The basics..am I missing something?

Hi there, dont want to sound like a sook, but I'm having trouble getting to grips with bush stalking. I've asked a heap of questions in the past, bought books on deer hunting, studied the net, asked old timers etc. It all seems good. I've got the locations sorted, I'm fit, I have the gears, and I thought I had my stalking technique sorted. I have taken on board all the tips and hints you guys and others have given me.
So, been in the bush about 6 times so far (southern ruahines) and not once have I even seen a deer. And I cant see that I ever will. I was told to go off the tracks for one. So I end up crawling through the thick, thick bush. The furtherest I can see is about 15m around me. Im climbing and crawling through vines and up steep faces. I'm taking about 1/2 hour to move 100m or so. Let alone trying to be quiet while doing it. I cant even see out of the bush...too thick. On the odd occasions that I can see through the canopy, all I can see is more thick bush, If there was deer in "that" bush, I wouldn't see it anyway!
In all the online videos, tv programmes, and pics in the mags and books, 99% of the scenes are open tussock, wide river flats, flat open ground, green hill sides. If they are in the bush, most of the time they seem to be able to move quite easy and the bush is much less dense than the stuff Im trying to stalk through.
Am I missing something? I would hate to have to go rabbit shooting with my 308 to let my frustrations out.
Any "more" advice would be a great help.

That's a tough one to answer sitting in the comforts of home. Really need to be their to talk about sign etc. Fortunately I have just got home after working up a sweat and sinking a a few Woodys
Hunting areas like the Ureweras where there are really nice beech forests and off the beaten track. The deer will be where they are because that is where they want to be. If it is cold then like you and me they will be somewhere warm. If it is windy they will be on the other side of the hill. Unlike you and me, they don't carry food with them. Don't hunt dead areas where there is no broadleaf trees however be prepared for the unexpected.
I spent a few years hunting and not knowing what to look for. Gave it up for a while then back into it. It was not until I had someone experienced to show me what to look for that it all fell into place. That is why it is hard to explain from here.
Join a Deerstalkers or find someone to go out with you. It will save years of frustration and you will begin to enjoy the trips out

I cant offer much help with finding the spots as Im unfamiliar with the ruahines but as for being quiet, I used to only go out in the rain as the ground/leaves were nice and soft and what noise you did make was masked by the drops in the canopy. I also have a clip on my pack and when Im getting to noisey I take my boots of and clip them on the back and tape my socks up like roman sandals, this makes a massive difference.

Theres a real art to bush stalking and you really have to be in the mind set of just loving being out in the bush rather being out there to shoot deer. It took me way more than 6 trips to get my first deer and even more to get my second but I kept getting out there most weekends, even 5 years on from starting deer stalking I still learn new shit each time I go out.:thumbsup:

Firstly are you seeing any sign?
Are you looking for sign?
if your looking for and not seeing sign your in the wrong place.
If you are seeing sign and some fresh sign it should only be a matter of time before you see one.

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You're probably not doing anything wrong you just need to find yourself a spot with some better bush (and that has reasonable numbers). I don't know the ruahines so I can't really help sorry, but someone else on here might. Keep at it man, it's hard to begin with but it gets better!

Do not get so hung up on being quiet. Walk through the bush a few times at a decent pace. You will start bumping into deer. Note the areas and vegitation where you do bump into them and keep it in the software.
Warmth, water and food.
Couldn't tell you how many deer have hung around long enough for a shot while just moving at a normal pace (dictated by the ground)
I have run into over the years.


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You can stomp about and keep to the easy tracks until you see sign and save your ninja stuff til then

Meh. I'm in Palmy, so local experience.
Firstly, join NZDA. Always guys keen for a hunt.
Secondly, my trick is to drop into the next catchment north-east of Coppermine creek, and depending on the time of day, watch clearings and slips from the other side of the valley.
So, for morning, I'm watching south or southwest clearings - and in the afternoons, I swap around. Whatever has the morning and evening sun.
Then I read a book ;) And watch.
I don't always hunt with a rifle tho - sometimes I just take the camera.

Just my 2c as im a newbie.......its really fukin hard when you start off, so go easy on yourself and DONT GIVE UP, even though you feel like it....

as most have already said, there must be sign about or theres no deer about, there not the SAS and carry there shite around with them.....

wind in your face if at all possible....go slow, then slower still.......just ran out of money.....

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Originally Posted by bbbrad

? I would hate to have to go rabbit shooting with my 308 to let my frustrations out.
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Funny I've never minded shooting rabbits with my .308 or my 300 Win Mag either... Its all gun time keep it safe and
go for it... PS : Not if you intend to eat them though eh ! Tends to jumble them up a little ..

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As to the bush hunting + 1 to all the tips above.. Time of the day can be important as well. Keep at it you ll win for sure !! :thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by Happy

Funny I've never minded shooting rabbits with my .308 or my 300 Win Mag either... Its all gun time keep it safe and
go for it... PS : Not if you intend to eat them though eh ! Tends to jumble them up a little ..

Attachment 29676

As to the bush hunting + 1 to all the tips above.. Time of the day can be important as well. Keep at it you ll win for sure !! :thumbsup:

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Used too use my 6.5 on bunnys and magpies all the time. A wise man once said " beware the man with only one gun "

The big one is to make sure you are hunting somewhere there are deer. I was a bit the same with flyfishing. I never really caught much and didin't know if I was doing it right. After a few trips with an experienced friend I realised my technique was ok, but I wasn't really fishing in areas with many trout. I now expect to catch fish rather than hope to catch fish.
Are you seeing tracks, droppings where you are hunting? This time of year is a good time to be out, soon the deer will be popping out on slips, river flats etc.
If you can get some bino's and do lots of sitting and looking and find out where deer are coming out and when. Then try and put yourself close at the right time.

Like the others have said. You've just gotta do the time. Sometimes it's easy, sometimes not. There'll be times when you seem to see animals almost every trip, and like me at the moment, you will go through times of wonderering where the beasties are. Just hang on in there. Enjoy the experience, the bush and the way it clears your head. The feed of venison or pork with friends and family, the photos on the wall, or a few quiets with your mates after, the hunt makes them all special

Morel of the story here, Southern Ruahines suck :thumbsup: go to a different spot bro, try somewhere with nicer bush to go through. Deer are like us, they like nice places. Not tangled up shitfest of horrible scrappy vines.

If you're uber tall, go down on a knee to look for game trails. Luckily I am the right height for deer stuff. But if even on your knees it doesn't look like an animal would go through there, then they probably aren't!

Good luck.

Bit early on to be giving yourself a hard time.

Took me a fair few trips into the Blue Mountains chasing fallow before i seen 1.

fair few trips after that before I managed to shoot one, like R93 said put it all in the computer and learn from every trip out.

the good thing is doing it hard at the start will make your first deer a cracker!!!

It does get easier, not many trips I do now without seeing a deer and get way more chances now to put some lead(copper) their way.

If hunting was easy every bastard would be doing it, just get out there and keep at it

cheers

dino

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Originally Posted by bbbrad

In all the online videos, tv programmes, and pics in the mags and books, 99% of the scenes are open tussock, wide river flats, flat open ground, green hill sides.

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There is areason for the above statement. I don't have much success bush stalking either, and I let them come to me - like on a slip etc. That has been way more productive for me, and us oldies need to get cunning and expend less energy getting our venison. By all means head into the bush during the day if you need to burn off energy, but hit the feed spots at the right time of the day.

You need to find the clearings in the Ruahines you will have more luck looking thru the bush onto the clearings.
@BRADS and @Neckshot would help but they have gone AWOL.

6 times looking for deer don't worry about not seeing them they are there and have seen you.

I haven't had a chance to get out into the bush for a few months but the last deersies I seen were at smoko time.:wtfsmilie:

The deer we saw after an early morning stalk before sunrise was spotted at 10am

Midday we headed off next time and spot one at 3pm.

Some say first light,last light but they are out there grazing all day and night.Be patient and your freezer will be full.;)

I've been at it for a few years now and still haven't got my first stag, took a couple of years to get the first hind aswell. The main thing I have found is to enjoy your time in the bush, then you will start to notice trails, scrapes and wallows. find those tracks then worry about slowing down. follow trails, stop look and listen, patience is key in this game. Im mostly self taught that's why it took me so long, find someone to take you under their wing and you will learn quicker, but keep at it mate.

Where I hunt in the kaimais there is no sitting and watching cause there are no clearings , and no sitting and listening cause im deaf as a plank .
You have too be smart and make your own luck , slow when you see sign , steady and deliberate when your looking for it , freeze and listen if the shits steaming (unless its your own )
Hmmmm enuf said.

When I moved to NZ I started to hunt in the kaimais and I had to learn to hunt again as it is so much tougher than the European hunting.
One thing that you don t see many kiwi do is get a good pair of binoculars; yes, even in the dense bush they work well as you can focus at different distances through the foliage, and you will be able to spot an ear, a tail or something else way better and further than with just your naked eyes.
It was taking me 10 trips to see 1 deer, now is more 6 to 10 trips to kill 1.
I don't think that what you are doing is necessarily wrong but as the others said, you need to go where the deer are.
Change spot maybe and see how it goes.

So I'm not the only one that takes my rifle for long walks, Ive been walking my rifle around the southern end of the kawekas with no luck, I still enjoy the time away from it all and the feeling of the freedom you get in the hills.

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Originally Posted by roadkill

So I'm not the only one that takes my rifle for long walks, Ive been walking my rifle around the southern end of the kawekas with no luck, I still enjoy the time away from it all and the feeling of the freedom you get in the hills.

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Keep at it and it will happen. Right place, wind in your face, slow down.

My $.50,
You are doing great and after ALL these great feedbacks you had just keep the good work. I am kind "hopeless" with bush hunting too and I been "kill" by a deer couple times(they saw me, call me looser and pretty much "shot" me by the time I saw them) but I still taking my rifle for walks too.
Be patient, keep,the faith and more important, "ENJOY YOUR TIME OUT THERE"( it is not shouting just make it a statement).
Thank you to all of you out there and "in" here who keep me(us) entertained and full of good stories and acknowledge.

Mac

Good thing about getting busted by the deer first is that you have found the zone. All you have to do now is convert it to meat on the table

Ok, wow, thanks a million everyone for more tips and help. I think I have a good plan now to get the job done. I'll take it all on board and look forward to getting out there over the next couple of months. I'll be sure to let you all know how I get on.
Cheers
Brad

Don't try and get too technical with all the info you've got from both forums or you will spend all your time mindfucking and not hunt.
Take the location and environment you are in and try 1 or 2 pointers and work with that. If it no results then try a couple of different things.
As long as you have the wind in your face anything can happen

OK,what on earth are you doing groveling around in that thick crap a possum has trouble getting threw ? How are you going to shoot crawling round on hands n knees pushing your beloved rifle ahead of you ,you going to stuff your knees and or hands.
If you have a nice flat bottom stream with grassy benches or river flats is a nice place to transition first light or dusk to dark . But bush stalking can be an all day pass time .Light weight soft sole boots or sneakers ,cover the white face / hands with a mask & gloves.Fleece or woolen clothing that doesn't rasp .If you want to go extreme mask your human scent ,I like clove oil but its personal choice on that.A few drops of oil & the poor old deer don't know WTF you are.The reason hinds bark,they maybe onto you but not sure what you are & let all their mates know . Swirling wind can blow it for you as often we get in the bush. If you can move quietly is a plus while looking for sign ,when you do find it slow down.2 step stop look listen ,2 more steps etc.
Now about that thick crap you hate .You are probably better to work the top of leading spurs that run up to a main ridge. Creeks are good they normally have a spur each side.You can hunt both sides of them at once ,then cross at the head of the gully & work down the other spur .Deer often use those spurs as high ways(game tails) to transition both to feed areas or into another water shed.Sure deer bed down in those thick areas you love so ,but do you think they won't hear you coming way before you know they've left the area.Sighted at 50m you should be good for "Bush Stalking". Go forward gently look first for horizontal lines the animals back bone & belly. This time of year red deer are very grey colored not red/brown (grey ghosts) Hope you find some thing of use in this .

You guys blow me away, so helpful. Send me your addresses and I'll send you all a steak in the mail.

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Originally Posted by PERRISCICABA

My $.50,
You are doing great and after ALL these great feedbacks you had just keep the good work. I am kind "hopeless" with bush hunting too and I been "kill" by a deer couple times(they saw me, call me looser and pretty much "shot" me by the time I saw them) but I still taking my rifle for walks too.
Be patient, keep,the faith and more important, "ENJOY YOUR TIME OUT THERE"( it is not shouting just make it a statement).
Thank you to all of you out there and "in" here who keep me(us) entertained and full of good stories and acknowledge.

Mac

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Its 50 cents Mac not .5$ :D

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Originally Posted by Gibo

Its 50 cents Mac not .5$ :D

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$.50 is 50 cents !

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bbbrad another week or two I should be back in the Ruahines,if you want too tag along be my guest otherwise I will follow you.:)

You are not doing anything wrong in my opinion...keep at it.

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Originally Posted by bbbrad

You guys blow me away, so helpful. Send me your addresses and I'll send you all a steak in the mail.

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I'm good for steak thanks

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Originally Posted by veitnamcam

$.50 is 50 cents !

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Oh boys! You guys crack me up, can't stop laugh.
By the way, the "," after the $.50 was just to separate the sentences.

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Originally Posted by veitnamcam

$.50 is 50 cents !

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You southerners!!