Thread: bush stalking for dummies

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.

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.

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....

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...

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

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

Originally Posted by MB

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

I was going to mention artillery.