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Thread: Stalking Deer

  1. #1

    Default Stalking Deer

    I enjoy this aspect of the hunt. To be honest, I have only taken one deer. The killing and field-dressing doesn't interest me as much as the aspects of hunting lead up to "making meat": reconoitering the deer's territory, tracking the deer, reading signs, moving tactically, creeping up on the beast. I get a kick out of it.

    For me, the stalking alone is fine. I can do it any season, without a permit, and pretty anyplace where I find deer.

    My question is what to wear, especially colors. Much ink has been spilled about what colors the deer sees, but many times my presence has been given away by @#%$ing birds. Do they see in a different spectrum, and do I have to dress for them as well??


  2. #2

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    You hit the nail on the head and entered in the inner circle where most woodsmen don't go, and NO magazine article goes.

    I don't care what color or spectrum a deer see's in, I don't care what colors a 'yote see's etc. etc. Bird's see in full color and they are the alarm system of the woods. All the other critters listen to the alarm cry of the birds. Dress for and stalk the birds, regardless of your game.

    John Young has a great audio series on this subject.
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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Birds have us beat hands down. Not only do they have more photo receptors in their eye they have more connections between the eye and brain. I'll give you a good example of the difference. The brown spot on a Sparrow is actually an ultra violet reflector. Birds see it as a beacon of light. All we see is a brown spot. Not only can they see in ultra violet but they see well in polarized light and better than us at night. And most of the birds that will give you up are prey birds so they have eyes on the side of their heads giving them a nice 360° field of vision. Since I can't see in ultraviolet I have no idea what I might look like in that spectrum. I may be a huge ball of light walking through the woods from a bird point of view or I might be bigfoot. I'm a little fuzzy looking.
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    naturalist primitive your_comforting_company's Avatar
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    half a pint of jack daniels will make everything else look fuzzy to you too!

    I mostly dress in black whether still hunting, or stalking. I don't use any of that fancy UV killer wash on my clothing, or anything else. Stealth is your primary tool when on the hunt. Sometimes I just walk into an area, read the signs, and take a knee for a couple hours. If you're in the right place, the deer will reveal themselves once you become part of the scenery. In days long ago, Natives would dress in an entire deerskin tanned with the hair on, and the head mounted on top. Moving very slowly through the woods, mimicking the deers behaviors. This used natural colors of deer, and natural seeming movements to further enhance their stealth.

    With the two deer I harvested this year, even with the smoke and noise from my black powder rifle, I never spooked any of the groups. Both deer were taken from the same hunting spot. Both were of good size and were taken not 20 yards apart on different days. I never compromised my location.
    Stealth is a hunter's friend.

    And speaking of the birds, last year (or was it the year before) one of the "birds of prey" flew into my area, landed in a tree as I was watching, and cocked it's head to the side, looking at something. A minute later a doe walked out. They will not only compromise your location, but can also give away the location of your own quarry. You have to pay attention to ALL your surroundings and the wildlife in it.
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    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    I guess I will agree to a point, that stealth has its place.

    But I don't think deer speak bird....a lot of the time deer are oblivious to alot of things as long as they used to it.

    A lot of people seem to think you need to be camo head to toe, and, yeah it helps, but we dress in blaze orange with 100's of thousands of deer killed every year.

    There is no big secret, it's is simply to know the woods, food sources, rut timing, trails, moon phases, (full moon/no moon), night feeding, weather, and all other aspics, as well a scent, sight and a sitting still.
    Then there is DAL,..... being in the right place at the right time........Number of hours logged in the woods is in direct proportion to success rate.

    Now turkeys are a different story, good thing they can't smell you, you would never get even close.
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  6. #6

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    hunter63: You bring up moon phases, I figure during the full moon they're less likely to be out during the day. Is that what you're geting at?

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    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kortoso View Post
    hunter63: You bring up moon phases, I figure during the full moon they're less likely to be out during the day. Is that what you're geting at?
    Yeah, but weather enters into it as well....feeding at night when the moon is full, holing up during the day.

    From what you are saying in the OP, spending time watching their movements will kinda confirm this....of course if anyone really "knew" what was going on all the time, it would be deer shooting, not hunting.

    I spent more time watching, listening, and sneaking around this year than shooting......still fun.
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    naturalist primitive your_comforting_company's Avatar
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    Most definately agree with H. DAL has more to do with it than anything else. After years of tracking, countless hours of sitting, we finally found a really good, active traffic spot. success rate? maybe 2%, BUT you have to consider that we don't kill everything that moves either...

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rick View Post
    .............Since I can't see in ultraviolet I have no idea what I might look like in that spectrum.................

    A black light will give you some indication.
    "They call us civilized because we are easy to sneak up on."- Lone Waite

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    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    The catologs and magizines are filled with all the latest non-glare, no scent, masking scents, low UV, super invisible camo, all to take your money.

    But it's a proven fact that the biggest buck/racks are mostly all killed in saloons....if you sit there a while a listen to everyone......LOL
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  11. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by intothenew View Post
    A black light will give you some indication.
    With all due respect, that's a different phenomenon.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorescence

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    Senior Member kyratshooter's Avatar
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    As of right now KY reported 117,000+- deer harvested this year. That is about average.

    Most of them are taken by people with average IQ, no UV or infared capabilities and not all of them had their own teeth. Some of them had not washed properly in a while and some were wearing aftershave and smoking cigars as they sat on their stands.

    You guys are trying the spiritualize, mystify and analyze your way past what 1.5 million people do with their cars each year.

    The trick to deer hunting, as it has been since the first neanderthal clubed one down, is to be in the right place when a deer walks by.

    In some areas that means sitting on your front or back porch or carrying a gun when you go to the mailbox. Deer are at nusciense levels in many spots. Killing them is not rocket science.
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  13. #13
    Senior Member NightShade's Avatar
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    Scent free clothing- uv washed... Blah h blah blah.
    Scams to create cash.
    Commercialized hunting tactics.

    Know the woods.
    That means, food and water sources as well as bed areas.
    Know the wind direction.
    Move slow and quiet.

    Sure you can spend a ton of cash on the fancy hunting gear. For the most part, waste of money IMHO.
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  14. #14

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    I agree with Nightshade

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    Quote Originally Posted by Kortoso View Post
    With all due respect, that's a different phenomenon.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorescence

    And to quote: "Firstest"

    The overwhelming majority of deer harvest is a result of agricultural activity. They have at worst been turned into cattle, grazing on corn or alfalfa. Even worse, the Tiger Lillies or Day Lillies in our lawn gardens. They can be likened to the difference in a domesticated dog and a wolf. They know your habits much better than you know their's. Break the habit on one of these quasi-domestics, and you bag. Show up in the transition between agriculture and wilderness at just the right time, and yes luck is a wonderful thing.

    But, to hunt a deer in true wilderness with no agricultural influence, is a different can of worms. Scents of smoke and/or pork fat, visual of a neon sign and/or the front facing eyes of a predator will send them into flight. They browse in a fantastic world, ever changing but predictable. As has been mentioned, intimate knowledge of the surroundings is key.


    And to quote again: "Secondest"

    The black light is only an indication of what you are portraying with UV brighteners, indicative of the true value. You cannot see the true spectrum, with or without a black light. Have a read here, fluorescence is the by product, that we can comprehend, of what many game animals experience.


    And of my own hand: Thirdest

    I did not post to proliferate the use of any snake oil on the market. My thinking is start with something that has not had the UV brighteners added, and not add any more, just as my forefathers. I prefer not to hunt in what amounts to neon, but my wife insists that I wear it to social functions.
    "They call us civilized because we are easy to sneak up on."- Lone Waite

  16. #16

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    Not going to argue the UV point; for the record I quoted Wikipedia as well.

    I'm interested in getting familar with surviving the wilderness; leaning out the back door of my shack and shooting a door just doesn't do it for me. If I want meat I can just visit the butcher shop.

    But that's just my take; everyone here seems to come from a different perspective.

  17. #17
    One step at a time intothenew's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kortoso View Post
    .............leaning out the back door of my shack and shooting a door..............
    Not a door, I'm a better shot than that, most times.

    But a camp kill, for many reasons, is a ritual. Heart and liver first night. Contrary to the thoughts of the OP, the anatomy lesson, that is especially true when you have young and/or inexperienced in camp. The many uses for this harvest need not be overlooked, it is not just meat.

    And for the intelligence, I have four stomachs to investigate and possibly scent to use.
    "They call us civilized because we are easy to sneak up on."- Lone Waite

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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Duesn't the wearing of animal skin (200+ years ago) mimic all things an animal would expect to see? UV reflection and all? Just thinking out loud.
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  19. #19
    One step at a time intothenew's Avatar
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    That's just a bit too inviting for trouble from the n00b carrying a 30-30 and wearing pop bottle glasses. You can do do it safely, showing hunter orange, with modern textiles, and be stealthy to game. Shades and hues the same as your environment, non-UV orange as the spackled sun light. Get rid of that predator silhouette.
    "They call us civilized because we are easy to sneak up on."- Lone Waite

  20. #20
    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    I meant natives. 1 finger type sucks.
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