Your stalking methods

[Kudustalker]

Due to the nature of this forum, most threads consists of the shooting side of hunting, which, to a certain degree is probably the most important part of the hunt, as throwing your quarry to death with stones will probably end up in failure. But I would like to know how you stalk. The, I would recon, quite essential part before the actual pulling of your index finger, to launch the projectile at your prey, commences.

Some of the threads in this section have taught me a great deal about this art. Not just remembering what way the wind is blowing when setting off on your daily hunt, but also to try and keep the sun behind you when you are stalking at early morning or late at night. To find out where the water is situated and patrol the trails leading to and from the dams. To always move on the shady side of the bush. Some mask their smell with dung from the animals around them, they constantly assume a more crouched position when walking normally and carry their weapon in both hands when the stalk begins.

How do you approach stalking? How does one move whilst in the prone position? Do you crawl on your belly with your rifles in your arms in front of you or do you hook your rifle over your back with the sling and crawl, head down, until you have reached a bush of suitable size to aim from. Do you ever bear-crawl? Do you hunt up the mountain or down it. Do you ever first stop or climb out a koppie or tree to glance the area you are trying to explore? I find myself often falling in the routine of just walking, hoping I will spot the animals before they spot me and forget that I need to try and outthink their movements and behaviour. Do people still find out what specific species eat in certain areas and target those trees (or just the terrain they favour)?

I have even heard stories of men successfully using their rifle to imitate a gemsbok when little to no cover is available on the plains. Apparently the theory is the game is used to two legged creatures hunting them, with round heads, but this person broke the natural look of the human by walking on all fours in the open plains and hoisting his rifle above his head to imitate horns... Sounds ridiculous but in theory plausible.

I just guess there are so many hunts where the quarry is walked upon by chance and no skill is tested, where no stalk is involved to get to a better position and shooting out of the fist at ranges less than 100 meters don't occur. I want to know if you still respect this (in my eyes) vital part of hunting and if so, do you have any tips you could share on the topic? Any stories you might want to retell? Or is this phase of hunting no longer a essential part due to the hunting guides which accompany most of us, doing most of the hunting on our behalf?

[Crafty]

For me i have made one major improvement. A couple of years ago, i was on a hunt with Ge from the forum. I had my usual green check shirt, some jeans, and my favorite walking boots. We were hunting impala, and had to go for head shot only. This severely limited the shots available. Now while stalking my boots was a special level of noisy. Every encounter we made was between 50 and 70 meters away. We went back and forth over an area not exceeding 30 hectares. Those impalas really tested our gritt. After we made the kill and went to camp for a quick braai, we had a talk about shoes. Ge was using flip flops. Sounds crazy. But i now hunt in shoes like thay as well. When the stalk starts, you kick out your shoes, and go barefoot. Quieter than a mouse walking on a carpet.

As for the actual stalking technique, i usually intercept. Once you see the herd, notice general direction. This usually happens from a vantage point like a koppie. Try and predict where you can intercept. Look at trials, or path ways they are likely to take. I usually try and reach that point long before they get there so that my heart rate can calm down. It sucks to pass a shot because you cannot aim properly due to racing heart. Stay at least 1 km away from them, then at interception point, take a breather. Get comfortable, the usually 5-10 mins later they are in range. That is if they did not change direction. That happens more often than i would like. But in general, this has always worked for me.
If they change direction, you just try again.


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[shooty]

Crafty. Thats some good stalking. Similar to mine.
But important as you say not too arrive at your shooting spot breathless or a racing heart beat.

The flip flops are interesting. I can just hear the normal city folk going hunting with their flip flops and soft feet from only wearing shoes the whole day.
As soon as they kick out the flip flops. Youll just hear "sh@t, Eina, F@k, Bliks@m" as they bump their toes and step on hard small rocks.

[Ridwaan87]

As Shooty stated, besides rocks, there's plenty of thorns. Plus no protection from snake/ spiders bites.

Stealth is key, and when you come onto them, patience, patience, patience.

[Digby]

Speaking from my mostly East Cape perspective I think the best method/advice I have been given is the slower you go, the more you see. Often guys arrive for a weekend hunt and are desperate to bag something in the little time they have so they go charging out and want to walk every inch of the farm within a few hours and end up spooking every animal in sight and more often not in sight.

That said "horses for courses" and some areas just require a lot more walking than others, but mostly where i hunt as a general rule of thumb I like to be still for longer periods of time than I am moving.

[Digby]

Crafty. Thats some good stalking. Similar to mine.
But important as you say not too arrive at your shooting spot breathless or a racing heart beat.

The flip flops are interesting. I can just hear the normal city folk going hunting with their flip flops and soft feet from only wearing shoes the whole day.
As soon as they kick out the flip flops. Youll just hear "sh@t, Eina, F@k, Bliks@m" as they bump their toes and step on hard small rocks.

I once hunted with a guy on his farm where we stalked in our socks, as was his custom so i tried it out. Granted fairly thick bush and sandy ground, but enough doring bos to make you check every step carefully. With a bow, very slow going, but we saw a lot of game that didn't see us, but all past the 30 yard mark.

[Kudustalker]

Really interesting crafty, will definitely give this barefoot stalking a shot!

How would you employ your intercept method in flat terrain that is still predominantly bushveld? Climb a tree? Use that as a vantage point? As walking straight into the bush with no plan just seems to sound so idiotic!

[Mudwall]

I must say its part of hunting I like the most but the least success. For me its is just as slow as possible (hunting in Eastern Cape maybe?). Few steps, stop, listen, look, plan. We try to walk into the wind as close as possible to the side of the paths/roads but not getting stuck in thorn bushes. Jeans don't work for me, the always make a noise! I do cover up while stalking and it works, have spotted a buck, sat down and I was able to sit like that for 30min waiting for a possible ram to come along while the ewe was relaxed, eating 20m away. My hunting partner also likes to take his shoes off when hunting in road.

[neilw]

I have heard of some bow hunters using sheep skin slippers in order to minimize the noise when stalking

[Gert Odendaal]

Ruan and I did a lot of stalking on the black powder hunt..the three main issues we applied was keeping the sun at your back, wind in your face , walk in the shade, very slowly and stop every fifty yards for three minutes to listen for movement. You are stalking too fast if the birds stop singing. We got within thirty paces of two kudu bulls without they knowing us were there. Seven paces from a big impala ram. It helps to be short and not tall... When a "GO away " bird starts making alarm, stop, look down to the floor, it will fly away...I tried it and it worked..