Stalking vs. Sitting

[bulldog]

I know that I don't have the patience to sit in a tree stand while bow hunting and prefer the stalk. What is everyone's preference and why? I may ruffle feathers but feel that sitting and waiting isn't as challenging as stalking, just my opinion though.

[Brady]

Depends on what you are hunting... I bow hunt for elk exclusively, so I do more stalking then sitting, but somedays you just have to find a big spruce tree, sit at the base of it, and try to get the elk to come to you. Of course if you have a caller, either method is a bit easier.

[61A]

As Brady had mentioned, I aswell hunt Elk first and foremost. I must say though, its a tool box for me, I find it all depends on the Elk. Most times we go hard, putting the pressure on them big boys. Yet there are some Elk that shy away from us and we find it essential to listen , get close and wait for them to come to us.
I truly believe that the elk know who is who, I especialy find it hard to justify calling when you just know some one has been there calling before you. Is it not understandable to say that the Elk MIGHT know the sounds of all the Elk in his area? I know all of my neighbours, and would be the wiser if someone new was around. So like I said, for us it is a toolbox, and it is job spacific. Sit, stalk, stand or run that is something we decide in the wild.

G

[lethalconnection]

Im all about the stalking when it comes to mostly everything during rifle season although the odd trip i make out i will sit on a cutline for a day and just watch it, i like to stalk more cause then i fell im actually doin something to try and see the animals, plus i tend to stay warm that way.

[aulrich]

I'd just like to take this time to thank all you "stalkers" for pushing animals in front of me :) .


Keep up the good work!

[bigbore]

i love deer hunting when i know others are pushing bush and scaring deer, if i can set up right, these people that think the deer are staying put, are actually making my job easier of finding deer. Just takes a good whistle to stop them from running:D

[lethalconnection]

May i add that if your "stalking" and your spooking the animals well then you aint stalkin now are you your pushing bush and i only tend to do this if i know i have someone i hunt with sitting on a cutline or a clearing and with me pushing the bush i may spook their animal out to them. Now if you are stalking your game then you shouldnt be spooking them at all, you should be moving as stealthy as possibly to sneak up on the animal, now if i am unable to stalk due to conditions such as wrong wind direction, loud snow then i will opt to either sit or push bush cause i know i will have a slim chance of seeing something if i try and stalk.

[aulrich]

Yup that's what all of the still hunters say.

Though I do know a very few guys that can actually still hunt.

One time take the time and watch you would be surprised.

[RE: stalking vs. sitting]

I like stalking when the conditions are right, the perfect snow, after or during rain and on windy days.I never had the patience or the confidence to sit on stand in my younger days. After years of seeing tale and arse waving bye and hereing gunshots in the distance I new it was time to change.Sitting on a stand Ive seen bigger deer with easy shot opportunities. Ive watched bucks fight and herd just about every noise a deer makes. With elk I like to stalk and moose and mulies its a combination of road warrior spot n stalk.

[Buck of a Duck]

If you can still hunt up on a Booner whitie and get a lethal shot away with a bow then more power to ya. For me, stand hunting is the way to go if a big whitetail with the bow is the goal.

[varmitr]

if i know im after a single deer that i know is there, i can sit all day,
as far as excitment, using walkie talkies, you cant beat a good two person push and one shooter at the end of a funnel

[nafegavas]

Jeez, doesn't anybody road hunt anymore?:lol

[jrs]

My attention span is a bit short for sitting in a pit blind or bush but when i've done it i've been succesful. I've been within range of a few whitetails during archery but due to nerves missed, and spent one day sitting over archery this year, somehow knocked sight out on trip out (at least i confirmed that one) Missed a mulie doe at 18 yards (by several barns). I love spot and stalk in the coulees, very challenging. But as mentioned, opening day of rifle i like to go sit on a fenceline, rights along the main escape route. Had no fewer than 50 mulies run by this year, i held off as i was looking for a whitetail, filled the mulies later on. Wish i had more self control for sitting still for more than about 2 hrs.

[Duffy4]

Some guys are using the term "stalking" to mean what is normally called "still hunting". Still hunting is moving very slowly and stopping to LOOK lots. Hoping to see an animal before it sees you.

Stalking normally means you locate an animal by glassing or road hunting or you may see it while "stand hunting" and then you "stalk" it. You use the wind and cover to your advantage to get close enough for a shot without being detected. Sometimes you see the general area an animal goes into and then you "still hunt" in that area with the advantage that you know and animal is in the area.

Stand hunting (sitting) is finding a place where you feel game will come by and then waiting in ambush to shoot something.


As someone mentioned earlier, each method of hunting is in my "tool box" I do like to stand hunt a lot but sometimes I stand hunt at one location a couple hours in the morning then still hunt over to another tree stand a mile or less away where I climb in and stand hunt a few more hours. If I still hunt back to my truck to have lunch and warm up, I try to park in a spot where I can keep an eye open for game moving while I'm there.

I like to call game. I don't mind getting into small "drives" or "pushes" with a few friends.

It is all a challenge and all a lot of FUN.

Robin

[Canmoron]

Thanks for the clarification of terms Duffy.

I wish I had the patience to 'stand' hunt - it seems to be the more successful method for really big deer. Unfortunately, I'm always thinking that the biggest deer in the woods is just over the next rise, and I'm usually 'still' hunting.
It can take me a long time of 'stopping & walking' to cover much ground, but I like to keep it moving.

It's been pretty successful for me - and I often see deer before they see me - but I've yet to ambush a gagger that way.
Andrew

[winged1]

I've always been a stalker, but last couple of seasons I've cut my speed in half, with frequent stops, and have seen many more animals. Have also been paying more attention to the other critters for cues to backtrack or angle off to catch a glimse of deer pulling a sneak.

In the past if I see deer get up ahead, that might be the last time I see them. But now I know that they only go out of sight, and try to loop around. Second meetings are becoming more frequent.

I've had many deer come back to check me out. Some younger ones within 50'. It's a recogning I can't wait to continue this fall.

[grandzillaa]

I do both. I want to learn patience so I force myself to sit on the ground under a tree, or on a log in plain site(sometimes that is), when I am testing out some new scent killer. Now I found a scent killer that works, (home made got it from a hunting magezine). Plus I sit up in a treestand.

Now my favorite is stalking. Getting as close as possible to the animal, the closer the better. I'm not as good at it with my bow as I am with my rifle. It is hard to crual on my belly with a bow in my hand. But I did it last year, as I got to sneek up on two bucks that were lying down(to within 70yrds). After that they came and visited me on their own. Then the one got within 25 yards of me. He was just curious and was trying to make out what I was. I really believe it was that home made scent killer, which may have blocked out some UVrays as well. Nonetheless I watched them for one hour. I already had a buck, so they meant nothing to me, I was after a doe. It was fun to be able to be that close to where they bed and see them lying their.

[razadp]

I find the biggest problem is not patience, but simply cold. Public season in mid-Alberta is November only, and -15 to -25 makes it very hard to sit still.

I tried sitting through a sunrise, and lasted 20 minutes. Walking around I do find it hard to see them before they see me, but they are usually close range by that time.

[Duffy4]

With proper winter clothing and footwear minus 15 or even -20 should be tolerable if there is little or no wind. Another option is to have a "box blind" that you can have a bit of a heat source in. A candle in a big juice can can provide a lot of heat. A thermos of hot soup is better than hot coffee on a cold stand.

Robin

[Cordur]

I prefer stalking but in all honesty I'd probably have more success sitting in a stand. Still I'd rather enjoy a walk in the woods still hunting than sitting for several hours in the morning then a few more in the evening. One of the nice things though about sitting is that you see more than just deer wander by. Seen black bear and coyotes come in close that I would never have likely seen while moving about.

As for being cold you just have to find something that works best for you. I either keep some hot pads in my boots or wear my battery heated socks. Haven't had a day cold enough yet to make my feet cold with those on, even out ice fishing with my boots frozen into solid blocks of ice, litterally! Next you have to worry about the hands and nothing is better for that than a pair of gloves with mittens over the top of them. When I'm bowhunting I use a release aid so it doesn't matter too much but with the rifle I wear the gloves with the mitten covers sewn on. The wife calls them "Mitteny Gloves". I keep a couple of hot pads on the inside of the mitten part. I've found with those the wool thinsulate ones work best and the fleece couldn't keep your hands warm in August. The rest is easy. Fleece layer, coton, then wool or what ever cammo you plan to wear.

I've heard that using a fuel source to heat a blind gives off quite a bit of scent that keeps the deer away. Anyone have advice on this? I've tried using a coleman white gas heater a couple of times and didn't see anything but my breath.