The Art Of Slow Stalking

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Up to this point we have been discussing hunting in general terms. Now it is time to dig deeper and fine-tune our skills. The old saying goes 10% of hunters kill 90% of the game.

One of the skills that this elite group of hunters must be proficient at is stalking. No matter what type of hunting you are doing at some point you will have to stalk your game. Stalking game correctly and effectively is an art form that takes years of practice.

Overview

I don’t know how many times I have heard hunters say, “Wow, what a long day! We must have walked 10 miles.” My response is always the same. Why? Why in the hell would you walk 10 miles? If your out for a hike then it makes sense to walk this much. If you are hunting it makes no sense to walk much over three or four miles in a day and that includes some walking to get to a desired area rich with game.

Once you are in an area that has game and you should determine this based on past experience or pre-season scouting then it is time to put the brakes on and go into full on stalking mode.

Your goal is to see the animal before it sees you. A calm animal that has no idea you are around presents the best type of shoot to enable a quick and humane kill.

Clothing

In previous articles I have discussed the importance of quiet clothing. Whether you are bow hunting or rifle hunting you need to wear quiet cloths. Quiet means you can brush up against something and you will not make a sound or if you do make a sound it is very minimal. Wool, cotton, and fleece are generally quiet fabrics.

Don’t overlook the noise factor surrounding your boots. I have read many books about hunters that carry a pair of thick socks to wear when stalking into close range. Some hunters carry fleece booties that go over their boots to silence their steps when stalking into close range of their intended target. I think both ideas are a waste of time. Just buy a quiet pair of boots and leave them on during your stalk just in case your intended animal moves and you must move quickly to pursue your target.

Binoculars

To stalk effectively you will need a set of binoculars at the ready. I prefer a shoulder holster that keeps my binoculars on my chest for easy use. Make sure to shoot your weapon while wearing your binoculars and backpack to get used to the feel.

Smell

The wind must be in your face at all times. There is not a product on the market that will hide your scent. Don’t waste your money on trying to cover your scent, just keep the wind in your face at all times. You can’t fool an animal’s nose.

Hearing

Most game animals have amazing hearing. However, you can fool an animals hearing by stopping your movement and holding perfectly still. After about five minutes the animal will lose interest in what they heard and go about their regularly scheduled program.

Sight

Animals are constantly on the look out for movement. Once they catch some movement they will focus on the movement until they can process what the movement is all about. Fooling an animal’s eyesight is relatively easy. Just stop moving. After a few minutes the animal will lose interest and continue their regularly scheduled program.

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