What if tree stand hunters were to spot and stalk ? would the success rate be the same. I ask this because out west its spot and stalk on mulies that have a good sense of smell, hearing and vision is pretty hard. I wanna know what your thoughts are on this. I'm curious to what tree stand hunters think.
Out west is all together a very different animal than around here.. starting with landscape.. Climate tends to be different.. just to state a few..
I understand that but both are hard to hunt both have good senses. I'm curious to know what if tree stand hunters had to spot and stalk white tail. If you think about it people were hunting white tail before tree stands and food plots.
I think the terrain out west is more conducive to a stalk. Rolling hills and tall grass or scrub for cover and the ability to glass a long ways. It's either hardwoods here, (fallen leaves would make a silent stalk very tough) or a thick CRP or heavy tall grass field. Both are hard to move silently in. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
The only way I would is in the last couple days of deer season (desperation) if there was a fresh fluffy snow. Then you can move around silently in snow camo and follow fresh tracks and sign. Never done it though.
It's really, really hard to move silently with all the leave cover on the ground. Snow would improve the odds.
I think other than terrain difference, land size is a huge deterrent in the East. In the west you blow a stalk you look for the next animal, in the east you blow a stalk chances are you'll be in need of a different property to hunt. Many eastern hunters head west and spot and stalk with success, I've been in the west and stalking up on a western mule deer vs a whitetail in the east is night and day.
Have any of you ever read about the Benoit family from Vermont? They have made a whole career out of stalking whitetails in the east. If you have not heard of them, Google it and read about some of their exploits. Blessings...........Pastorjim
I have and have a friend who tracks down bucks in the north with great success like the Benoits but this is with a gun generally. Tracking a buck in the snow with a bow, good luck!
with todays hunting approach, no doubt kill numbers would be much lower. if we had to hunt solely off the ground I think we all would learn how to be successful. we are humans and can adapt to any situation. heck the Indians didn't use treestands. they probably hunted off horses which they could ride right up to a deer to get a shot. all the research and whitetail studies would revolve around hunting off the ground not from treestands. as hunters of today I think overall we are lazy. ex: ride the atv, drive a truck to the stand, high power rifles, computers, hunting shanties, etc. we just don't think and approach our game the same as yesteryear. we are smarter today and much lazier because of it. we work smarter not harder. don't get me wrong I too enjoy some of the modern realities of hunting but I still try to use ways of the past as well. one good thing is there would be less hunters and bigger deer. hunting off the ground sometimes provides better cover than from a stand. I have had some awesome hunts off the ground. it is definitely more exciting.
Whitetail vs mule deer..... two way different animals, having hunted both. I hunt mostly whitetails these days and most of my deer have been taken from ground blinds or slowing walking/being in the woods. tc makes some good points about adaption. I started hunting long before tree stands were common. Todays hunters have so many options. Better? Each generation has to decide. The Benoits are gun hunters and need snow to do their kind of tracking/shooting. Most of their hunting was/is done in the deep woods/swamps of Maine.
It's a different, I'll call it, 'style' of hunting. Some would have some success quickly others not. Some stand hunters are very conscienious of wind, camo and sound, but may need to learn about thermals, local veg, stalking, etc. But even transplanting someone from one part of the continent to another and using the same 'style' of hunting may need to learn a bit, even if its terrain/veg/travel patterns, to be the most successful.
Where I hunt you would have a better chance of seeing God than killing a deer via spot and stalk. It just wouldn't happen.
LOL!! Yeh that's about what it is here in South East VA..try to stalk one in 400 acre cutover, I promise it won't happen.
