Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Hunting old school. Tracking/Sill hunting/stalking

I used to still hunt a lot when I was younger. I liked to do it on rainy days and windy afternoons. I did it in thick woods and have shot deer at less than 20 yards walking. It requires patience to do it well. You have to hunt hard with your eyes seeing everything before you move and moving slowly enough and moving the right way. So you spot them before they see you.

This year was my first to hunt deer with a decoy. A cow. This on a flatazz 8000 acre ranch in far north Texas. I did enjoy the failed sneaks and, in the end, it proved effective. Just different.

Still hunting in the classic sense around here is practically impossible. I’ve done it on occasion but only in larger creek bottoms. Even there a foot of sycamore, oak and other hardwood leaves makes it really tough unless it’s after a rain or pretty windy.
Most hunting land is owned by paper companies and consists of pine plantations at varying stages of growth. Cutovers where you can see hundreds of yards but covered with logging debris or saplings so thick you can’t see ten yards. Oh, and no snow.
Food plots, shooting houses and tree stands are the way to go.
Do a search for NAS Meridian, MS. on google earth or your favorite app with aerial photos. Then go about 3-4 miles WNW and check out the timber. Still hunting ain’t happening there.

Do share. All I heard was that they were for “public access” and working for getting more accessibility. I’m sure there’s more to it. I did see the thread on corner crossing and some things about BHA after I posted this. Are there any trustworthy organizations for hunters doing anything for public access and public lands that aren’t a bunch of shisters? The closer I get to freedom/retirement the more I’m looking into public access and public lands across the country. Just looking for solid information on who’s on the up and up and who to avoid. Hunting, fishing and public lands and access are what mean the most to me and always have. Sifting through the bullshit is always a pain.

As a rancher friend said to me once after helping me get a backcountry bull out; for me anymore, a hardship hunt is manual windows!

Still hunting, spot-and-stalk, tracking, stand hunting, calling, drive hunting; I adapt to the conditions, terrain, and game behaviour.

Brinky72,

Howdy.

Don't know of any groups doing what you ask about, sounds like you need one of the modern map apps for hunting/fishing public land on a phone or GPS.
Something definitely needs to be done about landlocked public land that can't be accessed.

Who else does it old school and how?

The mention of old school and still hunting takes me back to my most memorable hunt. Technically, I was still hunting when I spotted him and then spent most of the day trying to get from 1/2 mile to 150 yds in open timber to be able to lob a 540 grain cast bullet loaded over blackpowder in this 45-70. Nearly 100% of my hunting is still hunting...

Just curious who still does it. I’m fortunate to Lunt in an area where there are large tracts of federal,state and, corporate land open to the public. I can go for miles on a track and never see a boot print or other human sign. I do a mix of hunting styles depending on snow cover,sign and weather. And, if my ass is really wore out I just might sit for a minute or two. Typical day on which is November 15 th here in Michigan I usually go to known areas that have good sign and go above 12-15 miles that day. If I have good snow I’ll cut a good track and run it. If the snow is light and old it’s a bit tougher but I’ll still run a track. No snow? Well that is where still hunting plays in and I might sit on the side of a ridge during prime time overlooking a good looking area with sign. If I come up on a cut while looking for a good track I’ll glass it for a while and if I happen to see a shooter then the stalking game is on. Sometimes this ends in a situation of just getting in a good position for a shot or it can turn into a track if the buck moves on. This is my preferred way of hunting and rarely sit. Again if I’m whooped from the day I’ll slow up at the end of day and bust out my portable hammock chair I carry in my pack. Or if I’m sitting on a tag at the end of the season I’ll blast a doe from a blind to fill the larder.

Who else does it old school and how?

This year was my first to hunt deer with a decoy. A cow. This on a flatazz 8000 acre ranch in far north Texas. I did enjoy the failed sneaks and, in the end, it proved effective. Just different.