Still hunt or Stand?

[Crappie Reaper]

Just wondering your preferences on whether you prefer to still hunt or stand hunt. I would rather be down there right with them. I normally hunt by myself and figure it's much safer than messing with a tree or stand. Besides that, I've always said, it's a who sees who first game. Nothing like spotting a nice deer than working the next 5 hours trying to get close enough for a shot without being seen or scented. It's a real blast doing this with 4 or 5 doe on the ground. The initial adrenaline one gets when they are faced with the rush of releasing their arrow will taper a bit after time, allowing you to make a more precise shot when you do let loose.

For me, that Rush starts when I happen to see the deer, before it sees me.

[zinsurance]

Reaper, I like to hunt out of a stand or some sort of ground blind, but that is mainly because of the property I hunt. We have a couple 80 acre tracts that we hunt that were CRP lands that each have a good tree line on them that the deer use as bedding area and travel route. Everything else is wide open native grasses that dont really allow a spot and stalk opportunity. My rush starts after the shot and steadily builds until I find the deer, especially when I'm following a blood trail that starts with a few drops and steadily builds.

[Black Crow]

Personally, I prefer hunting from a tree. It allows me to see more of what's gong on and I'm high enough to where my scent is usually not an issue. I have never still hunted, but I have always wanted to try it. The reason I haven't tried it is because I honestly don't think I could keep control of nervousness on the ground. I swear I have had deer bust me cause they can hear my heartbeat - and that was from 25' up in a tree! :D

One plus to still hunting is the safety of it. You right, you don't have to worry about fooling around with a climber and the inherent dangers of tree stands. The downsides to still hunting are scent control, finding sufficient cover, and being quiet when you have to move. However, if you can adequately cover your scent and be quiet enough, I'd say go for it. That's not to mention the discipline required to pursue the anumal for 4 - 5 hours. Talk about earning a trophy with every animal you take! You'd certainly earn my respect. :D

Good luck with what you choose to do and please share your stories.

[limbhook]

I have always hunted from the ground, and have managed to see and shot at my fair share of deer. It has been my experience if you will stay still and make as little movement as possible, by the time a deer figures there is something not quite right they are in close enough to shoot at. This is just my personal opinion but i think deer for the most part are pretty stupid, but i am sure some out there would challenge that opinion.

I have wanted to hunt out of a tree stand but for whatever reason just never did buy one, i am going to have to do that one of these days.


To Whom Much Is Given, Much Is Required.

[beenfishin?]

Around here still hunting is TOO DANGEROUS! Most everyone hunts from a tree and there are too many hunters out there to be walking around in the woods. I hunt public land where you never know who else is out there and I still see ignorant hunters trying to still hunt. #1, they don't know who else is there and walking around WILL interupt someelses hunt, #2, if another hunter sees a deer from a stand, they take a shot, ignorant is over on the other side of the deer, he just might get hit by the rickochet', #3, some hunters will litterally get down and try to whip your butt if you walk in on their hunt. I could go on, but still hunting is in no way safer than stand hunting, even if you are the only one that has permission to hunt the land.(tresspassers are everywhere) Also, the majority of accidental shootings while hunting involve someone walking where someone else is hunting. Statistics prove that stand hunting is safer.

[blueball]

stand because you can see better

[fish.on]

I like a stand and I like to still hunt. Nothing like making it up close and personal on a still hunt. I have literally stalked close enough to Deer and Moose to kick them if I had wanted to. SIGH never a elk though. Some old bucks are nocturnal and spookkkkkkky and I stand hunt them if I find one worthy of hunting. I DON"T HUNT DEER THAT COME TO FEEDERS. IMOHO that is not hunting just killing. If you shoot a large buck on a stand by a feeder I hope you plan on eating him because if not to me that is #$@##@$!%^#%$*^&%*%

[Crappie Reaper]

Limbhook- I fully agree, deer are stupid, cautious, but stupid. I sold a nice loggy bayou climbing stand that was noisy to set up, noisy to climb, and fairly shaky to get secured onto the tree.

Beenfishin?- I'd bet that my still hunting would be more stealthy than most stand hunters just sittin there. In thick woods, it might take me an hour to move 40-50 yards. I'd also bet, I would see any Stand Hunter long before they saw me unless they were in a fairly thick canopy. Over the years, I found from experience, the trick to still hunting is using the name itself, "Still". Each step creates a brand new view throughout the woods. I stand still, turn my head very slow scanning the area. One step might take as much as 4-5 seconds moving the legs very slow. Key is no sudden movements. The deer will move fast enough to be able to see them. The whole hunt depends on who sees who first.

One early fall day years ago, I got in from work, tossed on a set of stinky camos, grabbed the bow, and took off towards the draw. There was no wind at all, only the evening air starting to settle towards the bottom of the hill. It was dead silent and I was still hunting. I was within 30' of the edge of the draw when I heard a twig crack just downhill from me less than 15'. There was a very thick and tall group of trees and vines between me and it. I was guessing it was a doe, and whatever it was froze in it's tracks, as did I. I had a fawn bleat and a grunt call hanging around my neck. I took up the bleat (personal fav) and hit it fairly light. All of a sudden, from the top of the hill near my barn, I heard this crashing and thrashing of downed crisp leaves coming down the hill at a solid run. It HAD MY FULL ATTENTION. It was just like a good deer hunting video. It was now dusk, and the light was getting very low. It came down an old wagon trail that had been there since the days of the Cherokees. When the buck first came into view at about 45 yards, I could only see that he went about 150-170 on the hoof. This is an extremely large buck for Oklahoma. An Old Grey Ghost of a Buck. I could make out some dead tree limbs around him as well. I eased the grunt call up to my mouth and lightly gave it a blow. When I did that, his head turned and looked straight at me, and those tree limbs I mentioned, they turned too! Buckzilla was a non-typical, at least 32 points running off in all directions with about a solid 24" or more spread!

After the grunt, he started coming down that wagon trail straight at me. The doe to my left remained silent. I was ready to draw and the 'ol ticker was working overtime. The buck took the ridge of the draw and I lost sight of him. When I did see him again, he stepped into a clearing less than 15 feet from me! There was a curtain of vines and crap between me and him. There was about a one foot circle opening through it all and I had to raise up on my tippy toes to try and make the opening. I figured, let one fly, if it makes it through, I have one heck of a buck. If it doesn't, oh well. It was the only shot I was going to get. I drew down, raised up as high as I could, took aim for a double lung shot and let her fly. Tink, bink, thunk was the sound. That arrow hit everything it could possibly hit other than the buck. He bolted outta there, the doe barked and hauled down to the bottom of the draw and up the other side. The buck then stepped back into that same spot where he had been standing when I shot. No sense in re-nocking another, I just watched. The doe barked again from the other side of the draw and he went after her. That buck never knew I was there. The doe knew something was there, but didn't know what it was.

I saw that buck once more that winter, but he had seen me first. He was doing the belly crawl behind a deadfall. I never saw him again, and with the small town area, news of a buck like that, taken legal, or illegal, would have been talked about all over. I figure he went onto live his life in full. Years later, no one has even come across his sheds. It's a memory of a lifetime whether I got him or not. The experience alone was what I was out there for. You can't get that sitting in a stand. I never hung that stand again after that. What a complete and thorough rush!

Sorry for taking up so much of the thread, but thought I would share.

[jvg]

Use to hunt from a climer or a ladder stand about all i do now is hunt off a stool...back and knee won't let me climb much anymore. I usually see more off the ground anyway.

[Iamfishing]

Still hunted for several years. Took a deer each year. Big problem still hunting now. Many more hunters out there. SC is not a shotgun only state or black powder only state. We can shoot any cannon made as long as it is larger than a 22/250. That means any novice can blow you away pretty quickly. Now I stick to the elevated tower or tree stand. Wear bright orange hat and keep my eyes open for the novice. They are easily spotted........iamfishing.