Thread: Useless at bush hunting

I'm not an expert by any means, but I got what I think was good advice from this forum many years ago. Walk at your normal pace until you see some decent sign, then slow it right down, stopping for periods of time. Not that it happens very often to me, but it's so much nicer for an animal to walk in to your field of view than a spook and shoot scenario with a rushed shot.

Do you have goats to hunt where you are? Good practice and good eating if you shoot the right ones.

Your eyes been checked lately? Color blind?
That brown frond material is great cover for the deer to blend in.

This is going to sound a bit hippy but I'll say it. Try and change your mind set. That you're going out to enjoy the bush, the walk, the sounds and your number one goal isn't to shoot a deer. If something pops up, bonus! If it doesn't, you still have gone out and had an enjoyable time in the bush. Consider yourself lucky that you have these opportunities just to get out on a regular basis.

What ever you do....Don't give up !!

Prints & poo = Deer !

You will bump into one at some stage

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Bush hunting is an art form, it takes time to get the hang of it, but once you do it’s very satisfying. As others have said hunt into wind the best you can, when you get onto fresh sign, or feed areas, slow right down, more looking less walking, I like to stop by a tree/bush so it breaks up my shape and you can shoot off it, deer pick up movement very well so don’t be waving your arms about, they should be holding your rifle, sling and bipod off! stop and scan the bush, slowing turning your head, scan it a couple times, wait a minute, look where your walking to next, then walk to it head up looking if you can. If your concentration wanders, take a break, if I’m in crap bush I just motor through it to get to the prime stuff, You will get there

Originally Posted by Oldbloke

This.

Just to add. You always hear about the success stories. Shot one yesterday blah, blah blah. They don't mention the other 10 - 15 days of hunting and shot zip.

If hunters shot one every trip they would be extinct.

Bush hunting is hard but not that hard.
Get to lnow your hunting area . Satellite and aerial photos are invaluable to find clearing, slips and other feed areas. Get the wind in your face and slow down.When you see fresh sign. Really slow down. 3 steps, stop...Look...Repeat. ....Use your ears and eyes. ..

Eventually success will come

Me three, and having just returned empty handed from a trip into some open country that is slowly being overtaken by wilding pines known to hold deer (where I've been successful before) it's probably time I slowed down and listened to you fellas.
Ordinarily, my tactics have been get up the ridge early and try to beat the breeze - sit high and sit still, if nothing about after an hour or so move on and move gently without skylining myself. Spotting them in the open has come fairly well to me and usually when I least expect it... Well the catchment I went into has been getting popular to hunt it seems and while I saw plenty of fresh droppings on the hill and caught the smell of deer on the breeze a few times I didn't see a single one. They're getting a bit of a hiding in that spot and I reckon the thickening number of pines is giving them good cover too. Getting one is going to require walking up behind it at home rather than knocking it off from a distance while he's out for a nibble.

Take up smoking, or maybe not, but do stop for a "smoke" like you're a 40 a day man!

1 hard lesson ive had to learn more than once. Either parked up looking at the gps on phone/ stopped for lunch etc. Always be VERY alert when you get upto move again. Ive spooked several deer getting up after sitting somewhere for 10-20mins. Also, 1 day i found a wallow, and was busy marking it on my gps, when the owner strolled right out of the thick shit towards me, i stayed dead still and he walked right past me. Managed to get a shot into it when it looked away. Couldnt believe my luck!

I personally find drizzle/light rain helps, keeps the scent and noise down and i usually end up right on top of one before either of us realise

Watched a deer in a clearing yesterday at 116yds 12.40pm in 27c temperature right out in the open very low down as I wrestled to unclip rifle from my pack, wind blowing from me to deer and had to watch it just wander off not spooked.

It's amazing how they just appear out of nowhere in the bush. Sometimes I hear them first, sometimes they pop out impossibly close in areas I have already looked over. Clearly they can teleport. Its the only explanation.

And it's not that your useless..just the better team won on the day.... The deer beat you.

Lots of good advice. I’ll add put a game cam on the area with the most sign. That will tell you when they are moving. Try hunting it early morning after a couple of days really bad weather. Especially if it’s rained all night.
And
Get yourself a good book, head into said area of high sign. Find a tree to lean against and read for 3 hours, stopping every few paragraphs to look and listen.

Originally Posted by Happy Jack

Watched a deer in a clearing yesterday at 116yds 12.40pm in 27c temperature right out in the open very low down as I wrestled to unclip rifle from my pack, wind blowing from me to deer and had to watch it just wander off not spooked.

Rifle should be hanging on sholder till you near yr truck.Two seconds you lineing up deer thru scope.Bang flop.
Next time ah,at least you seen one.Good on ya.