Still Hunting

[Sjo]

Anyone still hunt? I have been trying it so far this year. Wow, it is real hard to get within range. I have seen deer each time out but have only had one shot opportunity. I missed low, not sure if it was nerves or misjudging the distance, probably a bit of both. I want to get up in a tree because I'm getting itchy, but man still hunting is much more exciting.

[cbx46]

I only do on the way in and out and its more of a be ready to shoot then actual still hunting my property upstate is not good for still hunting on 32 acre and on LI I dont like to do it and screw up other peoples hunts.

[Red]

i love hunting my stands in the morning and evening then some times in the middle of the day go some where else and stalk it can be a lot of fun

[cbx46]

I will do that on public land in dec. not as many people in the woods and I can GPS new spots for next year.

[5.9cummins]

I like it but only during certain situations. One farm i hunt is a tree farm and i will stalk the rows of trees like a corn field. Poke your head out and look through the rows and move up and repeat. I also like to still hunt down a stream bed. Its not deep so knee boots are more than enough but you can move really quite. Quite being key. I don't do much still hunting unless there is snow on the ground or its wet. I tend to focus on the trees and streams because you can hunt them any time and for the most part its quite.

Last year i followed a group of three doe through the trees for 250+ yards and just could not get in front of them for a shot. I also came up on a small basket six going down a stream bed. Gave me a couple shots to drop him but i passed. About 100 yards latter i jumped a really nice buck out of his bed (under 30 yards). He bedded up under a hemlock and i could not see him. I am still kicking myself over that one because i had decided to call it quits and stepped up onto the bank. Had i kept in the stream and gone another couple yards i would have been able to see under the tree

[StripedBuck]

I love to still hunt, what a rush it is to be on the ground trying to get close to a deer without them hearing or seeing. It is so much harder to still hunt usually have deer running away after jumping them from there beds or them spotting you first. But to be eye level with a Doe or Buck at 5 yds. and not being detected is incredible. Scent control is at the most highest priority when still hunting. I was up in the Catskills two weeks ago still hunting and had two Does trying to fiqure me out one in front of me at 20 yds and the other walking around some brush to my left trying to scent me down wind at 10 yds. As it turned out I couldn't get a shot off, they were just to close to make a move. But what a great day in the woods in a long time.

[peas247]

just shot my first one from teh ground with the bow friday!! what a rush!! im hooked on it now..

[StripedBuck]

Congratulations Peas on your first still hunted deer!

It's a totally different world down there one on one, glad your hooked.

[Doewhacker]

We still hunt alot and ground hunt damn near 99% of the time. Its alot harder than being up in a tree thats for sure but because of that the rewards of a challenging hunt are greater. Some times it just flat works, even on loud crunchy leaf days.

[Sjo]

Went out Sunday morning. All spots north of the lie were reserved by small game. I went to a spot that I have never scouted before. Walked in about 30 mins before sunrise, found a fresh scrape and a small rub so I brushed myself in about 10 yards away. 2 hrs later in comes this 4 pointer walking around. No clean shots available, he was about 8 yds away and my heart was going crazy. Really wanted to take a shot but couldn't get a clean opportunity. There is nothing like being on the ground 8 yds away and not being spotted. I'm hooked on the ground. Way more challenging

[Doc]

Other than the opening day of gunseason, and a few of the more productive gun hunting days, almost all of my gun season is spent still hunting. It has been a very productive way of hunting once the deer have been put into their super survival mode by the onslaught of the guns.

Bow season still finds me hunting from the ground, but strictly in a stationary fashion in a constructed ground blind or some convenient blow-down if I can find one.