Whitetail Stalking w/ a bow
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Sunray
Member
Why would you reduce the velocity of the arrow due to your hunting method? Kind of suspect a compound wouldn't be the best tool. Not smooth enough but that may just be mine. Well, me. Still nowhere near as smooth as a stick bow. You won't stand and aim either, so instinctive shooting is required.
Anyway, still hunting is about being completely silent, moving very slowly, into the wind, and stopping to look, frequently. Takes practice. Try stalking your cat. If the cat's ears move, you're caught.
Anyway, still hunting is about being completely silent, moving very slowly, into the wind, and stopping to look, frequently. Takes practice. Try stalking your cat. If the cat's ears move, you're caught.
25cschaefer
Member
I have done it quite a bit though I have yet to bring one home. I am no good at judging distances and I never have time to use a range finder, the deer are always 2 seconds too smart. I wear jeans/carhart pants and a plaid shirt, sometimes camo but I do a lot of short hunting trips after work or school. I have shot at a couple but missed, due to the before mentioned ineptitude, I will draw (my 70lb compound) from behind cover and slowly step out, moving slowly when the animal is not looking usually gives me a solid 5 seconds though I normally only need one or two.
Captcurt
Member
Don't expect to eat much venison, but it is fun.
It depends upon how hungry you are. Still hunting whitetails with a bow is a lesson in futility. It is not impossible but the deck is stacked against you from the get go. If you have had the opportunity watch deer you know exactly what I mean. This is an animal that has a better nose than a bird dog, ears like a bat and is very aware of it's surroundings. You are slipping through his living room where he knows every nook and cranny.
I have spent days in the woods sneaky snaking and the number of deer that I have taken with a bow can be counted on one hand. If you can take 15 minutes to cover 100 yards of good cover and do it quietly you might catch one in range. Then you have to pick a clear place to shoot and get your bow drawn without getting caught. Then it boils down placing your arrow in the right place.
If this is the scenario that you are looking for then more power to you. But take a can of vienna sausage with you because, more than likely, that is the only meat that you will have that day.
It depends upon how hungry you are. Still hunting whitetails with a bow is a lesson in futility. It is not impossible but the deck is stacked against you from the get go. If you have had the opportunity watch deer you know exactly what I mean. This is an animal that has a better nose than a bird dog, ears like a bat and is very aware of it's surroundings. You are slipping through his living room where he knows every nook and cranny.
I have spent days in the woods sneaky snaking and the number of deer that I have taken with a bow can be counted on one hand. If you can take 15 minutes to cover 100 yards of good cover and do it quietly you might catch one in range. Then you have to pick a clear place to shoot and get your bow drawn without getting caught. Then it boils down placing your arrow in the right place.
If this is the scenario that you are looking for then more power to you. But take a can of vienna sausage with you because, more than likely, that is the only meat that you will have that day.
I've stalked and killed whitetail with rifle and bow (I hunt MS and west TN...lots of woods and ag fields). Some things that will help increase your odds include:
- stalking when it's wet out. wet leaves are quiet leaves. VERY productive.
- keep the wind in your face
- stalking on windy days. Everything is noisy and moving when it's windy and it
can help hide your signature
- walk as quietly as possible on every surface you cross
Draw weight - I never adjusted my draw weight for stalking. I have lightened it for stand hunting in the winter...after three hours of sitting in freezing temps I've found it impossible to draw my bow before. But when stalking you'll be generating enough heat and circulation that it shouldn't be a problem. However...if you currently have your draw weight so high that you have to do Pilates moves to get it to full draw...then yeah...lower it until you can simply raise it and draw it straight back with no extra movements. This means no pointing the bow at the sky and then lowering it back...bring it level with the target...and smoothly to full draw...nothing else.
Tactics - The biggest thing to get your mind around is that you are playing a whole new game...it's a slow motion game of hide-and-seek. When I stalk I might cover 50 yards every 20 minutes. If you think you are moving slow enough...slow down some more. Your goal is to become creeping death.
I'm looking at everything...every step I take changes my view. Every step changes the angle of everything I can see. There might be a deer 60 yards ahead that I can't see because a tree is blocking him...but a single step could change the angle enough that I can now see one of his ears. That is the stalking game with a bow.
Another thing I found when I began was that I got surprised a lot. A deer would jump up near me and it would totally catch me off guard. The question that comes to mind is "If i'm stalking deer, how could I possibly be surprised when I see a deer?"
It's an important question to answer. I think what happens a lot of times is we get complacent. Your mind might wander to other things. It's slow and you're not seeing anything so you just start going through the motions. You start thinking about stuff you have to do back at the house, or dinner plans, or work...suddenly you're not hunting anymore. You are walking in the woods with your mind somewhere else. Then when a deer jumps up within shooting range it surprises the bejeezus out of you. That's a deer that you should have killed but never saw because you didn't have your head in the game.
You have to stay locked on the whole time you're stalking. You are GOING to get close if you do it long enough...the question is will you be prepared when it happens?
It should also be noted that when I stalk, I have an arrow knocked and my release clipped on the whole time. The only time i'm not hooked up is when I'm glassing with the binoculars. It's more effort but I think it's necessary...you won't get many shots stalking with the bow so you don't want to blow the chances you get by fumbling to get your release hooked up...give yourself every advantage you can.
Practice quick shots. We used to use a 3D target for our bow hunting drills but any target will suffice. Turn your back on the target and have your partner move it. When he says "deer" you have three or four seconds to turn, draw, and fire. You won't know what the distance is...you'll have to judge it by sight within your three to four second window...this means you'll have to judge it as you are turning and drawing your bow. With enough practice you should be able to turn and hit anything within 40 yards inside of three seconds.
Sometimes you'll get lucky too...you might be stalking and happen across deer that are coming your way. At that point you just hide and wait.
I have found it easier to sneak up on a bedded deer than to sneak up on one that is feeding in a field. I got busted every time I tried it. Maybe it was because there were too many eyeballs, maybe they are less alert when bedded down, or maybe their first reaction when bedded is to freeze...I dunno.
Glass for areas that should be holding deer. On hot days they may be in different areas than on cold days. On windy and/or rainy days they may be holed up in different spots. Study every log and dip and thicket you see...there could very well be a deer bedded in or next to it.
Know your prey. One time I busted a pair of doe from cover. I snuck right past them and didn't know it. When I was about 10 yards past them they jumped up and bolted. I whipped around and raised my bow only to see them with afterburners lit. I drew my bow anyway knowing that many times a whitetail will stop and look back to see what the threat was. Sure enough one of them stopped 20 yards out, turned broadside and looked back just in time to see me release an arrow into her boiler room. That success came from practicing those drills I mentioned above, and knowing my prey. By the time she stopped to look back I was already at full draw...all i had to do was touch the trigger. If I hadn't done that she would have stopped, looked back, and seen me raising my bow and drawing...and she never would have stuck around for all that movement. Be prepared.
Walking quiet - Every step you take needs to be considered prior to taking it. You can almost always find a spot with fewer leaves, or wetter leaves, or less gravel, or damp dirt vs dry rocky dirt. You might have to put your foot down sideways to avoid breaking a stick with your next step, you might have to step using only the edge of your foot to minimize the noise occasionally. All of those decisions determine whether your foot step is quiet or goes crunch. If you get sloppy you get noisy, if you get noisy you'll blow them out before you get to them. You will be surprised at how quiet you can get when you really try...and by how close "quiet" can get you.
Clothes - depends on time of year...but NEVER any fabric that makes noise when branches rub on it...and NEVER any velcro. I have had a shot at a 140 inch deer ruined by a velcro pocket accidentally getting pulled open at a bad time...velcro no-no.
Time of day - I generally stalk mid-day because that's when it's less productive to sit in a stand. Most mornings and evenings I can be in a spot where they come to me...but mid-day it's fun to go to them.
Bino's - these will be your best friend. You might think "why would I need bino's since I'm moving so slow and it's a thick wooded area?" You need bino's to pick out pieces of a deer that may be up ahead. I can't tell you how many times I've been glassing while stalking and seen a tail or an ear, or a patch of white where there should be no patch of white...every time you stop, you glass.
When stalking with the bow I'm light...I have my bow, my bino's, and a 7 pocket pouch (fannie pack type thing with some essentials in it). Depending on where you are, and when you are there, you might not need a lot of clothes. You'll be generating body heat by creeping along in a slow motion walk.
Know where your cover is. I had a gigantic whitetail walk right up to me one time. I saw him coming down an ATV trail through thick brush but he was coming so fast I had no time to adjust. He caught me in the open and i had no way to draw. He stopped when he was about 10 yards from me. He went behind a tree, I drew my bow back...and I never saw him again. If you're going to take a break...do it next to a big tree or some other cover that will allow you to move if necessary. That was a sad, SAD day in my life...his rack was as wide as a set of goal posts...10 yards...fail.
Conclusion
Don't expect to cover a lot of ground, and don't expect a high success rate.
DO expect to have the deer teach you a lot of lessons along the way.
It's hard work, but when you succeed it's a great feeling.
Stalking with the rifle is easy. Stalking with the bow...not easy but doable. You just have to commit, and accept the lack of success as part of the process.
Be patient, be slow, be quiet, glass, and practice.
Those are some of the things that helped me. Good luck.
- stalking when it's wet out. wet leaves are quiet leaves. VERY productive.
- keep the wind in your face
- stalking on windy days. Everything is noisy and moving when it's windy and it
can help hide your signature
- walk as quietly as possible on every surface you cross
Draw weight - I never adjusted my draw weight for stalking. I have lightened it for stand hunting in the winter...after three hours of sitting in freezing temps I've found it impossible to draw my bow before. But when stalking you'll be generating enough heat and circulation that it shouldn't be a problem. However...if you currently have your draw weight so high that you have to do Pilates moves to get it to full draw...then yeah...lower it until you can simply raise it and draw it straight back with no extra movements. This means no pointing the bow at the sky and then lowering it back...bring it level with the target...and smoothly to full draw...nothing else.
Tactics - The biggest thing to get your mind around is that you are playing a whole new game...it's a slow motion game of hide-and-seek. When I stalk I might cover 50 yards every 20 minutes. If you think you are moving slow enough...slow down some more. Your goal is to become creeping death.
I'm looking at everything...every step I take changes my view. Every step changes the angle of everything I can see. There might be a deer 60 yards ahead that I can't see because a tree is blocking him...but a single step could change the angle enough that I can now see one of his ears. That is the stalking game with a bow.
Another thing I found when I began was that I got surprised a lot. A deer would jump up near me and it would totally catch me off guard. The question that comes to mind is "If i'm stalking deer, how could I possibly be surprised when I see a deer?"
It's an important question to answer. I think what happens a lot of times is we get complacent. Your mind might wander to other things. It's slow and you're not seeing anything so you just start going through the motions. You start thinking about stuff you have to do back at the house, or dinner plans, or work...suddenly you're not hunting anymore. You are walking in the woods with your mind somewhere else. Then when a deer jumps up within shooting range it surprises the bejeezus out of you. That's a deer that you should have killed but never saw because you didn't have your head in the game.
You have to stay locked on the whole time you're stalking. You are GOING to get close if you do it long enough...the question is will you be prepared when it happens?
It should also be noted that when I stalk, I have an arrow knocked and my release clipped on the whole time. The only time i'm not hooked up is when I'm glassing with the binoculars. It's more effort but I think it's necessary...you won't get many shots stalking with the bow so you don't want to blow the chances you get by fumbling to get your release hooked up...give yourself every advantage you can.
Practice quick shots. We used to use a 3D target for our bow hunting drills but any target will suffice. Turn your back on the target and have your partner move it. When he says "deer" you have three or four seconds to turn, draw, and fire. You won't know what the distance is...you'll have to judge it by sight within your three to four second window...this means you'll have to judge it as you are turning and drawing your bow. With enough practice you should be able to turn and hit anything within 40 yards inside of three seconds.
Sometimes you'll get lucky too...you might be stalking and happen across deer that are coming your way. At that point you just hide and wait.
I have found it easier to sneak up on a bedded deer than to sneak up on one that is feeding in a field. I got busted every time I tried it. Maybe it was because there were too many eyeballs, maybe they are less alert when bedded down, or maybe their first reaction when bedded is to freeze...I dunno.
Glass for areas that should be holding deer. On hot days they may be in different areas than on cold days. On windy and/or rainy days they may be holed up in different spots. Study every log and dip and thicket you see...there could very well be a deer bedded in or next to it.
Know your prey. One time I busted a pair of doe from cover. I snuck right past them and didn't know it. When I was about 10 yards past them they jumped up and bolted. I whipped around and raised my bow only to see them with afterburners lit. I drew my bow anyway knowing that many times a whitetail will stop and look back to see what the threat was. Sure enough one of them stopped 20 yards out, turned broadside and looked back just in time to see me release an arrow into her boiler room. That success came from practicing those drills I mentioned above, and knowing my prey. By the time she stopped to look back I was already at full draw...all i had to do was touch the trigger. If I hadn't done that she would have stopped, looked back, and seen me raising my bow and drawing...and she never would have stuck around for all that movement. Be prepared.
Walking quiet - Every step you take needs to be considered prior to taking it. You can almost always find a spot with fewer leaves, or wetter leaves, or less gravel, or damp dirt vs dry rocky dirt. You might have to put your foot down sideways to avoid breaking a stick with your next step, you might have to step using only the edge of your foot to minimize the noise occasionally. All of those decisions determine whether your foot step is quiet or goes crunch. If you get sloppy you get noisy, if you get noisy you'll blow them out before you get to them. You will be surprised at how quiet you can get when you really try...and by how close "quiet" can get you.
Clothes - depends on time of year...but NEVER any fabric that makes noise when branches rub on it...and NEVER any velcro. I have had a shot at a 140 inch deer ruined by a velcro pocket accidentally getting pulled open at a bad time...velcro no-no.
Time of day - I generally stalk mid-day because that's when it's less productive to sit in a stand. Most mornings and evenings I can be in a spot where they come to me...but mid-day it's fun to go to them.
Bino's - these will be your best friend. You might think "why would I need bino's since I'm moving so slow and it's a thick wooded area?" You need bino's to pick out pieces of a deer that may be up ahead. I can't tell you how many times I've been glassing while stalking and seen a tail or an ear, or a patch of white where there should be no patch of white...every time you stop, you glass.
When stalking with the bow I'm light...I have my bow, my bino's, and a 7 pocket pouch (fannie pack type thing with some essentials in it). Depending on where you are, and when you are there, you might not need a lot of clothes. You'll be generating body heat by creeping along in a slow motion walk.
Know where your cover is. I had a gigantic whitetail walk right up to me one time. I saw him coming down an ATV trail through thick brush but he was coming so fast I had no time to adjust. He caught me in the open and i had no way to draw. He stopped when he was about 10 yards from me. He went behind a tree, I drew my bow back...and I never saw him again. If you're going to take a break...do it next to a big tree or some other cover that will allow you to move if necessary. That was a sad, SAD day in my life...his rack was as wide as a set of goal posts...10 yards...fail.
Conclusion
Don't expect to cover a lot of ground, and don't expect a high success rate.
DO expect to have the deer teach you a lot of lessons along the way.
It's hard work, but when you succeed it's a great feeling.
Stalking with the rifle is easy. Stalking with the bow...not easy but doable. You just have to commit, and accept the lack of success as part of the process.
Be patient, be slow, be quiet, glass, and practice.
Those are some of the things that helped me. Good luck.
Last edited:
Bobson
Member
Wow, is there a way to make just one post a sticky?
Awesome read, gspn.
Awesome read, gspn.
I've never used a drag rag or any other scent while stalking.
I use drag rags when stand hunting because I can lay a trail past my ambush site, then wait for a deer to pass me on the way down that trail. It's classic ambush tactics.
While stalking, the majority of your attention (and advantage) is to your sides and front. If you lay a scent trail behind you, and if you are successful in getting one on that trail, then you are giving that buck a huge advantage. You've already got him alert with the scent, and you are naturally positioning him on your six o'clock (your area of maximum weakness). At that point he is far more likely to win your game of hide and seek.
I use drag rags when stand hunting because I can lay a trail past my ambush site, then wait for a deer to pass me on the way down that trail. It's classic ambush tactics.
While stalking, the majority of your attention (and advantage) is to your sides and front. If you lay a scent trail behind you, and if you are successful in getting one on that trail, then you are giving that buck a huge advantage. You've already got him alert with the scent, and you are naturally positioning him on your six o'clock (your area of maximum weakness). At that point he is far more likely to win your game of hide and seek.
25cschaefer
Member
I recommend practice drawing your bow in less than ideal positions, like ones you might find yourself in the field. Try squating, draw and stand - sitting and shooting - and if you can do it safely, lie on your back, draw, sit up and shoot.
I know a lot of guys with super cool bows that can only shoot them well when standing straight on flat ground.
I know a lot of guys with super cool bows that can only shoot them well when standing straight on flat ground.
Captcurt
Member
Hats off to you
gspn,
You covered it very well. I can tell that you have been there. To quote Crocodile Dundee," We be mates."
gspn,
You covered it very well. I can tell that you have been there. To quote Crocodile Dundee," We be mates."
Take everything gspn said and apply it to rifle and blackpowder too. Great post!...also know that everywhere you walk.....the deer will smell it for several hours afterwards....so keep that in mind and don't bugger up your hunting grounds too much.
Last edited:
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
I stalked a doe and put an arrow through her just last week. Albeit with a crossbow. My skills with a stick bow are not quite what I want them to be. It was pretty warm last week so just a pair of work jeans and a T-shirt. Camo just "ain't my thang". 
BADUNAME30
Member
I am a firm believer in stalk hunting. After all. It IS hunting and not 'waiting'.
The only things that I would add to gspn's response is...take every step like you know there is a deer there and you are actually trying to sneak in for the shot. Do not take your next step until you are certain that you have thoroughly surveyed your surroundings, 360 degrees, completely, ( this could add up to minutes between steps ), and the very one thing that has made me most successful at this is to NOT look for deer. Look for 'things' that don't fit in.
What I mean by that is, get that picture of a whole deer out of your mind. A deer's body parts are not 'natural' shapes in the woods. They are smoother and more rounded than the items you will see in the landscape so be looking for things like an ear, an antler, the roundness of a hip etc.
Check those small brush piles and fallen limbs very closely. You'd be amazed at the small places a full grown deer can hide. Don't stalk uphill.
Oh, and one other thing. There are many tattle tales in the woods. Especially this time of year. If a blue jay is sounding off, you are busted. Same goes for a barking squirrel or chirping chipmunk. If you encounter either of these. You are moving too fast and or making too much noise and any deer within earshot of these critters now knows that you are there. Sit down right where you are and expect to take a 10 or 20 minute break until these 'sentries' have gone and left you alone.
Oh, and, small birds are your friends. If they are busily going about their business and making their usual 'noises'...all is good. Their absence and quite is just as alarming to a deer as the yaking jay or barking squirrel.
Stay physically and mentally relaxed and enjoy your hunt.
The only things that I would add to gspn's response is...take every step like you know there is a deer there and you are actually trying to sneak in for the shot. Do not take your next step until you are certain that you have thoroughly surveyed your surroundings, 360 degrees, completely, ( this could add up to minutes between steps ), and the very one thing that has made me most successful at this is to NOT look for deer. Look for 'things' that don't fit in.
What I mean by that is, get that picture of a whole deer out of your mind. A deer's body parts are not 'natural' shapes in the woods. They are smoother and more rounded than the items you will see in the landscape so be looking for things like an ear, an antler, the roundness of a hip etc.
Check those small brush piles and fallen limbs very closely. You'd be amazed at the small places a full grown deer can hide. Don't stalk uphill.
Oh, and one other thing. There are many tattle tales in the woods. Especially this time of year. If a blue jay is sounding off, you are busted. Same goes for a barking squirrel or chirping chipmunk. If you encounter either of these. You are moving too fast and or making too much noise and any deer within earshot of these critters now knows that you are there. Sit down right where you are and expect to take a 10 or 20 minute break until these 'sentries' have gone and left you alone.
Oh, and, small birds are your friends. If they are busily going about their business and making their usual 'noises'...all is good. Their absence and quite is just as alarming to a deer as the yaking jay or barking squirrel.
Stay physically and mentally relaxed and enjoy your hunt.
gamestalker
member
Been doing this guide style for decades, and truth be told, there is only one super successful way to approach it, and it doesn't include stalking per say.
Put some glass on a tripod, spot them at a good distance that assures they don't know you even exist. Then, with someone keeping an eye on them and you, either put them to bed, and then have your glasser guide you into a position that will intercept they're direction of travel when they get up, think ambush. Or have the glasser guide you safely undetected out in front of their path, ambush.
We use ear buds and radio's, it makes all the difference as long as you watch your wind, and don't get yourself close enough to be busted by them. They should be so oblivious to your position, that they will just walk right out in front of you at 20 yds. if done right.
GS
Put some glass on a tripod, spot them at a good distance that assures they don't know you even exist. Then, with someone keeping an eye on them and you, either put them to bed, and then have your glasser guide you into a position that will intercept they're direction of travel when they get up, think ambush. Or have the glasser guide you safely undetected out in front of their path, ambush.
We use ear buds and radio's, it makes all the difference as long as you watch your wind, and don't get yourself close enough to be busted by them. They should be so oblivious to your position, that they will just walk right out in front of you at 20 yds. if done right.
GS
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