Thread: Any tips for hunting in the field and stalking??

Been shooting since a young kid in the usa used many different firearms. I currently bought a new bergara .308 plenty of experience in shooting etc just no real experience in hunting at all. Ive been out to various places to look for animals with little sign but have been wondering are there better ways to look etc. Am i not studing topo maps correctly etc.

Sounds like you would really benefit from the NZDA hunting course as posted before!
There's a few NZDA clubs in Auckland to join.

Hunting in the rain is best or just as the rain is stopping because whatever sign (foot tracks) you see will be fresh.
Walk and track on animals runs, the bigger the run the more animals, theses are the main highways for deer going to a from shelter, food and water.
Deer will be in the top third of a mountain most of the time, sideling around on well used runs into the wind looking both up and down.
Deer will move off the open top and clearings as soon as the hot morning sun hits them and shelter in the bush but will do the reverse if it’s been stormy and raining for a few day wanting to dry out and get some heat.
Deer generally move around feeding in mornings and evenings.
Depending on time of year and weather conditions 10am-11am deer are bedded up for the day, stags like spurs and ridges looks down with a updraft scenting for danger. Hinds like plateaus, terraces, basins.
This time of year hinds are kicking of there yearlings and getting ready to fawn making them pretty spooky and be in thick bush.
Stags will be going velvet wanting to be in more open bush so they don’t injure there antlers.
Hunting during the day when they are beded is hard because of there low profile on the ground and they aren’t moving they hear everything, so you need to look more than you move.
Depending on time of year and hunting pressure evenings deer will go from bedding to feeding mode moving to open tops, clearings, slips, creek and river beds. This is were spending as much time on the hill in your favour. Having seen deer move in and out of these places and knowing the run they use, you can stalk in these place on the time they normally use them or sit and setup a ambush.

I could go on and on and write a book on this but there’s plenty already.

Stalking takes years of practice even with guidance, reading books, YouTube and is only really learnt by time in the hills watching them in all four seasons and you actually learn more if you don’t shoot the first one you see each trip in. The closest I’ve stalked in a deer is 3m but he was beded down on a really hot day.
Stalking is so rewarding, when you sneak up on an animal and see the whites of his eyes only meters way knowing he’s just been busted by a apex predator.

Originally Posted by Beginnerhunter

Been shooting since a young kid in the usa used many different firearms. I currently bought a new bergara .308 plenty of experience in shooting etc just no real experience in hunting at all. Ive been out to various places to look for animals with little sign but have been wondering are there better ways to look etc. Am i not studing topo maps correctly etc.

think like the deer ....be the deer..... kind of ..... deer are random animals they will be where they will be ...... they do have favorite foods tho and do like the sun. study all the topos ad aerials you can pick out spots that look like potential hotspots and hit them to find nothing ....so try a different time of day even if there is old sign it means they have been there keep hitting it and gradually widen your area you learn something new each time you have boots on the ground for some of us it was years before the first one hit the ground . if you can free up this weekend come down the pureoras

Hi there are quite a few threads like this but this is one of the best so far - good on you forum people who have responded so well !

My contribution, if you ve been to places with little sign is to try a different place each month so you can get a feeling what's good and what's poor and dont waste time building local knowledge in a place with few deer. Spend some time driving and walking and exploring for a start. If you're in auckland you need to check out the kaimais, pureora, kaimanawas whirinaki and Te Urewera (that needs a separate permit which is easy to get online. Respect the land and its custodians).

I understand there are more animals in smaller areas in parts of the USA than here so you will be an "extensive area hunter" here and sitting in one spot waiting all evening will be less effective than back there.

Thanks man for the info awesome.

Defitnely keen to go but have a birthday this weekend but would be keen another time. Cheers