Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game The art of still hunting.

It seems today we don't see a lot on the subject of still hunting. I know it would be difficult to film hence the lack of shows depicting it, but I'm sure there are many among us who use the technique successfully on a regular basis. So what say you? Is it a lost art? A thing of the past? Or is it an effective tool you use regularly.

I still hunt most of the time. I'm not a good stand sitter and get anxious shortly. I've always been that way. I'd rather be moving, albeit very slowly, than sitting.

I've applied the principles of still hunting to heavy cover as well as open country. In open country I've always tried to use terrain to my advantage but the technique is much the same.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Thanks guys.

I grew up in the east and sitting was the norm, until Noon the First day of deer season, then the drives began... Polar opposite of still hunting. I began still hunting as a late teen , mostly because I started hunting alone more. Once I started to get better at it ,using wind and cover to move and such ,Success came. I moved West and I still hunt elk in the thicker cover, but this year I sat in one spot as the area I hunted was small and full of elk and I did not want to chance blowing them out.

It's not entirely a thing of the past but from what Ive seen not as many do it as they used to. I'd say its getting to be a lost art.

Shrinking areas to hunt that way are part of it, changes in other ways to hunt effectively are another (tree stands for whitetails; better LR optics and capabilities for elk; etc.), and it is damned hard to still hunt well and effectively as it takes a LOT of practice.

Over the years I have done quite a bit of still hunting.. My whitetail buck this fall was taken that way.. I had passed on
larger bucks while glassing and stalking.. But it was a thrill to take one by still hunting. Sell wrote several books on this.. I read them quite early in my hunting career.. Now I would say most of my hunting is glassing then stalking.. Not really the traditional still hunt.

It does take a lot of practice but it can be really effective for hunting small areas or some of the overlooked areas.

I spent one season hunting a small piece of ground, about 5 square miles that had a popular trail through it but was very heavy cover on both sides of the trail. The moose sign was plentiful and people often reported seeing bulls in the area.

Most of the trail users were heading to a couple of old clear cuts to watch in the morning and evening. I parked my ATV in a well hidden area and spent many days working through that heavy cover. I quit counting the cows after still hunting up on 20 of them and ended up seeing seven bulls within handgun range. Unfortunately none of them were legal. One was right on the cusp of 50 inches and may have been over but only had two brow tines. I let him go. He was a whopping 20 yards from me. I got busted by 3-4 other bulls who may have been repeats of bulls I had seen before. I got busted by a half dozen cows as well during that season.

Despite not killing a bull, it was one of my most memorable seasons. I often heard ATV's going by but never once saw another individual back in the timber.

My caribou hunting is generally a combination of spot and stalk and still hunting. One of the areas I like is a non motorized area of a heavily hunted and popular area. There are lots of little hills carved out by glaciers along with plenty of little pockets for caribou to hide. Often I'll spot caribou in that area and stalk fairly close. Then it's time to take it one step at a time and use the hills and terrain to my advantage until I get my shot. Not quite the same as still hunting timber.

Im far from an expert still hunter, but I believe it is a skill best learned on your own. You will make a lot of mistakes, but you will learn from them. You also have to have the right mind set for it, if your hungry or have something on your mind, still hunting will be a waste of your time on that day.

I concur with what 4ager posted above, however my youngest son and I will still hunt if the conditions are right.

I will only attempt it if the leaves are wet. For me if the leaves are wet and it's raining just hard enough to create a little noise is perfect.

We still hunted one day this season under the perfect conditions I described above. My 13 year old hunting partner was able to slip up on a large mature whitetail that was with a doe. The buck spotted him and was able to vanish into heavy cover prior to the crosshairs falling on him.
Although he didn't get the deer, the smile on his face knowing he slipped up on the animal was well worth it.

Most of the time I am moving around.

Conclusions:

If the Deer are not moving, then you best go find them.

If the Deer are moving-especially before an incoming storm-then there are advantages to seeing as many as you can by moving. Couple years ago before a big storm, they were out and didn't much care if I came upon them or not. Perfect timing.

I've caught them with the wind in my face and the wind at my back and moving around you can't always have it your way.

Accept that you are going to move out more Deer than you catch. The fun part is the catching. Accept if you have other people around you are going to have them shoot some Deer you moved.

Noise is bad but doesn't mean you have lost the chance. Many times, my noise has made a Deer move and because of it, I saw it. They only moved off a little ways and into the open and watched me. Bang!!!! Or I just waited, they always don't move off far. Deer are curious creatures. Old timers trick of waving a handkerchief has had them look hard and hang around or actually move closer.

Every noise and movement you make doesn't send them off running. I've sneezed, coughed, walked thru leaves, crunchy snow and still had successful hunts. Rather not make any, but the wood isn't and empty church or library. Stuff is falling and moving all the time and the Deer are not running around on high alert. Don't always get away with it, but unless they are real close you can get away with more than some want to think.

A low stream is a great place to walk in and still hunt. You become just another part of water noise.


Early morning and late evening park yourself and wait.


Hunting for me is part exercise and a great way to get it.

You lose more than you win, but the wins are pretty cool.


And finally: Contrary to the thoughts of some, flipping off a Model 70 or Montana safety isn't going to spoil your opportunity.

Finally 2: Tracking is an art. Still hunting is much easier. Try to make as little noise a possible, pay attention and be ready. It's not all that complicated.

Finally 3: If you are hunting an area with a lot of pressure then I would rather sit. Hunting Deer that haven't been hassled is another game.

Whenever I'm in cover my confidence is good if sitting, bad if moving, thus the sit.

However, this is always in a spot I have scouted prior. Under the right conditions I would still hunt. Deer have probably been lost due to wind that could have been managed with the greater flexibility still hunting affords.

I have certainly seen animals using still hunting techniques when no weapon was involved. There is a huge upside in the ability to adapt to conditions.

Carolyn and I have done the same, but more or less speed across the clear areas. and then slow it down. Have walked into quite a few moose, including into a breeding harem twice. Walked into moose bedded down quite often.

But now the damn idiots on ATVS drive EVERYWHERE in our area. There is no safe place out so we just go around in circles and thats what the moose do too... around in circles trying to stay out of the way...

For years we never saw a single person out on foot. Finally 2 years ago we saw one person. but we've seen multiple ATVs.

Thinking about moving over a bit where its even thicker and doing just what you did.... slink around and see whats up.

Up until 5-6 years ago,all I did was still hunt. I killed a lot of elk by sneaking up on them and shooting within 20 yards or so.I killed quite a few in their beds.

But age caught up with me I can't crawl thru that blow down anymore and about a mile walk is the limit for me.So now I mostly sit at some vantage point and hope a stupid elk walks by. I also put the safety back on a lot more and let some elk walk if they are in some nasty stuff . It isn't big deal anymore going home with an unpaunched tag.

However this season so far I have killed a cow elk,a whitetail deer and today a doe antelope, I could stretch it a little and say I was still hunting when I shot the cow.

I can only hope that when I get past 70, I'm still putting animals on the ground every year like you are.

Stupid elk, I don't think so.

I still hunt every year, as previously said much depends on conditions and hunting pressure. Still hunting heavy cover takes a great deal of mental effort and is very taxing to those who have not practised it.

Still hunting as a major storm is coming in has proven to be very successful, it seems to snow whitetails some days.

Late season, I have not punched my tag, so I am "still hunting."

No need to turn simple into complex.

I have only known how to hunt by still hunting. It was taught to me as a kid and it is all I have ever know. Plus I am ADD, I have to know what is on the other side of that ridge. I have caught bucks in their beds and elk where people don't think they are. But you have to be prepared to walk at a very slow pace from sunup to sundown. Some days elk hunting I will slowly walk around 15 miles. I hate to sit for very long, I have seen guys sitting by a tree and 4 hrs later go by them sitting at the same tree. Ask them if they have seen anything and they reply no. But I also understand that some areas don't work to still hunt and I tried a treestand once bear hunting and about went nuts, I admire you guys that can sit there all day and not move.

I grew up reading about Larry Benoit from Vermont. I was a young kid in the Midwest and just marveled at the fact that a person could either still hunt or follow the track of a particular deer. That was back in the days where a doe tag was like winning the lottery in Iowa.

Sounds like I'm in good company.
I carry a lot of gear when I go hunting just not in my pack. Pack carries just the essentials and I don't make noise. ( meaning I do not call or rattle).
I carry climbing stands, and I have a ghillie suit if i choose to still hunt, but it's hard to beat the camouflage sleeping bag, and a turkey seat. On one occasion, i dug a pit blind to hunt an open field ( with the permission of the owner of course) he had never seen one used, and wanted it left afterwards.

My bucket-list contains all forms of hunting, except 2. I will not high fence, or remote rifle. Everthing else, has my interest.

I still hunt alot and have been fairly successful at it. I think it is becoming a lost skill. I also agree that some situations dictate sit rather than still hunt - small chunks of land is one that readily comes to mind. To me still hunting isn't walking slowly; it's moving slow enough to let the animals reveal themselves. That requires very slow pace. I've taken an hour to cover 100 yards when I think animals are close. To do it right, you won't cover alot of ground.

The older I get, the more I like still hunting. When conditions are right, I'd prefer still hunting over any other method. I spent 7 hours in a treestand yesterday waiting for a deer. I decided it was time to still hunt. I still hunted through the thicket I was watching and literally saw a deer within 20 minutes. Saw 2 more over the next 2 hours. None of them knew I was around. I dig it alot.