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I hunt whitetail every year on a large Western ranch. The deer are concentrated along the river in the flat valley bottom. About 50% of this area is covered by thick willows (bushes, not trees) which grow ten to twelve feet tall. These patches stretch for miles, but there are many small open areas within. The willows are impenetrable except on the deer trails, and that is hands-and-knees. Any attempt to enter will certainly lay down a scent trail and push the deer away. I don't have access to the ranch except during my one week hunt, so I can't use game cams. You cannot see much into the open areas from the high points above the valley bottom, so scoping isn't of much value. This is a working ranch, so the deer are accustomed to pick-ups and four wheelers. This may be a cockamamie idea, but I want to try using a helium balloon and a video camera. Calulating the angles, the balloon would have to be about 300' above ground in order to stay 100 yards from the open areas. The concept is to move the balloon by walking it slowly. The camera can be set to make an exposure every 5, 10, 15 seconds, etc. I am fairly certain I can do this without spooking deer UNLESS they spot the balloon and go for cover. The balloon is large, about eight feet in diameter. An alterntive would be to tether the balloon and leave it for a few hours. Questions: 1. What do you think of the ethics of this plan? 2. Do you think the balloon would spook big bucks? Your comments would be appreciated. | ||
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What about a remote controlled helicopter with night vision capabilities  It may be that I'm just not that smart but I wouldnt try it if for no other reason than I wouldnt want anybody to see me attmept it for fear of what they would think If you feel like you can be close enough to the thick willows without spooking the deer while waling your helium balloon I would think you could slowly still hunt the area and have a better chance but thats just me. | |||
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What's wrong with old fashioned hunting? Find a well used trail and sit as far off it as you can but still able to see it. Then maybe use a call a little bit but not at all if you aren't familiar with calling as it can do more harm than good. | |||
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I will 'fess up and admit I actually thought of an RC aircraft, but discarded it due to cost and noise. Same for an ultralight. I've hunted this ranch for nearly 30 years, and very much enjoy still hunting. However, there is simply no way to get a view of the enclosed openings without laying down a scent trail and/or making noise. The big guys use the trails through the willow, so watching those is not possible. Don't misunderstand me, I've taken a lot of big mature 4 points over the years and don't mind working for them. However, there are some real monsters to be had. A few years ago some poachers/spotlighters took three bucks that ranch personnel described as bigger than anything they had ever seen. During the season, despite very little hunting pressure on the ranch, the true trophy bucks go nocturnal except in the willows where they have near perfect cover. I have tried rattling and calling, but I think the buck/doe ratio is such that it isn't very productive. These willow thickets extend for seven miles along the river on this ranch, so there is a real problem in locating the big guys. If I could scout before the season I could use scrapes and rubs as clues, but trying to do it during the season would certainly spook these guys. Even if I can locate a mossy horn or two, bagging one is no slam dunk. But, at least I could narrow my efforts. I hope you can appreciate this riddle. | |||
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Do the willows cover both banks of the river or mainly along just one bank? Is the river deep, wide, swift flowing along this stretch? Have you thought about hunting from or with the aid of a canoe? Even the rocks don't last forever. | |||
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Hi Crazy. The river has some deep holes and very shallow rapids. Yeah, I've thought of this, raft, float tube, wade, etc. I've used my raft in Alaska for 'bou, drift boat on another river for deer and birds. The willow is pretty continous along both banks, and this stuff is impenetrable. I mean, the only way to get through it would be with a machete. You can go on the deer trails, but they twist and turn a lot, so you can seldom see more than 20 feet. Also, they are only as high as a deer's shoulders and are tunnels rather than trails as we usually think of them. I don't think there is a chance in hell of crawling to within 20' of a mature buck. Even Carlos Hathcock couldn't have done it. In any case, there is so much area that one would have to get a general location for the quarry in advance. If I figured only 100' on each side of the seven miles of river, thats 170 acres. So, you can see my dilemma. Thanks for taking the time to respond. | |||
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What State is this in???? | |||
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The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting American Big Game Hunting New Strategy, Comments Solicited
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