Tree stands, ground stands, on foot, spot & stalk... how do you hunt?

[Okanagan]

Our recent exchange re spotting a little buck from my vehicle “stand” gave me a laugh and got me to thinking about how we hunt.  How do you hunt?

The vast majority of critters I've killed have been by still hunting, that is, walking slowly almost like a moving stand and shooting legal and desirable animals when they come into view.  My second most productive method would be spot and stalk, often in fairly open high country where we see an animal at a distance, sometimes miles, and approach close enough to shoot.

7 animals I've tagged over the years would rate a road hunting definition:  seeing an animal from inside a (usually moving) vehicle, stopping and getting out to load and shoot it without moving more than legality required away from the vehicle.  Those were all taken as incidentals on my way from one place to another.  Some of those are bow kills of bears and deer.  The recent fork horn I spotted after stopping my vehicle at a vantage point and glassing a huge clear cut area for about five minutes for moose.  I lowered my binos and noticed the buck standing closer to me than I had glassed looking at me as if waiting to go in my freezer, so I got out, loaded and shot him.

Several animals that I've seen from a vehicle required considerable pursuit, stalk, calling, etc. and were often taken a considerable time and distance from the vehicle.  (I.e. a Mt. goat killed two days of hard climbing and stalking after being spotted from a vehicle).  I'm not counting those as a road hunt.

I have shot two animals while I was up in a tree.  The only real tree stand I've used was for moose, a permanent platform in a tree overlooking a superb swampy pond in forest.  Partners of mine shot three other moose from it.  The other successful tree stand was impromptu, a fork in a big alder that was handy to give me a better view when I was calling for a blacktail buck.

Ground stands have accounted for two more:  a 6 point bull elk and a 4x5 mule deer.  On each of those I chose to sit and wait at a spot from which to see animals walk past, and they did.  I generally hate stand hunting and want to move, even though a stand is often more effective.  I've shot several big game animals from calling stands, again impromptu spots I chose at the moment because of the view and wind conditions.

I'd love to spend a day in a deer stand in the East... I think!

[bigben]

I cant tell you honestly exact numbers but for the better part of my deer hunting i hunted from ground blinds. I have killed a couple from treestands as well. I know this year i got a climber for archery and i really like it. I have been doing more still hunting tho and do enjoy it more then the hours spent in the deer stand.

[Hidehunter]

I do all of the above.  It just depends on time of the year.  Early Archery I am in a tree and on occasion in a blind.  During our rifle season Im more of a still hunter but do sit in stands then also.  I love to spot and stalk but our Mountains are so thick, most of the time when you see one it is easily taken with a rifle.  I do more spot and stalk with my bow than a gun.  I just like being out in the woods.  No problems and just me and Mother Nature at her best.

[Hawks Feather]

1 from the ground during gun season.
1 from the ground during archery season.
3 from tree stands during archery season.

Jerry

[KySongDog]

For deer hunting, most of the deer I've taken have been from tree stands (climbing stands, ladder stands, and hang on stands).  I've killed many from the ground as well while still hunting.  The turkeys I've taken have been all on the ground mostly by calling with some by stalk/ambush.   

[FinsnFur]

I'm a ground stand guy. I like to set in the brush and call or wait.

[code]

I have killed one deer road hunting/glassing, one deer spot and stalk and the third spot and WALK. I have also shot a bear using spot and stalk methods and gotten a fair chance at an elk calling and moving towards him. All but the first deer have been with a bow. As for tree-stands this year they were the spot in spot and stalk hunting this year.

Cody

[HaMeR]

When crossbow hunting I just set on the ground. If the weather is bad I will use a pop-up blind tho. I use the ML from tree stands during gun season. 2 years ago I shot a decent buck after he jumped up at the sound of the Ranger coming along on the trail above him. I parked the Ranger & got out. Capped the ML & walked over to a big tree. I peeked around the tree & he stood there looking back at the Ranger. So I shot him. I have also gotten a button buck with the compound as I was just about to leave my brush blind along a gas line. He was looking away when I stood up. I just got lucky on that one.