Page 1 of 6 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 54

Thread: Stalking blunders......

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Vancouver Island
    Posts
    146

    Stalking blunders 2019......A Black tail hunting odyssey

    The last 20 yards are killing me this year!!!!!!

    Because of work Ididn't start scouting this year until September 10th.
    I found does in a few diffrent spots and decided to concentrate on the 9nes closest to home.

    After a few trips out I started to glimpse buck's. Three diffrent ones. A spike 2pt and a 3point.
    I'm sure there all brothers but I've yet to see old dad. I would be happy with any of them.

    I've had them all between 60 and 70 yards..
    But trying to get them to 40 yards has almost been comical.

    The blunders have been many.
    I've had grouse flush 2 different times and get me busted.
    One log I was crawling over break with an unbelievably loud crack.(guess I should lose a few pounds)
    I've been busted by does a few times. I didn't even notice one doe until I was 15 yards from her.
    Thermals changing at in opertun times. I've never been good at figuring out thermals.
    I've had the mist role in and when it roles out ....... gone...
    Bad foot placement breaking twigs....

    I'm starting to realize that I stalk like a rutting bull elephant .

    I'm suprised I haven't blown them out of the area.

    I'm having a great time this season so far.

    What's your best stalking blunder?
    Last edited by Xbow; 10-07-2019 at 11:28 PM.
    Because in a sense, it's the coming back, the return which gives meaning to the going forth. We really don't know where we've been until we've come back to where we were. Only, where we were may not be as it was because of who we've become. Which is, after all, why we left.

    Bernard Stevens

  2. Site Sponsor

  3. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    region 9
    Posts
    11,487

    Re: Stalking blunders......

    Keep at it...not going slow enough for me...day before yesterday I had beads on a WT but I wasn't comfortable with the long standing shot through branches etc...so yesterday I knew he was in the area so I decided to go slow...well slow wasn't slow enough for a whitetail buck...

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Vancouver Island
    Posts
    146

    Re: Stalking blunders......

    I have obtained permission in the last few days to hunt a private wood lot.

    So I put 2 cams cams in on Thursday night.

    I didn't give them much time but I wanted to look.
    So my partner and I went in around 3 PM and pulled the cards.
    We headed home to take a look and have a late lunch.

    The first camera nothing... The second cam two nice 2 pts bucks. SWEET!!!!

    Why I'm excited about the wood lot.

    ......the gate is only five minutes from the house.
    .......I have permission to put up a tree stand
    ....... Its It's behind a locked gate
    ........ there is only one other person with permission to hunt there
    ........ did I say it's only five minutes from the house!!!!!!

    We were excited to see the bucks on the cam.
    It gave us both a little lift.
    After we finished our meals she said "do ya want to head up to the 2700 ft spot"
    Well we gotta hurry I said with a smile.
    I grabbed the bow and she grabbed a book.
    Because in a sense, it's the coming back, the return which gives meaning to the going forth. We really don't know where we've been until we've come back to where we were. Only, where we were may not be as it was because of who we've become. Which is, after all, why we left.

    Bernard Stevens

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Vancouver Island
    Posts
    146

    Re: Stalking blunders......

    When we have the kids with us it mostly road hunting.
    When it just her and I going it's about a 25% chance 5hat she will come and hunt with me.
    Most of the time she is happy just to sit 8n the truck and read.
    She had grabbed a book , I know what her plan is tonight.

    We got up there super late so I was on the rush to get into my spot. First mistake don't RUSH!!!!!

    Let's talk about the 2700ft spot for a second. We call it the 27spot.

    There is also a 25 spot and a 31 spot. Wonder why the other ones are called 25 and 31.. hummm

    The 27spot is public land.
    There is a lot of hunting traffic.
    Its relatively easy to get to.
    If you ever got out of your vehicle you would see ,that there is a absolute pile of deer sign.
    I'm hunting a big cut block with different aged forest on every side. The top of the block has 20 to 30 year old trees back stoped by rock bluffs.
    I have seen 3 different bucks here
    Ėts 25min from the house to where I park my truck and walk in.
    The walk is around 1.45km on logging road. I could drive within 100 meters of my spot but it is way better to walk in.

    Anyways Im rushing to get in , sit down and glass the lower section of the block.
    Damn I hear a vehicle as soon as I sit down.
    I'm in full camo mid block with hunters above me. This always makes me a bit nervous.
    They stop ... I see movement out of the corner on my eye. 2 bucks... the spike has found a smaller spike buddy.
    I have now seen 4 different bucks in this same block!
    I don't know if the truck hunters saw the bucks ...
    But the bucks definitely saw them.
    The hunters and the bucks were both outa there in a hurry .

    Hummm busted by a vehicle this time.

    No other movement for the rest of the evening hunt.

    I'll head to 27 for first light..

    Then off to the wood lot to put up a tree stand

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Whonnock for 19 years, Mission for 46 years
    Posts
    4,720

    Re: Stalking blunders......

    Lack of patience has usually foiled things for me...but the last 2 decent bucks I lost out on
    were both me and my dog's fault. He is so keyed up about hunting anything he can't contain
    himself. If he sees me aim a bow, shotgun, or rifle, he barks with excitement and expectation.
    Even if he hears me click a gun's safety off he's ready to go. As I said, twice I saw a nice buck
    while driving through logging slashes, and both times I forgot to tape over the truck canopy
    windows beforehand. Both times he was quiet until he saw me raise and draw my bow.
    An excited dog barking sure puts a buck into high gear, lol!

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Vancouver Island
    Posts
    146

    Re: Stalking blunders......

    A pile of road hunters in 27 this am. I didn't stay very long.
    No bucks
    Its getting closer to prime time. People are starting to get out and hunt.
    But I have yet to see another vehicle up there mid week.

    I agree with Harry and Big Lew ,Patients has to be the hardest thing while hunting.
    We live in a fast paced society, most days I'm rushing to get everything accomplished.
    Then I step in to the Bush where things need to be slow and calculated.
    It's a hard transition.

    Dogs are great hunting partners but the sure can mess things up.... lol...

    Breakfast and tree stand time!!!!

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Vancouver Island
    Posts
    146

    Re: Stalking blunders......

    Tree stand was stolen overnight...
    Partner was more choked than me I think
    Back up in 27spot the hunt goes on!!!!!

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Whonnock for 19 years, Mission for 46 years
    Posts
    4,720

    Re: Stalking blunders......

    I'm 73 and closing in on 74...I've never seen thievery so bad as it has been the last few years.
    It seems so common now to have anything of value taken by others even if it's locked. Their
    targets don't even need to have much value as long as they're shiny or different. About a year
    ago I placed an old touring bicycle up on a pedestal in a flower garden as it's shrine for faithfully
    carrying me all over BC, including around Haida Gwaii, and down to southern California. It wasn't
    even in working condition as it previously was out in another garden for 20 years. Someone came
    into my fenced yard and spent time unbolting it before stealing it during the night.
    It's hard to imagine that only a few are doing it, so it's far more likely that many around us are
    thieves.

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2018
    Location
    Abbotsford, BC
    Posts
    1,047

    Re: Stalking blunders......

    Saturday morning I went up to an area that I've been seeing a fair amount of Mule bucks and does w/fawns. Last year the small bucks were with the does but this year the bucks have grown much bigger (assuming they were the same ones from last year) and I've found out they are hanging out together.

    So I'm slowly walking the trail and anticipating seeing something as usual just as I crest the little hump of a hill. I just get my eyes above the crest and I see the ass end of a big body mule. I can see the front end because of the three big trees that this deer is right behind. I pull up my binocs to try see something and dang, those aren't branches - tines sticking out from both sides of this tree truck that has to be 26-28" in diameter. Binocs go down, I know I got something good here.

    Up goes the rifle, and I'm holding/waiting for this deer to take a step or two so I can poke the vitals at an easy 70 yard chip shot. Well this damn deer is not freakin' moving. Rifle is getting heavy and starting to draw circles. I'm sort of caught because I can't move to the side for a better view without exposing myself further. Slowly, I lower my rifle keeping my eyes glued to my buck and all of a sudden, another buck goes flying by at Mach 1 between me and my buck. Suddenly this bouncing road runner catches my attention and I instinctively raise my rifle on him and as I do that my big buck slowly starts walking off but quartering away from me in such a manner that all I see is antlers, ass and these damn trees.

    I know that where that buck walked down drops about 15' in elevation to a narrow plateau level and then drops off straight down into the Abiss. I'm hesitant but figure I might be able to see the second buck if I step up to the top of the crest. I slowly rise to the top of the berm, and I can hear a thumping in my ears. I'm not sure if this is deer bounding away or blood pressure jacked up from my sick feeling over blowing it. Well, turns out it was deer bounding away and I catch the last bounds of three mules booking it down to the chute going into the ravine.

    Well now I'm feeling absolutely empty inside, I don't know why but I felt compelled to go see where the big buck went down. I slowly make my way over looking all around, side to side, little late for that. I get to the trees, they're big, so was that buck. I walk down to the plateau and it dawns on me that I'm now stinking up their bedding area. Crap, what am I doing?

    So, I have a restless night and at 3:30am the wake up alarm goes off and I get up and head back out there, praying that the bucks will magically be back in the same places and I get a "do over" but no love for me. I get there and the place has a barren feeling. It's cold -5 and going from plus 16 to -5 overnight didn't give me any time to acclimate to the chill and I thought I was going to freeze sitting there for and hour and a half just praying the bucks came back. They won't come back - well maybe they will - I don't know. Next weekend is committed to a hunt in a different region so maybe I'll be back again in two weeks time.

    Series of stupid mistakes cost me a big one. I got complacent and let my guard down. Got fixated one one target and didn't scan the area for other deer buddies. I suspect this will keep me awake again tonight. I'll probably need to buy another rifle to help me get over this. Well that was a good kick in the pants - smarten up Pat.

    Conservation through incompetence.

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Vancouver Island
    Posts
    146

    Re: Stalking blunders......

    Conservation through incompetence....
    I like this!
    Although they say deer are not herd animals they're rarely solitary .
    You were hit with the extra eyes Pat.
    I've had these extra eyes bust me also.
    Toss in a wee side of impatiens and the deer are running for the hills.

    They say, the definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over expecting different results.
    Most of us hunters might be insane. We often make the same mistakes repeatedly. Promise ourselves we will do it differently next time.
    And guess what happens next time.
    We make the same stupid mistakes.
    Or maybe that's just me.
    Because in a sense, it's the coming back, the return which gives meaning to the going forth. We really don't know where we've been until we've come back to where we were. Only, where we were may not be as it was because of who we've become. Which is, after all, why we left.

    Bernard Stevens

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •