Recently went to a deer hunting seminar by the guy that own this.

[uncle buck]

http://www.wildernessescape.com/

Wow did I learn some thing from this outfitter...   For example.. He explained how to stalk at deer in snow.. Just by what the tracks do tell you what the deer is thinking or would like to do... For  example:  You see the deer do a J Hook in the snow when your tracking it.. That means the deer knows your following him and what he's doing is stopping and turning and looking back at you... Also doe walk in a straight line and buck tracks run along each other.. That BS about the drag mark in the snow being  buck. That drag mark means the deer is tried or it's a big deer... Just like the ladies.. Doe are heavier in the back so their back tracks will sink in deeper than a buck.. A buck is heavier in the front so their front tracks sink in deeper.. The guy uses open sighted lever actions or open sighted pumps on his stalks too.. No scopes...no bolt acitons... He walks just like a deer to...  4 steps and stop.. the deer think it's another deer.. in snow it three steps and level out. and in crusty snow it's two steps and of course the back crush makes the deer think it be just another deer not hunter so they don't run away..   

[uncle buck]

So in Pa... I am sometime just after a antlerless deer for some meat for the winter.. I don't care about tracking a big buck but would just like to do this for even shooting a doe... Now I have already killed doe in woodlots like this.. Walking 4 steps and stopping.. Wind in my face.. 4 more steps.. the doe thought I was a another deer.  So it got up to see what deer was coming along and it was me.. I shot her with an single shot Encore   3006 with a scope set on 3 power...   see this is how I knew this guy was not a BS...You have to make the deer think your another deer if your going to walk for them...   I do want to try this with a pump and or lever action without a scope...Just think how exciting that would be to do this.. Maybe on the Weds after the open to try this when everyone has gone back to work and few are in the deer woods...

PS  I do have a hard time taking a scope off of one of my deer rifles!!  Anyone have a used  30/30 or 35 Rem Lever  for sale?  LOL  LOL

PS  He even uses a the lever that has the wide opening on it like John Wayne used so his glove fits in it in the cold weather.. Yes and when he shoots he throws lead..

[Hern]

Our family learn/hone Deer tracking skills in the mid-80's when we hunted in the state of Maine.
We rented a small cabin from Dan Peterson near Jackman. I trapped with his son, Danny, back then.
In northern Maine, Deer are scarce, very low population. Deer are hunted by tracking a Deer until you see it and get a shot. A compass, food, gear to spend the night & tracking skills are needed to harvest a Deer.
UB, I read your 1st post and thought...yea, that's what we learned in Maine from Dan & Danny. They were not guides, but knew how to kill Deer in northern Maine and gave us tips.

One evening we met back at the Jeeps. My brother looked played out. He said he was following a Buck all afternoon. The Buck circled to his right and crossed my brothers tracks two times.
The Deer circled and seem to want to stay in that area.
Brother had a plan for the next day...
We were at the same area early the next day. We found the Buck's fresh tracks. I was to hound the fresh tracks and brother was a trailer, shooter, following several hundred yards behind me. Brother would keep pace behind me. Hunter and Hound method. Brother would keep pace behind me. He keenly watched for the Buck to circle me as he did to my brother the day before.
Around noon-1 o'clock, brother's plan paid off. He killed an 8 pointer, 234 lbs. field dress circling behind me.
I dressed light for a day of hounding and was relived to hear his gun shot.

We learn a few more things in the northern Maine woods, but that's for another time.
For years, our family would rent a remote lodge, the first week of August, on Beaver Pond in the White Mountains. Fishing/Relaxing/Family stuff was great there.

[Pa Goosehntr]

  I liked that story Hern 

[Bowman66]

Thank you Hern! For a moment i was in Maine deer hunting, I love a good deer story!

[uncle buck]

Outfitter talked about what you do if the deer gets wind of you and you hear the snort.. Also just if he takes off before you fire at him and it doesn't snort... IF he snorts at you because the wind is at your back as soon as you hear the snort you run right at the deer for 100 yards.. he claims the deer will stop and look back and you drop down to your knee and open up.  On the other scenario if he takes off in front of you and the wind is cross wind at your cheek.. You run 100 yards at a  45 degree angle to the down wind side of the trail.. You get down on your knee and the buck will circle to get a smell of you and you will be waiting for him when he circles back.  Here in Pa many people use tree stands and they do deer drives with bolt action scoped gun or Encores with a scope on it and as soon as  the deer take off you have to find them in the scope.. He told me yesterday that he doesn't use the rear sight on the open sighted Winchester lever.. He uses the front only and he does throw lead.. He told me that they empty their guns too... Figure they are hunting trophy buck for their antler size.. So they don't care where the hit them.. Yep you have to carry three manual compasses. non of the high tech stuff.. You could start tracking at 7:00 AM and not kill that buck until 4:00 PM.. That is exciting type hunting to me..Now us old guys do have to watch that we don't kill a buck 20 miles into the woods alone... LOL  He will be doing a seminar again at a church in Hanover, Pa Wilson Drive (York County) .  On March 18-19 2016.   If you see the deer tracks going to brush piles and log falls he getting tired as you track it.  He said sometimes that get so tired from being pushed they can't take it and they just lay down...

[dreamcatcher]

Somewhere in my library is a book called "Stalking Deer". Had it for years. Has a forward by Bush 41.
Excellent read.

[Pa Goosehntr]

  "You run 100 yards at a  45 degree angle to the down wind side of the trail", UB when was the last time you ran that far??  Right, your not gonna do that anymore...

[TheBig1]

That's some good info UB.  Now I definitely want to try it.  I have my great grandfather's Marlin .32 Special that I've used since I was a kid and still continue to use regularly.  I love that thing. 

Hern, great story.  As was said before, for a few moments I too was on a hunt with you in Maine.

Chad

[uncle buck]

"You run 100 yards at a  45 degree angle to the down wind side of the trail", UB when was the last time you ran that far??  Right, your not gonna do that anymore...

yep i'd have to have a doe bleat call in my mouth   to disquise all that huffing and puffing from a 100 yard run.  Maybe they can have the hunter 45 degree 100 yard run  event at all the hunting festivals across the state?

[Pa Goosehntr]

  " i'd have to have a doe bleat call in my mouth   to disquise all that huffing and puffing" LOL-LOL 

[jaspr1]

  REALLY!  " He uses the front only and he does throw lead.. He told me that they empty their guns too..."  ". So they don't care where the hit them."  HE APPARENTLY NEEDS A LESSON IN SHOOTING!  A!  AND DEFINITELY A LESSON IN SPORTSMANSHIP  B!    Sounds like a Saturday morning breakfast topic, we already had.    I have deer hunted numerous times in Maine,West Virginia and New Brunswick. Hern's story was interesting in the fact the buck was determined to hang around, possibly a doe present close to coming into estrous. Flip that coin and I once tracked a buck in New Brunswick (1st trip to the North Country before I got smart) who had long range plans and B-lined it down a hollow across a swamp and up over the next ridge, I ran out of daylight and had a long walk out. For all I know he is still going!!!! He made the biggest scrape I have ever seen in the woods, including Maine. That same trip my brother got one maybe 500yds from a log road,chasing.......go figure. On one trip to Maine on the way into the lodge we saw a doe cross the road. We went back there and my brother shot a 7pt, who apparently saw her also...lol......3 things you need to kill deer consistently..locate food sources,locate DOE, and have the Patience to put them together,and sight in your rifle so you only need 1 shot 2 at most. We liked to hunt Aroostook County,Allagash Wilderness, pretty remote. We also utilized every map of the locations we were going to hunt,aerial and topo.    We had a favorite camp we went to for 7 years till the owner passed away. The camp gave away free trip for following year to biggest buck. My brother or I won it 4 of the 7 years we went, not bragging just pointing out we didn't waste a lot of time tracking bucks all over the planet.  The biggest buck I took in Maine, 255 lbs dressed weight on a certified scale, 8 point, got me a free trip and entry into "the Biggest Bucks in Maine Club".........self guided hunts,we're cheap!    ........JMO................

[Hern]

DeerR1, good stories.

[Pa Goosehntr]

  One year in West VA...I came down a ridge in the dark and kicked out a buck that wasn't happy to leave his warm bed. He snorted and blew running off....I just sat down as I had read in a book and waited for day light....sure enough he came back and I took him. Only problem was the uphill drag to the truck... harvested him early mornin and got to the truck early afternoon....yea, I was by myself til I got back to camp... those were the days when I could do such things  them days are gone 

[jaspr1]

  "them days are gone"  I feel your pain. Used to start with Archery season in Pa.  then North to Maine for a week  Come home pit stop to get the trailer and then South to W.Va. then home for rifle Pa.  ............I remember one time my Dad,2 Uncles and I decided to hunt up in the Tuscarora. We went down a road and my Dad said let's go over towards this other place. I was sick of riding with the "Old Coots" wasting time.  So I said drop me off at the next trail that leads over the Mtn. to where your headed.  There was much laughter and "do you know how far that is?"  Well they dropped me off and said they wouldn't leave me for the night if I wasn't exactly back by dark.....HAHAHAHAHA, I thought,laughs on you when I drag a buck in    ....Well by noon I was just shy of the top  still on the drop off side  OOP's  I used to only take a couple p-nut butter crackers and a canteen  Canteen was froze solid  When I finally made the top and could see my destination  it just became a hike in the woods to make it there by dark  ...I made it and then had to endure the snide comments all the way home  ........Patience is a key element that I learned from that self imposed lesson ...LOL..... ...................... there are a lot of ways to do things so I guess it boils down to what works for you and what you can live with. .......