Hunting timber and reading the play

[dino]

Just wondering how many others out there hunt the timber on a regular basis and what their tactics are? how much attention do you pay to when a squirrel or a raven gives you up? Do you hunt ridges or gullies? Do you hunt just timber above cuts or feeding areas. These are just a couple of examples.It doesnt matter what kind of animal either. Im just wondering how my tactics differ.

[Shooter]

I hunt timber all the time. I usually take the timber between cuts and poke my head out and glass the cuts real good then zig zag my way along the edges. When I can I like to be above on ridges....

I don't pay too much attention to squirells and birds squaking. Although I may take the opportunity to stop and glass for a bit. Much the same as if I break a twig.

[doubled]

Nice and slow just like the wife always yaks about :)

[tomahawk]

Love huntin timber that has some vision. Still hunting all the way, I dont pay much attention to a squirrel or Raven that makes me but I do listen for them in the distance, occassionally they give up an animal before I see it. I hunt both ridge's and valley's depending on wind, sight and surrounding geography and where the game trails are. No need to rush, just slow movin, sometimes sittin, sometimes leaning on trees, if there is water I will stay closer to it then anywhere else in the valley's. I never cover much ground in a day's hunt but see several animals.

[warnniklz]

When I hunt the timber, I still hunt the lay of the land, alond timber covered benches, along ravines and what not.

[TheProvider]

Only pay attention to squirrels when they all of a sudden stop chattering and so do the birds, bush goes dead quiet ;)

[SimilkameenSlayer]

have a scentless shower in the morning and walk slow like a ninja.

[boxhitch]

Agreed, tomahawk . Still hunting is more still than moving.
Having confidence there are bucks in the area make it real easy to spend enough time.

Look for changes of vegetation
A small stand of poplar or willow can indicate a subtle bench or wet area , with better feed or a nice bedding spot.
Subtle hints that may draw a bucks attention.

Get low and look under branches and logs instead of over or brushing them aside. A deers view is from about 3' off the ground, your buckle height.

[shed-hunter1]

get up cover ground till a buck stands up in front of you from his bed pull trigger done it works for me

[proguide66]

Squirels actually dont have favorites out there , they bitch out 'everything'.That being said , I really listen to em.
As well , while in grizzly country , I pay PIG asttention to raven sounds as they and grizzlies go hand in hand...they have helped me avoid a grizz on a kill along the trail more than a few times over the years..just sayin...:-D

[blackbart]

Have fun. Once you try it and have some success you will be hooked. Watch the wind. Go slow. Take lots of breaks to look around. If there is sign, there are animals. Slow down some more. Glass lots, even if you can only see fifty yards or less. Don't expect to see a whole animal, look for pieces of an animal.

Shoot straight.

BB

[dino]

When Im in deep timber I will stop sit and listen to the point that its so quiet that my ears are ringing and when I hear a squirrel in the distance I will sometimes sit longer and see if more squirrels join in. If more do, I will wait even longer to see if an animal will present itself, this tactic has worked for me many times. I believe that even though the squirrels have notified my presence to others the reverse also happens.
When I hear and see ravens I always seem to have good luck. One other important tactic is that I'm always positive when I hunt even when little is moving and the weather is really hot. I love the fact that anything can happen at any time.

[spear]

I think my last day of the season last year was first day of truly "still hunting"
Saw more animals in a short time then ever before, got a lot closer to em too. Got me hooked in one day

[doubled]

Glass lots, even if you can only see fifty yards or less. Don't expect to see a whole animal, look for pieces of an animal.

This is probably the best tip from this thread. Don't know how many ears, tips of antlers, tails, shoulder patch I have seen over the years. They usually are not standing in the open waiting for you.

[LYKTOHUNT]

This is probably the best tip from this thread. Don't know how many ears, tips of antlers, tails, shoulder patch I have seen over the years. They usually are not standing in the open waiting for you.

X2 I also pay attention to horizontal lines,they grab my attention in an environment where most lines are vertical, like a moose or deer,s back,yes I know there lots of wind falls but sometimes what you think is a windfall tree is actually an animals back

[rides bike to work]

I started mapping out a stong plan before pushing a piece of bush. Usually with a partner .If its a ridge one of us leads along the ridge while the other falls back a little and 50-100 yards off one side depending on visibility we keep in contact with grunts or calls of what ever speciese we are hunting many times an animal gets pushed right into the other guy.same with working a mountain side in the coastal mountains one guy high one guy low and slowly move along trying to keep in contact with your partner we have rhino gps units so we can tell were each other are and if we bump an animal we can plan an Ambush by the other guy . I've tried still hunting a few times but just don't have the patience.that said I bump alot more animals than I kill so mabey I should learn some patience and slow it down a little.

[dana]

It looks like my methods differ from most that have posted up. I actually don't move slow. I like to cover a lot of ground. And I don't care about noise. My theory is you need to walk like a deer, not like a predator. Stealth puts animals on alert. You want them to think you are one of them, not something that is going to kill them. :)

[one-shot-wonder]

Good point Dana......especially elk hunting.

[dana]

I've found randomness is the key. Don't have a set plan. When 2 random creatures meet, it is destiny. ;)

[tomahawk]

It looks like my methods differ from most that have posted up. I actually don't move slow. I like to cover a lot of ground. And I don't care about noise. My theory is you need to walk like a deer, not like a predator. Stealth puts animals on alert. You want them to think you are one of them, not something that is going to kill them. :)

I hear ya Dana and at one time i did that as well. As a teenager I was taught by my Uncle from 100 mile to walk like the animal you are seeking if you want to see them. He used to score all the time on Moose this way but when he came upon the animal it was usually alert and aware of his presence because of the noise he made and he had to rely on quick shots many times. So thats how i started hunting the timber but have since changed as i prefer surprising the animal and having some time to look it over or just watch it go about its daily business.

[Shooter]

I think that here on the Island the bush is so thick that you need to go slow. If you go to fast you usually just hear them crashing away and never do see them.

[dana]

When they accept you as one of their own, you have a lot of time to watch them. :)

[LYKTOHUNT]

I agree to trying to sound like your prey, one instance comes to mind where I had seen a cow moose way up a hillside so I decided to wander my way up the hill to see if there might be a bull around,on the way up there was alot of Huckleberry,s and I really like Huckleberry,s so I grazed my way upto the flat where I had seen the cow where there happened to be alot of berry,s so I had a big feed just wandering around all over when I happened to see a moose antler sticking up out of the brush at first I thought maybe it was just a shed but that shed moved, it turned out that I grazed my way up to that bull within about 20 yards, he was laying in a hole so I made a noise so it would stand up, that moose came home with me. I think that bull thought I was the cow I had seen earlier because I was not trying to be quiet, the berrys got the better of me and had almost my full attention

[dino]

It looks like my methods differ from most that have posted up. I actually don't move slow. I like to cover a lot of ground. And I don't care about noise. My theory is you need to walk like a deer, not like a predator. Stealth puts animals on alert. You want them to think you are one of them, not something that is going to kill them. :)

Out of all my hunting buds I always cover twice as much ground as them and twice as quick, I always saw this as my strength and weakness. I always shoot and see more than them but I also jump more. They always joke about it so I tell them that I just know when to move slow and where I can move fast, it works for me but then again I cant get past that 150" mark.:mrgreen:

[dino]

I think that here on the Island the bush is so thick that you need to go slow. If you go to fast you usually just hear them crashing away and never do see them.

Im from there, just hunt in the rain.

[Axle]

I agree, I walk very slow sometimes and very fast othertimes. As well don't discount Sun direction. When the sun is low in the sky, I will walk faster with the wind and sun on my back. Slower with the wind in my favor.


Axle

[835]

It looks like my methods differ from most that have posted up. I actually don't move slow. I like to cover a lot of ground. And I don't care about noise. My theory is you need to walk like a deer, not like a predator. Stealth puts animals on alert. You want them to think you are one of them, not something that is going to kill them. :)


You know how much sense that makes!
you know those times when you spend all day creeping around the bush,,,, then you start walking back to the truck not really hunting anymore and then get "Taken off guard" by a deer standing right there....... That theory explains that perfectly

[thehammer]

"You know how much sense that makes!
you know those times when you spend all day creeping around the bush,,,, then you start walking back to the truck not really hunting anymore and then get "Taken off guard" by a deer standing right there....... That theory explains that perfectly "

You don't need to see lots of deer you only need to see one, if it's the right one. The chance of getting a got shot at him increases if he hasn't seen you. Stealth will always get you more bucks. IMO and experience.

[hunter1947]

I hunt the timber like a ghost ,,movement is what will give you away take a few steps stop look this is how I hunt the big timber..

[Shooter]

Im from there, just hunt in the rain.

I hunt rain, shine, sleet and snow. Weather does not keep me home ever. That being said.. my tactics can and do change for different times and weather. I should add that I don't ALWAYS creep along. Part of really getting to know an area that you hunt is knowing when you can cover ground and when you should take your time.

[dino]

I hunt rain, shine, sleet and snow. Weather does not keep me home ever. That being said.. my tactics can and do change for different times and weather. I should add that I don't ALWAYS creep along. Part of really getting to know an area that you hunt is knowing when you can cover ground and when you should take your time.

Hunting timber on the island is certainly tougher than most timber out this way. I dont ever want to see a another salal bush again.

[dino]

How many hunters go deep into the timber? when I say deep I mean way past bedding areas and well past any sine of life.
I love to explore and I find myself sometimes just walking and exploreing deep into the timber to the point that Im not even hunting anymore then I find moose sine. I dont know what the reasoning is but this happens a fair bit to me.

[steel_ram]

I had a hunting partner that weighed 130 lbs soaking wet. Myself at the time 230. He could travel a lot faster and quieter through timber than I simply because he could duck under or step onto things without making them crack. Probably smelled less as well.

Personally I move as terrain dictates then stop and scan before entering a noisey spot. To me, bumping deer sucks, I will not take a low odds shot at a running deer.

[dana]

"You know how much sense that makes!
you know those times when you spend all day creeping around the bush,,,, then you start walking back to the truck not really hunting anymore and then get "Taken off guard" by a deer standing right there....... That theory explains that perfectly "

You don't need to see lots of deer you only need to see one, if it's the right one. The chance of getting a got shot at him increases if he hasn't seen you. Stealth will always get you more bucks. IMO and experience.

When I gave up hunting like everyone else and stopped being super worried about every snap crackle and pop, I began to see way more animals and really big uns to boot. I am a very selective hunter and I take a lot of time to field judge before I pull the pin. If you walk like a deer and act like a deer, good chances the deer will accept ya as a deer. If you act like a cougar, super stealthy and yet are still human and make those accidental steps where a twig snaps, the deer are going to be on high alert.

[Jelvis]

Get your butt out in the forest and off the couch. lol.
No deer and moose sitting beside you on the soft sofa while your stuffing your face with Cheeto's.
A day in the bush and you might see a wild animal for once.
When @ Home, only civilized humans.
Jel .. You got to be out there to see em .. Get out, off the screen, and "Hunt the timber" lol. Get out!
No, I mean it. ... "Get Out!" lol

[Remmy]

Sit, If you can sit and listen for a couple of hours in a decent spot it is amazing on what you will see. Camo and odor control is a must. I agree about moving naturally, but sitting has been the best for me. If I rattle or grunt I sit for at least a half hour before starting. get your self in a comfortable posistion and get ready for some action. Find the knolls in the timber, usally there is a deer bed on the good ones.

[dino]

Good point Remmy, the knolls are definitely key spots for a bedding animal. Now were getting somewhere, how about the little openings you see when walking through the timber. Its tempting to take the easy route and walk through the opening but I believe it to be a mistake. another one is there anyone that changes rifles when in the thick stuff?.

[Axle]

Yes odor control is key, I have had three close deer encounters and one bad Grizzly encounter in the last 4 years since using scent killer sprays. I have had a couple deer come and smell me, nose to nose and I had another that rubbed its side along my back while sitting on a stump. The stuff works just be careful of the grizzly's I had one come up behind me and I did not see it till it grunted less than 6 feet from me. I still have nightmares over that one....lol. My own fault though, I was using a fawn call late in the whitetail rut , fresh skiff of snow, was not expecting bears in late November.
I use all available scent control measures now. I use to see the animals picking me up at 10 yards to 35 yards even with the wind in my favour but with the new products, proper hygeine and controling ones pace to not sweat can create some really close encounters. I originally thought they could see my breath or chest moving but now I am convinced it is all scent. Also do not discount your breath this can be a deal breaker when still hunting.


Axle

[Getbent]

I had a hunting partner that weighed 130 lbs soaking wet. Myself at the time 230. He could travel a lot faster and quieter through timber than I simply because he could duck under or step onto things without making them crack. Probably smelled less as well.

Personally I move as terrain dictates then stop and scan before entering a noisey spot. To me, bumping deer sucks, I will not take a low odds shot at a running deer.

Same as myself, my buddy flies through the bush but is still quite quiet believe it or not. He nails some nice deer this way. I change my pace as it dictates and like to still hunt as well.
Big problem we have noticed now, in one of the areas that we have hunted for a long time is all the dead pine that is down now, tough going, kinda forces you to still hunt, good for big guy's like me, my buddy is like a freaking deer under and over...

Getbent

[steel_ram]

another one is there anyone that changes rifles when in the thick stuff?.

The "brush cartridge" theory is a bit of a myth. I do find the extra couple of inches of barrel on a "magnum" rifle, ie. 22" compared to 24"+, strangely awkward when negotiating through a thicket. Certainly, you don't want to be hunting anytime with your scope cranked to max. magnification.

[dino]

The "brush cartridge" theory is a bit of a myth. I do find the extra couple of inches of barrel on a "magnum" rifle, ie. 22" compared to 24"+, strangely awkward when negotiating through a thicket. Certainly, you don't want to be hunting anytime with your scope cranked to max. magnification.

I hear ya but I believe in that myth. I hunt timber with a semi auto 30-06 with a 20" barral wide angle low power scope with 220 g's of lead in the tube.

[835]

I think the idea with "Bush Cartridge" is mostly about a compact rifle. My dad most definatly professed Big and slow, idea being deflection is reduced when shooting through bush. His coice would have been a 30-30. my self i think the "Swing factor" . BUT! for us here, Hunting all day in the trees is quite dificult at times. There are guys who have their spots for sure but with the Clear cuts and then thick second growth its tough to get a full day in the trees. So we never bought a dedicated rig. The one time his partner brought his Uncles Ranger 94 he was coming off a treeline going home an saw a 5x at 200 yds in the clear. He brought up the rifle and then put it back down... front bead eclipsed the deer.

So, our group has never really got into buying bush guns just for the chance that getting to the trees and coming from the trees you might spot a tank that is well with in range for a scoped .270 but not at all for the 30-30 with open sights.

[dino]

835 I know I could use just one rifle that does it all but its really just a Dino thing.lol, when I go hunting anywhere Im usually on a quad to and from one of my spots and I always have two rifles with me, I have the long range rifle just in case I see something past the 30-06 bush gun range.

[Walkntalk]

I'm still learning, but still find it hard to sit still for more than a couple of hours. So, I get up and still hunt. A great way to learn the area about you.

On my first trip (5 days or so in the CV), I sat near a funnel at a road with not even a whisper of a deer. So I got up and walked into the bush. 20 mins or so to go 30 meters. I skirted the edge of a slash / pile just inside the tree line.

When I started sinking into the little creekbed ravine, I bumped the WT bedded in the slash 7 - 10 m to my right. It flagged, jumped up over the fallen trees and ran 20m or so in the direction I had come from, stopped & started wheezing at me. VERY COOL! When I slowly poked my head up for a look it took off again, right through the funnel I had been watching over.

As I walked around some more, I found a rub / scrape line, right along that creek bed. Also, right where I had sunk into that creek bed was a crossing for the deer. About 50 m down the creek was another, bigger one! Right between the two was a bed nestled behind a huge windfall log on the slope overlooking both crossings with a view of the road and the funnel. Right behind that was a half eaten mushroom dug up at the base of a wee tree. I have always imagined that it was breaky for a nice WT king of the forest, after waking from his fortified bedding position.

Not bad for my second ever day hunting, I thought. I'm hooked! The next year (last year) I went back. Not near as much sign at that spot, but took my first deer, a doe, still hunting about 1 click away.

Thanks for the tips on this thread!

[Walkntalk]

Sorry for the long post. Got excited all over again!

[Glenny]

I like to hunt corridors between cuts. Squirrels don't bother me as they give up everything, including other critters.

[grizzlydueck]

What a great post ! It makes me proud to know that there are so many people out there, who are actually HUNTING! I'm going to be teaching at a sacred hunt workshop in july. There are 20+ hunters who are looking for something deeper out of life and the hunt. This is the kind of mind set and old skill that you don't read in the hunting mags or see on wild tv! Good posts guys keep it going ! Encourage your friends and kids to give it a try =less driving more stealth=a higher awareness on how everything in nature works. Paying attention to the wind -non jerky movements -proper camo for the area-keeping unnatural sounds at a minimum. ex rattling shells,noisy sling swivels-oldschool packframes with the metel loose pins {metal on metal sounds }try doing what swat officers do= jumping up and down with all you hunting gear on =tweek your noise factor and any bling ex.suspender buckels-flip caps-broadheads =i use slicktrick broadheads and they shine like crazy ..so i take a sharpy and color them black =no more reflections
cheers