Still-hunting

Still-hunting is a solo sport, and few hunters can become proficient at it. Still-hunting can be learned only after many hours and seasons of practice. It’s a rewarding experience for those who have the necessary time, patience, and persistence.

Become a better still-hunter now

 

 

Jim

http://jimcollyer.com/

Spot and Stalk

 



My favorite method to hunt mule deer is to spot and stalk. The technique is exactly what the name implies: you spot a buck and then find cover and stalk close enough to make a shot. Stalking is a lot like walking around in a house made of cards—one false move and everything comes tumbling down.

 

Mule deer are very susceptible to this type of hunting throughout their range. Whether you’re still-hunting, stand hunting, or tracking, some kind of stalk is often required to get within range of a trophy buck.

 

In the preseason, while I’m scouting for deer, I’m also scouting for locations to spot and stalk from. Picking a good location to spot from is critical. We should never be silhouetted on the skyline while entering or leaving the location we are spotting from. It does us little good to find a good vantage point if it doesn’t offer the hunter an opportunity to slip out of sight undetected for a stalk.

We should remain down and out of sight at all times during the stalk.

 

Jim 

 

More on Stalking Mule Deer 

 

http://jimcollyer.com/

Look for Preferred Food Sources

In August and September, the bucks will be visible for forty-five minutes to an hour after daybreak. By mid-October, the grasses and forbes that made up the majority of the deer’s summer diets begin to dry up, and new food sources are found. Now the period of early-morning activity is reduced to fifteen minutes, and being where the bucks are at dawn is critical.

 

Very few deer will be found near mountain peaks. However, what deer we do find are usually big mature males. Every year, hunters rush to the high country for early season bucks. They believe that bucks seek out higher elevations to avoid the late summer heat. Deer migrate to higher elevations in response to preferred feed, not to stay cool. An abundant supply of feed for the deer is crucial regardless of where you hunt. Many hunters have spent weeks in the high country and never laid eyes on a deer. Check to make sure there is a preferred food source at the elevation you plan to hunt before you spend your entire season looking into empty basins.

Jim
More on food sources 

http://jimcollyer.com/

New Book

My new book, BLOOD IN THE TRACKS: A MULE DEER MANIFESTO, is out and available on Amazon. I’m so excited about this book because it’s going to help a lot of people become better hunters. You can check it out by clicking on the link below. I’...m sure you’ll enjoy it and learn a lot about mule deer hunting from it.
Renowned outdoor photographer Tony Bynum has provided some of the best mule photos ever taken for this book. The pictures are great!
Good luck and good hunting to all of you,
Jim

 

Reserve your copy NOW!

 

http://jimcollyer.com/

Learn from Failures

All of us fail at one time or another. Successful hunters fail often. What separates them from the rest is they learn more and faster from that failure than everyone else does.

When you fail, and you will, decide what you can learn from it so you won’t make the same mistakes twice. Hunters who blamed others for their failure will never learn from failure, because they’ve never done it.

 

Get more Knowledge now

Knowledge is the positive upside to failure.

-Jim

http://jimcollyer.com/

Small Details Equals Bigger Bucks

In our rush to kill a big buck, we sometimes forget something essential: if our tactics don’t work in one location, it’s extremely unlikely they will work in another location.

Ineffective tactics do little more than waste our time.

You’ll harvest bigger bucks when you obsess about the tiny details. Overhauling how you hunt is almost always a better way to spend your time than trying to double the number of places you hunt.

-Jim

http://jimcollyer.com/

 

Get the book now

The Key Focus

The most important player in hunting is the deer. You must focus on the deer at all times. Deer are fickle, changeable, impatient, and elusive. Too many hunters want the deer to adapt to their strategies. Nonetheless, it’s the deer who sets the pace and rhythm of the hunt and we must adapt to their movements.

Jim
Learn More About Mule Deer Hunting Here

http://jimcollyer.com/