Bow Hunting in the bush

[Prairiekid]

Hey,

So I'm new bow hunting, I really enjoy it but I'm wondering if there is anyway I can hunt in the bush other than tree stands?

I really enjoy walking around, even slowly and quietly but is there any chance of me walking up on something? Am I just pushing animals around in circles?

[Joe Black]

Yes

[tikka250]

yep you sure can. simplest way to get an idea is too look up "still hunting" and you will get all kinds of useful information.

[Joe Black]

Don't get me wrong, not being negative in answering your question.

Hopefully you can push an animal by me in my treestand.

[TimeOff]

Very very hard to sneak up on an animal in the bush. Their hearing and vision is much better than our's, so by the time you will se or hear one, they will know you are there already. Seems the successful hunters wait for the animals to come to them.

[calgarychef]

Treestands are by far the most effective way to kill a deer and I've gotten a few out of treestands and its fun but mostly too friggen cold for my likes.

Hunting deer is different than killing deer, if you want to get down on their level and hunt in the bush it can work. First thing you need to do is move like molasses whether in a ground blind or stalking, play the wind, know where they'r going and get there first. Sitting in a likely spot with good cover, wind in your face and sun at your back is a good way to begin.

I could have shot two bucks tonight but they weren't the right ones, I was standing in front of a poplar tree and had the smaller one about 8 yards, the bigger one was about 25 yards. They hung around for over 1/2 hour. I had a gillie suit on and the wind was blowing in the right direction so they never did sense me but they knew something was up.

Learn about:
-Ground blinds
-Still hunting
-The effect of sun and shadows
-Pit blinds
-Learn to call using different methods
-Learn how decoys might help and other visual aids, like flagging (works well with Mulies and whitetails)
- learn to read sign: tracks, trails, what they're eating, why they go where they go and when they do it.
- learn about sollunar tables and how to predict movement using them.

It's a big deal to get a deer on the ground, it's not for everyone and not everyone can sit in a treestand either. Different strokes for different folks. Quit walking aimlessly in the bush it won't work although it's fun.

[cameron_25]

VERY HARD to get a buck that way but you may get a doe that way

[dfrobert]

Where do big bucks spend most of there lives when we can actually hunt them? In the bush or field?

[58thecat]

Pick a high wind day and an area you know they bed down in, walk slow, stop and observe the area very well.
Took a few over the years this way.

[Passthru]

Crunchy leaves and snow are your enemy when walking in the bush. I use a treestand mostly. But if I go for a walk I do it on days with high winds or wet ground to muffle th sound when walking.

[jcrayford]

If you think you're going slow enough, cut that to an 1/8 and you might be going slow enough. Utilize everything at your disposal; stop when behind a tree. Use your binoculars a lot, looking as far ahead as possible. If you see a deer that doesn't appear to know where you are, then slow down even more!

Can't stress enough that slow speed (think snails passing you on the right and left) and binoculars looking as far ahead / sides as possible will give you the chance of seeing deer before they see you. And don't forget about the does - they are the ones that will bust you.

J.

[3blade]

Your target of choice is a big factor.

Mulies: yes, you can. Takes time and practice but many are killed this way. If you kill one out of twenty stalks, you are doing really well.
Moose: yep. Walked up on many
Elk: yep. If you can find em
Whitetail: it possible but not really effective. We've all done it a time or two, but it's far better to get the wind right and wait for them in a spot they will pass within range. Shooting an arrow at a whitetail that is aware of your presence, and the vast majority will be, is a recipe for misses and poor hits. They simply react faster than the arrow can get there.

[Naoscaire]

I have snuck up on both a whitetail buck and mule buck. It is possible but a lot more difficult especially in very thick vegetation. Don't get frustrated if you never see anything or don't have time to react and make an ethical shot.

[Kristopher10]

Was following two mulie bucks last week (about 60-70 yards behind them - they didn't seem to notice), and a white tail stood up about 20 yards in front of me. I now have a white tail in my freezer. It can be done!

[Bushrat]

Originally Posted by TimeOff

Very very hard to sneak up on an animal in the bush. Their hearing and vision is much better than our's, so by the time you will se or hear one, they will know you are there already. Seems the successful hunters wait for the animals to come to them.

Might be hard to sneak up on one but it isn't hard to still hunt and move so slow they come to you as if you were in a stand or ground blind. I'm talking finding a good area where the deer are moving and hunt slow, a step every couple minutes then stand still for ten, let the small critters and birds relax and go about their business, don't move until they forget about you. You have to move much slower and quieter than deer do when they are feeding. Deer will stand still, listen and watch for 10-15 minutes for intruders put their head down for a second and repeat. You have to look, listen, watch more and be quieter than them. I've taken 2 or 3 hours to move 100 yds, have had deer and other animals come along and walk by without noticing me, have had animals bed down within 20 yds, then stand there 2 hours until they got up and wandered off without ever noticing you. Have smelled stinky bedded bucks and approached them without them knowing I was there. Play the wind and pay attention and listen and stand there, when you think you have stood there long enough stand there some more, plan your next step, move slowly, stay in the shadows, lean against a tree, skirt clearings don't walk thru them, don't turn your head fast or make any sudden movements. I've had deer walk up a few yds away, stamp their feet and blow, bob their heads and circle around until they catch my scent and near turn inside out blasting out of there. Deer are not silent when they travel they snap twigs, rustle leaves, the squirrels squak at them you have to allow yourself time to let the critters give away their presence to you instead of traipsing in there snapping, cracking, fartin and blowin . You won't get anything that way. When you do move you will make some noise, sound like an animal. If you have stood in the woods and listened to other hunters come along they are squish squish squish squish squish ......a regular cadence that animals generally recognize as a person, if you stand still like an animal they rarely if ever notice you even if your only 20 yds away. Patience, patience, and more patience then slow down. Do you have the patience to take 20 minutes to go from the couch down the hall to the bathroom? ...........if you don't you probably don't have the patience to still hunt with a bow.

[DJS]

Originally Posted by Prairiekid

Hey,

So I'm new bow hunting, I really enjoy it but I'm wondering if there is anyway I can hunt in the bush other than tree stands?

I really enjoy walking around, even slowly and quietly but is there any chance of me walking up on something? Am I just pushing animals around in circles?

A few of the previous posts talk about still hunting while bow hunting and I agree with them. Still hunting (walking very slowly, pausing very often to watch and wait before moving on) can be in many ways the most exciting method of hunting. The key is to move quietly and slowly. This is best done when the ground has soft snow on it or is wet from dew or rain. Moving too quickly or too loudly will, as you say, keep the animals moving in circles.

To give you a little incentive....my biggest whitetail buck to date was shot in Sept while still hunting. Early morning dew on the ground, snuck up within 75 yrds of a buck that was feeding off the edge of cutline in the timber. At 75 yrds I stopped and as luck would have it he turned and walked straight at me. Shot him at 9 yrds. 23 point non typical that scored 199". Most exciting hunt I've had.

Tough to beat still hunting with a bow!

[Bulldog Edm]

It's all about going really slow into the wind. The wind this is hard as it changes direction with the terrain. Tie a piece of yarn on your bows. It's easier than taking a wind checker bottle out of your pocket and keeps your hands free.
If you don't know if your going slow enough put a thing of tic tacs in your pocket. If you can hear them your going to fast.