I hunt Blacktails (Grey Ghosts) in NW Oregon; I’ve hunted all three species in the states and Blacktails are bar none the most challenging. This gentleman’s presentation on still-hunting is spot on, but in timber and brush, you gotta move much slower and stop every 2-3 steps to break up your human cadence, I try to move like a browsing doe. Sometimes on terrain that’s particularly challenging, it takes me an hour to traverse 200 yards. The more noise I make with my 2-3 steps, the longer I wait in between while scanning and listening. I carry light binos under my chin on a short strap, no thumping, banging or snagging. It’s easier to engage them as well. I use them with a trigger stick tripod as a monopod, it steadies the scanning, gives a little leverage when traversing over logs and limbs and locks in standing shots perfectly. I travel light without a backpack; I carry my knives, kitchen trash bags and light tarp in the large hind pocket of my orange vest. I never leave home without my Beretta 96 cougar protection, it's strapped below my binos on my chest.
Thanks much. A lot of what you said is already familiar. But good to hear. Wind direction in hilly/thick terrain can be challenging. Two or three hours is bout the height of my patience in a stand. Better to go creep about the woods and field. d:^)
Thank you for this video. This was by far the most instructional video on still hunting I've seen and things make a lot more sense. I'll put this knowledge to use this weekend.
I never understood how effective this can be.....until I inadvertently began doing it while “slowly scouting” after sitting on a stand...then I started seeing a TON more deer. Especially bucks. I LOVE it now. Wind is absolutely the biggest factor. Doing it after a good soaking rain or even in a very light rain are my two favorite times to do this. A good pair of binoculars made things much better as well, as well as having the correct gun for the correct type of environment you’ll be still hunting. Sometimes a shotgun is far more effective than your trusty rifle in thick areas.
Through the decades, I've perfected my hunting technique which constantly changing strategies starting with spot & stock to locate game and cover ground, to still hunting to move in close, and then to ground stand hunting when I'm as close as I dare get. Still hunting helps to clear areas that are questionably empty of game. Keep in mind that "run and gun" hunting is the only hunting technique that works on opening day on public land against an army of hunters.
@@williamchristy3063Years ago, I got a nice 3x3 Blacktail while waiting on a stump at the top of a 400’ draw. I knew hunters may hike up from their trucks a 1/4 mile below hoping they flush a buck, which was exactly what happened; the buck ran up the draw right to me @85 yards. The right terrain, like draws can funnel deer to you.
GREAT VIDEO! Still hunting, Spot and Stock hunting, Hide hunting; just like a golf bag carries several different golf clubs to fit the need as the golfer reads the course, the successful solo hunter is capable of several different methods of hunting any given terrain and situation as he reads the situation and conditions. When conditions are bone dry, I'll still hunt wearing nothing but thick hunting socks. I can feel what's under my feet and nothing is quieter. I constantly glass the terrain around me as I go. Once behind a tree in a "hot-zone" of activity, I'll set up for a shot and use a call to see if something unseen will give itself away. I once surprised a watering black bear that did a "ID" charge on me.
Great video, solid content and very well put together! Thank you for sharing Dylan. One thing I have found over the years is that I will want to go from one location to another based on terrain and where I want to end up. Sometimes, that means not "hunting the wind". Big mistake. Wind and smell are everything. Scent killers IMO won't help. (LMK if you think otherwise). So, regardless of where I want to go, I will go where the wind forces me to go. Not always easy to do. Thanks again!
Good video. I also prefer to still hunt, I've found that you see more deer and learn more about their habitat doing it. I recently tried something that works pretty well when deer spot you. Typically I'll be up against a tree or crouched down by one and the deer like to circle around me to investigate. I tried using a deer call and I make a doe grunt or bleat noise while they are on alert. It seems to take away their curiosity and they don't come try to investigate what I am. And it'll keep then from running off making a huge scene and alerting everything in the area.
We are offering a longer format instructional lessons via live EatWild webinars. www.eatwild.ca/eatwild-webinar-series/ they have been super fun so far
Found your channel after finding your great video of packing out an animal leaving evidence of species and sex attached. This is another awesome video. Still hunting has always been a mystery to me and more of a luck of the draw thing vs. a real technique. The concept of using folds in terrain while sidehilling and allowing that some detection of movement and sound is possible without spooking the animals makes me want to go practice this in the off season here in Region 3. Like the use of the lighter instead of wind checker!
Some good content here. As a dedicated still hunter though, I dont know how anyone who's still hunted for any length of time keeps their rifle slung while hunting. Mine goes on my shoulder for only one thing... to take a piss. Also, I've gravitated away from using my bino's much. Usually I catch movement, or something off in my peripheral vision. Occasionally I get busted by an animal I might have seen if I glassed more, overall getting too fixated on the details seems to work against me.
Hey Randy, I find I travel at a little under 1km per hour. This does not include time I sit and call or glass for more than about 5 minutes. I'd love to hear what others do.
@@mikevopni3884 I usually average between 3-8 km in a day. In the early season I cover more ground, hunting lots of different areas. By the rut I have it narrowed down, and hunt slower, cycling through 3-4 different areas that I think are the most promising. Basically its 6-7 weeks of narrowing down my focus, and then spending the most productive portion of the season in the most promising parts of the best areas.
The best still hunting practice is to still hunt squirrels. I do this and I end up pretty close to a lot of deer had a doe at 5 yards while squirrel hunting!
