Garrett from PA asks,
Bill, Not a question but an observation from someone who has taken quite a lot of information from watching your videos. I watched your video on staying in bedding areas - I was cracking up and couldn't believe the dedication! I hunt SW Pennsylvania which has so many big wooded ridges where it's difficult to not hunt general bedding areas. For the last 10 years anytime I'm walking in the woods, I walk at a pace to avoid sounding like a human. I either double up my steps or have my grunt tube in hand to replicate a chasing buck. I feel ridiculous at times but have never been let down by this method. I do this right up to my stand and have deer wander through shortly after. Wanted to share as it's something unique that's worked for me. Only suggestion is to not film yourself doing it - it looks funnier than it sounds. Keep the great content coming!
Bill responds,
Topic: Walking in the Woods:
If you have to approach a stand near a bedding area but you can’t do it quietly, sometimes you can away with the intrusion if you sound like a deer.
Garrett,
That is a really good tip. I have run to my stand before on crunchy leaves when there was no way to do it quietly. Deer thought it was a chase or something other than a person. They never left the area. Good luck this fall. (10/1/22)
Funny you mention the running. I discovered that trick by dumb luck once when the leaves were so dang crispy I felt like a bull in a china shop every time I took one little step, so I sprinted to my stand about 100 yds in from field edge, and by the time I got up the tree, two bucks were underneath my tree looking for whatever “chase” had just occurred. Quite a neat trick and now part of my occasional arsenal of tactics.
Bill you’re a wealth of great knowledge thanks for doing what you do!
Hi Bill,
I hunt a Michigan woods near a bedding area and walk a long straight path to get to my stand. I have noticed when mowing other areas of our property that deer don’t seem spooked at all by the brush hog. Do I dare mow the path out to my stand this late in the season (Oct 25) to get rid of the crunchy leaves that announce my exact location? And do I dare bring out a blower for that last stretch to my stand where the mower can’t reach? And should I dare doing it again when more leaves fall?
Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Appreciate it!
Thanks, Lon
I think mowing is fine, but I am not sure how much leaf blowing I would do. Maybe you can do it when you are mowing. Just leave the tractor running as close nearby as possible. That would probably work. Good luck.
Thanks for the advice Bill. Got it done today before the rain came. Ready for the rut!