Thread: Bush Stalking Advice

Originally Posted by louiannz

Hey all

I am relatively new to hunting and want some advice.

Went for a wander the other day in an area well-known for deer and the sign I saw proved it.

A couple of questions:

1. While wandering slowly and quietly along the track I heard a deer run away in front of me about 20m away I think. I stopped and listened. It moved again and was running down into a gully off the side of the track and barked at me. Bush was quite thick so couldn't see much. Should you try and follow?? Find a better spot to see more or give up as the deer spooked and ran away? I think I gave up to early and wandered on.

2. On the same walk found an awesome area of open beech with heaps of fresh sign. Do you sit in one spot and watch the area or wander very slowly through the area hoping to bump into something?

Keen to learn - thanks.

1. If the winds good and you can hear the animal its worth a sneak in, I've shot both reds and sika after an initial spook this way. Sometimes if they aren't sure what you are they'll run a bit then try suss you out. Especially sika. Their cleverness can be their downfall.

Open beach will typically be feeding area. Was their broadleaf trees scattered underneath? I hunt these areas early and late day as the deer use them to feed back to bedding area where they spend more time during the day. Typically they aren't going to be out cruising open beach in the middle of the day. If I hit. A real hot-spot for sign, it's always worth having a sit down for a while, especially early and late afternoon. I've shot a bunch of deer this way, get to a spot that just screams deer, but can't see one so sit down, have a drink or a feed and wait.

Morning and evening think food, during the day think shelter.

I hunt riverbeds, slips, clearings and bush edge morning and evening then focus on sidling through gully heads, around High terraces and off the side of big saddles during the day.

Getting in the right spots to increase your chances of seeing a deer but there's no replacement for time in the Bush. Pay attention to your surrounding and where, when and what the deer you bump are doing and you start to build a picture of what you need to find. After a while it becomes almost a bit of an instinct.