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Old Apache deer hunting tactics.
RabidApache:
When going on a hunt, the elders told me they would not eat for two to three days and take smoke bathes prior to hunting game.
I guess the reason being IMO, when hunting on an empty stomach you'd do anything for a bite to eat. So basically everything is more focused and your determined to kill.
Marks:
--- Quote from: RabidApache on February 27, 2014, 01:13:34 pm ---When going on a hunt, the elders told me they would not eat for two to three days and take smoke bathes prior to hunting game.
I guess the reason being IMO, when hunting on an empty stomach you'd do anything for a bite to eat. So basically everything is more focused and your determined to kill.
--- End quote ---
Where I went to college we had a lot of Indian (from India) exchange students there. I could never sit by one because they stank. I was told it wasn't a lack of bathing, it had to do with the large amount of curry they ate and the smell came thru their skin. I don't know how much truth there was in it but maybe not eating for a few days would lessen body odor.
Story Teller:
I've not tried any of the motions or noises you all have mentioned, but I have had some luck getting very close to mule deer in little or no cover. I wonder if the trick isn't so much looking or acting like an animal so much as just not looking or acting like a human hunter.
I was out today (Colorado archery season is on) and had an experience similar to some above. It was summer-time hot out and the deer went to bed very early, so I decided to go bed-jumping. As Crooketarrow suggested, it doesn't often work, but I do have some luck. I spotted a doe on an open slope in the shade of a trio of ponderosa pines. I had a tail-side view and she was "meditating" so I thought I'd see how close I could get. We haven't had rain for two weeks and it's been hot so the forest floor was about as quiet as bubble wrap. I got to about 25 yards when my little noises finally made her decide to stand up. I froze. She looked around, looked at me for about 10 minutes and went back to bed, but this time she lay down facing me. I had no cover. I waited another 20 minutes without moving, until birds and squirrels had her attention instead. I started moving at an angling approach (not directly toward her), one inch at a time. She just watched me. I got to about 20 yards (too far, by far, for me to risk a sternum shot on a prone deer) when she stood up, stretched of all things, and moseyed a little to my left. She took her time walking away, never alarmed, and she didn't run. In fact she stopped to browse a little only 40 yards from me. Clearly she was watching me ever since she stood up the first time. There have been archery hunters in the woods for 3 weeks and muzzle-loaders for one. Its an area full of people often, so I know she's not just "people-dumb." I think that because I didn't make noise like a person, or act like a person, she decided I must not be a person to worry about, unless I got too close.
I've busted deer from hide-hole beds on hot days and if they don't make me, and my noise wasn't overmuch, they will just wander 50 yards or so to another bed with less noise about. Then, when I have seen where they bed, I can plan a route and put a sneak on. It's really hard to get close enough for a traditional bow shot, but it's worked for rifle.
Experts say that deer will never return to a busted bed, but that's not true. I scared a pair out three weeks ago and followed them as I mentioned above. Their new bed left me no approach and it was right on the private property line so I waved at them and started to walk away. One went deeper into private property, the other followed me back onto National Forest territory. As soon as there were some bushes between us, she slunk off. I was waiting for her to come out but never saw her. Deduction told me there was only one place for her to escape without my notice so I followed that track and it led right back to her first bed. She wanted her favorite bed back so badly that she followed me through the woods to get to it. I tried to sneak up on it, but she was just too wary by then. She busted out in a hurry.
Thanks, all. Fun stuff.
kleinpm:
Its been my experience that when experts say the words never and always they aren't experts!
Have you thought about using a decoy? I have the cow elk heads up decoy that i can hold in bow arm. I have closed the distance from 100 to about 50 yards on elk and really confused some mule deer with it.
Patrick
Dharma:
I'd be afraid of drawing fire with an elk decoy. Even out of season, we've got elk poachers up here big time.
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