I am a primitive skills enthusiast. And I recently came back from school. I learned a few things I thought you guys would find interesting.
The throwing stick is the most basic and probably most important primitive hunting weapon. In austrailia they are called boomerangs. I saw sticks that had been carved for hunting small game,large game,birds, and for war. I was told that the spanish conquerers of the americas reported that the american indians usually broke bones when when connecting with antelope and small deer.
This got me curious as to whether it is possible to hunt deer with a throwing stick. Certainly, the camouflage techniques and stalking skills I learned have brought me much much closer to game. Maybe close enough to smack a deer with a stick.
There were a couple instructors who seemed to to be really into the throwing sticks for hunting. So I started asking them about hunting deer with a stick. The one fellow said he has a friend who has taken a deer with a stick.However, the stick knocked the deer senseless but did not kill it. Follow up hits were required to put it down for good. Not really a clean kill.
Just thought you guys would find this interesting.

To my mind, the throwing stick, like an atlatl and dart, is a very important marker in the history of human predation and technology. However, as your instructor found out, in today's world it doesn't really fit in. The lack of a clean kill should be enough to keep ethical hunters away. Some of us have a hard enough time with bow hunters who aren't as good as they think they are or should be. Anything more primitive than a modern recurve should be left to historians and anthropologists.

If you only have to be concerned with bowhunters you are doing a lot better than me. I have been exposed to way too many people who don't care about the game they are hunting either way. They take the shot if they think there may be a chance of hitting the animal. I come across a lot of hunters who are trying to find wounded game. Around here shots are often fast and at close range, lots of brush here. And of course, bow hunters of that type are even worse.
But back to the throwing stick. We figure the stick is fine for things smaller than deer, under normal conditions. I'm sure I would take a chance on a questionable shot if I was starving to death, but I am not,none of us are.
I will be squirrel hunting with a stick this week. I will be carrying my 10mm for if I come across deer. I used to shoot competition archery but it is just not my thing for deer.
I would like to hunt deer with a spear from a tree but I don't really see that happening.But who knows.

Now for rabbit, a throwing stick is spot on. Their heads are fragile and even if all you do is knock them down and kicking, a finishing blow is "lights out". I've never hunted squirrel but I've heard they are remarkably tough for such a little critter. They'll even fight back against redtail hawks! So for small game, best wishes. And how about a report when you get back?

p.s. Pheasant could be fun, too, with a big enough stick.

I'll be happy to give a report. It will probably be lots of reports about me spending hours trying to get into range,but never getting a squirrel.
But I won't know unless I try, and it is certain to improve my skills.

How about a rock? Greater sectional density, but the ballistic coefficient is poor. And when using a rock or a stick (I still can't believe that one) it is important to really get into the primitive mode. Loin cloth, or buck nekkid, and spread some white paint on your body like the abos did. For snacks on the hunt, take along a few pickled bats, a dozen or so grub worms, and a few sun dried Kangaroo nuts.

I don't know about paint.
I have a can of white ash. That goes on first,then charcoal.Then clay or mud to match the particular environment. The effectiveness of this camouflage is somethihing that has to be experienced to believed. It is unreal. There is nothing in modern camo that comes close, but they are getting better.
A rock will work but the chances of hitting with a stick are better because the stick rotates parallel to the ground making the contact area bigger.

You're a good sport, Frank4570.

I played with throwing sticks quite a bit. Fun but not very usefull. If you can get close enough in open ground then hit what one is throwing at it can take small game with out any trouble.

I don't think one could throw a stick with enough mass to break a deers leg fast enough to hit a deer. One would have to be very close to get it done.

It is more of a pipe dream though about by primitive skills enthusiasts. Remember any brush would and is something that well stop your throw from being effective.

After I took up a 22 I found it to be much more effective and haven't looked back to sticks. except for a bow and arrow.

Then most any decent firearm is way more effective then even the best bows.

Squirrels-1, stick hunter-0
Actually I didn't see any.They must have moved to another food supply.I will have to find them again.
I did spook a deer at about 35 yards as I was trying to creep into his bedding area across dry leaves. Maybe another day I will set up in the early morning to have a chat with him as he is heading to bed.

Frank: Excellent thread. Keep posting on your results with the throwing stick. I have made a couple and found it challenging to be accurate. While I have not hunted with a stick, I have hunted (unsuccessfully) with an atlatl. I like to make the darts from either hazel or red osier dogwood. The atlatls themselves I like to make from juniper or yew. And yes, while attending the knap-in at Glass Buttes, Oregon, three years ago, I did actually hunt wearing a loin cloth. It's a free and easy feeling, but don't let anyone near you with a camera!
By the way, for an incredible amount of information on primitive skills, go here: http://b16.ezboard.com/bpaleoplanet69529

When I was a young feller of about 12 in NZ, I used to hunt starlings with a throwing stick made from an 18" length of hardwood broomstick...
Worked quite well too, untill the adults figured out what I was up to and put the kybosh on it as "cruel"...actually. it almost inevitably killed them outright, or stunned them long enough to wring their necks!

Ironically, the authorities now trap them and dispose of them as 'noxious ferals'!

One thing to remember about a properly thrown "Throwing Stick", the area coverd is twice the length of the stick (think about this one a while and the logic will come out). This is why they work. Like the shotgun pellets vs the single projectile.
Used to hunt with someone that used one to get rabits when he was young they were faily poor so he did not have a shotgun or 22 . . . used what he had.

For some stupid . . . (oops not PC) "less cranially evolved birds" say like a blue grouse one could probably use the throwing stick quite handily if I were guessing.

With the properly designed and weighted stick I could likely get one of more turkeys in the front yard right now.

TC: The image of turkeys in your yard made me think of tossing an Argentine bolo into them.That then leads me to wonder just how old the bolo is.
Dr. Pozzi, are you out there?

Bolas are even more ancient than you think, also more widespread. The Eskimo used to use one for bird hunting that spread like a spider's net when correctly thrown and collapsed around the quarry when it connected . . . on the wing!

When incorrectly thrown it tangled like a kitten's yarn ball.

The native Australians used to stand high up in Eucalyptus and down flying magpie geese with throwing sticks. Usually they broke the wings leaving the running down and finishing off to youngsters on the ground.

Hi Sarge and the gang
I've popped in from India and thought I'v read about the boomerangs and seen some stuff on the returning boomerangs on TV. this is the first I've come across actual hunting with sticks etc.
Hunting darts are or until recently , were in use in Bhutan and Sikkim, near the Nepal border.They were made of regular galvanised iron or lead plumbing pipe and reported to be extremely accurate and lethal in the hands of an experienced user-how oever, hunting with a a loin cloth is waay out in those subzero temperatures.
Good to be on board.
Best
Axx

I knew an old black gentleman from years past that used to rabbit hunt with what he called a tap stick.

It was a length of hickory about 2 foot long that he whittled from a old pick axe handle. It was tapered at the end he held it with. The other end had a steel nut about 2 inches across that he screwed onto the shaft.

He would go out at night with a flashlight and spot rabbits that would freeze in the light. He would close to about 25 or 30 feet and let fly with the tap stick.

It worked for him.

Hunting report. I will try to write this in a way so as not to be too boring. No, I didn't get anything but I had a great time.

I left the house about 4:30 in the afternoon to go walk the fields for groundhogs. I put on my small backpack which has a holster for my locust throwing stick.
I covered the ground behind my house, jumped the creek,and started to slow my pace as I entered the neighbors cow fields.
I came across some beefsteak plant on the way.It is aromatic and smells like mint. I crushed some and rubbed it on my clothing, figuring it couldn't hurt.
I walked along the brushline,trying to stay away from open spaces where I could be easily spotted. As I picked my way along I realised I was pushing the small birds who were feeding in the brush. And they were in turn warning all the other animals of my approach. I slowed my pace more.
I came to the end of the cowfield and decided to try the abandoned farmhouse yard where I had spotted groundhogs a few days earlier.The fence would give me some cover, and the open spaces would give my stick some room to move.So I headed up the dirt road for a while,slowly, then knowing that animals would be looking for people on the roads, I picked up a cowtrail into the woods.
Now I took off my pack and stashed it for later retrieval. I put on my cammo face net,and took my stick with me.And slowed my pace.
So now I am maybe 50 yards from the yard where I think I may find hogs. I am approaching very slowly,feeling the ground with my feet, and keeping my eyes up. I see 2 squirrels up ahead in a mulberry tree on the fence row,about 40 yards off. It looks like the hunting is getting a lot more serious,and I am going to need better cammo. I am wearing bluejeans and a black t-shirt, black ball cap, and the camo mask. There is a mudhole about 12 yards away.I slowly and quietly work my way over to it and crouch down.I cover both hands with the brownish clay then use my hands as stamps to put prints on my arms,shirt,jeans,and cap."Not perfect,but a lot better".
Now I start to move toward the squirrel tree,very slowly,nearly down to stalking speed. I move along the fence.Now I remind myself that I need to check all directions. I am going so slow and quiet that sometimes animals will walk up behind me and I won't see them.
Stalking speed is about 60 seconds per step. So I peek at my watch just to see how fast I am going.5:22pm. I take 3 steps,scanning the trees as I go.
And suddenly there is a groundhog right in front of me. He is at about 20 yards and he has come out of his hole as I am moving along. I freeze of course.
He is out of range, and on the wrong side of the cow fence.There are mullberry trees hanging down making it tough to get a stick over the top, and the fece is a little too tall anyway.
But there up in fromt of me,about 10 yards away, is a tree that has smashed the fence in just one spot.Not perfect, but not bad.
So, keeping my eyes on the groundhog I start my approach of the tree,and the hole in the fence.
He looks around and I freeze.He feeds and I slowly move.Sometimes he catches me on one foot and my calf burns as I hold my weight in place.
After a bit I notice a pattern in his feeding and watching.He stops feeding and looks around about every 8 or 9 seconds. So when he starts to feed I move for the count of 7 and freeze. Then he looks around.This goes on untill I arrive at the tree and the hole in the fence.
I get my feet into position and rest my stick on my shoulder.
The time is now 6:01, and he has moved too far away. So I decide to wait. Maybe he will work his way toward me again.I take mental notes of what foods he likes.
I am now trying to decide if I want to try to stand up on the fallen tree and step over the fence and close the distance a little bit. But I don't think I can do it slowly and quietly.
Suddenly he looks at the abandoned farmhouse and runs for his hole. 6:11pm.
It is getting late,and I can't actually see his hole from where I am.But I decide to stay put anyway.
At 6:17 he comes back out. And now he is closer.It is still a pretty long throw for my accuracy skills,maybe 12 yards,but I figure I won't get a better chance. I move my arm into a good throwing position,he looks up I freeze, he feeds I move.
Finally I am in position.(At this moment I become painfully aware I have only one stick.) He sticks his head up and I throw.It goes low, about a foot. Dirt flies where the stick hits and he runs for his hole. I freeze,then I peek around the fence post. He is at his hole just waiting. Or maybe wondering. I guess the trees don't frequently come alive and start throwing branches at him.
Mental note "Always have at least 2 sticks, make a quiet holster for spare sticks."
I find a piece of crap at my feet that could loosely be called a stick and I throw that at him,I miss by a mile. And he still sits there.
Now, since he is just laughing at me, I step up on the fallen tree. He becomes fully aware of how close I am and what I am and he runs for his life down his hole.
I retrieve my stick and scout the area. I find a beautiful place right behind the brush pile he uses for his home.
It will give me concealment and a good "shooting" lane. And it is very close.
I'll be back another day.
Time, 6:36.

I just made a nice Aerodynamic thrower from a dogleg in a piece of Privet about 3" thick, finished the whole thing with a flint scraper, and it throws well! Now, I just have to get better. It ought to be handy for yard bunnies.

The flying sticks I have tried have been miserable failures. They sound like a helicopter and fly all over the place.
If you have any pointers, I would appreciate it.

OK, I did a few hours study last night about propellers and plane wings and boomerangs and today made one that worked great. I got it.

I havn't done an stick hunting in quite a while. But I am getting back into it now. I made a few sticks out of a few different kinds of wood. My current favorite is hickory. But I may try a softer wood next time. A soft wood can be hardened by burnishing. But a piece of hard wood like hickory or locust is just really tough to work with from the start. I think a good stick would go much faster with cedar, and be just about as good. I will find out.
Yesterday I was creeping around the edges of what used to be a swamp near where I live. We are in drought now, so it is just a puddle. I was moving through the brush kind of slow, no camo and bare chested, bright white.
I picked up the twitching of a squirrel tail about 30 yds up the trail. I fixed my eyes on the squirrel and slid my stick out of my belt.
I sat down to think about the situation a little bit. Mud cammo or not? Slow stalk? Thats when the squirrel started moving away from me, not really fast but plenty fast for me to realize that he would quickly loose me in the brush if I didn't get moving right now. So I did. I tried to stay kind of hidden, but of course he picked me up pretty quickly. Once I was sure he had busted me I closed the distance very fast, loosing sight of him in the process.
I went to the spot where I had last seen him and found a dead tree with lots of holes in it. And figured he had gone into one of the holes.
As I was standing there looking at it all hell broke loose just to my left side. Limbs were swinging,stuff was falling. Apperently he had been hunkered down hiding and had lost his nerve. He found himself hanging on a branch trying to get a grip at my eye level about 8 feet from me. I didn't take time to get a good aim I just threw the stick. I missed him about 2in low, hitting the branch he was on. Scared him pretty good judging from all the screaming. He made it up the branch and went up a tall poplar and was quiet.
I got my stick and went home.

This days report is titled "Hunter who can't shoot".

As I have seen the persimmons are in, I got a small wicker basket and decided to go get some. I figured this would also give me chance to look at deer tracks. And anyway, time in the woods is always worthwhile.
I also took my small camera, and I tucked my hickory throwing stick into my belt on the back.
I eventually found myself on the far side of the swamp near a field, and near the woods. I was moving along a ditch going towards the woods ,there was a small strip of trees along the ditch and the field was on the other side.
So as I got closer to the woods I slowed down and really started to pay attention to the deer tracks and what kind of trees were around. 3 does spooked and ran across the field and I stopped and looked around for a while and there was a 6 point still in the field about 150 yds from me. So I just stood there watching him for a while. After a bit I guess he got wind of me and he also moved off into the woods.
Just as I stopped paying attention to him I noticed a patch of gray and white very low in my field of vision, a gray squirrel. Well he could see me just about as well as I could see him. There was some brush between us but not enough to hide me so I just froze with my basket in my left hand and my right hand empty. He stopped once and looked at me real hard but then went back to eating. I am going to call him S1, squirrel #1. Finally S1 started moving toward the ditch,and me.Looking at the situation I figured if S1 crossed the ditch and came toward me he would probably see me before he was out of the brush enough for me to take the shot. But since he was only about 12 yards away,and the leaves are noisy, I didn't have any good options.
As he went into the ditch and out of my view I bent my knees and set the basket on the ground and slid my stick out of my belt keeping my eyes on the ditch always. I have a reference mark on the narrow end of my stick so I can "feel" it into the right place in my hand without looking at it. I shifted my weight. And I waited.
One minute, two, three. I was tempted to move. I heard some rustling in the ditch back over my right shoulder. I turned slightly and could see twigs moving around. Probably a squirrel, probably S1.
But I decided to wait a while longer. I had now noticed a lot of squirrel nests around me, so maybe there were lots of squirrels. I started counting to 300. When I got to 45 S1 came out of the ditch still right in front of me, went onto clear open ground,and stopped on a log on the ground with a nut in his mouth at about 10 yards. I hesitated, and he moved behind a big poplar tree where I couldn't see him. Now the other squirrel in the ditch S2 ran across the ditch and up a tree where I lost sight of him.
And that beech tree made more noise. I didn't mention that noisy tree did I? Bits of stuff were falling out of that one particular tree all the time I was there, noisy tree.
S1 showed himself again. And now he was moving right toward me and in good position. When he stopped on the chewed beaver stump he was at about 8 feet and I let fly. I know 8 feet is really close, but I don't practice throwing my stick as often as I should.I missed by inches.
He freaked out and ran for it. I quickly got to my stick and froze again. As I stood there he came down the side of a tree and tried to get a better look at me. He was in great position,but pretty far at about 15 yards. I let fly and missed by about 14 inches.
This time he didn't come down out of the tree again. So I decided it would be best for me to leave. As I was going past the noisy tree S3 showed up. He took a nut and sat on a branch in plain view and had his lunch at about 15 yards. I looked and looked but could see no way to get a stick to him. At this range it would have to arc a bit, and would surely hit a low hanging branch.
So I took a picture of him instead. I will upload it if I get a chance. It looks a lot like a squirrel sitting on a branch on a tree, which it is.
I keep getting closer, and doing better. If I persist, it is going to pay off.

Keep it up, man, you'll get it eventually. Try tossing a plastic bottle into a slow-moving stream as a target and trying to hit it. Of course you eventually have to fetch it back but it'll be good practice.

Wrecked my right arm, about 8 months ago. Tore ligaments or something in the shoulder, throwing a stick wrong, or too big or something.
I have been rehabing. When I hurt the arm I was doing about 10 pull ups a day. And since the injury I can now do 1 if I am very careful. But I am just now back to the point where I can gently throw a stick.
I have been using the Cold Steel blow gun untill I am better. It doesn't have the range of the stick. But it can be used without movement, and up close it is very precise. Range is about 4 yards for the steel broad heads figuring a kill zone of about one inch. I was just going to take the shot today when I stepped on a leaf and spooked the squirrel. It is only a matter of time now.
I haven't got anything yet but my stalking skills are light years above what they were before I started this primitive thing.
This year I shot a deer at 17 yards with my rifle. And I have had a number of deer closer. I hunt on the ground just with camo. I passed on more deer than I usually see all season, and mostly I am moving. But very, very slowly.

I loved reading this thread Frank, neat stuff!

Well, tomorrow is the last day of deer season. But squirrel season continues. So I should be able to spend a lot of time in the woods stalking squirrels. And without the blaze orange. I'm not sure at all if they notice the orange or not, but I prefer to cover all the bases I can.
Also, I will be using a game cam to help with learning my tracking skills.
I keep seeing a fat squirrel on my cam at the same place every day.

Please maintain your field efforts and your detailed field reports. This thread both instructs and entertains! And I need all the instruction I can get!

You may find this interesting. This was a quick attempt to turn my normal clothes into suitable hunting clothes. My skin got my usual white ash and charcoal. The fabric got white clay and brown clay. I didn't put much effort into this attempt. I just wanted to have a go.
As you can see the blue jeans were not at all suitable. It would take a ton of charcoal to darken down that bright blue.
Better camo would be dark on the bottom and light up top. The jeans and black t-shirt are just the opposite, and it comes off badly.
I am trying to find some brown pants or black denim I can live with for my everyday wear.
A good camo job makes a person look very unhuman.

Really enjoy reading of your adventures.

Frank, it's time you got back on here and posted up on your latest adventures!
Come on now, I'm sure you have been up to some primitive adventuring since January.
Gawd, I hope you haven't expired in any misadventures. Didn't think about that....sure hope not.

So how about it? We all need another "Stick Fix"!

Sorry for the lack of response.
My throwing arm is all healed up now. And I am getting ready for groundhog season. When you combine their size with their awareness, I figure they are about as challenging as an Eastern whitetail. I have a few weeks of practice and scouting before the young ones come out. They are not as smart, and a lot more tasty.
I'll try to get some pics.
Broke my tomahawk the other day. Darn it.

quote:

Originally posted by frank4570:
Sorry for the lack of response.
My throwing arm is all healed up now. And I am getting ready for groundhog season. When you combine their size with their awareness, I figure they are about as challenging as an Eastern whitetail. I have a few weeks of practice and scouting before the young ones come out. They are not as smart, and a lot more tasty.
I'll try to get some pics.
Broke my tomahawk the other day. Darn it.

Great news you're still with us!

Rub some "Bar Grease" on your arm & good luck in the field. We are looking forward to your next field report.

The biggest buck I've ever killed, I stalked with my bow one evening in a food plot. Helluva thrill to be primitive and among them. Give us some more.

Your learning some good stalking skills. But be glad you don't have to throw a stick to eat. Get a 22 or a shotgun they work a hell of a lot better.

An assortment of throwing sticks. Left to right. Pine dowel,cherry,poplar,locust,smack-stick,sycamore, and hickory. My tomahawk is currently broken, working on a fix.
The hickory is by far the best in all areas except that is hard to work in the first place. But it is practically indestructible.
The smack-stick is a martial arts training aid. They usually are longer for stick fighting.I contacted the company and they were nice enough to make 2 in my preferred length.
Hitting a groundhog I don't want to hurt, with a padded smack-stick, is the same thing as the indian practice of counting coup. All the same skills are needed, but the groundhog would not be hurt.
So, I spotted the groundhog out in the yard past the garden.That's about 40 yds away. A big fat one. At least a couple years old. Terrible for eating, and possibly a female with pups in the hole.
I put my smack-stick in my teeth,eased the door open, and went into a slow crawl through the door. Using stuff in the garden to hide my approach. I made it to a big tractor tire being used as a planter. It took me about 1.5 minutes to cover the 5 yards. When I got there I dropped the stick and very slowly, very carfully eased my face around the side of the tire to where I could see over the plants. No groundhog. I eased out a bit more, and a bit more. No ground hog.
Experience has taught me to not give up when I think things have gone wrong. This lesson can't be stressed enough when stalking animals.
I froze since I couldn't see the hog and waited and watched for about a minute. Then I could see the high grass in front of me moving. He was still there, just a bit hidden. I sank down and looked at the situation. This was where I would have to get more serious.
The only thing in the yard to use for cover was a bench, it would have to do. I had to finish my trip through the garden then get the bench between me and the hog. Then make my approach keeping the bench between us all the time.
I went to a very low crawl, with my body flat on the ground. My toes and hands pick up my body about 3 inches and move it forward about 5inches then set it back down.Over and over.
I had only gone about 3 feet when I heard the alarm of a bird over my shoulder.This was a huge blunder. I have enough experience to know I should have been watching for birds, and that I have to defuse them or I will fail.
Of course his alarm got the attention of the hog and other birds. When the cat bird spotted me he went into full blown freak out.
At the blasting alarm of the cat bird the groundhog didn't even bother to look around. He made a full out run for his hole without slowing down.
And that was the end of this learning experience.
I moved way too fast. I never looked around my environment. And I didn't camouflage myself. That is the top of the list of my mistakes.

Tough luck Frank. Maybe you should get a .22. P-Dog's right you would starve. FWIT, I would starve a lot more than you if I needed to depend on throwing sticks for food. But then that would be like dead vs. really dead - irrelevant. Maybe you can start out with a BB gun and take out the early warning system in the back yard first. Get yourself an edge? How about taking out the birds with a blow gun? Now that would be truly aboriginal! Tthwwaack! and back to the stalk. I would use snares & traps if I needed sustenance but stick whackin' a bunny you stalked up between sets could add to the pot. Great stalking & observation skills you are honing. I'm sure they are and asset when you use modern tools afield.

Thanks for the post & BTW, that 2nd stick looks more like Cherry than poplar.

I have seen the groundhog.
Not quite as impressive as I have seen the elephant.



I was doing some scouting the other day and as I entered a field I saw a groundhog scampering away on the far side. A field full of clover with lots of good cover around the edges for cover, perfect.
So today I took a walk with my camera. I approached the field from the east and cut into the woods. This was great for the wind but not so good for the sun. I would be staring into the setting sun.I can live with that, this is observation not hunting.
So I ease up to the edge of the field staying very low and just let my head over the top of the hill that overlooks the field. There is my groundhog.On the west side of the field grazing. He hands out for a while then heads toward his home in the woods. I figure he might be back later. Groundhogs are really skittish and will run for their hole over nothing.
I settle in in a prone position behind some light vegetation and get my camera up front where I can get to it. I sit there for about 15 minutes when a thin red fox steps into the field from the right side, keeps going and up the bank and into the woods. Too fast for my camera.
About 10 minutes later another fox shows up. He is nice enough to go to the middle of the field and pose for me. I discover my camera is focusing on the vegetation and won't focus on the fox. The fox leaves.
I can hear birds alarm calls to the north and figure the fox is moving out. The woods in that area gets very very quiet for a while except for one very loud alarmed bird.
So another 15 or 20 minutes passes and the sun is now behind the far trees instead of in my face which is nice. I hear what sounds like a bird eating off to my right side in the heavy vegetation just in the woods.
And then I see him. It is a different groundhog and he is close. Maybe 11 or 12 yards. I have blackened the bright parts of my face with charcoal, but their eyes are pretty good and I am close. At least I am not standing. I wish I had lightened my eyes with ash or clay. Oh well. Learn from mistakes.
He moves back into the brush where I can't see him, I turn on my camera. But I can't see him and moving is going to be tough.
So I lift myself up on my left arm so I can see better. There he is. And I am stuck holding myself up with one arm while I take a few pics with my other hand.
It doesn't take long for my arm to get real tired. And he is looking right at me and the camera.(CAMO the camera)
He doesn't like what he is seeing. After about a 3 minute staring contest he decides this is a bad situation and moves away. If he had been sure I was a predator he would have run at top speed. The fact that he didn't bolt shows me that I could have done better, but I could have done worse.
If I had been hunting I would have planned to be on my feet and therefore camo would be very important.
Next time.

Another hunting report. The season is on.

So I left the house at about 5:30pm. I knew this would give me 3 hours or so of hunting time.
I decided I would go after the groundhog in the field I had scouted before. I had noticed he wasn't very fast, so that made him a good choice.
I approached from the north this time. I always try to approach from a different direction if scent isn't an issue. So I entered the woods about 200 yards from the field and started to slow my speed. When I got to about 100 yards away I got more serious about noise control. I listened to the birds and wind. I could hear deer getting up out of their beds and sneaking away. When the wind stopped so did I, and so it went until I got to within maybe 10 yards of the field. As I got closer I slower more and prepared a little. I set down my carry bag which has my notebook and stuff. I had chosen my favorite heavy hickory stick and a tomahawk as backup. I tucked the hawk into my belt, camera left pocket, throwing stick in my right hand where it should be. Then I slowly eased my way up sharp hill on the side of the field. There is pokeweed growing all over the bank about 5 feet tall. Good concealment for me, not so good for throwing.
Now standing on the bank I could see a good portion of the field to about 100 yards and I expected the groundhog to be close to my position. As I stood on the bank looking though, part of the bank gave way and went crashing down into the field. I figured I was toast at this point, but I have learned to never give up. So I stayed still. It only took about 2 minutes for the hog to come into my view from the right heading for his hole in the woods.
He was quite a bit farther than I would like. Too far for me to feel I had a good chance with the stick. So I opted for the camera instead.It made a little humming noise as the lens came out.No problem. I pointed at him and pressed the button and the camera made a loud "BEEP" when it went off.

The groundhog look around trying to figure where the noise was coming from. I had forgotten to turn off the sound. I started messing with the camera trying to get it to stop all the while causing it to make more little noises and the groundhog decided he didn't like the way things were going. He headed on back to his hole. He didn't bolt though, that was a good sign.
I decided to get a better position. In full stalking mode now I moved along the edge very slowly, trying to never snap a twig and never to make any more noise than a mouse. I don't know how long it took but I finally found a spot I liked and stayed there.The time was 6:40.
At 7:03 a bird went into a a tree close to me and started alarming. I was mostly not moving, and had been in this spot for a while. So I figured it was about an even bet he was alarming on something else. I tried to watch in all directions as he had a good view in a lot of directions. Birds will alarm about 2 minutes ahead of a modern person and about 30 seconds ahead of a primitive person or a person with training. I have no idea about animals.
At 7:06 the groundhog showed himself on the edge of the field right under the bird for just a second. I think the bird mistook him for a fox or weasel. Very soon the bird quieted down and there were no more alarms. I could hear the groundhog in the pokeweeds not too far from me but visibility was about 5 feet. So I waited.
After a short while the groundhog headed back out into the field to feed again. He was closer this time, still pretty far. This kind of situation was why I brought the heavy stick.
I definitely did not try the camera again.
I made a guess at the distance of 20 to 25 yards with a lot of elevation on my side. I got the pace of his watching then grazing. When he started to graze I brought my arm down and back and stretched like a flyrod then snapped forward. When the stick cut the tops of the pokeweed he ran for it. It was a pretty good throw though, and he isn't that fast.
For a second it looked like he might run right into the incoming stick. Then about 5 yards out from the target the stick seemed to loose all its steam and dropped suddenly and I became concerned that I would only injure the little guy. But the stick fell about 18 inches short. Of course the groundhog never stopped.
I paced it out at 27yards.Not that I do any math or anything. I throw the stick at the target. If the target is farther I throw higher, that's it.
I'm wearing bug spray next time.

Another enjoyable report Frank! Thank you. It seems that the second stalk was your best to date. I'm sure you are not far away from posting some grip & grin pictures. Best of luck & skill to ya. Keep the faith Brutha!