You’d think that something called “still hunting” would mean hunting from a still, stationary position. Not quite. Unlike many hunters who sit in­ tree stands for game to come around, still hunters are expert trackers who don’t sit still at all.

They prowl like animals and stalk their prey through the thick undergrowth in woods, overgrown fields, river bottoms and marshes. They walk very slowly, use the wind to their advantage and blend into the environment.

The name instead comes from the slow, deliberate movements that still hunters make. Walking in this sport is nothing like hiking. When the hunters walk, they place each footstep carefully to avoid snapping twigs or crunching leaves, but the reality is you can’t be absolutely silent.

There are all sorts of noises in the woods, and the key to still hunting is how you deal with the noise. Each step is precise: Still hunters alternate between taking one to two steps and 30 second observation­al pauses. Still hunters spend 90 percent of their time watching and listening. With that kind of pace, a hunter may cover no more than 100 yards (91 meters) in an hour.

What are hunters looking for during all that time? Signs of life, animal tracks, bedding, an outline of an animal or even just an ear or antler. They may spy movement. This information is key to a successful hunt, and with it, expert still hunters may find themselves within 30 yards (27 meters) or less of the kill. Think of that in football terms — a football field is 120 yards long and the end zone is 10 yards deep. Still hunters go one on one with an animal in an area not much bigger than the end zone.

A successful still hunt requires focus on and off the field and considerable preparation. Next we’ll learn about the art of scouting, still-hunting gear and the right conditions for a still hunt.

How do archers or bow hunters extend the hunting season? How might they improve their archery skills? Take to the water! The technique of hunting fish with a bow and arrow is called bowfishing or archery fishing. Bowfishing combines the thrill of hunting with the skill of archery and the sport of fishing.

Although the term “bowfishing” may be new to you, the idea of hunting fish with bows and arrows probably isn’t. Humans have hunted fish like this for centuries. For example, Indians in the Amazon River basin have used bowfishing as a means of gathering food for generations and still do today.

On the surface, bowfishing appears similar to spearfishing. Both techniques use pointed objects to catch fish rather than baiting them with a hook. In addition, you can practice both methods standing in shallow water or in a boat. Bowfishing, however, uses its namesake bow to propel the arrow. Spearfishing relies on nothing but your hand to propel the spear. Skilled spearfishermen can als­o hunt underwater, using a speargun for propulsion and some sort of diving gear, such as snorkels or scuba.

The sport of bowfishing appears to be growing increasingly popular among both hunters and fishermen. More bowfishing tournaments are held annually in the United States and Canada, and the activity isn’t limited to North America.  Bowfishing forums abound on the Internet, and outdoor guides offer bowfishing trips in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

How do you get started bowfishing? Will any old bow do? And what can you catch with an expertly aimed arrow? We’ll tell you all that as we explore the sport of bowfishing.

Next up: Find out what gear will help catch your gar.

All About Bow Hunting; Bow and arrow hunting has been the preferred hunting method in almost all prehistoric to modern day civilizations, till the advent of hand held firearms. Even today, bow hunting is supposed to be more difficult than firearm hunting because of the physical effort that goes into a hunting game.

The hunter needs to get real close to the game and use his sheer muscle power to propel the arrow to the game. Different skills are required to hunt with a bow and arrow than those of a rifle hunter.

The gear and equipment for bow hunting would include your bow, arrows, sight, stabilizer, wrist strap, quiver, clothing, hunting gear case etc. You can choose from among stick bows, recurves, compound bows or cross bows. Arrows are also of many types and must be selected with great thought.

There are numerous models of sights available with many using fiber optic pins. A stabilizer is meant to help you make a balanced shot. Some types also help to reduce vibration for a smoother and quieter shot. A wrist strap will prevent the bow leaving your hand during the recoil following a shot.

Bow hunting is undoubtedly the best and most effective means of sustainable utilization of wild life in the long term with minimum impact on the environment as compared to all other forms of hunting. It is a specialized form of hunting that yet remains vastly underutilized.

Bow hunting in Canada, the United States, and many parts of the world is done from blinds or stands that are located close to feed or water areas frequented by game animals. This is more or less a universally accepted practice. Research data reveals that of all hunters some thirty percent are bow hunters. It cannot be denied that cropping of animals with the bow and arrow puts far less stress on wild life than rifle hunting, especially in game areas that are small. Bow hunting requires very little infrastructure causing lesser disturbance to the environment.

Traditional bowhunting means using primitive archery tackle. This proves to be even more challenging than using modern bowhunting gear. You have to be more instinctual as you do not have sights to pin point your arrow flight and to make it more physically challenging, there is no “let off” when you are at full draw. Your range with traditional archery equipment is far less than when using a modern compound bow.  Arrow flight is not as flat with traditional archery tackle as you are launching a heavier projectile at a slower speed than a carbon arrow out of a compound bow.

The gear and equipment for traditional bow hunting would include your stick bow, set of arrows, quiver, finger tab, and arm protector. Stick bows are traditional wooden bows that may either be longbows or recurve bows made out of laminated strips of wood. Longbows, as the name suggests, are fairly tall, roughly equaling the height of the user, have narrow limbs that are D shaped or round in cross-section.

They have a draw length reaching the ear or further. Recurve bows in contrast to longbows have their tips curving away from the shooter in the unstrung position. When strung, the tips curve inwards towards the shooter to pack more energy to deliver to the arrow when the string is released.

A recurve bow is much shorter and faster. However, it is heavier in weight. Arrows must also be selected with extreme care. Wooden arrows are a fundamental part of traditional archery. They give a magical feeling that cannot be matched by aluminum or carbon shafts. Many people believe that wooden shaft arrows cannot fly straight. However, with modern technology, high grade wood and spine, wooden arrows have a consistant flight.

Arrow shafts are available in woods like cedar, Sitka spruce and Douglas fir. The feather fletching is to stabilize and impart a spin to the arrow supporting it to follow its trajectory. Usually goose and turkey feathers, either wild or domestic are used for the fletching. As per standard dimensions, three-vane feather fletching should be 5 inches long and 5/8 inches in height whereas four-vane fletching should be 4 inches long and 5/8 inches in height. The broadheads typically used for traditional archery hunting are 2 blade, 1 piece, glue-on broadheads.

Before you go out and try to bag a trophy big game animal, you will need to ensure that you can shoot consistently accurate, and the best way to do this is to sharpen your shooting skills through constant practice using 3D targets. Good ones have a life size outline of the vital section of some animal. Make a month long practice schedule and for the first few days, taking along your arrows and shoot as much as you can at a blank bale at chest level.

No aiming, just feel the shot, pulling the bow by applying steady pressure. Relax while shooting, and once you become comfortable, try shooting with your eyes closed. Then change the routine to shoot at the blank bale for ten minutes followed by another half hour shooting at the target. Continue shooting at the target as long as you can shoot smoothly. Then try practicing to shoot from different elevations.

Shot placements will be different with a change in angles. Keep increasing your distance from the target progressively until there appears a marginal shot placement consistency. Then work back slowly till you get to shoot tight arrow groups at the target’s kill zone. This is your effective range. Make a note of it and train yourself not to shoot at animals beyond this distance.

While hunting, never shoot from outside your effective range and always use the right equipment with sharp broadheads. Shoot only when you are sure of proper shot placement. The chest area is best on a frontal shot; the heart/lung area is best on a broadside shot. Shoot to make a quick humane kill. Do not just wound the animal and leave it to die. If wounded, follow the animal until you find it. Avoid headshots. The shot may ricochet off the hard skull to cause wounding and later a slow painful death.

The mule deer is a very close relative of the black tailed deer and a distant cousin of the white tailed deer. The physical features of a mule deer are quite unique to those compared to other deer species.

One of the most evident differences between the white tailed deer and the mule deer is that the tip of the tail of the mule deer is black and its antlers are shaped like forks instead of the whitetail’s main beam with tines antler configuration.  White tailed deer have a white patch under their tail. When whitetail deer run, they tend to raise their tails which is something that is not seen in mule deer. A mule deer bounds in a hop like fashion when it runs.

One of the most important characteristics that distinguish mule deer are its ears, which are much larger than whitetail deer ears. Its ears can easily measure up to 8-10 inches.  Compared to the white tail deer, the mule deer is known to appear a bit stockier. Mule deer are generally found in the mountains, near the perimeters of the forests, hills, etc. Click to watch a video in which we tag a double header buck and doe mule deer.

The mule deer is scattered around in areas more to the west in the US and Western Canada. They are known to run at a top speed of 40 miles per hour. The mule deer bucks weigh approximately 125 to 400 pounds and mule deer does weigh 100 to 150 pounds.  The rut season of the mule deer usually lasts one to three months and the best thing about the rut season is that mule deer bucks are usually less cautious which presents the best opportunity for the mule deer hunters to capitalize on this situation.

In order to hunt any animal, it is important that the hunter has done his research on the animal and how to hunt that species, this of course is especially true of mule deer hunting.  A trophy mule deer is considered to be the ultimate big game trophy by many hunting enthusiasts as it inhabits rough terrain and  mule deer are known to be extremely spookey. It is important for the hunter to be equally savy in the hunt so that he can gain an advantage over the animal. The sooner the hunter does his research on mule deer hunting and preseason scouting, the better.

Sometimes, due to difficult weather, traveling conditions, and mule deer habitat, it becomes very tough for the hunter to spot this game animal. Therefore, it is always advised that the hunter uses binoculars that have high quality optics that would help to spot the mule deer buck even from great distances.

Another must have piece of hunting equipment is a high quality spotting scope and riflescope on a long-range rifle, as you might have to take a long distance shot, especially in conditions where even the slightest approach made near the mule deer might alert him. Taking a long-range shot (up to 400 yards) is probably your best bet when stalking the mule deer proves to be an impossible feat, this proves that you need a rangefinder for these types of hunts.

Trying to imitate the cry of the mule deer, especially the fawn call, can be effective. During situations when you see that the mule deer is running, you can easily stop it in its tracks by imitating the cry of the fawn. These are the situations that could make the difference of success on your mule deer hunt.

Another popular trick that can attract a mule deer buck would be using scents like estrus doe or dominate buck lure to get the attention of the mule deer. One precaution that you should be aware of is masking your body odor by applying the deer odor on yourself, or use a scent eliminating product.

An important aspect you have to remember is that you should be in a good physical shape for a mule deer hunt, especially if you are hunting for them on high elevations. Apart from maintaining good physical health, it is also important that you do a lot of shooting practice, which should be at least twice a week from a distance of 250 to 300 yards. In order to get more mule deer hunting tips, watch some mule deer hunting videos so that you get a feel of the real thing. They could work wonders, keeping you motivated for your next big mule deer hunt.

Rattling in a whitetail is an unbelievable adrenaline rush. Some bucks come charging in, hair up and ready to fight. Others slink in quietly, preferring to size up the situation before committing to action. But regardless of how they respond, bucks always put on a spectacular show when they answer your horns.

Many bow hunters are aware of the thrill factor in rattling, and they use it above all other forms of calling. And it’s no wonder. Rattling is relatively simple to learn, and it’s a trophy tested method of calling. But, as this column will detail, there’s more to rattling than banging an old rack together. Rattling has its negative points, and there are a few things you need to know to be consistently successful at it.

Non-Aggressive Calling is a Better Bet
Rattling can be highly effective, but for most bowhunters it is rarely as effective as non-aggressive calling. Gary Cook, an expert caller and game biologist for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency says this is because of skewed buck to doe ratios.

“In some deer populations, such as those in South Texas, aggressive calling can be very effective,” details Cook. “This is because the buck-to-doe ratio is high in these areas, and bucks must compete, i.e. be aggressive, to breed the available does. But this is an unusual situation in most deer populations. Most of us are hunting on land where the ratio of bucks to does is very low. This results in most bucks having ample opportunity to breed. They don’t need to be aggressive to get does, so they won’t respond well to aggressive calling tactics.”

Deer calling pioneer Jerry Peterson, of Woods Wise Game Calls, agrees. He adds that rattling is often less effective because most bowhunters don’t rattle at the right time. “You have to hit specific windows of time [7 to 10 days in the entire season] when the bucks are primed to breed, but there are few does available. Only then will bucks respond well to rattling,” he says.

Rattling Doesn’t Always Mean Big Bucks
Would you believe that most of the bucks I’ve rattled in have been on the small side? Four-pointers even! It’s true. (I haven’t hunted South Texas, though). And I’ve been told this isn’t uncommon.

Peterson, a bowhunter who’s rattled in dozens of bucks, is convinced the odds of getting a “book buck” are worse with aggressive calling than non-aggressive calling. “Whether or not a deer responds to rattling depends upon his `attitude,’ and that has nothing to do with the size of his horns,” he says.

Cook suggests that really spectacular deer are probably not all that big on fighting. He doesn’t have scientific evidence to prove his theory, but still believes most trophy deer in most parts of the country avoid aggressive situations. “From a survival stand point,” Cook says, “a deer is much more likely to live long enough to grow a big rack if he doesn’t fight.”

Rattling=Tough Set Up
Bucks often approach 40 to 100 yards down wind of rattling. They probably do this for two reasons: so they can smell and identify who’s fighting before deciding whether to challenge the winner, or to see if they can locate the doe being fought over and take off with her while the two contestants are battling. A gun-hunter might get a shot before being winded when this happens, but a bowhunter probably won’t.

Additionally, the movement required to stage a rattling sequence can quickly give you away to approaching bucks. When you call deer, you become the hunted. Deer are looking for movement in the direction from which the sound is coming. Waving around a pair of horns is “big time” movement.

White tailed deer are so called because of the white underside of their broad tails that they stick up in the air while running. The thrill of whitetail deer hunting is addictive. The spirit of adventure during a deer-hunting trip is like heady wine.

During the deer hunting season, many hunters spend long days in cold wet conditions inside the woods on a hunting trip and returned empty handed! Still, the urge to return is strong and at the first opportunity, he is back with his hunting equipment. It is all about outwitting the buck on his home ground. Stalking the animal in deep woods, making a kill, getting fresh meat for the freezer and a trophy to hang on the wall; all are irresistible to the avid hunter.

You can go whitetail deer hunting after obtaining a license granted under a Provincial or State’s Big Game Management Plan. The license lays down when, where and what to hunt. The license for the hunt is subject to Deer Hunting Season dates that  schedule the time/ period during which the license holder is permitted to hunt.

The area where the hunt is allowed is specified by the WMUs (Deer Wildlife Management Units) mentioned on the license. WMUs are defined hunting areas created by segregating the Province/State into small geographical units that are depicted on a map and suitably marked for identification. This map can also be viewed by accessing the gaming website. Therefore, when you obtain a whitetail deer hunting license, you can hunt whitetail deer within a particular area of a state during a certain time of the year only using arms specified in your license.

Every State and province designs its own yearly calendar specifying hunting season dates applicable to gaming which includes white tail deer hunting. Where I hunt in BC, bow season opens for deer on Sept 1st and is open in certain areas until Dec 15th.

Youth Deer Weekend is a special event for young hunters aged fifteen years or less, allowing them to hone their deer hunting skills under a licensed hunter above eighteen years of age. Looking at the hunting season dates above it would be possible to hunt for white tailed deer in NH right from September 15 to December 15. However, you can use your deer hunting rifle only   from November 14 to December 9.

Deer hunting is a necessary part of a State’s Big Game Management Plan and provides a more humane way to control deer population. Without harvesting, the deer population swells to proportions where the animals starve to death during the winter season. Hunting serves to push deer into areas that provide an overall healthy environment for them. Areas having an overpopulation of deer also suffer serious safety risks by deer collisions with fast moving cars and other vehicles causing damage to life and property.

Here are a few whitetail deer hunting tips for you. The first is to make sure you did your pre season scouting to find out where the deer are moving, sit atop some elevated point such as a hilltop, with good binoculars at dawn and dusk.

This way you can observe the movements of the animals without letting them have an inkling of your presence in the area. If you stomp around on foot all over the area, you are sure to scare them away. Just make sure to avoid sky lining yourself so the whitetail buck does not see your silhouette. Whenever you put a stalk on a whitetail deer, make sure you are moving upwind to prevent being winded.

Before we talk abo­ut how to bowfish, let’s look at where you can bowfish. You can bowfish in freshwater (lakes, rivers or ponds) and saltwater (bays, beaches or estuaries). But whatever body of water you choose, you’ll typically fish in clear, shallow areas 3 to 4 feet deep (0.9 to 1.2 meters) for a few reasons.

First, the fish that you can hunt by bowfishing tend to hang out in shallow waters. Second, water is dense and slows arrows down; the less water that your arrow has to traverse, the more force it will have when it strikes the target.

Remember we mentioned that bowfishing was a flexible sport? It is. If you prefer daylight during your bowfishing trips, you’ll want to head out in the spring around spawning time. Nighttime bowfishing, however, can be done at any time, although again you’ll probably have the best luck in spring around spawning time and in fall when water is clear. If you’re bent on big fish, plan to bowfish during the spring and summer when they’re most active (day or evening).

So how do you bowfish? You have to hunt around the shallow water for your target fish, especially near grasses and weeds that provide cover. Ideally, you want to be about 10 to 15 feet (3.0 to 4.6 meters) from your target. Try to avoid casting a shadow over the fish because that will spook it. You also may want to approach it from upwind.

When you choose your target fish, aim your bow and shoot. However, there is a trick to aiming the bow. As light travels from one medium into another, it bends or refracts, so the fish that you see from the surface is actually the refracted image of the fish in the water (apparent fish). The actual fish is deeper in the water than the apparent fish. If you aim straight at the apparent image you’ll miss (or go high). That’s why bowfishermen always say to aim low. Exactly how low you aim is part of your hunting skills. Here are a few rules bowfishermen may use to help them compensate for refraction:

• The 10-4 rule: If the fish is 10 feet (3 meters) away and 1 foot (30 centimeters) below the surface, then aim 4 inches (10 centimeters) low. If you double either the 10 or the one, then double the four. For example, you would aim 8 inches (20 centimeters) low for a fish that’s either 20 feet (6 meters) away and 1 foot deep or 10 feet away and 2 feet (60 centimeters) deep.
• Aim about 6 inches (15 centimeters) low for every 1 foot of depth.
• Look at the fish and aim 10 inches (25 centimeters) low.

When you shoot at a fish, aim for the front half. This portion contains the brain and vital organs, so you will most likely kill the fish. In addition, remember that fish can swim fast in the water, so you don’t have much time to aim and shoot. Also, some large fish, like alligator gars, may take more than one arrow to kill them. Once you’ve struck the fish, haul in the line. Unlike rod and reel fishing, bowfishing kills the target fish and doesn’t allow catch and release.

Now that we have covered the basics of bowfishing, what can you hunt?

Bowfishing is a flexible sport. You can bowfish in shallow waters or from a small boat. You can bowfish during the day or at night. To get started, you need a bow, arrows and a reel.

Any type of archery bow will do (longbow, recurved bow or compound bow). Recurved and compound bows are smaller, offer sufficient force (greater than 45 pounds or 200 Newtons) to propel an arrow and take up less space in your boat. An archery site on your bow is useless because it can’t account for depth or refraction.

Bowfishing does require different arrows than archery or hunting. Typical archery arrows are made of lightweight fiberglass or wood, have fletching (feathers) to propel them through the air and end in points. But bowfishing arrows must travel through denser water and trap the target, so these arrows differ in the following ways:

• They don’t travel as far, so they’re made of a heavier weight fiberglass.
• They don’t have fletching because it diverts the arrow as it moves through the water.
• The arrowheads are barbed, so that they ensnare the target and keep it on the arrow.
• They have a means of tying the line from the reel to them, usually a slide mechanism of some type. This slide mechanism prevents snap back (see sidebar).

Your last piece of bowfishing equipment is the reel, which usually clamps to the bow itself. The fishing line is usually piled within a bottle, rather than wound around a spool, as it is in conventional reels. Because a bowfishing line travels with the arrow, it reels out much faster than a conventional line that’s cast from a rod. Also, a spooled reel would slow the arrow and tangle when shot. Some reels also have a float attached to the line so that you can track the fish.

Optional bowfishing gear might include rubber hip waders to keep you dry if you’ll be fishing from shore or wading into shallow water. Gloves are a good idea to protect your hands when you handle the fishing line and “reel” in your fish. Sunglasses with polarized lenses will reduce the water’s glare if you’re fishing during the day. If you’re fishing at night when they’re more active, you’ll need a good light to see. Bonus benefit: The light may attract the fish.

If you bowfish from a boat, you’ll need a flat-bottom vessel that can take you into shallow water. Make sure it has rails that you can hang over to get a clearer shot and a quiet motor to keep from scaring the fish away.

Compared to some sports, like golf, bowfishing is practically a bargain. The basic equipment (bow, reel, arrows and sunglasses) can cost about $300. Like sport fishing and hunting, individual states regulate bowfishing, so you probably will have to purchase a fishing license. If you decide to use a boat, then your costs increase substantially. Many guided bowfishing trips will include the use of bowfishing equipment, license fees and the boat in the price.

Now that you’re equipped, let’s go bowfishing.

Modern bow hunting was popularized in the U.S. in the 1920s when Dr. Saxton Pope published a book called “Hunting with the Bow and Arrow”. Dr. Pope and his colleague, Arthur Young, learned about bow hunting from a Yana tribesman named Ishi.

Ishi was the last member of his California tribe, and he shared his vast wealth of knowledge about bow hunting with the two men. Centuries of Native American knowledge went into the making of the book, and the great American bow hunting tradition lived on.

In the 1950s, Fred Bear, Earl Hoyt and Ben Pearson developed affordable, high-quality bow hunting equipment for the masses. The three men filmed their hunts and created educational programs that furthered the popularity of bow hunting.

Modern bow hunting hasn’t changed much from the original except for the equipment. Today, bow hunters can choose from a variety of bows, arrows and arrowheads. Types of bows include:

• Traditional bow — Also known as the longbow, it is the most basic of bow designs. The bow is straight until it is strung, then it curves.
• Recurve bow — This is more powerful than a straight bow and generally is not used with any type of mechanical devices.
• Compound bow — A series of cables and pulleys reduce the amount of force needed to pull the string back. This is the most popular bow today.

Arrow shafts can be made of wood, aluminum, fiberglass, carbon and a carbon/aluminum combination. Arrow heads or points come in various shapes and sizes and are chosen based on the archer’s purpose. Bullet, judo, blunt and field points are all used for target practice and small game hunting. Bowfish points are used for bow fishing. Broad heads are used for small and large game hunting, and types include fixed blade, removable blade and expandable blade.

Want to give bow hunting a try? Read on to learn about classic strategies.