To move or to stay still?

[ajr5406]

I am on my second season and yet to shoot an animal. I spent about 8 hours in 3.12 yesterday and hunted about 5 different spots, didnt see any deer but saw a TON of sign - piles of poop every three steps and lots of trails.

My question is this - if you see lots of sign and the weather is ugly: is it better to stay in one place and hope that animals will eventually show themselves (given the amount of sign in the area)? Or is it better to hike and walk quietly and try and cover lots of ground?

Im sure there are advantages to both, and its a tough question given the number of variables, but what is the best GENERAL approach?

[GoatGuy]

You can still hunt for mule deer, doesn't work well for wt.

If you are hiking and seeing sign but no deer you are hiking way too fast. Most hunters hike way too fast.

Sitting is great because you can take your time, have a rest built and be comfortable in the situation. Hiking, and especially road hunting sometimes happens too quickly for everything to happen properly.

Finally, with both mule deer and wt make sure the wind is in your favour. You won't see anything if the wind is at your back.

[horshur]

mule deer are moving at late dusk last couple weeks...I am not seeing them till almost dark...like past shooting light. If you are hunting them were they spend the night your sightings will be thin.
Try to cut them off by getting in between there night feeding and daytime bedding. You may have to bump a few in the timber to find where they are laying low. As well if you have some freedom of when to hunt be out in Rain and fog.. The darker days seems to give them a feeling of security you will have deer moving more, early in evening and later in morning. 20 minutes either way amounts to sighting or none. As well most sightings have been for green feed...for the most part at least where I am hunting they have not transitioned to winter feed. So hunt where there is still some green.

[Ferenc]

Cover ground slowly... Lean against trees and watch..after 10 steps sit for bit if you are seeing sign like you mention you will see them soon enough... If it's a bit of a hike to this area.. Leave earlier... Notice any beds in the area.. Find places to sit with good shooting lanes.. Few minutes here... A few there.. No place to sit.. As I said lean against a tree... If you can try to find out the way they travel into this area... As others have said if your going slow.. Your still going to fast.

[albravo2]

Ditto the above.

I've been trying to move more slowly for the past several years and I probably still go too fast.

The answer is c) hike and cover as little ground as possible. Woods are wet now, might help you be silent.

Also, pay attention to the wind. Moving slow doesn't help if the wind is to your back, you just get to where the deer used to be slower;-)

[horshur]

I would not walk slow unless you are absolutely sure you are in the deer...deer often will travel a few kms a day especially mule deer. It is common for late night feeding to be up to 3km from daytime area especially if they have transitioned into winter range. Cover ground until you bump deer or get into fresh sign then slow down.

[deadlyshot19]

IMO, it depends on where your hunting, and the weather. If its a low pressure area do some research on the area and find where they are moving back and forth from if possible. If you want to sit you will have to sit where you can cut them off. If the weather is bad they tend to be very active. If you feel like they are bedded down you will probably have to keep moving. Just don't give up, when I first started hunting I spooked deer, chased deer, and made bad decisions all the time. Just like anything else practice makes you better! Just remember it's not always about the kill either!

[HarryToolips]

IMO, it depends on where your hunting, and the weather. If its a low pressure area do some research on the area and find where they are moving back and forth from if possible. If you want to sit you will have to sit where you can cut them off. If the weather is bad they tend to be very active. If you feel like they are bedded down you will probably have to keep moving. Just don't give up, when I first started hunting I spooked deer, chased deer, and made bad decisions all the time. Just like anything else practice makes you better! Just remember it's not always about the kill either!
This is exactly it....too many new hunters it seems are worried or not happy about not getting a deer in the first few seasons...it's just the way it goes for most hunters I know anyway..

[srupp]

Hmmm all boils down to seeing them before they see you.simply can't go slow enough..use optics to break up every hiding spot before taking one more step..repeat..watch the wind..use slow movements..nothing fast.horeshur has it absolutely correct..last few moments first few moments.they are moving..the rest ya literally got to dig em out..
Bucks bedded high will lick their nose. .much more efficient..a deers liked nose shines like a 40 watt light bulb from a distance..
Good luck
Also look for bedding look for feeding..hunt between them
Srupp

[markathome]

8 Hrs of hunting in five different spots? Most of my hunting days are in one, maybe two spots. Sounds like you're getting in and out of the truck too much. Trust your feet - walk where you think the deer might be. You'd be surprised how far you can get with your two feet.





I am on my second season and yet to shoot an animal. I spent about 8 hours in 3.12 yesterday and hunted about 5 different spots, didnt see any deer but saw a TON of sign - piles of poop every three steps and lots of trails.

My question is this - if you see lots of sign and the weather is ugly: is it better to stay in one place and hope that animals will eventually show themselves (given the amount of sign in the area)? Or is it better to hike and walk quietly and try and cover lots of ground?

Im sure there are advantages to both, and its a tough question given the number of variables, but what is the best GENERAL approach?

[wideopenthrottle]

my favourite trick for helping me slow down is to count paces (every second step)...20 is maximum for me without stopping and doing a full look-even when walking on a road back to camp...I get down to 2 or 3 in areas that "feel" good....constantly assess the area you are in and adjust the number of steps between full checks...
I still hunt from before dawn till full light then I will move slowly to adjacent areas..and I will still hunt at dusk as well

[brian]

My question is this - if you see lots of sign and the weather is ugly: is it better to stay in one place and hope that animals will eventually show themselves (given the amount of sign in the area)? Or is it better to hike and walk quietly and try and cover lots of ground?
It all depends but this is what runs through my head when hunting in my area. First thing I ask myself is the wind stable or squirrely and What time of day is it? First for dusk and if the wind is stable or I can count on a good thermal then I will likely try to take a stand as long as my scent trail won't scare off deer traveling into the area. However I will change over to a still hunt if the winds are squirrely or fog patches are rolling in changing stable winds to ugly winds and back again. Then I will try to attack known travel routes from the best direction possible. Higher winds will inspire me to still hunt along timber lines looking for more sheltered areas whereas really high winds will chase me out of the timber and probably home. For dawn I will head higher up on the mountain and wait for the thermal shift to still hunt across in the timber trying to intercept deer heading for their bedding grounds. Stand sights don't work as well for me at this time because of access issues would leave to much scent in the wrong places. During the middle of the day under all circumstances I would either explore new area or still hunt around known bedding areas in my less cared about zones (keeping the best zones less interfered with for ambushes or high rut still hunting). In all cases I will be more likely to still hunt if it is wet than dry. That's my general take on it. I find that the hardest part about taking a stand locations in the mountains is figuring out the wind. At least with a still hunt you can change course if the wind isn't cooperating. This is my thought process but keep in mind I normally hunt buckshot shotgun zones so I can't sit in a clearcut and wait for deer to move about, I need close range opportunities and my tactics are designed for this.

[emerson]

mule deer are moving at late dusk last couple weeks...I am not seeing them till almost dark...like past shooting light. If you are hunting them were they spend the night your sightings will be thin.
Try to cut them off by getting in between there night feeding and daytime bedding. You may have to bump a few in the timber to find where they are laying low. As well if you have some freedom of when to hunt be out in Rain and fog.. The darker days seems to give them a feeling of security you will have deer moving more, early in evening and later in morning. 20 minutes either way amounts to sighting or none. As well most sightings have been for green feed...for the most part at least where I am hunting they have not transitioned to winter feed. So hunt where there is still some green.
I find legal shooting times early and late too dark to see by eye. This is where expensive optics gain a hunter 30-40 min of shooting time each day. Even my $600 Leo scopes see better than I do in dim light. I often wonder what a $4K optic would do for me.

[Backwoods]

You can still hunt for mule deer, doesn't work well for wt.

If you are hiking and seeing sign but no deer you are hiking way too fast. Most hunters hike way too fast.

Sitting is great because you can take your time, have a rest built and be comfortable in the situation. Hiking, and especially road hunting sometimes happens too quickly for everything to happen properly.

Finally, with both mule deer and wt make sure the wind is in your favour. You won't see anything if the wind is at your back.
Great tip! 👍👌

[twoSevenO]

I would not walk slow unless you are absolutely sure you are in the deer...deer often will travel a few kms a day especially mule deer. It is common for late night feeding to be up to 3km from daytime area especially if they have transitioned into winter range. Cover ground until you bump deer or get into fresh sign then slow down.

^^ THIS ... I have wasted way too much time thinking deer are close just because i saw piles of poop and tracks. First, know how fresh the poop is. Looking back to when i started hunting i now realize what i thought was a good area with fresh poop had sign from like months ago. The deer you think are there could have been there 5hrs ago and he's far away that you can't hike after him anymore.


you have to KNOW you're in the zone .... and you won't know till you either A: learn the spot well enough that you KNOW deer hang out and in that area a lot or B: simply see game in front of you.

[Clint_S]

sit down and shut up

[Dash]

Great advice from everyone. I'm often asking myself this question as well as it is also my second season with no big game

[walks with deer]

If you make a loud noise count to 60 before advancing...once you find deer stay on that area zig zag works great..

[Looking_4_Jerky]

Tough call. Lots of good info. Like they've said, both can work but you have to know the animals are there. If you are still hunting (walking reeeeeeaal slow), it has to be reeeeeaal slow. Either way patience is your friend. If sitting, your patience will wear thin if you're sitting at a time of day when the deer are sitting too! But if you're sitting when they are around and moving it can be really enjoyable and productive. If the terrain is right and you have some visibility, purposefully jumping mule deer can work as they often stop once they get a ways away, or at least the does and small bucks usually do. Bigger bucks usually won't unless its the rut and they're glued to a doe or group of them. As we're getting into pre-rut conditions, sitting (stand hunting) can now be assisted with calling, grunting, rattling, raking, or combos of those, which is a huge help.

[markathome]

Tough call. Lots of good info. Like they've said, both can work but you have to know the animals are there. If you are still hunting (walking reeeeeeaal slow), it has to be reeeeeaal slow. Either way patience is your friend. If sitting, your patience will wear thin if you're sitting at a time of day when the deer are sitting too! But if you're sitting when they are around and moving it can be really enjoyable and productive. If the terrain is right and you have some visibility, purposefully jumping mule deer can work as they often stop once they get a ways away, or at least the does and small bucks usually do. Bigger bucks usually won't unless its the rut and they're glued to a doe or group of them. As we're getting into pre-rut conditions, sitting (stand hunting) can now be assisted with calling, grunting, rattling, raking, or combos of those, which is a huge help.

There's some solid advice ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Nice work Looking_4_Jerky

[tomahawk]

I am on my second season and yet to shoot an animal. I spent about 8 hours in 3.12 yesterday and hunted about 5 different spots, didnt see any deer but saw a TON of sign - piles of poop every three steps and lots of trails.

My question is this - if you see lots of sign and the weather is ugly: is it better to stay in one place and hope that animals will eventually show themselves (given the amount of sign in the area)? Or is it better to hike and walk quietly and try and cover lots of ground?

Im sure there are advantages to both, and its a tough question given the number of variables, but what is the best GENERAL approach?


The question is: Is the sign your seeing fresh? The droppings will be dark and shiny (not just wet from rain) but actually a little slippery to the touch if the droppings are current!!!!!!!!!
If so and you say there every 3 steps your in deer heaven!!! I hunt some great deer spots that produce yearly for me but the sign is no where near that heavy. If the droppings are a mix or more of them are fading and not slippery to the touch you may be in a wintering area.

[hotload]

You can still hunt for mule deer, doesn't work well for wt.

If you are hiking and seeing sign but no deer you are hiking way too fast. Most hunters hike way too fast.

Sitting is great because you can take your time, have a rest built and be comfortable in the situation. Hiking, and especially road hunting sometimes happens too quickly for everything to happen properly.

Finally, with both mule deer and wt make sure the wind is in your favour. You won't see anything if the wind is at your back.

What he said

[Rayne]

What about droppings that are green but are more of a mound how fresh would you think that is ? (Still glossy and soft)

[Ourea]

What about droppings that are green but are more of a mound how fresh would you think that is ? (Still glossy and soft)

Deer stool that is mounded and not in pellets is usually associated with summer activity when forage is lush.
Same for elk and moose.

Having said that, I do see some globbed deer droppings this time of yr in certain feed rich areas.

Ur either looking at summer stool that appears fresh from rain and moisture or ur in a mid to lower elevation area that still holds green forage

My comment excludes blacktail as I have no year round experience with that species.

[Rayne]

It was at a mid elevation. But it was two weeks ago. Now the other day I found a rub with
What would have appear to be fresh droppings but the rub was quite large about 6 feet at its highest point on a 3 inch tree could that be mule deer or something larger. And what's the best way to hunt those areas? Is the buck generally still in the area?

[MichelD]

I was at a place this week where there was a lot of deer tracks in the bank of the road. I just staked out the the spot and waited but when the deer crossed, heading downhill at dusk, they rushed across the road from thick stuff to thick stuff. I think the third deer in a group of was a buck.

Next day I staked out the same spot at daybreak without a sighting so as an experiment I went uphill to a little plateau thick with pine trees like a Christmas tree plantation. Very short sight lines, like barely 20 feet between trees if you were lucky.

I didn't go dead slow, stop and go the way you should. Fairly slow but too fast to really call still hunting. Like i said, it was an experiment to gauge if the deer were there. In half an hour I bumped up two deer. I saw the rear end of one and just a tiny little face peering at me between the trees before it took off. But I think that's is where they bed after coming up the hill in the morning. But how to hunt stuff that thick? Maybe I have to invest in some heat-sensing goggles.

At least I know there's a few deer there and it is a significant crossing.

[ajr5406]

The question is: Is the sign your seeing fresh? The droppings will be dark and shiny (not just wet from rain) but actually a little slippery to the touch if the droppings are current!!!!!!!!!
If so and you say there every 3 steps your in deer heaven!!! I hunt some great deer spots that produce yearly for me but the sign is no where near that heavy. If the droppings are a mix or more of them are fading and not slippery to the touch you may be in a wintering area.

Good points!

Its hard to tell as it was rainy... I certainly saw lots of old poop, but quick a bit that looked very fresh! I think about 2/3 was moose poop though, and most of that looked older. The deer poop looked fresh though...

[Singleshotneeded]

Use Google Earth or a topo map of the area for scouting, find spots on either side of the clear-cut to allow for wind, and get into your spot overlooking the clear-cut before shooting light and well before dark...the first and last minutes are the most important. ALWAYS be downwind...no scent control works like being downwind.

[HarryToolips]

Deer stool that is mounded and not in pellets is usually associated with summer activity when forage is lush.
Same for elk and moose.

Having said that, I do see some globbed deer droppings this time of yr in certain feed rich areas.

Ur either looking at summer stool that appears fresh from rain and moisture or ur in a mid to lower elevation area that still holds green forage

My comment excludes blacktail as I have no year round experience with that species.
This....and I'm seeing lots of globbled deer droppings at this time of year, more than other years past because of the amount of precipitation this year..

[horshur]

about the wind.....you hunt in three dimensions and unless you have a neck injury you can turn your noggin. It is reasonable to expect that if walking with the wind you probably will not see anything ahead of you however on either side your good to go. Wind can be so fickle. Cross breeze or thermal can alert deer who circles around right into your lap. So I sure would not sweat still hunting with the wind. Anyway you look at it if your hunt is a loop or circle you are going to have to break the wind rule.Spot and stalk you have to mind the wind.
A deer will not have a rub 6 feet up. Moose or elk.

[brian]

Deer stool that is mounded and not in pellets is usually associated with summer activity when forage is lush.
Same for elk and moose.
It is possible for a deer in later season to have mounded poo. It can be a genetic thing or a gut/parasite issue. Usually mounded poo is related to lush fresh growth, but I have one sheep that has mounded poo all the time unless she is on very dry hay, its just how her digestive system works. If you find mounded poo that is fresh then assume it is fresh sign. Fresh poo will look wet with a very slight oily sheen, which is unlike wet poo in the rain that simply looks like wet poo.

[brian]

Wind is the single most important factor in my hunts. Everything I do is geared towards wind and scent trails.

My way of slowing down when still hunting is to have optics in my hand at all times. Take a few steps and glass everything around me. This both slows me down and forces me to look. I see way more animals doing this.

[ekul246]

As a relatively new hunter, I have struggled with sitting and waiting for more than an hour as well as walking slow and stopping frequently to scan for game. I just haven't had the patience. Even when we walked into a spot that we know holds whitetail on the first morning of the hunt. Falling snow had us excited for fresh sign. We had just missed them which was evident by no newly fallen snow in the tracks and it was currently snowing. The only time I was happy to sit and wait in a spot. But at the 45min mark, just couldn't do it anymore. Last year, my spike buck was spotted while driving through a cut with a group of does half an hour into the hunt. This fall, my partner and I were on day two and had driven into a cut and glassed for 30-45min when he spotted some mulie does moving up the cut. We spotted four, then they spooked and took off. Then, as I had to leave to come back down to coast for a bachelor party, we began driving out of the cut but had gone 100 yards when I spotted an antlerless WT 360 yrds away. Long story short, we stumbled across a deer highway as we had more mulie does walk through our sights as we were lining up to shoot our antlerless WTs. The entire draw going up to where we shot those deer and saw 6 mulie does and a spiker (4pt only MU) was covered in tracks. So much so, that there were no lines of tracks. Just a constantly crossed over area about 20ft wide and over 300yrds long. Finding this has now given me the drive and I believe patience to sit and wait in that area all day since the evidence says they are there or will be there.

This is very wordy, but basically, find the right signs that you have been looking for, even if you don't know completely what they look like because you haven't seen them yet, and you WILL find the deer.

I understand the frustration. I completely gave up on region 2 and am now hunting outside of it. When I know more and become more experienced, I may try to hunt region two again......but seems like a whole different style of hunting.

[nuadixion]

...dont forget to enjoy your hunt......do not stress....feel the force.....:smile: follow your nose/use your instinct.

[Dodo23]

All great advice, but it takes a lot of work and that is what it is all about.

[Fella]

I'll say this: on my recent 2 week hunt, 3 different bucks were spotted in one area over 3 days within 100 yards of each other. If you're finding lots of sign I'd stick to that area and wait. Find a spot down wind of where you think they'll be and glass. Get there before first light and stay till last light.

[boxhitch]

about the wind.....you hunt in three dimensions and unless you have a neck injury you can turn your noggin. It is reasonable to expect that if walking with the wind you probably will not see anything ahead of you however on either side your good to go. Wind can be so fickle. Cross breeze or thermal can alert deer who circles around right into your lap. So I sure would not sweat still hunting with the wind. Anyway you look at it if your hunt is a loop or circle you are going to have to break the wind rule.Spot and stalk you have to mind the wind.Yeah, it can sure mess with you. Hunt into the wind all the time and some days the track would look like something a 2 y.o. would draw.
Have had luck in the thick stuff just sitting on a stump with the wind blowing toward the area with the best visibility. No sense staring at the surrounding wall but be aware if calling they can come in from anywhere,
shots may be fast........ Auto-loader buck-shot fast

[buckhunter76]

Lots of good info for you comming from these posts, for me I think it depends on your spots, the more time you put into an area the more you will learn about what deer like and do not and the more experience you will get. I think to many people waste their time bouncing around from place to place. Put the boots on do some exploring, that being said you need to research an area to optimize doing that. If I'm going to a new area I'm always looking for southern exposure, north to south ridges which I tend to find muledeer use more for migration, I look for mature spaces timber ridges. I find a nature funnel or basin or a ridge that is impassible that's gonna make a corridor for the deer to push them to one side, let the lay of the land work for you as an advantage, I treestand hunt a lot for whitetails but have also had success still hunting timber in prime rut. Muledeer I just push bush till I find a good place and then make a plan off attack on it, whether it be still hunting, ground blind or treestand. I can't stress enough to people that putting the time in is the most effective tool in your aresenal. I feel to many people waste to much time still hunting an area that they haven't put time into and don't even know if theirs gonna be deer in. You can waste days in an area doing this. What I use to my advantage is their isn't a lot of people that will shoot a deer 5 or more km from their truck in the bush and pack it out, for where theirs less pressure. Most important of all just get out their have fun and learn as much as you can

[SaintSix]

In general for deer I like to hike in the mornings, sit/spot in the afternoons and in the evening ill try to find a good area/field to set up and wait for something to come to me. If the winds are super heavy ill try deer trails with more overhead trees.

[Jedcote50]

If you're hunting deer, move like a deer. If they're feeding slow, match that. If you spook them you can try and run up to a better vantage point for a shot, but you'll never catch up, and this is generally a novice's approach (mistake). Keep your eyes looking ahead, then side to side, and frequently behind you, look for horizontal lines in trees that are mostly vertical. A little trick to monitor you speed is put a half full water bottle in your pack, if you hear it schloshing around you're going too fast. When walking/hunting never work up a sweat, if you're breathing even a little bit hard as you approach the crest of a hill stop BEFORE you look over and gain control of your breathing rate. Keep the wind in your face and the sun too, deer don't see color like we do, your best camo outfit is still just black and white (and shades of grey) to ungulates. Your shadow in front you or to the side of you only magnifies your ground size. And finally, "fresh" deer crap is avocado green (at least in Region 8) and will get darker as it ages, I do not know what it smells like or how it feels, if you're too busy looking at the "sign" you will miss the "business" going over the next ridge or slippin' thru the trees ahead. Enjoy the time you spend "being in the moment" (of the hunt), don't be an aggressive predator until you are looking in the scope at what you have chosen to kill, at that point be confident and ruthless . . .

[brian]

As a relatively new hunter, I have struggled with sitting and waiting for more than an hour as well as walking slow and stopping frequently to scan for game.

Sitting gets a lot easier if you have a reasonable expectation that you'll see animals. I can't do the all day tree stand hunts that the whitetail hunters somehow manage. But I don't mind sitting for and hour or two at dusk, especially if I have a perfect wind in a good area. Then all you need is the memory of a good buck walking right past you to inspire you to sit as still as Buddha until the light vanishes. But then again, I have killed most of my deer still hunting.