| Deer hunting on the move, or stillhunting, is | | | | spots on the wall, do not lock on any one spot. |
| commonly misunderstood as to what it is and how to | | | | Repeat the index-finger practice. You should see your |
| go about it. It is stalking deer, not waiting on a stump | | | | fingers enter your FOV much earlier than before. It is |
| or in a blind for the deer to come to you. It can be | | | | this type of sight - gained through practice, for it isn't |
| the most rewarding deer hunting experience you can | | | | natural to us anymore - that allows us to see |
| do. It can also be the most frustrating, since it is a | | | | changes in woods patterns, motion - in short, to see |
| skill which requires you to slow everything everything | | | | deer out in the distance, possibly before they see us. |
| - your sight, your breath and your walking gait. But | | | | Now, onto walking. |
| the payoffs go beyond the hunt to your better | | | | Walk Toe-Heel, not Heel-Toe |
| enjoyment of nature itself. | | | | You see it all the time - the hunter walking through |
| This article will talk about some things I've learned | | | | the woods as if he's hunting on rice paper. |
| while hunting deer in the Vermont woods and oak | | | | It doesn't work. As a hunter, you're going to make |
| mast ridges of Wisconsin. These few simple | | | | noise. But then, so do deer and other game. So does |
| techniques can be used on your next hunt - whether | | | | anything living and breathing in the woods. What you |
| you choose to stillhunt or not, the principles are the | | | | want to avoid is making the rhythmic gait a hunter |
| same. These techniques will also make your deer | | | | makes when he's running, usually after a deer, or |
| hunt a richer experience. It's all about: you're outdoors | | | | doing everything he can to be quiet, when he doesn't |
| - enjoy the scenery, hunting or not. | | | | yet see one. |
| Generally, as deer hunters, we think of one thing | | | | Walking toe-heel is the way to walk, because the |
| when we hunt, and that is deer. Not deer in general, | | | | palm of your foot can be more flexible in its |
| but that deer. We are aided in this compulsion by our | | | | response to the softwood twigs and deadfall |
| brains, and our eyes. Let's talk about eyes first. | | | | underfoot - like deer, whose hooves make relatively |
| Hunt Deer with Soft Focus - See Them as They See | | | | light contact with the forest floor. Walking heel-toe |
| You | | | | makes for a heavy, stiff step - a human step. |
| We see as all predators do - forward, and tightly | | | | Walking heel toe, take a few steps, pause, and, using |
| focussed. Take a look at your average housecat and | | | | the soft-focus described above, take in the |
| watch it stalk something. It pursues its object with | | | | environment, in a holistic way. Above all else, if you |
| its eyes narrowed and every muscle relaxed, yet | | | | find yourself entering in to a steady, rhythmic gait, |
| steeled at a moment's notice to pounce. We share | | | | break it up. You also want to avoid any obviously |
| with the cat and all predators having our eyes in the | | | | human sounds sounds coming from anything |
| front of our head, designed to focus on a single thing. | | | | man-made, such as metal or hard plastic. Bottom line |
| However, deer, and all prey species, have eyes | | | | - brushing past an oak stump is o.k. Marching in |
| designed to detect motion. Deer and all prey species | | | | cadence is not, nor is that canteen banging against |
| have eyes on the side of their head, and this aids in | | | | your hunting rifle strap buckle. |
| perceiving motion first, long before the animal can | | | | Know the Wind |
| make out whether what they see is a threat, or just | | | | Finally, walk into the wind. Yes, this is rule 1. But many |
| some pattern-breaking motion in the woods. When | | | | hunters, especially those used to staying in a |
| stillhunting for deer, we must adopt to the way they | | | | relatively insulated hunting blind, forget this cardinal |
| see. We must see motion first, patterns out of sync | | | | rule. I've stood with my bow drawn on a buck 10 |
| second, and the deer last. The only way to do this is | | | | yards away, with the buck clearly trying to figure out |
| to relax our focus and broaden our field of vision. | | | | what the heck this would-be rambo was up to - only |
| Here's how to practice. Stand facing a wall, about six | | | | to watch it spring to life once the wind shifts, and |
| to eight feet away from it. Stare hard at a spot on | | | | thanksgiving was a bit - thinner that year. |
| the wall. Raise your arms, index fingers extended, | | | | Don't even bother still hunting on blustery days, with |
| fully out to the side from your head (and slightly | | | | no prevailing winds. |
| behind). Now, keeping your arms straight and your | | | | The bottom line, when you are hunting deer in this |
| index fingers extended, bring your arms slowly in | | | | way, is to get used to is slowing yourself down, for |
| front of your face. Notice the moment when your | | | | hours at a time, and softening your focus to "deer |
| fingers come into view - this is your field of vision | | | | hunt" for motion - not deer. |
| (FOV). | | | | But act like, see like, deer, become more a part of |
| Now, turn to the wall again. This time, soften your | | | | where you are, and you will reap many rewards - |
| focus so that your eyes, while seeing objects or | | | | whether you take a deer or not. |