Beauty bush buck.

[fishnguy]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

IMO snow is pretty much always a blessing during the hunting season.

Except when you hunt steep slopes that go a distance in a valley.

That’s a really nice buck, mate! Well done! Not fun at all when they start rolling, unless they roll where you need them to, lol.

P. S. Looks kind of similar to the one I showed you last month. Don’t leave that rack in the sun like I did if you are doing something with it, lol.

[KegRiver]

Now that is real hunting. Wish I had it in me to hunt that way yet, but I don't.
I have to sit and wait for them to come to me.

He has good heavy beams too. That's a wall hanger.

Congratulations.

[Positrac]

That’s a beauty bush buck all right. Congrats on another fine Whitetail Bushleague!

[Stinky Buffalo]

Fantastic buck!

I haven’t mastered the art of catching up to them on their tracks. Still using the ambush method.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

Now that is real hunting. Wish I had it in me to hunt that way yet, but I don't.
I have to sit and wait for them to come to me.

He has good heavy beams too. That's a wall hanger.

Congratulations.

As I've mentioned before, while I'm not there yet I can see it on the horizon, and I'm not really sure how I'll handle it. Its seems possible that I might just lose interest and quit hunting, but perhaps I'll adjust, or maybe my kids will be hunters and I'll find new reasons to keep hunting.

[KBF]

Great story. I hope to have a hunt like that one day. This art is really intriguing to me!

[FellSwoop]

Nice animal. Congrats on it coming together.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by KBF

Great story. I hope to have a hunt like that one day. This art is really intriguing to me!

I dont want to discourage you at all, but I've found that its sort of a lifestyle if you will. I only really got good at hunting bush deer when I decided to quit hunting out of a stand. Two Novembers with no snow turned me into a good stillhunter, I'm still working on tracking and I doubt I ever will be a master at it.

The other big thing is spending a big part of my winter making miles on snowshoes in the bush, exploring ridges and looking at lots of tracks, trying to find the common theme between productive areas. I doubt I will ever fully understand big timber deer, but about the point my knees wont haul me up those ridges I should know quite a bit.

[Peebles]

I love your threads, pictures, and wisdom. Thank you for sharing. Every year I look forward to the Bushleague thread, and this one is quite the adventure. Epic packout.

[Ronaround]

Beauty of a Buck.
Alberta has some fine think beamed beauties.
Congratulations!

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

I dont want to discourage you at all, but I've found that its sort of a lifestyle if you will. I only really got good at hunting bush deer when I decided to quit hunting out of a stand. Two Novembers with no snow turned me into a good stillhunter, I'm still working on tracking and I doubt I ever will be a master at it.

The other big thing is spending a big part of my winter making miles on snowshoes in the bush, exploring ridges and looking at lots of tracks, trying to find the common theme between productive areas. I doubt I will ever fully understand big timber deer, but about the point my knees wont haul me up those ridges I should know quite a bit.

What I find interesting is growing up in BC still hunting and spot&stalk are how vast majority hunt. For years tree stands and blinds were basically not for sale anywhere locally. It has actually become a new trend of BC hunters learning to hunt with tree stands or blinds. The interest you see from hunters about still hunting in Alberta is similar to what is now being seen in BC with stand hunting. Just like how private land hunting in BC is way less common then public land bush hunting

My father taught me to still hunt as a kid and I was being taught how before I was old enough to hunt. I ended up teaching him how to use stands in his mid 40’s and he is still learning lol.

Still hunting is definitely an art that takes practice and whitetail are one of the toughest animals to still hunt. It is something I bet most will give up before they figure it out. I may not go as far as lifestyle but it does take dedication and plenty of failure to get good at. Completely respect what it takes to consistently take mature whitetail still hunting

One thing is for sure anyone wanting to learn how to still hunt after reading your threads better be ready to see lots of whitetail running away as they learn

One bit of advice for those reading bush leagues still hunting threads crappy weather is a still hunters friend

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

What I find interesting is growing up in BC still hunting and spot&stalk are how vast majority hunt. For years tree stands and blinds were basically not for sale anywhere locally. It has actually become a new trend of BC hunters learning to hunt with tree stands or blinds. The interest you see from hunters about still hunting in Alberta is similar to what is now being seen in BC with stand hunting. Just like how private land hunting in BC is way less common then public land bush hunting

My father taught me to still hunt as a kid and I was being taught how before I was old enough to hunt. I ended up teaching him how to use stands in his mid 40’s and he is still learning lol.

Still hunting is definitely an art that takes practice and whitetail are one of the toughest animals to still hunt. It is something I bet most will give up before they figure it out. I may not go as far as lifestyle but it does take dedication and plenty of failure to get good at. Completely respect what it takes to consistently take mature whitetail still hunting

One thing is for sure anyone wanting to learn how to still hunt after reading your threads better be ready to see lots of whitetail running away as they learn

One bit of advice for those reading bush leagues still hunting threads crappy weather is a still hunters friend

While I very much appreciate the compliments, I honestly feel that stillhunting is not as hard as its made out to be... otherwise I wouldnt be good at it. I think a big problem is allot of people approach it without confidence and without strategy. Last year I spent two days hunting with Prairie Kid, and since then I've been impressed at the results he is getting. I doubt I really even taught him anything he didnt already know, he just needed a couple pointers and a bit of confidence.

The one thing I will say for stillhunting vs stand hunting, is its a trolling vs jigging comparison. Jigging works good when you have high concentrations of fish, or a feature that can funnel and or hold them. Trolling works better when you have lower numbers of fish, and they are scattered... which pretty much sums up deer in the bush. So I feel that a good stillhunter stands a better chance of bumping into a good buck, whether he actually shoots it or not is a whole other question. I just approach each day knowing I will cross paths with at least one deer, and my goal all day is to make sure I get a shot opportunity when it happens.

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

While I very much appreciate the compliments, I honestly feel that stillhunting is not as hard as its made out to be... otherwise I wouldnt be good at it. I think a big problem is allot of people approach it without confidence and without strategy. Last year I spent two days hunting with Prairie Kid, and since then I've been impressed at the results he is getting. I doubt I really even taught him anything he didnt already know, he just needed a couple pointers and a bit of confidence.

The one thing I will say for stillhunting vs stand hunting, is its a trolling vs jigging comparison. Jigging works good when you have high concentrations of fish, or a feature that can funnel and or hold them. Trolling works better when you have lower numbers of fish, and they are scattered... which pretty much sums up deer in the bush. So I feel that a good stillhunter stands a better chance of bumping into a good buck, whether he actually shoots it or not is a whole other question. I just approach each day knowing I will cross paths with at least one deer, and my goal all day is to make sure I get a shot opportunity when it happens.

Getting a shot before you spook the deer is the part many find difficult. Seeing deer is the easy part

Like every style confidence and applying it properly is huge. Hunting bush deer is a different beast in its own

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

Getting a shot before you spook the deer is the part many find difficult. Seeing deer is the easy part

Like every style confidence and applying it properly is huge. Hunting bush deer is a different beast in its own

IMO there are two tricks to getting a shot. The first is keeping your eyes up when you move, if you're looking at your feet when you make a move you will spook deer like crazy.

The other is to have the deer convinced that you are another deer before you see them. Sometimes is is possible to be so silent that you avoid all detection, more often the deer will know you are coming before you see them. If you are moving at a deer pace, on a deer trail, in a place where a deer is likely to be... you will generally be able to get a shot even if the deer knows you are there.

If you can closely mirror your own behavior to that of the game, the worlds smartest game animal becomes allot more forgiving.

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

IMO there are two tricks to getting a shot. The first is keeping your eyes up when you move, if you're looking at your feet when you make a move you will spook deer like crazy.

The other is to have the deer convinced that you are another deer before you see them. Sometimes is is possible to be so silent that you avoid all detection, more often the deer will know you are coming before you see them. If you are moving at a deer pace, on a deer trail, in a place where a deer is likely to be... you will generally be able to get a shot even if the deer knows you are there.

If you can closely mirror your own behavior to that of the game, the worlds smartest game animal becomes allot more forgiving.

Completely agree

A trick I was taught as a kid communication bleat is great for making deer think you are another deer

I also prefer boots with a sole that has some flex and I can feel what is under foot. Makes it easier to shift my weight if I feeling things under foot. If possible I wear runners not boots

It’s hard to explain but you know you are moving correctly by how the birds and squirrels act. If they are calm you are doing it right

There is lots of tricks I learned growing up hunting this way for the first 15years

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

Completely agree

A trick I was taught as a kid communication bleat is great for making deer think you are another deer

I also prefer boots with a sole that has some flex and I can feel what is under foot. Makes it easier to shift my weight if I feeling things under foot. If possible I wear runners not boots

It’s hard to explain but you know you are moving correctly by how the birds and squirrels act. If they are calm you are doing it right

There is lots of tricks I learned growing up hunting this way for the first 15years

You hit the nail right on the head there. While there are a million tips and tricks to help, to put it a simply as possible, your goal is to mingle with the game animals. Not ambush them, or stalk them, or run them down. When you do it right you almost get the feeling that you have become a part of the forest, rather than an intruder or a spectator.

Beyond being the goal, it also becomes a reward in itself, and the whole allure of still hunting IMO. When you get good at becoming just another forest animal, the interactions you have with them are amazing. I can talk about fantastic interactions I've had with various game and non-game animals, until I suspect many people start to think I'm lying. But I have no need to lie or exaggerate these adventures, many are so far fetched that I couldn't make them up even if I tried, and I value those memories almost as much as any of the racks I've collected along the way.

[husky7mm]

Bushleague, would you consider some bush too thick to effectively still hunt it? Where I hunt there is tons of dirty bush, heavily in grown, over mature stands with tons and tons of blow down. The deer are in there and nobody is bothering them but its sooooo thick in some places you can’t see 10ft, some times you have to crawl, to get around stuff. Its maddening but, there deer are living in there. Waiting on an overgrown seismic line for days on end for 1 to cross is just not my idea of a good time.

[Icefisher2885]

Smoky Buck and Bushleague, I just wanted to thank you for making such great posts with regards to the actual practice of still hunting. There is A LOT to be learned in the words you've laid out over the previous few posts. You can't buy experience, so I sure appreciate each of you being willing to share yours.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by husky7mm

Bushleague, would you consider some bush too thick to effectively still hunt it? Where I hunt there is tons of dirty bush, heavily in grown, over mature stands with tons and tons of blow down. The deer are in there and nobody is bothering them but its sooooo thick in some places you can’t see 10ft, some times you have to crawl, to get around stuff. Its maddening but, there deer are living in there. Waiting on an overgrown seismic line for days on end for 1 to cross is just not my idea of a good time.

I do consider some bush too thick to effectively hunt, but by that time its pretty darn thick. In particular, immature forest can be pretty tough.

I hunt some areas that are as you describe, basically you need to get to know them well, for me that involves exploring it extensively on snowshoes in the winter. You figure out which areas you can and cant hunt effectively, then try to find ways to link the areas that can be hunted so you can make a day out of it without wasting too much time. I tend to hunt much slower in these types of places, knowing that if I cover too much ground I will run out of area before the day is up.

My favorite areas are the ones where I can roam all day long and remain in good hunting territory the whole time. But I have taken some pretty decent deer out of what I call "pocket hunting" over the years too. I believe the buck in this thread came out of a pocket type of area. It was the first time I hunted the area so more exploration would be needed to confirm this, but I think if I had not followed that buck track through a number of pockets, and lots of really miserable bush, I would likely have a very different outlook on that area's potential.

[thumper]

"I just approach each day knowing I will cross paths with at least one deer, and my goal all day is to make sure I get a shot opportunity when it happens."

Words to live by!

Many thanks for sharing your stories, and your expertise! I've hunted deer for over 40 years now, and am still amazed by how much I learn from listening to what the woods share with me, - and listening to what successful guys like you share!

[Ryry4]

Great looking deer. Congrats.

[john-brennan]

Nice whitetail buck

[jbax]

Congrats!! I'm always impressed with the big timber harvests and you never disappoint. I'm still working on my first big timber buck kill, maybe next year!

[BuckAdventures]

Good job! Looks good.

[weekender7]

That's a DANDY, STUD for sure.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by thumper

"I just approach each day knowing I will cross paths with at least one deer, and my goal all day is to make sure I get a shot opportunity when it happens."

Words to live by!

Many thanks for sharing your stories, and your expertise! I've hunted deer for over 40 years now, and am still amazed by how much I learn from listening to what the woods share with me, - and listening to what successful guys like you share!

Lol the tough part is staying on my game after I've spooked something, or even if I didnt spook anything, but I saw a number of deer before lunch and am half convinced the action is over.... thats when it starts to get tough to convince yourself that there's a nice buck just out of sight. Some tough lessons have educated me on the importance of always hunting your best, even if you just spooked something...