Hunting the thick stuff

[RidgeRoamingRichard]

I'm starting to figure out tactics for spot and stalk. (I think) I know what types of places to camp in, where and when to glass, etc.

I'm blessed to live in a part of montana with plenty of open country to hunt, and I look forward to long glassing sessions. I also have a short attention span and find myself still hunting through timber a great deal. We also have a lot of thick forest near the divide that I hope to hunt.

So what tactics do you employ for still hunting? Do you just head into the wind? Do you look for landforms like finger ridges and shelves, then wait until the wind is right to start stalking through them? Hit a trail and bail off into the wind towards whatever looks good? Find fresh tracks going into the wind and tail them?

Also, where do you camp? How near to the area you plan to hunt? Same types of places like ridgelines and outcroppings, or do you camp low? I'm interested to hear about some of your forest hunting tactics. As always, I'm grateful for the wealth of knowledge on this forum. Thank you!

 

[2rocky]

The blowdown lodgepole thickets are not my favorite. I've had luck poking through some Ponderosa and Fir covered ridges. With a steady breeze in my face, i just kinda ambled through and walked up on deer and elk as they got up to feed in the afternoon. Usually they were facing in to the wind and I'd see their rump first. I like to be at about the top 1/3 of a ridge. I make sure to stay in the shadows, and listen as much as look. If I'm having trouble breathing or sweating, I'm going too fast.

Sometimes I'l find a good vantage point and I'll sit there and enjoy the view for a while. Several times my instinct was right and animals crossed in front of me. Bumped by hunters in front of me, coming my way. I grew up doing drives in Brushy canyons, So I saw where escape routes were and recognize them when I get in similar terrain. Combine that with whatever calling is appropriate for the season

 

[Dougfirtree]

I always have to chuckle when I hear westerners talking about the "thick stuff." If you could take a shot further than 20 yards, it's not thick... The dark timber bedding areas that I've hunted elk in have always seemed refreshingly open to me, compared to my home turf.

But to the point, I think 2Rocky's advice is good. I do the best I can to pay attention to the wind and I err on the side of being higher on the hillside, if I'm going to go across the hillside. I stop frequently and look all around me. The deer are often not in front of you, so as Larry Benoit used to say, "wear out your collar." I also like to crouch pretty often when I stop, as I get a different vantage. I move slowly and will alter my course a bit if it helps to not go through really noisy areas with sticks all over the ground, etc. I walk so that my weight is always on the back foot (the one that is not stepping forward), until the stepping foot is safely on the ground and has confirmed that there aren't sticks underneath to break. Then, I transfer my weight and do it again. My speed varies, depending on how likely it seems that I'd see something. If nothing is catching my attention, I move at a slowish amble; slow enough that I can look around. As the sign heats up, or I'm cresting a hill, etc. I slow way down. If I'm just trying to get to an area where I think the deer will be, I'll walk faster to cover ground. I'll sometimes stop for a while at a spot that looks really good. Those are the spots where I get a drink of water, eat lunch, etc. I also like to mark some of those spots on my gps in case I'm ever looking for a good spot to sit (not often for me. I like to move).

It's not easy to keep up the slower still-hunting pace. One of the many things I love about tracking is that I've constantly got clues as to how fast I can be going. If the track is old, I'll boogie as fast as i can on it. If I'm getting closer, I can usually tell from the tracks and so I can slow down then. It minimizes the amount of time that I'm being extra slow and sneaky. Around here, I only really still hunt when there's no snow, but I've had good luck getting close to elk that way.