How to improve at spot and stalk bowhunting?

[3blade]

Ok, I know, PRACTICE and EXPERIENCE. But that's kinda the problem. The opportunities to actually go after critters on the ground with a bow are few and far between thanks to draw wait times and no-hunting private lands. It's not been effective on crown land, due to the omnipresent dense vegetation.

I've established the fact that Im missing one or most likely several pieces of the puzzle, and need to get more better at actually stalking and arrowing big game before committing to any further high priority draws or outfitted hunts. What's the best way to go about this? My current thoughts are:

-Spend a month in New Zealand, living like a feral cat and stalking everything that moves. Financially it would delay the other bucket list hunts, but would be pretty dang cool anyway.

-head to Texas or some other southern state to hunt a pile of hogs, for as long as I can afford to stay.

-say F it, only hunt whitetails with a bow, and use a rifle for draw tags and adventure hunts when going after new animals in unfamiliar terrain. Probably the most effective, but seems rather unfulfilling...or perhaps my "I wanna get it with my bow" thing is a whole lotta mental masturbation, wasted effort, and completely unrealistic?

-or I'm completely missing something and someone is going to turn the lightbulb on over top of my dunce hat.

[Lefty-Canuck]

Play the wind and the lay of the land, you have to know when to run and know when to freeze. If you think you are going slow, go slower.

Commit to it, it all takes time. If you want to get it done with the bow. Put down the rifle and never bring it with you. Accept failure and not using tags. Every blown stalk is a learning experience....use it as such.

LC

[fallen1817]

Now, take this with a grain of salt... I've never stalked any animal, so I am probably the least qualified person to speak to this, but I've watched a whack of Mulie and elk hunts, and here is what I've compiled:

Remove your pack and shoes well in advance
Play the wind
Wait for them to bed
Only move when their head is down or their eyesight is obstructed
Mule deer have giant ears... If they're facing you, you'll likely be heard
Practice at extended ranges and in different shooting positions
Formulate a game plan prior to executing the stock

Again, I'm not the least bit qualified to offer advice, but If I were to begin stalking game, these would be my starting points. And as you said, practice practice practice.

[3blade]

Originally Posted by Lefty-Canuck

Play the wind and the lay of the land, you have to know when to run and know when to freeze. If you think you are going slow, go slower.

Commit to it, it all takes time. If you want to get it done with the bow. Put down the rifle and never bring it with you. Accept failure and not using tags. Every blown stalk is a learning experience....use it as such.

LC

That's what I'm after, more of those learning experiences. I get that it's probably 1/50 when learning, but at the current rate I'll be long into the happy hunting grounds in the sky before I get to 50 stalks. We can't hunt moose anymore, general season mulies are next to impossible to get access to, and elk are run to the ends of the earth by every jackazz with a bugle. I've killed a grand total of three animals (moose, mulie, whitetail) from the ground and all were dumb luck.

Workout like a madman. Read everything I can. Shoot my bow at 3D targets, at extended range, multiple times a week. Scout out a good spot. Hunt my brains out for weeks, see one or two animals at 150-200 yards. Sneak in, get to about 90, and then the wind swirls, or a cow barks, or a deer blows out, or they just walk away. repeat next season. With one or two actual chances a year, I'm not getting to the "aha" moment, so I thought I should go somewhere that offers a target rich environment and get that experience level up...?

[raw outdoors]

Number one rule slow slow slow
Keep your head low and on a 360 degree swivel always be watching out of the corner of your eyes.
Study the land a 8 inch low spot can hide a man crawling belly down face down.
Hide your face and hands,watches,wedding rings, glasses can spook animals.
I have never painted my face but I try to keep it shaded with a hat. Or neck gator. Ps be sure to practice shooting with your hat and other accessories.
Scan with your eyes as much as you can before turning your head and face.
Heading straight in at an animal if cover is not a avalible you will have a better success percentage than trying to approach parallel. Animals have a much harder time seeing movement directly towards them than they do across there line of sight. Put something between you and your target anything that can break up movement.
Be patient the last 100 yards can take hours to cover , 7 being my longest in +36 weather.
Take an exsesive amount of range readings study land layout and animal location take picture on your phone through scope/ take notes and metal pictures of landmarks rocks/ grass / fences could fenceposts. So you can reference back once you get closer you will loose orientation quite regularly when you start staking and zigzagging around while trying to approach.

Wind is your friend take notes I have my area to a science calam till 11 wind starts at 11-12 guy gets excited starts stalking in wind dies at 12-30 till 2 your stuck out there mid stalk with your ass in the burning sun till about 3-4 when wind starts blowing steady with less lulls and gusts around three animals usual stand around 3 for a stretch and a pee may feed a bit then lay facing different direction depending on how wind changed from the first time they bedded around 9:30 am.

On a windy day a guy can get a stalk done In 15 minutes but then try shoot in that gale force wind. On a calm day it can take hours and maybe not even worth it if you spook your target.

The amount of animals around can be a problem if you spot a deer and start stalking a km away you could run into many deer that can blow out and then spook your target always walk as if there is going to be something between you and the target sometimes this works out and you accidentally discover a better deer. Most times it just lets you spot other deer mostly does before they spot you. Use you binos slowly peek over unseen terrain looking for deer/ coyotes / rabbits / sharptail grouse / ears /antler tips. If you get a unwanted roadblock crouch down back out slow and try a new approach. Early season buck will really be alone the big boys always have a few your stranglers fallowing then around action as bodygaurds beefing down facing all direction. The younger bucks can be out witted but it’s rare to go in undetected with several deer watching. If a deer stands and gives you the stairdown and you stay low and absolulty still they can very well bed back down or just move off slowly. Try not to let them see you are a human figure.

Practice drawing and shooting these three ways in your yard will help you drastically
First lay flat on ground starfish bow in hand try knock an arrow then clip on your realease while still laying down then slowly get up to your knees and draw at the same time. Get on target and shoot as quick as you can.

Next practice the exact same scenario but when you draw back slowly get on target and hold draw for as long as you can then take a practice shot say 1.5min than as you get stronger hold for 2 min and shoot so on until you can hold and shoot accurately with a 3 min draw time.

Next practice drawing sitting on your butt I rarely parictice shooting from a standing position as I know I can already shoot that way and knowing I have only killed 10% of my archery animals standing 80% kneeling shots and 10% sitting is how I figure it.

Always shoot your bow at a draw weight you can comfortable pull in extreme environment. You may look like a hero shooting 80 lb draw at the range but you will feel like a zero when a 200” deer bounces away beaches you couldn’t pull your bow after a grewling stalk.


Every single time is a learning experience everything come into play there is so many moving parts it’s hurts thinking about it. I have made thousands of mistakes some you get lucky and get away with others and in hours or crawling with raw elbows and knees with nothing to show but a broken pride. Always try to remember all your screwups and learn from them for future stalks. Don’t be afraid to stalk other animals just for fun and to learn. On slow days with no deer to be found I will stalk coyotes/ grouse / gophers even the odd beef cow to see how close I can get.

Couple last things I have learned chug a bunch of Gatorade and eat a bunch before you start stalking it’s easyer to pee wile laying down then try pulling out water and snacks 5 hours into a stalk. Leave all your crap 200 yards back but be carful deer/coyotes will spook if they pass downwind of your packs and can blow a stalk

Long winded but lean from my mistakes and go out and make some of your own

[Krokitt]

Every blown stalk is moving you one closer to one that is successful go slow and keep the wind in your face and if you can the sun behind you

[brendan's dad]

Pre Scouting and knowing the terrain is very helpful. Not every stalk will put you within shooting range. Sometimes the animal is bedded in a location that is unapproachable. In these instances your stalk should be to a location that the animal will most likely walk by when exiting the bedding area. It is much more desirable for the animal to close the last 100 yards to you as opposed to you closing that distance. It will take a lot of patience and discipline to sit and wait for the animal to walk by as opposed to trying to make an impossible stalk.

[338Bluff]

Wind. Quiet. Luck. Resist urge to over think or unnecessarily complicate.

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[SageValleyOutdoors]

Lots of great points on here... the one i have to stress more than any other is quiet.
I’m an outfitter that does about 90% spot and stalk bowhunts for mule deer. I’m asked all the time by new clients about gear, camo, optics, etc.
The biggest and absolutely most important thing is silence. Camo pattern doesn’t matter NEARLY as much as people believe. The wind is the most important thing to consider - if you have a consistent wind from a constant direction, you go in from downwind, and they can’t smell you. But they can still hear you. Silence is the absolute most important spot and stalk goal.
Check all the clothes you’ll be wearing. Scratch them with a fingernail. If it’s loud, it’ll be loud when they brush up on bushes/grass/branches. When you’re walking, place each foot slowly, rolling your foot from the heel to toe, or vice versa. Even though it may seem to the contrary of everything, stay upright and WALK slowly as far as you can. The less your body touches the ground and vegetation, the less noise you make. When you’re close enough that you CANT walk and keep out of their sight, crawl - if possible, get a sling for your bow so you can sorta strap it to your back as you go. Move with gusts of wind. Remember - if you can see the eye of the deer (or elk, moose, whatever) he can see you..
As you watch the deer bed, ALSO watch all the other deer between you and him (or her). My biggest annoyance is bumping into unknown animals - doing everything correctly, but then being busted by the doe or small buck that i didn’t even know was there.
Have confidence in your shooting - but do NOT push your own limits. If you’re comfortable to 50, DONT stop your stalk at 55 yards, and think “I’ll just hold a little high”.
DONT be lazy... don’t take the easy way... an example: this past season, a nice buck bedded 145 yards from us in the truck, but with no cover between him and us, my buddy and i crawled out the rear, passenger door, walked almost half a mile AWAY from the deer with the truck as cover, before we were able to get into a coulee to use as cover to move in around on him from the other side. That resulted in my buddy Greg getting his first archery deer, and best buck to date.

[jbrow397]

Rabbits. 365 days a year. It takes some gas and boot leather to find a good rabbit spot but once you do, you will have lots of opportunity in a day. If you can stalk a wild rabbit to bow range (especially trad bow range) you can stalk deer and elk.

[Pasc43]

Try Axis Deer hunting in Hawaii, this will get you lots of stalking opportunists. Or your New Zealand idea is good as well.

[daltonw]

lots of good points

[snareman]

Spook em all out


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[Ridger]

Wind and landscape are the 2 biggest factors... In the right conditions you can practically step on them in long grass or corn.

It is much more exciting than in a stand or blind

[robson3954]

get a resident mulie tag this year and go stalk does until your heart is content. Tons of zones where that's possible.
I was surprised how long a stock might take when I started. Expect to blow at least half your day on one stalk.
I think the fastest I've moved was about 300 yards in 1.5hrs while in sight of the buck (under great conditions/situation).
Expect twice that slow, like your body hurts slow.