thank you all for your replies
i appreciate your time. Everyone has their way and I am looking for any tips that I could use to make me more successful.
I am wearing all wool as well (except for my boxer briefs
) and I also have a pair of natural wool gloves.
i don’t like to wear a pack, but I do wear a waist pack.
my boots are Lacrosse burley’s with the air sole grip. Sometimes I wear my old Lacrosse aero heads. They don’t make the version I have any more….
my rifle is a Tikka T3x compact in .308 Win. 20” barrel and an over all length of one inch more than my model 94.
it is light at about 6.5 lbs. with the 1.75-5 x 32 scope on it. Light and agile.
I lIke to move along pretty quickly until I start seeing sign such as fresh scat, rubs, scrapes and especially tracks.
Digging for ferns, and other shoots, acorns that are crack open, and browse sign as well.
Fresh sign such as recent browsing combined with fresh shiny droppings is a time to slow way down and examine every little thing (something I need to get better at) it is now that I’m going to one step it, until I’m sure that I can move quicker.
As far as walking through the woods, everything makes noise. Even deer. So when I’m into sign or going slow, I vary the cadence of my steps. Usually in odd numbers. One step, three steps, or five steps. Between each set of steps I pause and look.
Fred Asbell talked about the toe to heel step in his book, but I (this greenhorn) don’t believe that’s necessary.
when I’m one stepping I’m approaching with my non dominant shoulder leading the way, so that if something pops up, in front, to my right or left I’m in position to get the muzzle of my rifle on target quickly an easily.
I like still hunting best after a snowstorm, second best is after or during a light rain. I’m pretty good at seeing deer if they are moving but Im not very good at seeing deer that are bedded. I getting to know my limitations, and when to stop and maybe sit a stump and look over an area.