Still hunting for whitetails? [Archive]

avadad

10-10-2017, 01:19 PM

Hi folks. I know most whitetails are taken from stands/blinds but I'm curious if any members have had much luck still hunting for them? I'm not very patient so the idea of having to sit in a blind all day does not appeal to me. My preference is to climb up the side of a mountain looking for game and I'm hoping to do the same for whitetails later this season. Anyone?

fozzy

10-10-2017, 01:28 PM

I’ve taken a few on foot but they are pretty
spookey. Stand hunting works best for me in an area that you know hold animals. Tinks 69 makes them curious

behemoth

10-10-2017, 02:05 PM

Me and my buddies have shot lots of whiteys , bucks and does. None of us has ever used a blind or a tree stand. You've gotta be quick on the draw when you get on them but its very doable. Good luck!

rocksteady

10-10-2017, 02:31 PM

Hi folks. I know most whitetails are taken from stands/blinds?

NOPE... I would say the majority are taken without using a blind or tree stand..

walks with deer

10-10-2017, 02:39 PM

I have shot a tonne of whitetails..but yes still hunting is great for them.think thick brush low elevation.

Linksman313

10-10-2017, 02:58 PM

Majority of WT's are taken from the mobile gasoline powered blind with built in heater and glass windows I would suspect, at least in my area of operations.

Dannybuoy

10-10-2017, 03:00 PM

Have shot dozens of whitetail bucks , all while walking . WT 's are notoriously predictable , in some ways easier than Mulies if they bust you before you see them.

todbartell

10-10-2017, 03:19 PM

I think for best results you set your boots to SNAIL PACE

J_T

10-10-2017, 03:30 PM

Depends if you're talking rifle or bow.

For the rifle, Rocksteady and Linksman are spot on, most whitetails are taken from vehicles. Saves on camo clothing.

I have still hunted whiteys most of my life and had some great success. But the last number of years as a bowhunter, the killing machine has been a treestand. Most relaxing, peaceful and safe.

whitlers

10-10-2017, 04:01 PM

We had a nice spot and stalk this past week on a 3x3 in region 5.

Salty

10-10-2017, 05:17 PM

Majority of WT's are taken from the mobile gasoline powered blind with built in heater and glass windows I would suspect, at least in my area of operations.

Far from a WT expert here more a newb but I've logged quite a distance walking slowly and quietly in some epic white tail areas and logged quite a few hours sitting and watching but to be honest the mobile heated 4x4 blind is how I've connected on the two I've taken :???: I've had some fleeting chances at a white flag on foot but not good enough to pull the trigger yet...

Wild one

10-10-2017, 07:59 PM

All depends on your personal skill level a really good still hunter can hammer WT

brian

10-10-2017, 08:09 PM

First deer I ever killed was a Whitetail that me and my uncle in law got while we were still hunting. Its the first and only Whitetail I have ever harvested. But if you can still hunt Blacktails in thick south island bush then I see no reason why you couldn't still hunt Whitetails wherever they live.

tuner

10-10-2017, 08:22 PM

NOPE... I would say the majority are taken without using a blind or tree stand..

This in my personal experience is the truth.

Wild one

10-10-2017, 08:30 PM

Kami

10-11-2017, 06:41 AM

Yes. Recently two of us stalked out 3 WT deer. On foot. Quiet moves. WT stopped turned and walked right toward us. Walked within 10M. A doe. I purposely moved my foot to crack a twing and bam, gone like a rocket.
I will load up my 12 ga with OO shot. He will have a rifle. Close or far, we'll hammer one. Any WT doe up here as of yesterday. Nighty night.

wideopenthrottle

10-11-2017, 07:22 AM

Me and my buddies have shot lots of whiteys , bucks and does. None of us has ever used a blind or a tree stand. You've gotta be quick on the draw when you get on them but its very doable. Good luck!
same for me..i have shot maybe 2 deer while posted up waiting for first light...most have been in that time after first light to 930/10 when I am going from where I think they may "come by" to where I think they were "going to" bed...wind direction and a bit of cover noise (wind) with slow super-stealth walking is what I do

Ourea

10-11-2017, 08:03 AM

No doubt still hunting can be effective for WT.
Depending on the type of country and pressure your odds go way down on mature bucks with this approach IMO

Wild one

10-11-2017, 08:43 AM

No doubt still hunting can be effective for WT.
Depending on the type of country and pressure your odds go way down on mature bucks with this approach IMO

Durring the rut still hunting combined with calling is deadly for mature and this is coming from a huge supporter of tree stands

but conditions need to be right

Ourea

10-11-2017, 09:06 AM

Durring the rut still hunting combined with calling is deadly for mature and this is coming from a huge supporter of tree stands

but conditions need to be right

Agree 100% that rattling/calling is/can be highly effective.
The challenge I have is the timber I found my Big Whities in is so damn thick that the times I called or rattled in bucks I simply couldnt find a bullet lane. Bucks would eventually spook.

I am a firm believer, when hunting the old wise ones of any species, is to be a low impact hunter when engaging the land of a giant. I am sure others may disagree but I am always fearful to blow out a monster buck after spending years nailing him down. They are so survival driven.

Nice 150 type bucks are mostly an easy mark.
The next level of bucks give me fits.

A nemesis of mine. God damn ghost.

https://i.imgur.com/J0bOdAF.jpg

Ron.C

10-11-2017, 09:09 AM

I've shot most of my archery whities from a tree stand. But the whitetail deer in my avatar was shot while still hunting on a cold wet November morning with my muzzleloader . I would do a combination of light rattling and grunt calling. Wait 1/2 hour then slowly work my way another 100 yards or so and repeat. This buck actually came trotting into the call from behind me. The area was fairly open timber above the Kootenay river. Great visibility and a good breeze and not allot of hunting pressure in this spot made it ideal for this type of hunt.

Sometimes trying something different pays off

Ourea

10-11-2017, 09:23 AM

avadad

10-11-2017, 10:57 AM

I think I need to clarify me definition of a truly mature WT.
I mean an elite heart stopper.....a buck that the most seasoned hunters would shake their head over.

Nemesis number two

https://i.imgur.com/aa76I7h.png
Hey Ourea. Your whitetail thread is what inspired to me to start this thread. Coming from the Island I can't commit to getting a monster whitey. I'm just looking for some of that tasty whitetail to put in the freezer and I love still hunting...

Buckmeister

10-11-2017, 11:04 AM

Buckmeister

10-11-2017, 11:10 AM

Forgot to mention that I was still hunting in the same location, maybe the same year, when I saw a young spike fork in an old meadow/orchard as I was approaching from an old upper road. I had no intention of killing him. He had no idea I was there. I pulled out the doe can and tipped it over a number of times. He came to about 15 yards before he scented me.

Ourea

10-11-2017, 11:31 AM

I harvested a nice WT a few years ago WHILE walking into my blind. There was about 70-80 yards distance and I just happened to spot him through an opening through the trees. He was looking right at me, but was not yet spooked. I think he saw me the same time I saw him, but he likely heard me coming first. With all the tree cover, I don't think he knew what I was yet. That gave me the opportunity to get my gun off my shoulder, take a knee, and drill a perfect double lung shot.

Awesome!!

I guess I don't hunt like most (and in no way am I saying I hunt better). just different
I will never see a buck on the hike in or out because my travels are well before and after light to/from my spots when I decide to pack a gun.

Watching two or three decent bucks pass by during a day in the blind is not uncommon.
It's those elite guys, damn they are hard to pin down.

My only encounters of truly huge WT have been during the last or first minutes of legal shooting light.

I know hunting contacts that have killed some bruisers in the middle of the day, albeit in different areas where the hunting dynamics, WT density, timber patterns, access are completely different.

WT are simply an interesting puzzle
And, their numbers and opportunity are not going anywhere.

IronNoggin

10-11-2017, 11:33 AM

No doubt still hunting can be effective for WT.
Depending on the type of country and pressure your odds go way down on mature bucks with this approach IMO

Have to strongly agree on that one! http://bigshotsbc.ca/images/smilies/Pozitive.gif
I have hunted whitetails since I was in my early teens - Saskatchewan, Alberta, and yeah, even BC.
Guided both Sask and Alberta for many years for them as well.

I have taken quite a handful when still hunting. Some even with my bow.
None ever surpassed the 160" mark.
In all those years, I only know of two that were over 180" that were taken by still hunters.

Stand hunting, if you are looking for a "Good" Buck, produces.
It was, and is the mainstay of whitetail hunting.
I have lost count of the number of book and / or close heads our crew & families took from stands & blinds over the years.

A couple examples From The Stand..

http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/Ironnoggin/Saskatchewan_Whitetail_3.jpg

Closer Boo:

http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/Ironnoggin/Sakatchewan_Whitetail_2.jpg

Another:

http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/Ironnoggin/Sakatchewan_Whitetail.jpg

Cheers,
Nog

Ourea

10-11-2017, 11:38 AM

Hey Ourea. Your whitetail thread is what inspired to me to start this thread. Coming from the Island I can't commit to getting a monster whitey. I'm just looking for some of that tasty whitetail to put in the freezer and I love still hunting...

Nice to hear that the Big Whities thread has helped inspire some, that was my intent.
The negative BS that was being fanned about this species was burning me. WT represent some of the best hunting opportunities in this province yet some were calling them rats. Best eating rats if you ask me.

Wild one

10-11-2017, 12:34 PM

Agree 100% that rattling/calling is/can be highly effective.
The challenge I have is the timber I found my Big Whities in is so damn thick that the times I called or rattled in bucks I simply couldnt find a bullet lane. Bucks would eventually spook.

I am a firm believer, when hunting the old wise ones of any species, is to be a low impact hunter when engaging the land of a giant. I am sure others may disagree but I am always fearful to blow out a monster buck after spending years nailing him down. They are so survival driven.

Nice 150 type bucks are mostly an easy mark.
The next level of bucks give me fits.

A nemesis of mine. God damn ghost.

https://i.imgur.com/J0bOdAF.jpg

Yup if your hunting where the big WT hide often the bush makes it tough to get a shot. Been almost trampled by a WT rattling because we could not see each other till it was only feet away lol. Shots are often really close range

Like usual I agree with what your saying with WT. We may vary a little on our tactics but principles are the same. Only exception is if I am lacking time I run some high pressure tactics hence the calling still hunt combo. Best in areas I may only get a few days to hunt where I did not get the chance to scout

avadad

10-11-2017, 01:19 PM

Nice to hear that the Big Whities thread has helped inspire some, that was my intent.
The negative BS that was being fanned about this species was burning me. WT represent some of the best hunting opportunities in this province yet some were calling them rats. Best eating rats if you ask me.

I grew up hunting whitey's back east. I couldn't sit in a stand back then either. I guess whitetails are the easy scapegoat for declining mule deer numbers. As I understand it whitetails are actually the foundation species of deer in North America. They are a fine animal in my mind...

338win mag

10-11-2017, 05:32 PM

I have shot alot of bush bucks, not farmland bucks. Stillhunting is a combination of walk then sit, I bring my own stool so I can setup anywhere, then move and I'm out from dark till dark.
The secret to bagging bucks is to know the area your hunting, real tough if your not familiar with the terrain and could be wasting your time.
I may only walk 1km a day, maybe 2 if the breeze is strong, no cover scent has ever been worn by me and I shot my best wt at a distance of 20ft.
Knowledge of the area gives one the confidence to move slowly, making you less noticeable to a wary buck or the tattletale doe who's alarming snort will alert every deer within earshot, time to move on if this happens. I will sneak along an active scrapeline which wt will habitually use almost yearly and I have shot 5 bucks standing in the same hollow that they scrape always.
I dont call it stillhunting, I call it sneak hunting, if its noisy for whatever reason it turns into walk then wait and if your just going to walk through crunchy snow then at least you will get some exercise.

bigstew

10-12-2017, 08:50 AM

That's a great buck!! best of luck!

HarryToolips

10-12-2017, 08:49 PM

I've shot a couple still hunting but I've had more success sitting personally...

HighCountryBC

10-13-2017, 01:48 PM

Agree 100% that rattling/calling is/can be highly effective.
The challenge I have is the timber I found my Big Whities in is so damn thick that the times I called or rattled in bucks I simply couldnt find a bullet lane. Bucks would eventually spook.

I am a firm believer, when hunting the old wise ones of any species, is to be a low impact hunter when engaging the land of a giant. I am sure others may disagree but I am always fearful to blow out a monster buck after spending years nailing him down. They are so survival driven.

Nice 150 type bucks are mostly an easy mark.
The next level of bucks give me fits.

A nemesis of mine. God damn ghost.

https://i.imgur.com/J0bOdAF.jpg

Ourea is spot on with this. Being low-impact is crucial when you're after truly mature animals and is something that is overlooked by most hunters.

If you just want to go out and shoot "a buck", well, it's really not that difficult. Still hunting can be an effective technique given the right terrain/topography if that's what you're after.

Mature whitetail are a totally different ball game and the vast majority of true giants are not shot while driving/still hunting.