how do most people hunt?

[coyotezh]

I have been asking around for a long time, and watched lots video including the Wild TV and youtube-----There are lots of different ways for hunting and here are some:

1. just driving around and shoot the animal while they are on road side---really depends if you are lucky or not. only saw 4 deer this year but lots of driving and no chance of shooting, sad.

2. find a spot and wait on a tree stand or just sit under a big tree or bush---waited and but deer never come. lol

3. push the bush while another hunting buddy waiting on other side of the field----haven't tried yet, but feel not safe to do so.

4. find a active spot and calling----tried a spot with lots of tracks, but no deer

5. find a track and follow until find or spook a deer----tried and find a deer jumping and run out of sight. I had been walking extremely slow but still spook the deer

6. walking on the road and hope get a chance to see a deer----haven't tried yet

Would you mind share some your thoughts about what are the most favorable and effective ways for hunting? only two weeks left but still didn't fill any tag, kind of frustrated.

[mxer117]

Out of all your methods I use #2 the most. It's very effective but you MUST have patience.

[ZipperHead]

Find sign (tracks, scrapes, rubs) and hunt that area hard. Have patience and use the ninja mentality( in and out undetected).

[claystone]

Originally Posted by ZipperHead

Find sign (tracks, scrapes, rubs) and hunt that area hard. Have patience and use the ninja mentality( in and out undetected).

Come and go like the wind!!

[billie]

Originally Posted by coyotezh

5. find a track and follow until find or spook a deer----tried and find a deer jumping and run out of sight. I had been walking extremely slow but still spook the deer

Here's a method for you to try.

When you move in the bush and stop, you create "silence" that every animal hears very clearly. Once you stop, do not move again until you hear natural noises. A squirrel, bird, frost crack of a branch, etc.

GL.

[Okotokian]

I like to get permission on a good size patch of land that I think looks promising for game. Then get out and slowly still hunt it. I know it may not be the most effective or efficient way to hunt, but I enjoy the walking and scouting. I do a bit of calling and rattling too. I have a treestand but don't use it much anymore. I get bored too quickly.

[Pierroy]

ive been stumped so far on a deer too.got a moose in early season.it was 100 yards away in a cut block.got out of the truck, bang, done.just luck.
but with wt by truck ive seen a few only, tails,gone.
ive been walking in after fresh tracks after it snowed.spooked one buck,gone,
spooked a doe,gone
followed more fresh tracks saw rubs.stop, pause,look,listen,hide myself,wind is right,call with the can,grunt,rattle bag.estress spray on a wicking pad attached to my shooting,walkinging stick.
wait, nothing.
I feel its the way to go.
gonna try putting on some white tyvek coveralls next weekend.
get in the place we saw some sign and wait it out.
im for sure not a great deer hunter but I like to hunt this way.
be confident your day will come
hopefully mine too.
one thing for sure,its cheeper then driving around busy roads.
if all else fails by dec.2.
ill get on the brookies and mabey a few perch
good luck.

[leo]

As silly as this may sound, hunt for the Does. That is where the bucks will be and where I would set up a blind. Best chances will be next to a feed source such as a hay field or standing crop, or on the travel corridors to and from bedding to feed area. Good luck.

[Kevlak]

I hunt foothills most of the time, I like to get a top a ridge before sunrise and glass till my eyes fall out. When I see something promising I try to stalk in and get closer to make a shot

[Pierroy]

..

[jungleboy]

My hunting partners and I have been pushing bush for 20 yrs , It works every year ,It is a lot of work and very tiring but it works when you are limited to how much time you have to hunt . You have to be careful though and trust your partners. We have rules about where you can shoot .We use radios and hunters on stand are not to move without letting the pushers know . also Pushers wear orange while in the bush. It is effective and can pretty exciting when 1/2 dozen animals come out of the bush at you .

[K.J]

I like to still hunt through the bush. I try to make the same sounds a deer would make as it is slowly walking and stopping to browse as it moves along. I walk into the wind and always wear clothes that don't make unnatural sounds like nylon or jeans. Wool pants and Cotten hoodie jacket are my favorite in the bush. The first 3 years I hunted I was not successful. For 30 years since I have taken at least one deer every year.

[wsmman]

I like to drive around and cover lots of ground early in the mornings, I hunt only private land, mostly farm land so trees are only on low areas or fence lines. We usually hunt around 20-30 quarters or more some years. Some call it Cadillac hunting, but it works in our are as deer move a lot at night and aren't very concerned with staying in a particular area to much. Drive around sloughs and along fence lines in mornings and evenings, then usually push bush were you see the most tracks or scrapes during the mid day. Most days we see a good amount of bucks, most of the small ones run like the wind when they even hear a vehicle but the big ones will watch u go bye a without moving. The deer get big in our area by staying put and not coming out first, doubling back. We know most of the hunters in out area so if we now there in a stand we avoid that area.

I would say over 90% in are area hunt this way, so far we have had luck this year harvesting two mature bucks. Plus it's easier to take the little kids with you cause when they get bored they can watch tv.

[sakogreywolf]

Spot and stalk.

[colour86]

i used to do the driving around thing, and saw lots of game, but the shots presented are less then stellar. usually all you see once you get out of the truck and load the rifle is a white flag getting smaller and smaller. This year we did a different approach, get in a hr or so before light, and get in the ground blind we setup before the season opened. Shot 2 deer out of it the first weekend of rifle. I am a firm believer of sitting and waiting in a area of high activity (tracks, rubs, etc). I had no patience at all when I started out and couldnt sit for 30mins without getting antsy, and now I can sit on stand for 10hrs+ and not move. Its hard to keep yourself from moving/ keep entertained but it usually pays off. I'm only on my 4th year hunting and I learn new things every year to make me that much better then the year before. A lot of it is experience and learning from what happens in the field.

[abwtfanatic]

and I see bucks just about every day.

[5Lgreenback]

Good question! I've been wondering the same thing myself as a newbie hunter with very limited time to hunt. I imagine different techniques work for different areas/ terrain? So far I've just been in the mountain areas with lots of hunting pressure, and no success (for me anyways).

Im trying to avoid too much truck hunting as that doesn't really seem like a good way to learn anything and I enjoy the outdoor experience.

[forny812]

Originally Posted by billie

Here's a method for you to try.

When you move in the bush and stop, you create "silence" that every animal hears very clearly. Once you stop, do not move again until you hear natural noises. A squirrel, bird, frost crack of a branch, etc.

GL.

Great suggestion!!!!

[Pierroy]

I think this is one of the best threads I've seen.its great just being out there in nature.theres always allot to learn by sharing ideas and experiences on the land.

[Zuludog]

I think there are many successful ways to hunt big game. They key is finding a style that:
- works for you
- suits your skills & personality
- is appropriate for your area

What works well for one person or area might not work as well for another person or area. For example maybe you don't have the skill (or the terrain) to be a long distance shooter/hunter, maybe you can't track very well but you have patience. You can still be very successful but in this case maybe the best technique is blind or stand hunting? Maybe pushing bush is more your style? Perhaps you have patience and a good eye, so you spot from long range and then stalk in for a closer shot?

When I bow hunt I have still hunted, used a tree stand and used a blind this year. Surprisingly the tree stand hasn't produced any shots or chances for me (yet) but the other two have. Rifle hunting I did some still hunting, road hunting & sat some fields and camped out in a blind. All produced opportunities but the best by far was setting up in a blind. I like to change up my techniques sometimes due to which weapon I use, the area that I'm in or even because of my mood. I also like to try and expand my knowledge and will try and improve on things that I'm not very good at like calling in game.

If I had to some up it up I'd say that there are many different ways to hunt and they can all be successful or failures. There is no one right way but if you work at it they can all be tools in your tool box. Why have just a "hammer" if you can have an assortment of tools and use the best one for the job? The one common denominator that a lot of successful hunters share is patience, you can never have enough of it.

To be more specific to your situation I would try and set up a blind in a high traffic area and wait it out. If you set up on a field edge or trail that is well used you WILL get a chance. Sometimes I can sit all day and see only a couple of deer but eventually you will see a "shooter", it may not be a 180" B&C deer but something will show up that you will want to harvest. Also some days I see lots of deer and even moose. Plus it is fun being outside and I find time in the blind relaxing, my hardest time comes from not dozing off. lol

Good luck. Don't forget to post some pics WHEN you get something.

[sjemac]

I've shot bucks doing all 6 of those methods the OP listed. Now I watch the fields and time the movements and set up to intercept them.

The guys who hunt the lease quarter to the south of me always push bush. I can tell when they get out of their trucks because the deer start running across our field by the dozens -- nearly a full mile from where they park. The "Black Truck Brigade" shows up every Saturday morning and we are set up in our field well before they land. So far my friends have taken two bucks directly because of the bush pushers. They've shot squat because the deer are a mile away from them before they even get into the quarter.

I hunt my end very sparingly. Leaving it quiet most of the time and only moving in when the walking will be quiet and the wind favorable. The BTB does frequently trespass (I find their tracks) but they are so inept they have yet to kill a thing. They did well three years ago but got nothing last year and nothing so far this year. Apparently the deer have patterned them.

[jungleboy]

Originally Posted by Zuludog

I think there are many successful ways to hunt big game. They key is finding a style that:
- works for you
- suits your skills & personality
- is appropriate for your area

What works well for one person or area might not work as well for another person or area. For example maybe you don't have the skill (or the terrain) to be a long distance shooter/hunter, maybe you can't track very well but you have patience. You can still be very successful but in this case maybe the best technique is blind or stand hunting? Maybe pushing bush is more your style? Perhaps you have patience and a good eye, so you spot from long range and then stalk in for a closer shot?

When I bow hunt I have still hunted, used a tree stand and used a blind this year. Surprisingly the tree stand hasn't produced any shots or chances for me (yet) but the other two have. Rifle hunting I did some still hunting, road hunting & sat some fields and camped out in a blind. All produced opportunities but the best by far was setting up in a blind. I like to change up my techniques sometimes due to which weapon I use, the area that I'm in or even because of my mood. I also like to try and expand my knowledge and will try and improve on things that I'm not very good at like calling in game.

If I had to some up it up I'd say that there are many different ways to hunt and they can all be successful or failures. There is no one right way but if you work at it they can all be tools in your tool box. Why have just a "hammer" if you can have an assortment of tools and use the best one for the job? The one common denominator that a lot of successful hunters share is patience, you can never have enough of it.

To be more specific to your situation I would try and set up a blind in a high traffic area and wait it out. If you set up on a field edge or trail that is well used you WILL get a chance. Sometimes I can sit all day and see only a couple of deer but eventually you will see a "shooter", it may not be a 180" B&C deer but something will show up that you will want to harvest. Also some days I see lots of deer and even moose. Plus it is fun being outside and I find time in the blind relaxing, my hardest time comes from not dozing off. lol

Good luck. Don't forget to post some pics WHEN you get something.

Excellent post . last year for the first time I used a blind and had success as well ,it was very cool . As I get older I know my bush pushing days are numbered as I just don't love as much as I used to ,I liked the blind though ,it was a nice way to hunt .

[coyotezh]

Originally Posted by colour86

i used to do the driving around thing, and saw lots of game, but the shots presented are less then stellar. usually all you see once you get out of the truck and load the rifle is a white flag getting smaller and smaller. This year we did a different approach, get in a hr or so before light, and get in the ground blind we setup before the season opened. Shot 2 deer out of it the first weekend of rifle. I am a firm believer of sitting and waiting in a area of high activity (tracks, rubs, etc). I had no patience at all when I started out and couldnt sit for 30mins without getting antsy, and now I can sit on stand for 10hrs+ and not move. Its hard to keep yourself from moving/ keep entertained but it usually pays off. I'm only on my 4th year hunting and I learn new things every year to make me that much better then the year before. A lot of it is experience and learning from what happens in the field.

Will you leave your blind on the field during the whole season? I think maybe this is my best way to hunt.

[deerhunter]

This has been a very strange season. In the past I would go into a field honker down and listen for the magpies. When they squaked there would be animals close by.this year not a dam magpie.

[HunterDave]

Find where the deer are and pattern them. Once you know when and where they'll be, pick a location to ambush them. I'll walk a bit between first and last light but I might sit and watch an area with scrapes after putting a few drops of doe in heat in a scrape. I've had bucks run in because of the scent. Moving and rattling works good during the rut as well. Generally I won't follow fresh tracks in the snow for deer because I don't want to disrupt their pattern of what they usually do.

[KegRiver]

I don't use any particular style or method, I adapt according to the situation.

For example, if I know where the Deer are feeding I will set up a blind and wait for them.

If I find an active trail again I set up a blind or stand and wait.

If I'm seeing Deer but haven't located their feeding areas or trails I'll try rattling. Or I may still hunt them.

For those not familiar with still hunting, I heard it described as the art of moving while standing still.
The key here is to move very very slow, a couple of steps at a time, then look and listen, take a couple more steps, then look and listen.
If you travel half a mile in an hour you are moving way too fast.

I have used this technique to walk up to within 50 yards or so of Deer in an open field. Note, never try to move when animals are looking your way.
Deer are specialists at spotting motion.

To be successful consistently you absolutely have to know where the Deer are, or be awfully lucky, or break the law.

More important then hunting technique, getting to know your quarry is key.

Deer are creatures of habit. They have home ranges and know where the best food cover and water is. The better you understand Deer the more you will see them.

My advice would be not to worry so much about method, concentrate more on getting to know the Deer in your area.

[Richard B.]

I hunt by wandering around

- drive to a place that I have scouted and depending on my mood and the conditions I might hunt from a ground blind, still hunt or walk from one ambush point to another

[landwalker]

Two wt buck out of my three, were came up while I was sitting (eating, resting etc.), not expecting.

Maybe too early to say, since this is only my fifth year hunting. I'd like to say scouting the area, hiding down at an advantage spot before the prime time (late afternoon), do a bit grunting and rattling.

The other buck let me walk up to less than 100 yd, he was beded with a doe, i bet she was in hot.

[Fisherpeak]

I like spot and stalk if it`s quiet enough.I will drive around and find places and sometimes a critter too.I ain`t much on stands,no patients for sitting 5 hours.On a good spot glassing is the way.I love still hunting,get in a good spot and surprise them on their own turf,probably the most satisfying,but hard to do in crunchy snow.It`s pouring rain here right now,good evening to go out,all the snow is gone,leaves are soft and wet.By Thursday it`s gonna be -16 and the bush will be like potatoe chips.

[The Spruce]

Scouting is the key. Even if you only have limited time, see them before you hunt them. I usually find a few areas with a high population of does, and cycle my hunting between them. When bucks suddenly come out of the woodwork, one of the does may be in or coming into heat. Than simply get in early, play the wind and lay in wait (I lay down with distances ranged in all shooting lanes possible). If a tree stand is your thing, back off into bush on main trails and hunt using same tactic. You won't have any luck if the deer are not there, so scout, get permission, put in some time.