Hello all, here is today's article posted on TheArmoryLife.com. It is titled “Seven Top Still-Hunting Tips: Get the Drop on a Buck!” and can be found at https://www.thearmorylife.com/still-hunting-tips/.
Seven Top Still-Hunting Tips: Get the Drop on a Buck!
- Thread starter Mike H.
- Start date
Sld1959
Ronin
Nice article, been still hunting for close to 50 years. Total camo is overrated for an upright walking individual, movement and seeing first is most important. Camo helps don't get me wrong but it's not number one.
Most do not understand how easy it is to see camouflage when its moving. Stay in shadows if possible. Keep your face in the wind.
When you think you are moving slow enough, slow down. Take two or three steps then look over every leaf in your sight before moving. You need to see them move before they see you. Look for blinking eyes, nose twitch, ear twitch any movement at all.
Remember every creature likes to take the path of least resistance and greatest cover, valley, draws, funnels. Stay out of them where possible and observe them and you will see more animals. But, do not skyline yourself. Better to be down in the funnel rather than skylined.skylines.
Remember a deers side of head mounted eyes give them a massive field of vision advantage over your forward mounted predator eyes.
Practice will never make you perfect. But it will damn well help. .
Most do not understand how easy it is to see camouflage when its moving. Stay in shadows if possible. Keep your face in the wind.
When you think you are moving slow enough, slow down. Take two or three steps then look over every leaf in your sight before moving. You need to see them move before they see you. Look for blinking eyes, nose twitch, ear twitch any movement at all.
Remember every creature likes to take the path of least resistance and greatest cover, valley, draws, funnels. Stay out of them where possible and observe them and you will see more animals. But, do not skyline yourself. Better to be down in the funnel rather than skylined.skylines.
Remember a deers side of head mounted eyes give them a massive field of vision advantage over your forward mounted predator eyes.
Practice will never make you perfect. But it will damn well help. .
Last edited:
KillerFord1977
SAINT
Movement and being quiet is key.
Camo not so much. Lots of states require blaze orange cap or vest as to be visible to other hunters.
I have killed many deer over the years wearing a blaze orange hunting vest.
Camo not so much. Lots of states require blaze orange cap or vest as to be visible to other hunters.
I have killed many deer over the years wearing a blaze orange hunting vest.
HansGruber
Ronin
Camo? Designed to get hunters, not deer.
Pretty much all of my deer hunting has been while sitting on a 5 gallon bucket, wearing brown Carhartt bibs with a blaze-orange hat & vest (as required by law).
This includes handgun takes at under 25 yards.
The most important thing to have, these days?
Someplace to go.
After that? Make sure you can hit with whatever you’re using, and dress in layers.
Lures, camo, yadda yadda yadda? Not necessary.
Pretty much all of my deer hunting has been while sitting on a 5 gallon bucket, wearing brown Carhartt bibs with a blaze-orange hat & vest (as required by law).
This includes handgun takes at under 25 yards.
The most important thing to have, these days?
Someplace to go.
After that? Make sure you can hit with whatever you’re using, and dress in layers.
Lures, camo, yadda yadda yadda? Not necessary.
Bassbob
Emissary
Your granddad killed deer in one of those plaid jackets. Deer are pretty much color blind. They see shapes and outlines. I've killed more deer than I can count sitting on the ground with my back against a tree wearing jeans and a blaze orange jacket. I've killed them inside 15 yards with a bow with a cigarette hanging out of my mouth. I took a wizz off my tree stand once, shot a buck, then put my junk away and zipped up. Deer are kinda stupid. The really big guys though, they smell that stuff. They didn't get that old being stupid. They still don't care if you're wearing camo though.
blues_hawk
Operator
I've found scoping a good social meeting place(a 15 year old mineral pool) to be the most productive.
"...with a buck’s tremendous eyesight" -- you mean like the one that mistook a dalmation for a doe that time?
Deer don't see very well at all. A good masking scent makes a big difference. I like mint. Deer will avoid any strong smelling plants so I planted mint where I didn't want them, then observed deer munching their way toward my back yard garden pots carefully going around those mint plants. Before I leave the yard, I grab a handful and rub it on myself. The last couple horny bucks came to the sound of my quietly walking into the upper field and I had it down before I even got to my stand. .50 cal bp and m70/.270win on consecutive opening days. Didn't even get a nap.
I enjoy a good hike(10-15miles a week), but I got tired of bumping my deer to the neighbors trying to sneak up on their superior bedding spots during the day. They are nocturnal and bed down under Rhododendron in a good overwatch spot. Maybe it's easier in the flat lands but here in the mountains, they've already got the drop on you when you step off the road. Now I let the neighbors run them to me instead.
When I did a lot of still hunting I got the camo thing down to the point were I literally had squirrels try to use me as a climbing post during archery season, a walking shrubbery. You know your camo works when a squirrel runs up your leg. Rain is tough on equipment but can be a good cover and quiet the leaves. Still hunting in dry leaves is like carrying a drum set and 12 sauce pans.
caveat emptor: Good luck getting rid of mint once it escapes the pot.
"...with a buck’s tremendous eyesight" -- you mean like the one that mistook a dalmation for a doe that time?
Deer don't see very well at all. A good masking scent makes a big difference. I like mint. Deer will avoid any strong smelling plants so I planted mint where I didn't want them, then observed deer munching their way toward my back yard garden pots carefully going around those mint plants. Before I leave the yard, I grab a handful and rub it on myself. The last couple horny bucks came to the sound of my quietly walking into the upper field and I had it down before I even got to my stand. .50 cal bp and m70/.270win on consecutive opening days. Didn't even get a nap.
I enjoy a good hike(10-15miles a week), but I got tired of bumping my deer to the neighbors trying to sneak up on their superior bedding spots during the day. They are nocturnal and bed down under Rhododendron in a good overwatch spot. Maybe it's easier in the flat lands but here in the mountains, they've already got the drop on you when you step off the road. Now I let the neighbors run them to me instead.
When I did a lot of still hunting I got the camo thing down to the point were I literally had squirrels try to use me as a climbing post during archery season, a walking shrubbery. You know your camo works when a squirrel runs up your leg. Rain is tough on equipment but can be a good cover and quiet the leaves. Still hunting in dry leaves is like carrying a drum set and 12 sauce pans.
caveat emptor: Good luck getting rid of mint once it escapes the pot.