bush stalking for dummies

a few years back I wrote this and seen as though someone asked what definition of bush hunting is...I sort of feel its relevant...
we have some absolute bush stalking machines on this forum...even if they do use EBRGs they still manage an animal most times they go out....
if you ever get a chance to go out with one of these gurus...shut up and watch/listen and you will learn lessons learnt the hard way over years.
hope it helps someone trying to work out how to get the first deer or even a nudge in right direction for a tops /open country hunter.
30 years of doing it and Im still learning.
Milky


Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2016 6:28 pm
After having a great week stalking recently it occurred to me that the method I used/use may be of interest to others and if I can convey it correctly a learning aid for new hunters...a big ask but here goes anyway.

first up you cant drink whiskey from bottle of wine
if there is no deer in an area you are wasting your time and energy doing a full on stalk of barren ground,find an area where you have fresh sign eg poohs on the ground,foot prints/spoor,tree rubbing or evidence of grazing and THEN get into mouse mode

WIND is vital or fatal depending on your ability to read it,a red deer has been said to smell you from over a mile away,so hunting with a breeze blowing up ya jacksee is not going to be very productive (besides which those baked bean farts will linger longer) there are different ways to find/check the wind,wet your finger and hold it up to find which side gets cold,shave hair from behind your ears to feel breeze,powder puff pottle,piece of cotton tied to your barrel (Suz??? was this why your lot added feather to bow???) a quick flick of the trusty Bic flick..cigarette lighter to you non down unders, drop handfull of leaves or dust.
which ever method you use hunting into the wind is best as it keeps your scent away from quarry,you CAN hunt across the wind eg sidle around contour of land with a breeze blowing uphill(thermal breeze on sunny day will do this) but you will be scenting up area above you so eyes need to cover area infront and above you well,main area to find game will be below you,which leads nicely onto how to see game

I put up a poll on another forum recently to see how other people got a 100% positive ID of an animal (due to recent hunting accidents)
biggest % of guys use 3 or more things to do this.
personally I normally spot colour Im looking for/movement/horizontal solid line or something just "out of place"
which then gets double checked..and triple checked if ticking boxes at that stage
seeing head and neck of live animal doing LIVE animal things is MY PERSONAL final box to tick off.
with modern electronic callers getting better and good old cow horn magic in right hands sound is OUT as an ID factor...other than to start process of checking something out,that includes roaring/croaking/bugling and general moving around noises like brushes rustling ,foot falls or antler rattling
they are great to get your attention and focus it but not enough to tell what it is you are hearing...it could be a human..infact it is a human untill you can 100% tell otherwise..right thats enough on that one FOR NOW.

ok so we are walking along with wind right and some fresh deer sign on ground...but HOW are you walking????a heavy booted plod just wont do old chap...wont do at all
take a break from keyboard,go outside in bare feet and walk across ashfelt/tarseal/stoney road, you will find that you cant walk heel toe heel toe any more as it hurts Sad
so you will by default start to place your foot flat..well sort of flat,outside of foot touches first then rolls down till big toe hits,your foot is down then your weight goes to that foot and then and only then will back foot move and repeat sequence. same goe for crossing a river,each foot goes down and solidly grounded BEFORE other one moves
when Im in hot sign its 3 steps then stop and look..another 3 and look again etc etc etc if you in really hot sign and think you going too slow well Mates SLOW DOWN SOME MORE and then you are still going too fast.
deer live there all the time,if you sitting in lazy boy chair in your lounge reading a book or eating a han n cheese sammie and some one walzed into your house you would know it straight away wouldnt you????? same goes for a deer except they know if they not really alert they will get one way trip on back of ute.

k so we have
wind
walk slow
find area of sign

feeding area,sleeping/bedding area or moving between the two are main places to find your quarry
food is where you find it
bedding will be warm with light breeze to carry scent to bedded deer and be close to heavy cover...usually

down here downunder we have warm faces on North side of ridges being best bets as warmer = more plant growth and better bedding areas.


that will do for now...have a read and feel free to ask questions
and Ill have a think on what Ive missed
clothing and footwear come to mind.

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clothing,well if you have the $$$$$$ Swazi is really good stuff,made by a hunting man for hunters,tested and it works and lasts but as said it costs
me Im a cheap bugga and have a real mix n match wardrobe of polar fleece garments from all over the place,normally bought cheap by SWMBO on trade me auction site.
in warm weather its polyprop short tights (think above the knee long Johns) with rugby shorts over top..to protect/preserve modesty.
and usually a polyprop top or fleece Tshirt.
in colder weater we "layer up" eg keep adding layers till we warm enough and top it with a shell layer
if in the bush quietness is paramount so fleece is king.
back in the day it was the good old Swanni or Lambi woolen coat but now fleece wins out as its so much lighter and dries quicker.
a hat of some sort ,fleece gloves and a fleece neck warmer top off my list of cloths
boots are a personal thing,lace up rubber gumboots win hands down for me.
after years of sore red feet from hunting in leather boots my Brother got me onto Bullers and I havent looked back since,Ive got a reasonable pair of leather hunting boots and they do the odd day trip in hot weather but gummies are the shite in the bush,really easy to step quietly and they grip well so you dont spend half the day falling on ya bum and other half picking ya self up again.

on last trip I would find area with sign and follow any spoor present if wind was right or just wander along SLOWLY in direction of travel taking path of least resistance picking deer trail where possible.

rifles are again personal choice but for my money big n slow beats light and fast projectile wise (that said Ive hunted successfully with .223)
a good old .308 is still hard to beat.
but scopes are a different matter
your 4x16 ziess or 8x24 might be the ducks nuts out in open country where long shots from rest are the norm but in the scrub the lower the magnification the better wiht 4x being MOST you want and lower still is better.mine wear vari powers with 3x as lowest and other rifle a fixed 4x
tried mates smit n bender and it was plurry hopeless, even on lowest power the field of view was like peering down a drain pipe!!!!

Thank you Micky Duck for sharing this. It really saves people like me from learning the hard way.
First thing I learned from my own hunting experience was moving slow, previously spooked too many animals by crashing through the bush like walking down the street.
Then I got in the habit of moving at 2m per minute everywhere I went, and soon realised it isn't worth it if there is zero sign.
Still trying to learn the importance of wind, at the moment I have the tendency to ignore it and hope for the best.

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Originally Posted by Synthetic

Still trying to learn the importance of wind, at the moment I have the tendency to ignore it and hope for the best.

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Have found that looking up will often give more info, tops of trees, cloud movement, pollen blowing etc.

When spying I try and see if there is any discernible wind movement near the animal or on the path to it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6vu...urvivalChannel

Above is a well-filmed example of how deer (elk in this case) can spook from wind scent alone (around the 5min mark), if you watch further they go back to the same place and shoot it later. I think if they had been seen the first time it would have been a no-go!

Cheers for sharing @Micky Duck , curious if you use a dog when bush hunting?

Good one MD

On the stalking speed if in Sika country go even slower. I tend to stand still for 30sec to 2min between steps depending on how hot the sign is. It a hard thing to get used to as even 30sec feels like a long time.

I also look for sunny guys/creeks to sit and watch as they are feed areas and you can get a good field of view.

Damn auto correct "guts"

Nice timing, I took a 16yo hunting on Friday and told him some of these things (wind/scent, look for horizontal lines, etc).
I’ll get him to read this, at the very least he will think I wasn’t making it up!

Thanks mate!

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Originally Posted by caberslash

Cheers for sharing @Micky Duck , curious if you use a dog when bush hunting?

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I do now,Meg is rough enough trained and when we get our mojo on its a wonderful thing... when I hunt without her,its back to the basics above.the biggest difference when I hunt with her,once she onto something,wind becomes irrelevant to me....where she goes I follow...to hell n back if thats where she wants to go.....Ive learnt not to argue.....the bitch is always right.

MD what is your suggestion in the following situation: Me, quietly stalking through the bush a tiny noise ahead or sign so fresh I know the deer is right there but I cant see it. I wait and look and look and wait then move and 'crash' gone. When there are three or four deer in a gully they are easy to shoot all making noise and interacting but those single animals are my undoing

Any tips for really dense bush?

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Originally Posted by MB

Any tips for really dense bush?

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Call in an airstrike?

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Do you reckon the old swannie helped the bush hunter? Being overdressed and easily bringing on a sweat with minimal exertion is a great reminder to stay slow in the bush.

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A old swannie was quiet in the bush, you have to pick what your your clothing and even your pack is made from. Like MD said if you have a gravel drive you can here a car coming up your drive, if that person was to get out and walk you wouldn't know they are there until the knock on the door (gun shot for deer)
those highly hunted areas the deer a on high alert. Get in to a area where they hardly she a human they just stand a wait to be shot

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Originally Posted by Ned

Call in an airstrike?

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Better than expected. I thought someone was going to say find somewhere else to hunt.

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Originally Posted by Ned

Do you reckon the old swannie helped the bush hunter? Being overdressed and easily bringing on a sweat with minimal exertion is a great reminder to stay slow in the bush.

Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk

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100 percent.

I’ve hunted in a big stoney creek coat for a while now and recently i’ve gone back to wearing a swanny just for the noise factor. Nothing worse than a coat that crinkles and rustles with each step for me as a lot of the time i’m using my ears as well.

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Originally Posted by hebe

100 percent.

I’ve hunted in a big stoney creek coat for a while now and recently i’ve gone back to wearing a swanny just for the noise factor. Nothing worse than a coat that crinkles and rustles with each step for me as a lot of the time i’m using my ears as well.

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Likewise with using ears, very important.

But Stewart Island kiwis can be a prick in that respect.

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Originally Posted by Ned

Do you reckon the old swannie helped the bush hunter? Being overdressed and easily bringing on a sweat with minimal exertion is a great reminder to stay slow in the bush.

Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk

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I wear nothing that makes a ‘scratchy’ noise, only wear polarfleece or wool.

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Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

MD what is your suggestion in the following situation: Me, quietly stalking through the bush a tiny noise ahead or sign so fresh I know the deer is right there but I cant see it. I wait and look and look and wait then move and 'crash' gone. When there are three or four deer in a gully they are easy to shoot all making noise and interacting but those single animals are my undoing

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hehehe sounds like Stewart Island...and then KIWI pops out and walked over my boots.... what to do???? use your binos.....its a hard habit to get into,but man does it make it easy to see through stuff....you focus ob distance so the other closer stuff sort of fades....

On ya micky duck [emoji106] Exactly the sort of post/thread that this forum needs more of.

I wish I could add some valuable insight but I'm fairly average at best as this sort of milarky [emoji41]

I do however remember reading some good tips a while back about bush hunting from @deer243. I can't seem to remember the thread they were in......perhaps he will [emoji6]

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Originally Posted by Micky Duck

hehehe sounds like Stewart Island...and then KIWI pops out and walked over my boots.... what to do???? use your binos.....its a hard habit to get into,but man does it make it easy to see through stuff....you focus ob distance so the other closer stuff sort of fades....

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I always hunted those wee grey buggers wearing shearers mocassins..moved on to jimboots and yes mr Duck the bino's,small as they were were the nuts as you'd say lol. Down on all fours paid off a lot too. Oh yeah the grey ghosts are an onto it animal. You describe the ol kiwi poppin in eh,they can also turn out to be a deer at times....................likin what yi write Mr Duck :)

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Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

MD what is your suggestion in the following situation: Me, quietly stalking through the bush a tiny noise ahead or sign so fresh I know the deer is right there but I cant see it. I wait and look and look and wait then move and 'crash' gone. When there are three or four deer in a gully they are easy to shoot all making noise and interacting but those single animals are my undoing

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If the deer knows you are there you are screwed , because it is looking for movement . But if it doesn't t know you are there you have to remember the deer will be looking through or under the scrub . You will be trying to look through or over the scrub so try to look like a deer , under the scrub , go low .Crawl if you have too.

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Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

MD what is your suggestion in the following situation: Me, quietly stalking through the bush a tiny noise ahead or sign so fresh I know the deer is right there but I cant see it. I wait and look and look and wait then move and 'crash' gone. When there are three or four deer in a gully they are easy to shoot all making noise and interacting but those single animals are my undoing

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hi mate I have some advice for you,use your nose like a dog,I almost always smell the deer before shooting them,once you know what a deer smells like it is unmistakable and you need to back your senses with full trust, if I get that wiff of deer I know im close and its all on.i have plenty of times had deer break from within 5-10m once they hear me and don't get a shot off, this is what iv been doing, when I know im close but can't see anything let out a little mew(neeah)and wait rifle ready,do this a few times and often the deer will stand up or move to see what's up and you'll get a chance to shoot.deer will bolt at a stick breaking under your foot but other noises they will want to see what it is, even a low whistle works but a stick snap and its over.

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Originally Posted by Micky Duck

where she goes I follow...to hell n back if thats where she wants to go.....Ive learnt not to argue.....the bitch is always right.

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A statement that could also be applied elsewhere! :XD:

Cheers

Loving this thread.

Sometimes the deer will actually come to you if you are patient enough.

The tree stand guys get a bad rap in some circles for 'just waiting/ambush', but if you have walked into the middle of nowhere, miles away from human presence and find heavy sign, why not catch a breather and wait for a while? He who moves the least sees the most!

As for kit, we deffo carry too much nowadays. Look at the guys from the days Joff Thompson, admittedly there were loads more deer but what did they carry on a day hunt away from camp apart from smokes, matches/lighter, knife, rifle and ammo?

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Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

MD what is your suggestion in the following situation: Me, quietly stalking through the bush a tiny noise ahead or sign so fresh I know the deer is right there but I cant see it. I wait and look and look and wait then move and 'crash' gone. When there are three or four deer in a gully they are easy to shoot all making noise and interacting but those single animals are my undoing

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my uncle recommends running at them in the hope of a snapshot. He said he got a lot of deer this way before he had a dog.
He is a feral bugger though

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Originally Posted by Pushover

my uncle recommends running at them in the hope of a snapshot. He said he got a lot of deer this way before he had a dog.
He is a feral bugger though

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Ive heard this a few times and are keen to try it on deer that have alerted but not bolted.

Yes mate, you're onto it. Next barking hind ill try the same

Here’s my 10 cents to add to the above.
Binos in the bush is a big plus! Your not then pointing your rifle about. At something that has not even identified.
As said above if your swearing your going to fast on hot sign. This is a good one to teach young stalkers as it’s an easy one to figure out.
Lines, colour has been covered. A trick that my Dad taught me which is helpful. If you see something but it’s still and your not sure then look away and look back quick. Your eye will tell you if it’s moved. Even a breath will register. Don’t be scared to duck and move up and down when looking. As said above. It helps if you are impatient to move on. Helps keep you slow.
Don’t be afraid of the thick stuff!

Supplejack, there is a way through and it’s not with scissors. Deer can do it and you can to. Look for where the vine comes out of the ground, this is where it will bend most easily you will soon find that this is the fastest way to move through. A big old vine you will need to go around but if deer have gone through you too should follow. (Anyone who has stalked the Kaimias will know about this lovely vine;))
Bush stalking is an art. Embrace it. It’s a true buzz if you can get in close.
Oh and listen out for eating, chewing the cud. I’ve shot few found this way.
Good luck:)

So after reading these pearls of wisdom I figured I’d trying my hand at this bush stalking malarkey. Have mainly shot open country so far so this is a new challenge. I have found a few spots in the Canterbury foothills that while highly used by hunters and other folks alike seem to hold decent deer numbers. Pressure has likely made most of them nocturnal. In the wasp free window before summer I have been tracking them up/down into the valleys through heavy beech, Manuka, bush layer and pepperwood and finding heaps of fresh sign and occasionally get a good whiff. Moving through the bush quietly is near impossible no matter how much I channel my inner ninja and visibility is 10m at most - often 5 or less. Even the dog when I take her sets off rockslides in the shingle. I have found a few spots that the deer seem to be using regularly but given the lack of a decent vantage point and being unable to stalk in quietly I am looking for cunning tricks to try and surprise the blighters. Have considered lugging in an axe and cutting a shooting spot on an opposite slope facing a small slip face or even look into a tree stand arrangement. Might also look into a game cam to try and sus out their patterns as there is cell reception there and I could check from the comfort of home. Any other tips other that ‘try somewhere more sensible ya silly bugger’

Attachment 179109 wallow in a wet seep covered in tracks. Attachment 179110 typical bush shot - can you pick out the dog giving me her ‘what’s taking you so long look’ she’s about 4 m away.

keep going back......and go into better feed areas...that photo has zero eatables in it, stalk up ridge untill you hit height with sign on it...then sidle at that height...the deer will often be feeding in narrow band altitude wise...10-50mtrs wide...once you find that height its uncanny sidling through gully after gully all having heavy sign in them...the windfall around now is good for the deer,not so good for quiet travel...but the deer make noise too.

Yep, as MD said keep hammering it in the manner described.

One other tip is to try find the edges of the habitat types, quite often deer trails and areas of heavy movement are between those edges. Plus travelling the edges can be easier than getting right into the thick shit. Edges also hold different feed species a lot of the time, as a defined edge usually results in more light getting in under the canopy = more feed. Thats not always a hard and fast rule but i’ve shot a fair few deer just by hunting in and out of those edges eg a good one for sika can be red beech vs mountain beech, or red beech vs manuka.

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Originally Posted by hebe

Yep, as MD said keep hammering it in the manner described.

One other tip is to try find the edges of the habitat types, quite often deer trails and areas of heavy movement are between those edges. Plus travelling the edges can be easier than getting right into the thick shit. Edges also hold different feed species a lot of the time, as a defined edge usually results in more light getting in under the canopy = more feed. Thats not always a hard and fast rule but i’ve shot a fair few deer just by hunting in and out of those edges eg a good one for sika can be red beech vs mountain beech, or red beech vs manuka.

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Thats good advice. Otherwise keep going back and hunt the whole area, get a good picture of the country and where the most sign is and if theres better stalking bush in the area.
Most people know i do alot of bush stalking, and get lucky now and again.
What ive learnt is try find and hunt a number of different spots. Yes, ive found plenty of spots that have deer in them, but if the bush is super thick and not easy i just dont waste my time
and hunt better spots more suited for bush stalking.
What time are you heading into the bush? I always head in very first light, nearly always. Start to climb, as the wind is normally coming down then after awhile when you have height and the times ticking
along the wind will shift and start to rise which will be in your favor.
If the signs stags, they be up high, and may require hard yards to get as high as possible. Found many a stag outside the roar up very high while the rest of the deer are lower down.
In the end of theres sign theres animals and they are there, just keep going back and maybe hunting in from a different dirction if no joy

Ive tried them....only issue is mine are mono,so I can hear sounds for sure....but cant pick direction AT ALL....maybe just maybe in conjunction with dog,they may work for me...darn it, will have to give another try now....

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Originally Posted by ripped undies

Something that's made it easier for me but might not be everyone's cup of tea. If your hearing is a bit fucked like mine those electronic earmuffs open up a whole new world they take a little bit of getting used to because you'll start hearing things you've never heard before if your hearing is like mine, you'll also learn how noisy some of your gear is that your weren't aware of...

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Thanks for this info, I know i have to go and get my hearing checked soon and will end up with hearing aids at some stage. In the roar i ask my eleven year out "what direction" or are you sure you heard something moving :D

Again this is another great thread for young fellas starting out.
Its great to see guys taking the time to help others out.

:thumbs:

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Originally Posted by MB

Better than expected. I thought someone was going to say find somewhere else to hunt.

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I was going to mention artillery.

Spent six hours on the hill today.my young bitch got me to within TEN metres of a "something" it was brown,looked like hair,possibly top of shoulder and back of yearling.didnt matter how I contorted I couldn't see enough for positive identification,the patch of deer I could see was about 30cm long and half that deep .then it moved off in hurry along with older hind and young stag.got glimpses but not enough to get shot away now I'd was done. That's happened twice to me now. I'm pissed I didn't get deer but happy with decision NOT to shoot at what I could see. Absolutely stoked with my wee black bitch,she stayed calm enough .happy times ahead. Be SAFE out there folks.

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Originally Posted by Micky Duck

Spent six hours on the hill today.my young bitch got me to within TEN metres of a "something" it was brown,looked like hair,possibly top of shoulder and back of yearling.didnt matter how I contorted I couldn't see enough for positive identification,the patch of deer I could see was about 30cm long and half that deep .then it moved off in hurry along with older hind and young stag.got glimpses but not enough to get shot away now I'd was done. That's happened twice to me now. I'm pissed I didn't get deer but happy with decision NOT to shoot at what I could see. Absolutely stoked with my wee black bitch,she stayed calm enough .happy times ahead. Be SAFE out there folks.

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Good on ya mate. Rule number four in action.