Hunting

[quote]pushharder wrote:
Anyone else watch the Jim Shockey show on the Outdoor Channel?

I have just started and really like the guy and his show.[/quote]

I never have been a fan of his show. Don’t really know why. I usually watch either Fred Eichler’s show or Les Johnson on Predator Quest. I don’t like many hunting shows. I will watch Levi Morgan just to watch the shots the guy can make. Best archer with a compound bow in the country.

Stalking with a bow is definitely do-able. Our ancestors did it successfully or we wouldn’t be here. I stalk sometimes and have found it easier to sneak up on a deer than you think. IF you know where the deer is… which means you have to use your superior sight to beat his superior hearing and smell. Try to stalk in as open a territory as possible or in deep forest with minimal undergrowth. Crashing through undergrowth will be certain failure. Always come around a natural “corner” hugging as close to the corner as possible. If you’re walking a road, walk to the side of it (think soldiers in vietnam).

If you want to practice your stalking skills, use your dog. Let him outside and then go inside. Let him forget about you and start sniffing around. Try to come outside, find him, and touch him on the hindquarters without him catching you. Just be careful he doesn’t surprise-bite you when you scare the s*** out of him! This will efficiently groove the skill you need to stalk deer.

A happy medium that I enjoy doing is “ambushing”, where I will walk through the woods until I find a heavily-used game trail to water or food and just lie or sit still. Let them get as close as they can before surprising them. Its exciting as there’s very real danger if it’s a big buck. Stand-hunting is not enjoyable to me. There has to be some element of nature exploration and danger. Ambushing gives you both. Straight-up stalking is tough. Either way, though, you’re going to need to use terrain to your advantage. Deer like food and water and they like to use the same trails everyday. They hate to be exposed and they hate the smell of predators. Those are the basics. Good luck.