Posted By: Bama Bob
What % of your hunting time is spent in a stand? - 01/28/15 06:56 PM
When I hunt it is normally from a climbing stand (95%), occasionally a ladder stand(3%),
seldom in a shooting house (1%),
seldom do I stalk hunt(>1%).
Of course I always carry my rifle when I'm doing my mid-day scouting but I don't really count that as serious hunting time. This year as I was scouting around 10:30 when I spotted a "rack" above the tall grass I was walking in. It wasn't moving, it was just there, suspended above the grass about 80 yds away. When I put the scope on it I could make out an ear and 6 points. I'm normally not interested in anything less than 8pts and eartip spread so I just stood there watching. The buck was watching a small brushpile (50yds x 100yds). I assumed there was doe in the brush that caught his attention since it was during the rut. Then he looked directly at me, I saw he was out passed the ears, had a broken tine, and had decent mass. I wanted to get a better look at him but I wasn't really interested in shooting, I just wanted to see what I could get away with.
After about 5 minutes he walked behind the brushpile so I quickly walked the same direction on the opposite side of the brush, hoping to intercept him on the other end. As I peeked around the corner of the brush the buck was walking straight toward me at 20 yds. I backed up and hid behind a pile of dirt, it would give me an up close view as the buck walked by.
I waited a few minutes but the buck never walked by. I crept forward looking for him and found his tracks going into the brushpile. As I stood there pondering my next move I heard a twig snap in the brushpile, a minute later another twig snapped but it was closer than the first. If the buck came out the same trail he just walked in on he would be 5 yds from me. I stepped back two steps, so there was a cedar tree between us. Peeking through the branches I saw the buck step into view just as he let out a loud grunt. At 10 yds he turned sligtly to the left and a few steps later I pulled the trigger, he dropped right there. 30 minutes from the time I first laid eyes on him.
I've killed several bigger bucks over the years but few if any gave me a bigger thrill. I'm going to have to try this ground/stalk hunting more often, what a rush!
What about you, sit in a tree, or hunt from the ground?
seldom in a shooting house (1%),
seldom do I stalk hunt(>1%).
Of course I always carry my rifle when I'm doing my mid-day scouting but I don't really count that as serious hunting time. This year as I was scouting around 10:30 when I spotted a "rack" above the tall grass I was walking in. It wasn't moving, it was just there, suspended above the grass about 80 yds away. When I put the scope on it I could make out an ear and 6 points. I'm normally not interested in anything less than 8pts and eartip spread so I just stood there watching. The buck was watching a small brushpile (50yds x 100yds). I assumed there was doe in the brush that caught his attention since it was during the rut. Then he looked directly at me, I saw he was out passed the ears, had a broken tine, and had decent mass. I wanted to get a better look at him but I wasn't really interested in shooting, I just wanted to see what I could get away with.
After about 5 minutes he walked behind the brushpile so I quickly walked the same direction on the opposite side of the brush, hoping to intercept him on the other end. As I peeked around the corner of the brush the buck was walking straight toward me at 20 yds. I backed up and hid behind a pile of dirt, it would give me an up close view as the buck walked by.
I waited a few minutes but the buck never walked by. I crept forward looking for him and found his tracks going into the brushpile. As I stood there pondering my next move I heard a twig snap in the brushpile, a minute later another twig snapped but it was closer than the first. If the buck came out the same trail he just walked in on he would be 5 yds from me. I stepped back two steps, so there was a cedar tree between us. Peeking through the branches I saw the buck step into view just as he let out a loud grunt. At 10 yds he turned sligtly to the left and a few steps later I pulled the trigger, he dropped right there. 30 minutes from the time I first laid eyes on him.
I've killed several bigger bucks over the years but few if any gave me a bigger thrill. I'm going to have to try this ground/stalk hunting more often, what a rush!
What about you, sit in a tree, or hunt from the ground?
