Walk "casual" when Deer Hunting

[Northcountryman]

I was reading my F&S Deer Hunting Manual yesterday and came acroos a tip that I believe someone on this forum mentioned back during the season--to walk casual while deer hunting.  The author points out that deer encounter humans often in the woods-- that which include hikers , campers, bike riders, etc .--and become accustomed to said encounters; intime, they learn that these groups of humans are non-threatening and associate them as such.  Conversely, the other group of humans that are indeed a threat to them (US!!) --the hunters --flood the woods each fall in the hopes of tagging a buck and behave much differently than the aforementioned group.  In contrast to the devil-may-care gait and demeanor of the hikers approach thru the woods, hunters will tend to stalk as stealthily and silently as possible. This alarms deer profoundly as they clearly detect a major difference in the style of approach.  Considering this , the Author recommends that when walking thru the woods and not still hunting, try to walk "casual", i.e., like the hikers would.--Dont necessarily be intentionally or unusally noisy, but also, dont be furtive in your approach either.  Quite often, when walking along a trail and encountering deer, if you just move along with a careless "hikers" gait, they will watch you but not move.  If, however, youre snealing along, thats when they get spooked and you end up seeing their butts and tails following the "snort wheeze",  

Im not sure if this is entirely true, but I think it generally is and seems to mkae. My hunting mmentor back in the day firmly believed in this principle and advised that when you go in to your stand in the dark (i.e., early am), just "walk" in.  Dont try to be quiet or excessively noisy--just get there!! He said that if deer are in the vicinity, more than likely theyll watch you and not move--maybe trot away a bit but often return.  But if you sneak in, youll scare the beJesus outta them--what do you think?

[Splitear]

It's almost like playing at "conditioning". I knew a guy who would put "dummies" in his tree stands before season, as he thought this conditioned the deer into getting used to seeing something in that tree. I don't know that it ever worked, he did kill deer, but I don't know that it was because of his dummies. 

I'm sure there's some truth to the thinking that deer become accustomed to humans. I would think this would be common like the article says, on public ground near places where there are trails. 

Certainly something to think about. I always try to be sneaky, but at 6'4" and 250, I'm sure a candid video of me "sneaking" through a woods would be pretty funny. 

[f3cbboy]

I agree with this all the way!

my brother, who now hunts in colorado, proved this to me many times.  I have still hunted and killed a couple of deer. but I have yet to to close the deal myself - what i mean is walking normally and be able to kill a deer in NY.

I have done it a million times while hiking. walked up on them and made it like i raised a gun.    Something about having a bow or gun in your hand that the deer know.

[left field]

5 minutes ago, Splitear said:

It's almost like playing at "conditioning". I knew a guy who would put "dummies" in his tree stands before season, as he thought this conditioned the deer into getting used to seeing something in that tree. I don't know that it ever worked, he did kill deer, but I don't know that it was because of his dummies. 

Hmmm... I still have a few of these left over form when I was a lonely guy.

 

[Bolt action]

Makes sense, but I also think it makes a difference where you hunt. If you're hunting property that is (or is close to) public land where there is a casual human presence, then it makes sense. In these areas deer would more likely be accustomed to benign interactions with casual hikers and the such, and would less likely be alarmed. If you hunt large swaths of remote land with very little, if any, human presence, then I don't know how effective this would be. 

[Buckmaster7600]

I think it has way less to do with conditioning as it does the fact that predators move differently through the woods. If you’ve ever watched a coyote or bobcat go through the woods they move completely differently than say a raccoon.


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[airedale]

35 minutes ago, Northcountryman said:

But if you sneak in, youll scare the beJesus outta them--what do you think?

I fall into the sneaky category, the idea is to be sneaky enough to spot them before they spot you. Yes you will get busted time to time but sneaky still hunting has been very productive for me down through the years.

Al

[ApexerER]

52 minutes ago, Northcountryman said:

 

Im not sure if this is entirely true, but I think it generally is and seems to mkae. My hunting mmentor back in the day firmly believed in this principle and advised that when you go in to your stand in the dark (i.e., early am), just "walk" in.  Dont try to be quiet or excessively noisy--just get there!! He said that if deer are in the vicinity, more than likely theyll watch you and not move--maybe trot away a bit but often return.  But if you sneak in, youll scare the beJesus outta them--what do you think?

I am a terrible still hunter, but i totally agree with this. I do this every morning entering the woods. I have walked by deer at a good pace at 20 yds and they may walk a little to put a little more distance but i have never had them bound off and blow. I try and pretend i don't even know they are there and keep it moving. 

[BowmanMike]

If you are walking casually the deer hear you coming from a mile off. That to me would be the biggest difference. They will be aware of you and your direction of travel.  When you sneak  and only make a sound occasionally they will go on high alert.

I also believe that they can pick up on your intention and know when you are out to kill or in predator mode.

[Buckmaster7600]

If you are walking casually the deer hear you coming from a mile off. That to me would be the biggest difference. They will be aware of you and your direction of travel.  When you sneak  and only make a sound occasionally they will go on high alert.
I also believe that they can pick up on your intention and know when you are out to kill or in predator mode.

Exactly, I’ve killed bucks tracking in crusty snow when the deer heard me coming for a long time yet they still stayed there because I wasn’t surprising them.


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[Merlot]

this is how I walk in...may be a little running involved....

 

Serpentine! Serpentine! Alan Arkin Peter Falk The In-Laws 1979 - YouTube

[Northcountryman]

1 hour ago, airedale said:

I fall into the sneaky category, the idea is to be sneaky enough to spot them before they spot you. Yes you will get busted time to time but sneaky still hunting has been very productive for me down through the years.

Al

How about when youre going to your stand in the dark for an early morning hunt--do you still try to sneak in or just get there best you can?

[Northcountryman]

2 hours ago, Splitear said:

Certainly something to think about. I always try to be sneaky, but at 6'4" and 250, I'm sure a candid video of me "sneaking" through a woods would be pretty funny. 

Damn Homie, you a BIG DUDE !! lol 

[Nomad]

3 hours ago, Splitear said:

It's almost like playing at "conditioning". I knew a guy who would put "dummies" in his tree stands before season, as he thought this conditioned the deer into getting used to seeing something in that tree.

Hum, I guess my waterski spotter will have a second use now .

[phade]

I think the morning excuse is just because people are afraid of the dark. There. I said it.

Edited March 31, 2021 by phade

[rob-c]

3 hours ago, Splitear said:

It's almost like playing at "conditioning". I knew a guy who would put "dummies" in his tree stands before season, as he thought this conditioned the deer into getting used to seeing something in that tree. I don't know that it ever worked, he did kill deer, but I don't know that it was because of his dummies. 

I'm sure there's some truth to the thinking that deer become accustomed to humans. I would think this would be common like the article says, on public ground near places where there are trails. 

Certainly something to think about. I always try to be sneaky, but at 6'4" and 250, I'm sure a candid video of me "sneaking" through a woods would be pretty funny. 

6-3 270 here, I remember trying to be so sneaky in the woods in my teen early 20’s ,but I always seemed to make more noise the harder I tried. Gave up long ago,  I just walk in now I’ll make sure i  pick my feet up and do heal to toe  as I step but that’s it. 

Edited March 31, 2021 by rob-c

[Four Seasons]

Very,Very few mature bucks worthy of their 120 plus inches of bone on their head will stand for any kind of pressure.                           Unless of course he is deep into a pretty lady that might stand there and watch you. Then she makes all the decisions in his life. 

[squirrelwhisperer]

There are too many variables at play here to speak definitively. It has been my experience that when I am sneaky. they bound off every time they catch sight of me. When I walk "regular" at least half of them still bound off. 

As mentioned earlier, I think it has a lot to do with how accustomed they are to seeing people in the woods and what proximity they are within. I distinctly remember, on more than one occasion, hunting on Shelter Island when a buck watched me climb my tree before sunup, only to give me a shot at him later in the morning. That property was like winning the lottery and probably why I am too picky with me deer now. 

There are places by me where you can literally feed deer by hand. I could probably take a deer with a hammer if I went hunting there. 

Other places where they almost never, if ever see people, I think most would high tail it long before you knew they were there.   

[left field]

1 hour ago, phade said:

I think the morning excuse is just because people are afraid of the dark. There. I said it.

Guilty.

[Daveboone]

Just chill. Like most new hunters are, it doesnt pay to be all keyed up...you are tense, stiff and twitchey. As you get more experienced you ...chill. Wander in the woods taking your time, absorbing whats around you. You are naturally less intrusive and more aware.

[Northcountryman]

51 minutes ago, squirrelwhisperer said:

There are too many variables at play here to speak definitively. It has been my experience that when I am sneaky. they bound off every time they catch sight of me. When I walk "regular" at least half of them still bound off. 

As mentioned earlier, I think it has a lot to do with how accustomed they are to seeing people in the woods and what proximity they are within. I distinctly remember, on more than one occasion, hunting on Shelter Island when a buck watched me climb my tree before sunup, only to give me a shot at him later in the morning. That property was like winning the lottery and probably why I am too picky with me deer now. 

There are places by me where you can literally feed deer by hand. I could probably take a deer with a hammer if I went hunting there. 

Other places where they almost never, if ever see people, I think most would high tail it long before you knew they were there.   

I agree thatc it depends alot upon how condiioned theyc are to human presence too.  Theres probably places up in the ' 'Dacks  where the they would bolt no matter how you went in just cuz theyve never seen a human before.

[wolc123]

It is funny that this comes up today.  Yesterday, in the late afternoon, I was working on equipment inside my barn.   Right before sunset, looking thru an open man door in back, I saw what looked like an escaped cow.  Its head was down, feeding in my winter wheat plot, about 200 yards out back.

There was an open overhead door behind me, so I suppose I was silhouetted pretty good, as I tried to stalk in for a closer look.   The instant I made a slow move closer, with my eyes locked on it, the white flag went up and the  "cow"  bolted into the cover behind. 

I am guessing that it was an older buck, that had dropped horns.  I can't imagine a doe with a body of that size.  I will go out there after dinner, and check out the tracks in the mud.

 

Edited March 31, 2021 by wolc123

[airedale]

5 hours ago, Northcountryman said:

How about when youre going to your stand in the dark for an early morning hunt--do you still try to sneak in or just get there best you can?

I do not hunt out of a stand, that being said  when hunting I am always in stealth mode, mainly still hunting moving slow and when stopped I always use some kind of natural background to break my silhouette (mostly tree trunks) I use wide field binoculars a lot to scour the area before moving on. I do everything I can to not announce my presence to any game, like I said above I want to see them first.

Al

[Northcountryman]

3 hours ago, airedale said:

I do not hunt out of a stand, that being said  when hunting I am always in stealth mode, mainly still hunting moving slow and when stopped I always use some kind of natural background to break my silhouette (mostly tree trunks) I use wide field binoculars a lot to scour the area before moving on. I do everything I can to not announce my presence to any game, like I said above I want to see them first.

Al

Oh ok , Mostly a stillhunter then ? Do you ever hunt out Of a blind  Al ? I’m just wondering if you would sneak in when it’s still dark as opposed to just walking in to get to your spot . 

[DirtTime]