Thread: bush hunting sika advice for a noob

I've booked a helisika block for end of August with my wife. My experience of deer hunting you can count on one hand. Please help with all the constructive advice you can provide for hunting sika.
I'm told they're to be found mainly in the bush this time of year. Can someone please also provide a method for this e.g. sit and wait or walk and listen, what time of day etc.
I really don't want to come home empty handed.
Thanks all

Sit and wait is best when they are on the move which is not much this time of year. For my two cents worth is, be in the bush on daylight (or moving along some open areas) and don't be scared of walking along a track in torchlight to get home or away in the morning
Keep the wind in your face at all times move slow and quiet and keep moving. Hunt faces mid day and clearing / ridges / rivers in the morning and evening. If you hit fresh sign slow down. if the is nothing fresh speed up. cover as much ground as possible to leave yourself the most opportunity's to see them. If it is cold they will be in the sun.

There you go.. Good luck and let me know how you get on!

Welcome johnino, wish you all the best there mate, cant really add much to TSKs advice,

They are a sneaky bunch of bastards and hard to nail down, google their 'whistle' on 'you tube', if you can imitate that its bound to help!!!!!!!

Welcome aboard Johnino. Enjoy your trip

When you see one shoot it would be my advice.

All jokes aside your chances would be infinitely better if you left the wife at home, I find theyre like a dog that won't stop whining and crunching sticks in the bush. Besides they tug on the lead too much, best left tide up in the kitchen at home

They will be where you find them

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Originally Posted by phillipgr

They will be where you find them

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You sound like a sambar hunter here in Aus man! they all say that

Originally Posted by phillipgr

They will be where you find them

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Sucj wisdom from one so young

Hey Mate

Two Shots pretty much sorted it for you.

Sika limit their movements over the winter months so when you find fresh sign then rest assured they won’t be far away. IMO it doesn’t matter what time of the day you chase them during winter, the days are short and they tend to be more active during daylight. They have to be there somewhere. When in a good area I like to take a few steps then stop and look (bino’s are a huge help even in the bush) my hearing is not to flash so I don’t usually hear them anymore except for that blasted high pitch squeal when I’ve spooked one.

Another thing is always keep checking your back, the sneaky Sika often try’s to do a loop behind you and cut your wind.

Always keep that wind in your face, or you will most likely be going home empty handed

I am not a good Sika hunter and don’t claim to be but these are things I have learnt….the hard way.

Hope it helps good luck with your trip.

Cheers guys. Appreciate the tips. I understand it's really about time in the bush but hopefully the advice will shorten the learning curve a little.

Originally Posted by johnino

Cheers guys. Appreciate the tips. I understand it's really about time in the bush but hopefully the advice will shorten the learning curve a little.

In all seriousness that's what it comes down to though. People can tell you every intimate detail about what to do but I believe that the real intrinsic ingredient to find deer is something indescribable and possibly something subconscious that we aren't even aware of. If you could just tell people what to do everyone would be shooting deer all the time and there'd be no drive to do something so easy. I've hunted my whole life and would like to think for someone as young as myself I am pretty good at finding deer. But not a weekend goes by that I'm not put on my arse by something a deer has done that has completely baffled me.
I wouldn't rather any other passion in the world but fuck she can be frustrating!

My only piece of advice is just be patient and persistent. It may take a while and maybe this trip you wont even see any but your time will come!

I think Bavarian_Hunters last post sums up hunting incredibly well. Just go out there with the focus of enjoying yourself, you will hunt better and have an awesome trip, if you worry about getting a deer then chances are you wont get one.

if you get a sika on your first trip u are doing well. enjoy the trip, the more you do the better you get, like most things.

Originally Posted by Bavarian_Hunter

When you see one shoot it would be my advice.

All jokes aside your chances would be infinitely better if you left the wife at home, I find theyre like a dog that won't stop whining and crunching sticks in the bush. Besides they tug on the lead too much, best left tide up in the kitchen at home

Rofl you just called his missus a dog champ!!!..........Id love to take the missus on a hunt leave the kids at home and just hunt and chill out.

Originally Posted by Bavarian_Hunter

You sound like a sambar hunter here in Aus man! they all say that

That's no good BH