| Hard-soled shoes could create more noise than | | | | that if the foot can feel a brittle stick |
| rubber one. This way you can check your | | | | under it, the body weight may be shifted to a |
| clothes before stalking for the deer because | | | | part of the foot which will not break the |
| they play important part in avoiding as much | | | | stick. This walking on the muscles instead of |
| noise as possible. They can either help your | | | | on the bones is very tiring to the man who is |
| chances of successful stalking or create | | | | not accustomed to walking in this manner, but |
| problems for you. | | | | it can be very quiet method of walking; and |
| | | | with practice it can become a very effective |
| The sound of footsteps can be reduced by | | | | way to travel over rough ground. Progress |
| wearing the proper footwear. It is almost | | | | will be slow until this walking method |
| impossible to travel quietly in the woods if | | | | becomes a habit, but I have seen many men who |
| shod in hard-soled shoes. Rubber is the | | | | could travel through the woods at a dogtrot |
| quietest practical material for hunting | | | | in almost complete silence. If we travel |
| footwear, but the soles should be soft enough | | | | quietly against the wind, the deer's eyesight |
| so that minor irregularities in the ground | | | | becomes the chief obstacle to a close |
| may be felt with the foot. Tennis shoes and | | | | approach. |
| moccasins are very quiet, but soft snow and | | | | |
| water make them uncomfortable. Furthermore, | | | | Under equal conditions, a man's eyesight is |
| the average civilized foot cannot take the | | | | better than that of a deer, yet if the deer |
| punishment which they give because of their | | | | is motionless and the man is in motion, the |
| extreme flexibility and because of their lack | | | | advantage is with the deer. This is a two-way |
| of ankle support. The city man who wishes to | | | | advantage. First, the deer can spot a moving |
| stalk deer should practice the woodsman's | | | | object against and through a motionless |
| walk, if he wishes to be quiet in the woods. | | | | landscape, and, second, the man's motion |
| The stiff-legged, heel-and-toe gait of the | | | | through the woods gives him the illusion of |
| pavement should be ft at the end of the | | | | standing still with the entire landscape in |
| sidewalk. | | | | motion. Because of these conditions, the |
| | | | hunter should make frequent stops in order to |
| The true woodsman walks with the knees | | | | scan the surrounding area and obtain a true |
| slightly bent so that there is no solid thump | | | | picture instead of a distorted one. |
| when the foot hits the ground. The ball of | | | | |
| the foot touches the ground first and the | | | | City man should practice woodsman's walk if |
| whole foot comes in contact before the weight | | | | the yare interested in hunting deer. For |
| of the body is transferred from the other | | | | stalking the deer take all the necessary and |
| foot. | | | | possible measures to avoid as much noise as |
| | | | possible and maximized your chances of |
| The foot and ankle muscles are relaxed so | | | | successful stalking. |