Thread: Dry, noisy forest floor

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.

Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

Use their noise to mask yours.

That reminds me, I love it when a sudden gust of wind picks up because the sound of the forest rustling about masks my steps. When wind picks up, or if an aircraft flies overhead, i see it as an opportunity to take a few sneaky steps or push through some noisy dry crown fern.

Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

Hunt when the animals are active. Sneaking in on a feeding animal is a lot easier than a resting one. Use their noise to mask yours.
Animals are usually active and feeding early and late in the day. Dew starts forming late in the evening and is usually present until the sun gets up. This make the leaves less brittle and noisy. Not much, but every little bit helps.
Hunting during the heat of the day is hard work. Animals are usually stationary and pick up on any little noise. And the leaves are really dry.

This also applies during the roar. Only move while the stag is roaring and he only ever hears himself.

I know a guy who hunts sika and he wears two pairs of thick socks to stalk in.

Originally Posted by bunji

Yep what @Bill999 said, also old school Gym Boots (the ankle covering canvas kind, think they are back in fashion now )are good also due to both having very flexible soles ,l have carried Dive Boots as my stream crossing /camp/stalking boot for years & use them a lot when stalking in on Sika in the thick stuff as the flexible soles allow you to feel your way around snappy twigs etc & you find yourself unconsciously moving stuff away with the boot .

When you are getting up close on anything a often over looked stalk buster is metallic/foreign scaping noises from hollowed out Syn stocks ,uncovered suppressors etc .

the good old bata bullets...how can a kid be a kid without a pair of bullets?.....

they have flash new name for them now but are still the same as of old....
heavy woolen socks arent bad..... but slowing down is the best...RUMPY is the ONLY person I ve ever hunted with who can walk quietly with vibram soled boots.....years chasing sika do that to a fella.

In the bush, give them a chance to move into your zone of awareness. Find where they're living and just hang out there, gradually drifting through the good habitat. A bow hunting book suggested that ungulates make a double footfall when they move, like Tik-tish Tik-tish then tik-tish tik-tish ... So you can try and sound like an animal by putting your toe down first then a tiny pause then your heel. Then a long pause while you pretend to eat a few leaves or grass. They will hear you but maybe think its another animal. Animals make quite a bit of noise pushing through branches and vines but seldom snap twigs. Think like a goat, move like a goat, live like a goat, smell ...

Goats like open areas and steep areas and dry areas. Travelling steadily, checking out a lot of slips and shooting them from a distance can be just fine in dry conditions. Goats won't hear you if you're more that a hundred metres away.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

the good old bata bullets...how can a kid be a kid without a pair of bullets?.....

they have flash new name for them now but are still the same as of old....
heavy woolen socks arent bad..... but slowing down is the best...RUMPY is the ONLY person I ve ever hunted with who can walk quietly with vibram soled boots.....years chasing sika do that to a fella.

Haha, just checked and you're right they still do make them and they are on sale at the bargain price of $50 atm, https://batastore.co.nz/collections/bata-bullets

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.

Originally Posted by JessicaChen

Yeah my big hollow metal suppressor scraping on a branch has busted me so many times and I got so sick of it. What I’ve done now is wrapped the suppressor in a soft fleece fabric, and then secured it on with cloth tape. Works very well.

m

I used a length of motorbike inner tube to cover my suppressor, works well, is cheap and nothing to snag on vegetation!

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 ...

Originally Posted by Allgood

Deer, goats etc make noise when they are walking in those conditions. Try to simulate what a deer/goat does and walk like them. Go slow, stop every few paces and use your eyes....

Have a look at this.....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_C_I8lTsYw

If you do step on a stick and break it, dont move any further........I normally 'freeze' and without moving my head use my eyes to scan the area for any movement. Any deer hearing a stick break will lift its head and move it around trying to locate the source of the noise..........If you keep moving they will run immediately.
I also have a couple of camo hoodies which I had made.......the hood part is a lot bigger than the ones you would buy and I can wear a cap under them. The cap bill keeps the front of the hood off my face and keeps my face in shadow. By stopping immediately I snap a branch I can scan the area with my face hidden using just my eyes.
The most important thing in those conditions is to move slowly in my view.......

Your mileage may vary....

Pretty good advice. I dont do so much hunting in the summer but always like it straight after rain. Going after a downpour is always good.
Hunting in light drizzle is very good as well.
Goats you can normally get close to in dry condations no problem, at least to see them to shoot. Deer, can be a little harder but i have lots of places to hunt in DOC.
Some are more suited for dry condations, ie tracks, river beds, open ridges and go to those which makes moving around quieter.

Moving slower and more so, just stopping in good areas to listen. Often hear animals moving around in the dry and just a case of very careful stalking to get them in view.
Key thing is stop more, and listen. often deer esp just over a brow might hear you coming and when you stop you hear them moving and then you in the best postion
to maybe get eyes on them and get one.
Middle of summer i hunt river beds or wait until some rain if you really want success.
Watch your step and avoid branches to step on when you can.

Originally Posted by JessicaChen

That reminds me, I love it when a sudden gust of wind picks up because the sound of the forest rustling about masks my steps. When wind picks up, or if an aircraft flies overhead, i see it as an opportunity to take a few sneaky steps or push through some noisy dry crown fern.

Consider Carlos Hathcock, USMC sniper aka "white feather" and how he snook up on a NVA general, only inching forward when the wind moved the grass around him, 3 days to get in range, 3 days to sneak out. But your work probably does not allow for 3-day goat stalking.

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/vie...awledback.html

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.