Thread: Dry, noisy forest floor

Beech leaves... It's like walking on cornflakes. Shoes make it much worse. Ambush may be the best solution on dry crunchy days.

Thanks for all the replies, much more sensible than I thought they would be!

Well you haven't heard my sensible two cents worth...I just follow the dog, if I fart or snap a stick too loudly she will turn her head, tilted towards me with lips pursed to one side give me "that look" as if to say...boss, do that one more farking time you can fark off back to the car and STAY STAY STAY...I will get the farkers without your useless help.

Well you haven't heard my sensible two cents worth...I just follow the dog, if I fart or snap a stick too loudly she will turn her head, tilted towards me with lips pursed to one side give me "that look" as if to say...boss, do that one more farking time you can fark off back to the car and STAY STAY STAY...I will get the farkers without your useless help.

I'm actually not kidding.

years ago learnt hunters walk on muscle,trampers walk on bone......I put feet down little toe----big toe NOT heel then toe....walk barefoot on rough tarseal and you will VERY VERY quickly learn the lightest way to place feet down...when I start to thump or stumble...time to stop,used to be smoke time..now its cuppa if a big day planned or just a break.

mates Mrs trail runs wearing those......not silly at all bud...buggerall ankle support and the wasps will love exposed ankles,but not silly.

Five fingers ...

I've always fancied making goat skin moccasins for stalking. Bit of poetic justice there.
May have to do that soon. Normally the skin gets looked at once it's tanned and then "Nah, too pretty to cut up." May have to shoot an ugly one next time.

Originally Posted by MFP

I've always fancied making goat skin moccasins for stalking. Bit of poetic justice there.
May have to do that soon. Normally the skin gets looked at once it's tanned and then "Nah, too pretty to cut up." May have to shoot an ugly one next time.

Use the udders, might give you softer steps.

Originally Posted by MB

Went for a goat hunt yesterday. Put in the hard yards, but no luck. The forest floor was very dry and noisy to walk through. Spooked two goats on separate occasions. Both went off like rockets. They certainly weren't going to stand around waiting to be shot in the head with a subsonic round! How to hunt in these conditions? Go after heavy rainfall? Sit in a likely spot and wait for something to appear?

Most of my trips happen to be in summer and this use to frustrate me.
Now I just go slow, like incredibly slow, some of the guys on here said if you think your going slow go even slower. Lots of stopping and sitting and listening., helps if you know your area well and know a good spot to sit and glass for some time. I’m quiet lazy and have a lot of patience so this works well for me.

Update. Deliberately went out in the rain and changed my approach according to the advice given here. Basically went slow, watched my footing and had a look around every couple of steps. What a difference! Got in to the middle of a small mob of goats. One animal was almost close enough to touch. Shot it in the back of the head. Job done! Goat can be easy to hunt, but these animals get hit pretty hard on surrounding private land so are quite skittish. Trip report to follow when I get a chance.