Learning

Hosting a hunting-based outdoor skillsevent in yourcommunity

Mary Kay Salwey, Ph.D.WisconsinDepartment of Natural Resources2004

to Hunt

Learning to Hunt

112

Ways of Hunting

9Station

Credits

Project DirectorMary Kay Salwey, Ph.D.Wisconsin DNRBureau of Wildlife ManagementBox 7921Madison, WI 53707-7921

Editorial AssistanceNancy WilliamsCarrie L. Armus

ArtworkEric DeBoerMary Kay SalweyDynamic GraphicsCindie Brunner

PhotosRobert QueenMary Kay SalweyMike Roach

Design ConceptBlue Raven Graphics

Electronic LayoutMary Kay Salwey, Wisconsin DNR

Published by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Copyright 2004 by Wisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesMadison, Wisconsin.

All original illustrations copyrighted.

This book is educational in nature and not-for-profit. It is intended toinspire organizations to pass the tradition of hunting down to youngergenerations. However, all rights are reserved, including the right toreproduce this book or any part thereof in any form except briefquotations for reviews, without the written permission of the publisher.

113

9Station

Ways of Hunting

Hosting an Outdoor Skills Clinic in Your Community

Ways ofHuntingField techniques for hunting

Participants learnvarious methods

of hunting,including

stalking, stillhunting, hunting

from blinds,hunting from

stands, andhunting whiledriving game.

Learning to Hunt

114

Ways of Hunting

9Station

Equipment

Outdoor site with dry leaves or indoor gym with eggshells, peanut shells or foam peanuts used in packagingBroom for indoor cleanup2 6” pieces of 2”x4” lumberCamera flash attachment or strobe light1 bottle of perfume or animal scentSeveral cotton ballsElectric fan, if doing the indoor activityExtension cord, if needed for indoor activitySeveral manufactured portable tree stands, with appropriate safety gearSeveral sets of portable blinds, camouflage blind material, and natural blind materialsGround stands (such as plastic buckets with padded seats)Several unloaded rifles and shotguns

Objectives

Participants shall:

demonstrate several differentmethods of hunting.

state when hunters would usethe particular methods ofhunting (for what species andin what terrain).

describe the advantages anddisadvantages of each methodof hunting.

sate the safety rules forconducting a drive.

explain what “zoned viewing”is.

describe where hunting blindsshould be placed in relation towind direction.

construct a hunting blind.

115

9Station

Ways of Hunting

Hosting an Outdoor Skills Clinic in Your Community

Station Setup

The six methods of hunting arebest demonstrated in an outdoorsetting. It is preferable to have awooded area with crisp, crunchyleaves on the ground, a wildmeadow with tall weeds andgrasses, and a pond or wetlandarea.

If an outdoor site is not available,or in case of inclement weather,you can simulate some huntingtechniques by using a large indoorroom with an uncarpeted floor.

Scatter eggshells, peanut shells orfoam peanuts across the floor.These simulate the noisy, cracklingsound of leaves underfoot. Oneindoor-adapted demonstrationrequires a room with a fan, plus anextension cord, if necessary. Havea broom handy for indoor clean-up.

Set up a variety of manufacturedand homemade styles of blinds.

Set up a variety of tree stands insturdy trees, save at least onestand for the group to assembleand erect onto a tree.

Learning to Hunt

116

Ways of Hunting

9Station

Procedure

For this activity, demonstrate eachof the six basic methods ofhunting. Then have participantstry these same six methods. Eachmethod is detailed below. Explaineach to your participants.

StalkingStalking is the slow, silent pursuitof an animal that allows the hunterto get close enough for a good,clean shot. A crouched position isthe best for pursuing animals bystalking because it makes yourbody less noticeable. In thisposition the hunter walks quietlyand slowly, pursuing animals ofinterest.

Still huntingStill hunting is the continuousmovement of a hunter throughan animal’s environment inhopes of finding the desiredgame. The hunter takes a fewsteps, stops, looks around –sometimes with binoculars –and listens for the slightestsound of the game animalbeing hunted. By walkingin this silent manner, thehunter is less likely to beobserved by animals. Fordeer hunting, still hunting isperhaps the mostchallenging and difficultmethod of hunting. Thestill hunting method can bequite productive for white-

tailed deer, especially after a rainwhen the fallen leaves of thewoods are much quieter.

Stalking and still huntingtechniques are learned andimproved by study and practice.Hunters need to know an animal’shabits and habitat, haveconcentration and self-control, andsharpen their senses. The rewardfor practicing and improving theseskills should be increasedopportunities to observe wildlifemore closely.

Physically demonstrate thefollowing two positions to yourparticipants. Then have them trythe same positions as a group.Stress the need to be very quiet.

Activity

117

9Station

Ways of Hunting

Hosting an Outdoor Skills Clinic in Your Community

Crouched position. Haveparticipants practice movingabout in this position for awhile. Ask them to describethe advantages of a crouchedposition.

Freeze position. There arecertain situations whenfreezing is extremelyimportant. Have participantspractice freezing in differentpositions. Ask questions suchas: When should you freeze?How long can you sitabsolutely still?

Discuss the following fiveattributes that good still huntersand stalkers possess and honewhen they are hunting. Haveparticipants practice each of these:

Quiet movement. Haveparticipants practice placingtheir feet as quietly as possiblewhile maneuvering through acourse with noisy materialunderfoot. Outdoors, a forestfloor covered with dry leaves isa good practice environment.Indoors, they can walk througheggshells, peanut shells orfoam peanuts on the floor.

Slow movement. Askparticipants to demonstratehow animals move through thewoods. Do deer pranceerratically or movedeliberately? Do rabbits run ina straight line?

Zoned viewing. To helpimprove their ability to observewildlife, hunters shouldpractice zoned viewing. Haveparticipants practicezoned viewing bylooking at only oneportion of the habitat ata time. They need to keeptheir heads steady andmove only their eyes toscan their surroundings.In order to scanbeyond thereach of theireyesight, thencan thenpracticemoving theirheads very,very slowly toview anotherzone. Usingthis method,hunters oftensee only apart of theanimal atfirst, such asthe nose, ears,tail, or back.

Concentration. To besuccessful, hunters mustmaintain slow body and headmovements even whenunexpected movements flasharound them. Haveparticipants practice slow,deliberate movements. Whenthey are not looking your way,clap the two wooden blockstogether, flash the camera

Learning to Hunt

118

Ways of Hunting

9Station

strobe, or make suddenmovements as distractions.

Self-control. Explain thatsuccessful hunters suppresssneezes by pressing a finger tothe bridge of the nose. Theymuffle coughs with their arms.

Now take participants to anoutdoor setting. Have them assessthe activity area and look forfactors that will influence thesuccess of stalking or still hunting.They should consider things like:

Cover. What is good cover?Examples may include trees,rocks, small hills, beaver dams,cattails and other vegetation.How can it be used?

Rest points. When shouldhunters use rest points? Whatfeatures are important?Answers should include thingslike comfort, quiet and abilityto break up your silhouette.

Wind direction. Dab a cottonball with perfume or animalscent. Briefly hold the cottonball downwind, then upwindfrom the group. Askparticipants how wind helpshunters. How does it helpwildlife? You can simulate thisactivity indoors using anelectric fan instead of naturalwind.

Sun location. Ask how thelocation and intensity ofsunlight can help or hinder thehunter.

Discuss when stalking and stillhunting would be used. Whatkinds of game animals can behunted this way? Deer, elk, mooseand even squirrel and rabbits canbe hunted this way.

119

9Station

Ways of Hunting

Hosting an Outdoor Skills Clinic in Your Community

Hunting from blindsExplain to participants thathunters often hunt wild turkeys,waterfowl and sometimes deerwhile concealed within a blind.Discuss how, when and whyhunters would want to set up anduse a blind. Explain that huntingfrom a blind lets the hunterobserve and detect an animal’smovement before it is aware ofthe hunter’s presence. Blinds maybe store-bought or homemade.Hi-tech or very earthy. They mayconsist of metal poles stuck in theground and draped withcamouflaged material. Or theymay be constructed entirely out ofnatural materials such as sticks,brush, cattails and leaves.

Set up some different types ofblinds for the participants toexperience. Have some thatparticipants can set up themselves.Before they try setting up a blind,ask them from which direction thewind is blowing. Then,considering this wind direction,ask them where they think theyshould place a blind. Tell themthat for deer hunting, they shouldalways place their blind down windfrom where they think the deerwill be coming, since these animalshave such a powerful sense ofsmell. For turkey hunting, huntersshould place their blind in a safespot where they think a turkey willarrive. For waterfowl, which landinto the wind, hunters should placetheir blind with the wind blowing

at their back. Tell the participantsthat they should always try toremain as hidden from theirquarry as much as possible,without interfering with theirability to see the approachinggame, or safely use their firearmwhen the game is within range.

Ask your participants to work ingroups of two or three and toconstruct a blind in an appropriateplace for a particular type ofanimal. If you are near a pond,ask them to set up a blind forhunting waterfowl. If you are in awooded area, ask them to set up ablind for hunting wild turkey ordeer.

After the teams have constructedtheir blinds, assemble the entiregroup and walk from one blind tothe next. Ask each team todescribe why they selected theirsite to set up their blind. Askthem how easy it was to use theirset of blind-building materials.Discuss portability of blinds, and

Learning to Hunt

120

Ways of Hunting

9Station

stands or sits behind a tree or rockor other natural object that helpsconceal his or her body. Whenhunting from a ground stand, ahunter is usually less concealedthan when hunting from a blind.

Seat one or more participants at aground stand and have them stayseated for several minutes. Tellthem it is necessary to stay verystill. Stress that if they mustmove, they should move veryslowly. They need to scan thesurrounding area with their eyesonly, not moving their head. Tellthe group that the most successfulground stand hunters stay seatedthrough long hours and poorweather. The advantages ofhunting from a ground stand arethat this method is well-suited forsmall areas, it is safer than huntingout of tree stands or driving game,it often provides for easy shots, itis less strenuous and requires lessplanning. The disadvantages arethat there is less action and soboredom sometimes sets in. Thehunter has to wait for an animal tocome by in its normal daily routine,has to attract it through the use ofgame calls or has to wait until theanimal gets pushed toward thestand by other hunters in theneighboring area. Deer and wildturkey are often hunted using thismethod.

when manufactured blinds may bemore valuable than natural blinds.Would you want to hike severalmiles into the woods carrying yourgun, a backpack, and amanufactured blind? Or wouldyou prefer to use natural materialsfound around the hunting site?The group can critique each blindand placement of the blind.

Hunting from groundstandsExplain that another method ofhunting is to hunt from a groundstand. This may be done standingor seated. Usually the hunter

121

9Station

Ways of Hunting

Hosting an Outdoor Skills Clinic in Your Community

Hunting from tree standsNext, take participants to an areawhere you have set up somedifferent types of portable,manufactured tree stands. Makesure that each tree stand has asafety harness. Ask participantswhat kinds of game animals can behunted from tree stands? Huntingdeer or bear from tree stands hasbecome increasingly popularthroughout Wisconsin becausehunters know the advantages ofbeing perched 15 to 20 feet abovethe forest floor. Because thehunter is above the animal’snormal field of vision, the treestand reduces the chance of beingseen. Tree stands offer a largerfield of view. They help the hunterget the human scent off theground and up into the air wherewind currents can waft it away.

Remind participants that if theychoose to use a tree stand, theyshould practice setting it up beforethe hunting season. Read andstrictly follow the manufacturer’sdirections. Never modify theequipment. Make sure theequipment is in good shape andthat the straps and harnesses andattachments are not frayed orworn. If time allows, haveparticipants assemble a tree stand.Have them choose a site forplacing the stand. Discuss theproper diameter and height of treeto use. Stress the need to becareful in selecting the kind oftrees to which the stand will be

mounted. Smooth-barked treessuch as beech, maple, birch andaspen may not hold a stand well,causing it to slip after setup.Allow them to erect the standagainst an appropriate tree. Iftime is limited, then you maychoose to erect several tree standsprior to your program.

Allow participants to practicesafely ascending and descendingthe tree stands. Remindthem to be very cautiousclimbing into stands inwet weather or in sleet orsnow. Once in the stand,they should practice fasteningthe safety harness around theirbodies. Stress the importanceof always wearing a safety beltdevice, preferably a full-bodyharness because tree standscan be verydangerous.Manyhuntersfall out of theirtree standsevery year.In a studyconducted byDeer andDeer HuntingMagazine, over35% of hunterswho hunted out ofa tree stand slipped or fellan average of 11 feet whileclimbing up or down from theirposition. Over 80% who fell off

Learning to Hunt

122

Ways of Hunting

9Station

their tree stands were not wearingany safety harnesses or belts.Injury is almost certain whenfalling these distances and can bedisabling. Remoteness andisolation of the stand frompossible rescuers adds to thedanger of hunting in stands. Theprimary cause of falling wasstructural failure of the stand,ladder or tree steps. Slips,missteps, broken branches andloss of balance were also reasonsgiven for these falls. Fatigue,drowsiness and wet weather andheavy dew contributed to some ofthe falls.

Once participants are strapped intoa tree stand, ask them to observethe surrounding landscape. Next,have participants descend thestand, and tie a rope securelyaround the butt end of the gun.Ask them to climb back into thestand, tie their harnesses on andhaul up the gun using a rope.Emphasize the need to alwayscheck to make sure the gun isunloaded before hoisting up intothe tree stand.

You should tell participants thatthe use of tree screws (for footholds) is illegal on public lands.

Hunting by driving gameDiscuss the technique of huntingby driving game. In this techniqueseveral hunters are placed, asstanders, at one end of a plot ofland to wait for the game to bedriven to them by drivers. Thedrivers walk slowly andmethodically through the areatoward the standers, keepingabreast of the other drivers andpausing often. Pausing during thedrive often makes an animal comeout of cover.

Point out the inherent danger ofhaving friends or family membersin stands at the opposite end of afield or woods, pointing loadedfirearms in the general direction ofthe drivers, who are also carryingloaded firearms. Stress the needfor extreme caution. Emphasizethe importance of knowing whereall other hunters are at all times. Itis imperative that all standers anddrivers meet ahead of time beforethe drive and discuss their plan.Everyone must carry through withthe plan. To promote safety andimprove the success of the hunt,the group should select a driveleader to be responsible forcommanding the drive. Stress thefollowing safety rules:

Start the drive at thecorrect time.

Place standers at anelevated point so thatthey are shooting down

123

9Station

Ways of Hunting

Hosting an Outdoor Skills Clinic in Your Community

at their game animal,rather than out towardwhere the drivers arewalking.

Give standers adequatetime to quietly move totheir stands so they don’tspook the animals.

Keep an even line ofdrivers.

Set a pace so slowerpeople, or those walkingthrough dense orextremely difficultterrain, can keep up.

Maintain the properdirection so the driveends up where intended.

At the end of the drive,account for allparticipants.

Point out to your participants theadvantages and disadvantages ofthis method of hunting. An

advantage is that it is an effectivemethod for locating and movinggame animals toward otherhunters in the party. This methodprovides a lot of action,particularly for the drivers. And italso involves a good deal ofcamaraderie among the membersof the hunting party. Thedisadvantages are that thistechnique takes more people tohunt and it is much morepotentially dangerous than theother methods of hunting.

Discuss the versatility of drive-typehunting. This system can workwith one or two people drivingand ten or twelve people standing,or just the opposite. A drive canalso be very successful with oneperson standing and oneperson driving.Emphasize that theparticipants mustknow their gameand theircountryside tomake this type ofhunting safe andenjoyable.

Learning to Hunt

124

Ways of Hunting

9Station

Now, plan a simulated deer drive ina nearby field. Designate threeparticipants as “standers,” two as“deer,” and the remainder as“drivers.” Before the activity,discuss the keen sense of smell andhearing that deer possess. Tellparticipants that a bedded deeroften sits tight when a personwalks by it in the woods. But theyoften get spooked if the personstops for a while. Discuss howsound travels in cold weatherversus hot weather, and how windcarries odors.

On one side of a field, line up thethree standers an equal distanceapart. On the other side of thefield, line up the drivers. Ask thetwo lines to turn their backs to thefield while the remaining two“deer” hide in the tall grasses ofthe field.

When the “deer” are hidden, havethe drivers begin moving forwardacross the field toward thestanders. As the “deer” becomecrowded between the drivers andthe standers, they must decidehow long they will hide and whenthey will flee.

125

9Station

Ways of Hunting

Hosting an Outdoor Skills Clinic in Your Community

References4-H Shooting Sports Hunting Curriculum, edited by: Ronald A.

Howard, Jr. and James E. Knight. (curriculum guide)Tom Brown’s Field Guide to Nature Observation and Tracking, Tom

Brown, Jr. with Brandt Morgan, Berkley Publishing, 1989.