re: Advice on stalking deer with a bow

quote:

---

On whitetail?
Not gonna happen most likely.

You need to be able to spot them from a distance and then approach down wind to within 50 yards without them seeing or hearing you. It's one thing if you maybe know where they bed, but you have to see them well before they would be alerted by you.

This is done in wide open or at least more open areas a lot easier, as you can see the deer from further away.
No idea how you could do this in the southern woods.

---

Pretty much this.
I've jumped deer a few times, but would not have been able to get off an ethical shot.
Only times I've seen it done are those guided hunts in open hill/mountain country. And I believe even those were rifle stalks.

You got a lurker to post, I'm pretty passionate about this style of hunting, This is the majority of the way I hunt now. Heres are some tips:

You have to pick your days, You're not doing this on a dry day with leaves on the ground. Early am dew and after a rain are your friend.

You have to hunt the wind. Don't worry about scent kill stuff, they will smell you.

Get some good camo, cover every bit of skin, you need to break your outline.

If your woods are really thick, you'll need to trim some trails to move.

Realize you may be better climbing a tree some days, I still do it when stalk hunting is not ideal, but like stalk hunting so much more

You are going to have to learn when to draw, when to move, etc and be creative (draw behind tree or on the ground etc)

Already this year I missed a doe, shot over back at 25 yrds , killed one at 30 yrds (had to hold draw for 3 minutes while she starred facing head on at me). Passed on 2- 1.5-2.5 year old bucks that I was able to draw on but did not shoot since we only kill 3.5 yr or older and got close to mature bucks and many more does more times than I can count. On a good day I see 10-15 deer, in a stand I might see 3-4.

To me It's fun to get close in on a deer, even when I don't kill

I also Killed a Boar on Public land this year, sat in palmetto thicket, drew on the ground, popped up and fired at 20yrds. One of the most intense experiences I've had in the woods.

Many of my hunting buddies insist you have to get up in the tree to kill deer and I consistently prove my friends wrong on some days. Some days they're right.

I've killed bucks doing this with a rifle and have made a few successful trips to Colorado to elk hunt, but once I killed my first deer on a stalk I've pretty much committed to Stick and String. Hang in there and get in really good shape also practice shooting your bow a lot. Its a lot different shooting at a live target when you're panting like a dog. Good Luck

I poked a doe with a shotgun once at a WMA hunt in Virginia beach when I was a kid. I had the wind in my face and was walking on sand. More dumb luck then skill for sure.

Excellent advice.