Still-Hunting Deer

[mnwild14]

Does anyone on here use this technique for deer hunting? If so how long have you been doing it? What kind/How many deer have you taken this way? How many miles would you guess you go in a day(2?)

I tried it for the first time this year, and got within probably 15 yards of one. I was moving to fast I think.

[Eric_Sieve]

I try to do it, not very good at it. Took one doe this way...you have to walk SLOW, I have heard abut 200 yards an HOUR! I also do it too fast....

[Gissert]

I have used still hunting, but more for elk than deer. More often than not, the deer or elk win this game. It is a great feeling when you manage to slip into a herd of elk undetected. I have only managed to do this once.

Big thing is the conditions have to be right. Crunchy leaves and no wind will not work very well. They will bust you almost every time.

Pay attention to the wind, and let some of the other critters such as squirrels, birds, and rabbits be your guide. If you are not disturbing them, you are probably moving at the right speed.

Look for deer parts. An ear flicker or an antler flash of something bedded. A horizontal backline in vertical brush, etc.

[psegriz]

In still hunting do you mean stalking deer already spoted or just going slow? Spot and stalk is hard in my area due to smaller acres to a piece of property and too many people making a ruckus. It is still an effective way to get deer especially big bucks. It werks better in midday if they are bedded down til dark just don't get spotted as they normally have a good view of every thing and are watching. Most of my deer have been taken this way.

[Bogsucker]

2 bucks, 1 doe and an antelope by still hunting. Last Thursday I still hunted up to a doe who was not more than 30 yards away. She was in heavy brush and I could only see her when she moved, really strange, she'd flick her tail and she'd appear as if there was no cover and then when she was still she'd all but disappear. The key to still hunting is to see the deer before they see you. I think of it as stalking a deer you can't yet see. Way too often I jump deer within 30 yards, indicating I'm being stealthy enough but not as observant as I should be, though a deer that's not moving or lying down is very difficult to spot in the woods. A good low powered binocular with auto focus really helps to spot deer in the woods also. I have located a bucks bedding area and will attempt to still/stalk hunt him with the smokepole in a couple weeks.

[ironranger420]

My dad was a still hunter. He was taught by his grandpa, my great grandpa, back in the early 60's. My dad said that how he was taught was to take 3 steps and wait for 2-3 full minutes. Take another 3 steps, stop, and wait another 3 minutes. This equates to about 40 yards per hour. Everytime my dad talked about learning to still hunt he would say that his grandpa was the only one at camp that did it, and he was also the one that got the most deer. Everytime my Dad would walk too fast, grandpa would slap him in the back of the head and tell him to slow down. The mind-set you should have while still hunting is, you are actually a moving stand. Take the same approach and ideas as stand hunting and apply them to stalking. After every three steps you should scan every inch of forest 360 degrees around you. If nothing is seen, take three more steps and look again.

[Polar Bear]

I just don't have the patience to still hunt any more but the advice you got about thinking of it as a "moving deer stand" is absolutely correct. In my neck of the woods I used the squirrels as a gauge to tell if I'm moving slow enough. If the squirrels are feeding all around you, and even scamper over your boots once in a while, without noticing you you're moving at about the right speed.

Of course, the perfect scenario is to hunt into the wind with the sun directly at your back. Polar Bear

[fishermn]

In general I have almost always tried to use this technique when moving in/out of the woods to my stands especially at dawn and dusk. Not quite as slow as you all are talking but my approach is take it reasonably slow and as quiet as possible. Have taken 2 spikes, one six pointer, and one doe this way. The first one was a small spike that I spotted and waited for. By the time he got close to me I dont know how he didnt see me, cuz my heart felt like it was gonna pound right out of my chest. He looked me over real good before moving behind a tree, and allowing me to pull up for the shot. Probably my most memorable deer, since it was the first I took this way.