just 15 yds when we ran into each other. That's close! But not the same thing as having one under your tree with bow in hand.
Last fall I had a big boy at 15 yds twice within 10 minutes and couldn't shoot for limbs in the way. Another local hunter shot that buck a few days later with rifle, while I was in my stand waiting out the season for him to return.
It was tough to take a missed opportunity like that, but hey…The excitement of that morning stayed with me for many weeks after. Can't get enough of that adrenaline rush!
2
Oh yeh!....almost forgot...Just want to remind all the treestand hunters out there to be sure and wear that safety harness. The life you save...will be your own! I like to have the tether to the tree just long enough that I can lean forward a bit in my seat. That way, if you do fall off the platform while standing up....you will not go below stand level. Also if you do nod off while sitting (yes i've done it) it doesn't scare the crap out of you waking up and falling forward a couple of feet!
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"Safe Hunting".
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