Thread: What was i thinking...still, i get a result

Originally Posted by Fat belly Dog

Nice work mate,

Good to have that local knowledge to change plans and score some tasty food for the table. Bet that you have lost plenty of gravy (sweat) finding those spots, feed zones and areas and the best access points. You dont get that knowledge by sitting at home on a computer aye.

Could you give more details on what you look for with regards to feeding areas/zones, is it the native bush type down there that you look for?

Cheers FBD

I always find the feed or deer zones as i call them are 3 quarters of the way up the hill.
Clearly the flats and low down theres food and deer first thing and last thing /during the night but deer always head up and get in these zones then bed up close by.

If the bush is too open, odd ferns etc but big trees and not much else its useless for deer unless you get lucky while ones moving thru.
Got to find the bush where theres broadleaf, other plants they like to eat and maybe even some grass. Areas that have nice gullies with a little water and plants /grass thats growing, often
the best are at the head of creeks, and low terraces 3 quarters up the hill.
You find game trails and more sign that slidle at that level.

If go too high the sign will disappear, bit low and it be the same. find that belt and you can slidle for quite away along the guts and ridges at that height and you find the deer.

For stags, you got to go high past the feed zones, past what i call the dead zone and near the top, often in steep, rugged country the stags will be camped out.

Head of creeks are great, o is the head of valleys and steep guts. Looking for a stag, head as high as you can and look for heads of the creeks and good terrences.

Different areas can require different plans but generally it works. Main ridges can be good to bump animals.
In the native i always look for reasonable open native, mature trees so you can move quiet, see good and cover ground.
If there are deer marks, there are deer there.
Just go find the creeks, spurs and feed zones then hunt at that level.
i think many people hunt to slow when stalking, as they hunting areas that are dead zones.
Best to move quicker thru these until you see fresh sign or get to good country that has feed, shelter and sun(esp winter)
Ok, you may bump and spook the odd animal but if you cover 3 times the ground you find more animals.

Always get to the hunting area as early as you can, first light ....well i do anyway
Plus it requires some grunt work, i think many people are too lazy to be a bush stalker. they wander around in nice bush, see good marks, walk for hours and see nothing.

Its no wonder, the deer have headed high, and theres going to be next to none deer at the level they hunting during the day.
they have to head higher, climb that steep stuff, slidle along thru nasty guts etc to get to the next ridge.
maybe even climb higher as the wind will start heading up as it gets hotter so everything above you will smell you.
Another reason to hunt high, on the way down the winds in your favour and its alot easier to get a jump on a animal if you above it.

Hence my hind yesterday. Hunted as high as i could go, then down a main ridge until some sign, then i slided at that height, followed fresh marks,
found the deer below me bedded, took her by surprised as she was facing downhill looking for danger, not up plus the winds in my favour, not hers.

was complete txt book bush hunting, thats how you do it