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Spot and stalk riperian Whitetails

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Hickoryswitch:
The only thing I can really add is don't get discouraged. It took me 3 years to kill my first deer. If your gonna hunt the fields try to find the trails in and out that'll be your best chance for a bow shot. If the acorns are dropping you can bet there'll be deer there.  Good luck.


      Wayne

Sidewinder:
Thanks Wayne and Mike.

Mike - I had hoped you would have something to add. It just seems to me that you have an encouraging way about you. Yes, I believe that if one hunts with the right heart that the Great Spirit rewards those with a contrite and humble heart. I believe that if we are stressed about scoring a deer or if we have other conflicts going on in our heart and head, that energy emminates into our surroundings. I think that animals are more in tune to picking up on that than most people realize.

Wayne- I think that if I will practice my stealth like Frank suggested below that the experience will be fullfilling in and of itself. If it takes a little while to make my harvest, so be it. I have learned some time ago that I am not in the results busniess. I can only control my choices, attitude and effort. Outcomes I leave up to God.   Danny

DanaM:
spend a evening or two watching the fields, that way you will learn where the deer are entering the field and what time they are getting there. set up at least 2 ambush points for various wind conditions some what away from the field. generally when deer move from their bedding areas to the feeding area they take their time and browse as they go. Then just like building a bow patience. remember yer smarter than a deer but they have better senses and are attuned to their enviroment. If you make a brush blind on a trail this may change their travel routes just like if the wife moves the couch you notice it immediately. Good luch and shoot straight eh. :)

GregB:
Sidewinder, as already mentioned, you really have to be concious of the wind and your movement. If on the ground stalking, you also have to be careful about noise...unless if the leaves are wet, that would help negate that challenge. A deer is extremely quick, so a shot on an alert deer using primitive equipment is very risky. Most likely if the deer knows something is wrong, they'll either "jump the string" completely, or you may wound them. I strive to have the deer completely at ease when I make my shot, thinking that everything is fine with their surroundings.

If you hunt off the ground, you might use a blind as an option when not stalking. Try to incorporate something already in the woods like a fallen tree or ditch, and you just add some cover to it as needed. Make sure you're down wind of where you expect the deer to come from. I like to hunt places where the structure of the terrain funnels the deer into a small area. This could be a bottle neck in the woods, or a steep ditch that they're only crossing at a certain location. You might carry a small stool of some type with you to the blind and clean the leaves away where any movement with your feet that you might have to make could be accomplished quietly. If you're comfortable, you won't figit and move as much which may cause a deer to spot that movement.

Of course a lot of this can be applied to treestand hunting which is what I personally prefer. I'm sure Indian's used elevated perches to hunt from as well as stalking. I respect you're wanting to try hunting off the ground...it is a challenge along with the equipment we use. But if we weren't after the challenge, we'd all be using rifles I suspect. I do hunt from a stand, but I hunt from a stand throughout the entire deer season in Tn., Sept. through Jan. 1st, using a selfbow.

Sidewinder:
Good advise Dana I shall take it to heart. Most of my hunts will be in the morning because thats how my schedule will work out but I shall do you what you say none the less.

Greg I remeber seeing pics of one or two of your deer from last year so I trust what you say. My big thing right now is I don't have a stand and even if I did , with not having enough time to really find the best place to put one, I thought this method would be the best use of my time as well as helping me practice my stealth skills. I do enjoy the view from up in trees though so who knows if I find a good spot that I think will score I may try my hand at that as well, but for now I will just do it on the ground.   Danny

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