Question for guys that hike in high in mountains to deer hunt

wildcat3

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
Forgive the stupid question but all my deer hunting has been on flat land and mostly dog hunting. I read threads on here about guys hiking miles into the high country and hunting public land deer on this forum. Are you guys hiking in with a climber or blind or just sitting against a tree looking over a ridge. I've never deer hunted like that or in the mountains and have always been curious. From what I gather some of y'all hunt more like they do out west, by slipping around and classing other ridges and stalking ???
 

jcannon

Twelve Pointer
Depends on the day and the situation, but there are very few times I use a stand while walking a long distance. Most of the time I use my millennium tree seat. It's worth every penny I spent on it. Sometimes I'll "still" hunt, but I always carry my tree seat with me. The only place that I've been that I can actually glass was Pond Mtn. It's a little different than most of the places that I normally hunt.
 

jcannon

Twelve Pointer
I'll add that most of the places that I have hunted on Pisgah are pretty thick. There is another place on public that I hunt that averages 4500ft to 5300 ft and I can get some longer shots, but the terrain is rough and a deer can probably hear me moving a mile away.
 

ncstatehunter

Twelve Pointer
Depends where I am in regards to terrain and how I’m wanting to hunt. I could have carried a stand where I was this morning and not been worn out but I was trying to find some fresh tracks to stalk or find a spot to sit and watch. A lot of places a stand is pointless because you end up not being able to see as good as you could if you were on the ground, other spots it makes sense from a strategic setup but is a pain to carry in. I plan to add a saddle for those situations, packing in my sticks won’t add much to my pack and I can wear the saddle. I’ve hunted from a stand more this year than I had planned to but I’ve found some spots where’s it’s not far and not much worse than some stuff I’ve hunted in the Piedmont like in the Uwharries. After hunting out west I’ve come to like hunting n the ground around here when it’s feasible. Lot of stuff I like to hunt it really isn’t feasible to unless I’m in the mountains.
 
There are many on here that judging by the pics I’ve seen do it far better than I do, but I like to do a lot of work in the summertime as far as dragging lock ons into those far back spots. I try and set up as much as I can while the weathers good. I also have a lone wolf hand climber that is awesome for the longer hikes as long as it’s not too awful thick and you have branches clinging off you every 10 yards. Anymore though, any spot that requires more than about a 30 min hike in or has any kind of climb in altitude, I’ll just find a good looking spot with a favorable wind and hunt off the ground. As far as glassing and stalking, there’s been times in the past where I’ve watched a little too much Jim Shockey on the hunting channel and went out and tried it only to instantly figure out I’m way to clumsy and loud to ever do it effectively but I have hunted with a few who can and watching someone swimming through the mountain laurels and walking through the leaves light enough to avoid too much noise all while keeping a favorable wind is truly impressive.
 

appmtnhntr

Twelve Pointer
Depends where I am in regards to terrain and how I’m wanting to hunt. I could have carried a stand where I was this morning and not been worn out but I was trying to find some fresh tracks to stalk or find a spot to sit and watch. A lot of places a stand is pointless because you end up not being able to see as good as you could if you were on the ground, other spots it makes sense from a strategic setup but is a pain to carry in. I plan to add a saddle for those situations, packing in my sticks won’t add much to my pack and I can wear the saddle. I’ve hunted from a stand more this year than I had planned to but I’ve found some spots where’s it’s not far and not much worse than some stuff I’ve hunted in the Piedmont like in the Uwharries. After hunting out west I’ve come to like hunting n the ground around here when it’s feasible. Lot of stuff I like to hunt it really isn’t feasible to unless I’m in the mountains.
Mainly this^^
Some spots are for slipping, and some spots are for sitting.

I equate it to offshore fishing.
I’m running across all types of sandy bottom and random little strips of sign to get to that hard edge put on the ledge where all the life is.

As far types of hunting, I kill a lot by just slipping along game trails about a step every minute. Sometimes faster, sometimes slower. Blow through crap that’s thick or no sign, and take your time when you can see good and there’s deer around.

The deer don’t mind you if you don’t smell bad and sound about like a deer walking through the woods. These places have super low pressure. The deer I shot saturday had prolly never seen a car before. Possibly an ATV

Other places are too loud or too weird topography to slip.
There, I just find wore out trails between feed and hunt them off a rock or stump.

I only haul stands somewhere if i have a big one I want to kill
 

appmtnhntr

Twelve Pointer
Mainly this^^
Some spots are for slipping, and some spots are for sitting.

I equate it to offshore fishing.
I’m running across all types of sandy bottom and random little strips of sign to get to that hard edge put on the ledge where all the life is.

As far types of hunting, I kill a lot by just slipping along game trails about a step every minute. Sometimes faster, sometimes slower. Blow through crap that’s thick or no sign, and take your time when you can see good and there’s deer around.

The deer don’t mind you if you don’t smell bad and sound about like a deer walking through the woods. These places have super low pressure. The deer I shot saturday had prolly never seen a car before. Possibly an ATV

Other places are too loud or too weird topography to slip.
There, I just find wore out trails between feed and hunt them off a rock or stump.

I only haul stands somewhere if i have a big one I want to kill
That being said ^^^

70% of the land up here is not conducive to hunting effectively no matter what you do.

It’s rolling through mile after mile of crap ground before you find the one holler where everything is living that year.
 

CAP305

Six Pointer
Uwharrie where I hunt isn't "high mountains" per se but it's still a ball buster sometimes. I've gone from packing in a lone wolf hang on to a saddle and "stepp" ladders. I'm able to get all my gear and my weapon on my back freeing me up to ride my bike in. Two wheels get me 80% of the way to my locations and I hoof it the rest of the way. My 50 year old knees approve of this method. I'll always pack my gear in but make a snap decision to either climb or ground hunt once I get where I'm going.
 

timekiller13

Old Mossy Horns
It depends. Sometimes I just still hunt "western style", sometimes I sit on a rock or fallen tree, and sometimes I climb a tree. If I am climbing I'm using my saddle. The situation, time of year and what sign I am hunting all comes into play.

Honestly, I have gotten to the point where I like to walk more than sit. Covering ground, seeing new country and never wondering "whats going on over the other ridge."
 

dpc

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
It depends. Sometimes I just still hunt "western style", sometimes I sit on a rock or fallen tree, and sometimes I climb a tree. If I am climbing I'm using my saddle. The situation, time of year and what sign I am hunting all comes into play.

Honestly, I have gotten to the point where I like to walk more than sit. Covering ground, seeing new country and never wondering "whats going on over the other ridge."

I left climber at home this morning on accident so I just started hoofing it about an hour after sun up. I was pleasantly surprised with new area I stumbled into showing good sign.
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
We hunted up there a lot in the 70s. Strictly used what nature gave us. May crawl up on a rock, deadfall or just use the terrain to our advantage but to we leased some land we did no stand hunting.
 

Bluecord

Six Pointer
I just did my first hunt up there, walked almost 4miles just looking for signs/slipping. Did some ground hunting, didn’t bring a stand bc I’ve hiked it and new it was THICK to say the least. Def still learning though, and that’s what is fun.
 

Lowg08

Ten Pointer
I will add I have stands that I have pre hung and never come down. I have for instance that was such a pain it will rot in there. Just a mix. I’m looking into a saddle and ultra light sticks( timber ninja c1) and ultra light hang on. That being said I mostly carry a cushion though and with some advice of other just find the hot sign and sit down
 

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
I'm to fat and lazy to pack a stand or blind more than a mile even then I don't usually. mtn terrain if used right already gives you a height advantage why pack stand climb 25ft to get busted by one coming in above ridge your most always hunting side hill deer are not fan of being skylined in light hours. There are exceptions where stand is needed there is no one all time answer except blinds I will not fool with deer don't like new blinds popping up on ridge. I've killed most all my public deer from ground
 

JJWise

Twelve Pointer
In NC I’m mostly on flat ground (though still have to walk a long way on public ground here) but I grew up in WV and still hunt there a few times each year. If I’m bow hunting I’ll take a climber or tree saddle, but if I’m gun hunting I generally prefer to hunt from the ground. Most of the places in WV and western NC that I’ve hunted have a lot of mature hardwoods and the ground level is relatively clear. I’ll sit against a tree for the first little bit of shooting light and see if anything comes past, but once there’s better light I’m up on my feet moving, working the terrain to my advantage and trying to look for deer feeding or bedding ahead of me.
 

appmtnhntr

Twelve Pointer
^^^slip, listen, slip, listen, slip slip slip, listen.

If you see does, sit down and grunt hard and make a thrash. The bucks don’t know you busted up the group of does, he just thinks some d-bag is messin with his hoes.

I grunt a lot this time of year.

Sound is the key up here. You gotta be quiet but the best hunting is when the woods are the loudest.

With the right scent regimen, you can get just as good action on your downwind like a chum bag hanging off the boat.

I kill a bunch of stuff running in on my 6. Especially bucks this time of year.

I also walk big long game trails. I’m talking ancient bear and deer trails. Some that look like dirt bike paths through the mountains.
Since I’ve started “putting them together” and looking at them overhead, they run like veins and arteries through the mountains for miles and miles. Usually the game follows the easiest path.
Plus side to walking the big game trails are that you find/intersect most of the scrape lines, you run headlong through their feed and bedding to scout, and it gets you a quiet path to slip.
You also find places where all the game has to use a certain place as a hub to get access to the next set of trails. Might be a saddle, might be a rocky knob, might be a flat where two big creeks converge. Those are the spots you mark for later and figure out a strategy for how to get in to hunt those spots.

Now that I carry a gps / topo in my pocket, I just plot out my route in my head that hunts me through the gaps, flats, hollers, and saddles where I’ve seen deer or good sign before, or I’ll add a new holler to my “loop” every time I go somewhere to hunt. Once you walk a place a couple times, you get the feel of how you adjust your loop based on wind and whatever else.

My OnX tracks always look like cursive lowercase g’s. A long walk in somewhere, then some kind of weird circuitous loop at a certain elevation that gets me back to the trail I came in on, then back to the car.


Always slip with your shooting stick or bipod out and extended to shoot standing or kneeling.
Always have your scope caps up or off.
Always have your scope on the lowest power.
Never carry your rifle on your shoulder when you’re in the zone.
Be prepared to deal with the deer once you do kill one. A dead deer at dark on the side of a mountain 3 miles from anywhere can be a sinking feeling, instead of a fist pump. (What the eff did I just do?!?!?)
You won’t drag it yourself. Break them down.
Carry more water and food than you need, and make sure you eat and drink it all before you get back to the car.

Have fun and be safe.
 

jscar

Four Pointer
this is a typical example of my mountain hunting. Killed an 8 pt, 177 lb buck at 5:15 pm saturday, Started dragging the buck out. I got to 4 wheeler at 7 pm. A distance of 1/2 mile with some ups and downs mountain country. Buck loaded and reached my cabin at 7:45. Closed up cabin. Used 4 wheeler to reach my vehicle 8:15. Left for home and arrived there at 9, So remember late afternoon in the mountains can be a real problem.
 

YanceyGreenhorn

Still Not a Moderator
^^^slip, listen, slip, listen, slip slip slip, listen.

If you see does, sit down and grunt hard and make a thrash. The bucks don’t know you busted up the group of does, he just thinks some d-bag is messin with his hoes.

I grunt a lot this time of year.

Sound is the key up here. You gotta be quiet but the best hunting is when the woods are the loudest.

With the right scent regimen, you can get just as good action on your downwind like a chum bag hanging off the boat.

I kill a bunch of stuff running in on my 6. Especially bucks this time of year.

I also walk big long game trails. I’m talking ancient bear and deer trails. Some that look like dirt bike paths through the mountains.
Since I’ve started “putting them together” and looking at them overhead, they run like veins and arteries through the mountains for miles and miles. Usually the game follows the easiest path.
Plus side to walking the big game trails are that you find/intersect most of the scrape lines, you run headlong through their feed and bedding to scout, and it gets you a quiet path to slip.
You also find places where all the game has to use a certain place as a hub to get access to the next set of trails. Might be a saddle, might be a rocky knob, might be a flat where two big creeks converge. Those are the spots you mark for later and figure out a strategy for how to get in to hunt those spots.

Now that I carry a gps / topo in my pocket, I just plot out my route in my head that hunts me through the gaps, flats, hollers, and saddles where I’ve seen deer or good sign before, or I’ll add a new holler to my “loop” every time I go somewhere to hunt. Once you walk a place a couple times, you get the feel of how you adjust your loop based on wind and whatever else.

My OnX tracks always look like cursive lowercase g’s. A long walk in somewhere, then some kind of weird circuitous loop at a certain elevation that gets me back to the trail I came in on, then back to the car.


Always slip with your shooting stick or bipod out and extended to shoot standing or kneeling.
Always have your scope caps up or off.
Always have your scope on the lowest power.
Never carry your rifle on your shoulder when you’re in the zone.
Be prepared to deal with the deer once you do kill one. A dead deer at dark on the side of a mountain 3 miles from anywhere can be a sinking feeling, instead of a fist pump. (What the eff did I just do?!?!?)
You won’t drag it yourself. Break them down.
Carry more water and food than you need, and make sure you eat and drink it all before you get back to the car.

Have fun and be safe.
Man you fellers got me amped to get in the woods the next 2 weekend!!!
 

Banjo

Old Mossy Horns
When I am lucky enough to get to hunt in the mountains, I am a stump sitter. Move and stop, move and stop. The only exception is if I am bow hunting. Then I am in a tree.
 

gremcat

Twelve Pointer
I try and pack stands in pre-season or between with PAs open and closed interruptions. I’ve killed them hiking in or out but it’s on very favorable ground. Mostly hard granite that’s fairly quiet or fresh snow/wet ground. You can glass a long way here. The rhododendron and cliffs make it much harder to get to anything you see.

Sad to say, as deep and far as I go my best spots are proving to be in sight of houses.
 

appmtnhntr

Twelve Pointer
I try and pack stands in pre-season or between with PAs open and closed interruptions. I’ve killed them hiking in or out but it’s on very favorable ground. Mostly hard granite that’s fairly quiet or fresh snow/wet ground. You can glass a long way here. The rhododendron and cliffs make it much harder to get to anything you see.

Sad to say, as deep and far as I go my best spots are proving to be in sight of houses.

Sometimes them house deer are the best hunting and eating.
I’ve been known to walk a long way just to get behind a neighborhood or a giant lease in the middle of a chunk.
Those guys have great corn piles and the deer walk by right after daylight and right before dark!
 

TobyScreams

Twelve Pointer
Depends on terrain and proximity. Usually I pack in a lonewolf setup. Sticks and assault or climber. I hunt mountains a lot but public little. Usually pre hung stands if I’m on a private land mountain hunt. I’ve often killed deer in the evening and not make it out until 11-12. That being said I’m fat and don’t have a four wheeler (or friends) . My best deer have ALWAYS been from the ground with one exception. Probably coincidence though. Just make a plan and try to stick to it. Be able to improvise, adapt, and overcome however.
 

appmtnhntr

Twelve Pointer
Thought of this the other day.
Knowing I’m hunting mostly mountain public land, I also know that I don’t have a lease fee to pay, food plots to till and plant, corn, 4 wheeler or SxS to get out there, etc.

So I get to spend my hunting money on good clothes, a nice pack, good shoes, premium gloves and outerwear, and other all season gear that keeps me COMFORTABLE outside yearround. All my stuff is double duty for hiking, biking, etc out in the hills.
There’s more land up here than I could ever walk through, and if You don’t have good gear, you aren’t gonna put in the time that it requires to consistently be successful.

Finding spots that work in certain weather or seasons and remember when and why to go there is how to see lots of game.

Same goes for squirrels and turkeys.

And eventually, someone else will find your hidey hole and you either have to share or move on! Cause you prolly moved in on some other guys “favorite spot” without knowing, lol!

But having the gear to get you out there and keep you comfortable is the biggest factor.


All that being said. I WILL have a private patch and box blind for me and my daughter to hunt in when she’s little. She won’t be able to go do what I do till she’s older.

Gotta get her started young before she knows any different.
 
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