Fast vs. Slow

[Snapset]

I would like to know your opinion on moving thru the woods when still hunting: Do you move fast? Or slow?

I have spooked my share of bucks by moving too fast, so I have learned to pace myself. First, when I get out of the truck, I start walking uphill. I go fairly fast for at least the first quarter mile, because I want to get clear of the road before I start hunting. Then, as soon as I am warm, I stop for 10 minutes. I love to hunt in hard rain, so usualy, this is at the base of a big tree, to stay dry. Then, when I have cooled a bit, I move a little more. Ideally, on a showery day, I will move between showers, from one rain shelter to another, while the leaves are still dripping. It makes for a dry, pleasant, hunt although I usually end up with blood up to my armpits, on a reeaaalllly good day. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] I am too impatient to stand hunt for more than 45 minutes.

How do you pace yourself?

[Zen Leecher aka Bill W]

my preference is to sit and glass. I've gotten just about all of my deer that way, with a few exceptions.

I try to practice the "way of the snail" when moving thru woods or open areas.

[Dogfish]

Imagine taking a 10 month old baby for a walk on his/her first outing. That is how slow I usually walk when hunting the deep woods. It will usually take me 30 minutes to cover 100 yards.

Other successful methods I use are a mountainbike on gated logging roads just after sunrise and an hour before sunset. You can cover lots of ground quickly, and quietly. I have ridden right up to within 20 yards of deer. Packing one out works quite well, as they roll a lot better than they drag, especially if you are four miles from your rig. Four deer taken using this method.

I will move fast through a clearcut, because you will usually have much more time to acquire a good sight picture in open spaces.

Glassing works quite well in Eastern Washington, and in some parts of western Washington.

[MetalHead]

Alway slow, and be verry verry quiet. I use my binoc's a lot scanning the timber ahead of me. I try to avoid getting into the open always staying on the fringe so I can glass into open areas. But I am a bow hunter, when I used to rifle hunt with my dad we would glass clear cuts for the first couple of hours of day light (this was quite successful) then we would stalk through the timber during the day.

[Zen Leecher aka Bill W]

Andy,

A bike would make things easy to pack out. Me, I've used a pack as most of mine are from the Glacier Peak Wilderness.

A bike would make things real good for next weekend's archery hunt. My camper isn't rigged to transport one yet... dang.

Your one email down? I've sent some stuff but it doesn't look like it's getting thru.

Bill

[Dogfish]

I have that garage sale tomorrow, but Sunday seems fine by me. I have yet to get the okay from the tennant on the pigeon shotgun hunt, but a pellet gun hunt, and a tour could be done, as well as a look at this bike spot I told you about. I am showing another AHE graduate around the elk tag area in the afternoon, but morning would be fine as well. Andy

[Dogfish]

Hi Bill,

I'm not sure about my e-mail at home. I haven't had any time to read it as I was getting the boat ready for storage this week, and we have a garage sale of mammoth proportions going on in McCleary this weekend. The whole town is doing one. I will check it when I get home tonight.

If you are interested in a quiet hunt, not so far away, let me know. The last two scouting rides I went on I saw seven deer each time in only a 6 mile bike ride. The reason I like to hunt this one area is because it is only a few miles from my house, about 3, and I never see other folks up there during muzzleloader seasons. There are also coyotes, bobcat and bear, if you're interested.

This is the hotspot that a lot of the folks from a local timber company hunt because it has so many animals. LOTS of forage, 10 year old cuts and younger.

Andy

[Zen Leecher aka Bill W]

That hunt sounds good. I have a mountain bike but I haven't used it in so long the tires need pumped up.

Coyotes, bobcats and bears interest me? You ever call them? I have some spots in eastern WA that I'll try this year for coyotes and bobcats.

I was trying to get in touch with you about shooting this weekend or something like that. I found your phone numbers yesterday but forgot to take them home with me.

Bill

[Tilla]

As far as moving slow or fast, I believe there are two modes of travel: walking or hunting. Everytime I take my mind off things and decide that I am going from point A to point B there is the potential of scaring off the animals by stumbling on to them. Slow and observant is the way to go. The one error I see the most is going or coming from the intended hunting area. The hunter has stopped hunting in his mind and started travelling. This is the surest way to make a mistake.
These days I do not move. I let all the movers chase the animals to me. Every year I see small and large groups of Elk being pushed by hunters thinking they are stalking. One year I watched the merry go round on a hillside trail across the canyon of Elk, then hunters, Elk, then hunters all day right to left then left to right. If anyone had just stopped, the next group of pushed elk would have run them over. If you figure out where the Elk are going to go hide then that can be a big help.

[HOGTIDE]

I'd just be glad to see someone get out of their rig, hunting blacktails. We make drives across clear cuts and through the reprod moving rather quickly...but of course we are pushing deer toward a planned 'shooter'.

It bothers me alot to see road hunter after road hunter just cruisin', with no intention of getting out of the rig and getting their slippers wet! [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img] Frequently attempting to benefit from our hard work.

Unbelievably, many good blacktail bucks won't explode out on a 'driver' until you've almost literally stepped on them...and even then, there is never enough time to get a snapshot off.

Anyway...I sit and glass hard at sunrise and sunset. Push briskly from about mid-morning on.