Jon Norstog

[barretcreek]

Jon,
Saw an article (Spokane paper?) about a guy who has killed an elk every season except one for over sixty years. He spoke of 'walking like a quadruped'.
Mentioned this to a friend and his reply was 'that's why I always hunt with so and so, we move together'. So if you're hunting solo,?
I always try to break my cadence: step step pause step pause stepstep pause pause etc. Got any suggestions? Can't think of how to alter my cadence much.

[leftyo]

after a lot of years of bowhunting from the ground, ill tell you imo if you have a cadence, your moving way too fast.

[bruce]

Have killed my share of deer. Have not ever killed but one while sitting on a stand. Have found ... if you walk along like you are taking a stroll, you'll see birds and squirrels, etc. But you're not likely to hear much less see deer. Move a step or maybe two. Look around. Listen. Look some more. Take another step, maybe two. Look. Listen. Pay attention. Amazing what you will hear and see. Have walked up on deer less than 25 foot away. Couple of seasons ago got up real close to a doe. She was not hardly over 12 foot away. Don't think they ever saw me. If they did, they gave no notice of me. Only reason to carry a rifle is b/c I honestly figure I have to be ready for the longer shots as I don't want to pass up a good buck w/ a nice rack just b/c he is beyond range of my revolver. Sincerely. bruce.

[p246]

Stalking is an art. One to two steps, pause, use wind gusts if possible. Walk into wind if possible. Wet ground is better than dry. Light rifle with irons or a scout scope is my preferred. Listen and look more than you walk. I’ve filled every deer tag I ever bought, more than 20years. Mix of long range bean field, stands, and stalking.

[Sunray]

Not all quadrupeds walk the same. Some move both opposite legs at the same time. Others alternate front and rear at the same time. Deer are the latter.
"...Walk into wind if possible..." The 'if possible' part is not an option.
The best stalking practice is sneaking up on a snoozing cat. If the ears move towards you, you fail.

[barretcreek]

Thanks folks. You need to cover ground in elk country, they don't lie doggo like a whitetail (not saying whitetail are easy). Try keeping up with an elk walking at a casual pace.
Most of the time I have spent hunting elk is with binoculars. But closing on them when hunting solo is what I am interested in. Jon has posted about elk, so he comes to mind.
Nice idea about the kitty.

[jon_norstog]

Jon,
Saw an article (Spokane paper?) about a guy who has killed an elk every season except one for over sixty years. He spoke of 'walking like a quadruped'.
Mentioned this to a friend and his reply was 'that's why I always hunt with so and so, we move together'. So if you're hunting solo,?
I always try to break my cadence: step step pause step pause stepstep pause pause etc. Got any suggestions? Can't think of how to alter my cadence much.

B, I saw that article too. The guy is definitely a HUNTER. I wish I was that good - part of the guys secret is he has good hunting grounds and returns year after year. Knowing the area and knowing where the animals are likely to be any time. Elk are tough to hunt - they can travel 20 miles easy in a day, and are doing it more and more because of wolf and human pressure.

I mostly hunt with my brothers, brother actually as our middle bro can't get around in the woods any more. Paul likes the Mex Mountain/Fish Creek/Cedar Knob area above the Lochsa .. it used to just teem with elk and you could pretty much count on blundering into at least a cow. It's a beautiful area to hunt and we pretty much have it to ourselves any more. This year we got a little tracking snow. No elk tracks, no wolf packs either, just a few lone wolves.

We usually break up in the morning - work a mountainside. Paul likes to sit above and hardly move, I like to hunt low and slow. Mornings the air is moving downhill so I work cross-hill tending uphill. I probably move a half mile an hour if the ground is wet and quiet. Slower if it is noisy. Any ground conditions I try not to sound like a human walking along. Knowing where the finger ridges are that the bulls like to hang out on and working up to them slow enough that an animal will shuffle off rather than spook. Sometimes you'll come to a spot where it pays to wait and see.

Hunting solo I figure is a good way to enjoy the fresh air. If you know the elk travel routes and there is hunting pressure you can pick a spot and let the other hunters do the work for you.

Well like I say to Paul each year, "where are we gonna go and not get an elk THIS year!"

Good luck!

jn

[Ken The Kanuck]

Well I have Elk, moose and deer in the freezer.

I didn't get a shot at anything, nor did my son or hunting buddy. But fortunately I have some friends who did well and do not want me to become a vegetarian.

Hunters are good to one another and I will pay back when I get a chance.

KTK

[jon_norstog]

There is that, Ken. I got some venison-burger that makes damn good spagghetti sauce. All the same, you get my age and your hunter friends quit hunting, or worse yet, die.

Still hunting ....


jn

[jon_norstog]

Paul and my son-in-law Wesley plus wes' brothers have been hunting the muzzle-loader season last couple years. It is a 5-day season in early December. They hunt an area around the North Fork Clearwater where the animals congregate for winter range. Paul got a clear shot at a bull but it was 175 yards and he didn't think the gun was up to the job. Wes has lost two elk 'cause his gun didn't go off!

ID F&G is talking about changing the late hunt to "any weapon" but it hasn't happened yet. The real problems are loss of habitat, especially winter range; climate change - you used to be able to count on snow during regular season; and wolves. Elk numbers are way down in some areas and the remaining animals are way more wary. The Lolo Zone elk seem to be leaving the National Forest land and heading closer to farm country during the season, too.

Meanwhile for me, the move to Oregon puts me into a situation where you have to draw to hunt (unless you want to join the Battle of the Bulge in the Coast Range) so you are generally stuck going into an unfamiliar area. I put in for the draw each year but usually buy a deer tag in ID and go back to hunt with family.

jn