Still hunting in a dog club

ncbuckfever

Six Pointer
Hey Guys, just got an opportunity to join a big (6,000 acres) dog club really close to my house, so I did. I am a still hunter. Just wanted to hear from others who may do this, what are some tips? I am going to use a climber so I can be mobile and all club land is open to all (permanent stands are allowed, must anyone can use).

Tips? Thoughts?
 
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woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
,,,,,Tips? Thoughts?


do yourself a favor,,,,try a dog hunt or three - you may enjoy it

but other than that, recommendations depend on club rules,,,some dog clubs don't allow still hunting during a dog hunt - need folks as standers. Others may not care,,,,either way - should be about like any other hunt,,,deer move when deer move,,,,the more season advances the more likely pressure will cause them to move differently,,,,all bets off when they are rutting!!

have fun, hunt when you can
 

bshobbs

Old Mossy Horns
Dog hunt in the morning with the club. Still hunt in the afternoon.

You do not need dogs, but it is nice for you to have a dog box to help round them up.

I have done it for years.

Also, maybe a CB so you can keep up with the hunt. I also keep a small portable one in my vest for those times you leave the truck. Without some type of commo, the hunt can leave one area and be 5 miles down the road.

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TravisLH

Old Mossy Horns
Like was said a lot depends on rules of the club, I've had good luck stand hunting while dogs were running. Naturally if the dogs drive them to you, it can be good, also I've had luck hunting behind the dogs (deer double back) or down wind of the dogs


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Jack's PA

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
I was a member of a dog club for a year. Their rule was all had to dog hunt while the dogs were hunting. You could still hunt after dogs done for the day or days dogs not running.
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I was a member of several over the years and it worked fine. The only advice I can give other than adhere to whatever established rules they have in place is don't still hunt near a road or path and expect NOT to be disturbed by a vehicle. You are going to have to get somewhere off the beaten path.
 

snakeskinner

Twelve Pointer
My brother and I were in a club once. I would drop him off before daylight and he would hunt and I would go shoot the bull and eat breakfast at the club house. Sometimes he would be in a good position for the first run of the morning and other times not but it didn't matter to him. Late morning he would come out and dog hunt and then we would both find a stand for the evening in a place that might have remained undisturbed by dogs running that day. I often still/stand hunted on Fridays and dog hunted on Saturdays. Spending Friday night at the club was always fun.
 
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QBD2

Old Mossy Horns
do yourself a favor,,,,try a dog hunt or three - you may enjoy it

but other than that, recommendations depend on club rules,,,some dog clubs don't allow still hunting during a dog hunt - need folks as standers. Others may not care,,,,either way - should be about like any other hunt,,,deer move when deer move,,,,the more season advances the more likely pressure will cause them to move differently,,,,all bets off when they are rutting!!

have fun, hunt when you can
This...

As others have said, most dog clubs are gonna want you to participate if you're there and they're running.
 

MJ74

Old Mossy Horns
Still hunt a place in the afternoon that they ran that morning....alot of times you will catch deer coming back to the area.

Or if you dont want to be near the dogs,find out where they plan on running and hunt on another piece of land they have or if its continuous land hunt the opposite end.

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Weekender

Twelve Pointer
My granddad killed a nice wide ten point less than a hundred yards from an outhouse in the late 60's. Sometimes great deer are escaping pressure really close to the source of it. Counterintuitive, I know, but the principle's the same whether dog pressure or still hunting.
 

catfishrus

Twelve Pointer
No rules on when or where to still hunt while dogs are running. I can go as I please anytime.

Sounds like my club. I been a member on mine for 5-6 years..best dog club I ever been on. If you miss the first turn out(5 minutes after legal time/we don't draw any maps in the sand)..its your own fault. If you got a bad stand..its your own fault..move. Get you a GPS and log in as many dogs as you can or at least learn who has the good dogs and log them in. Then get you a 4 wheeler and go cut them off. Most of all watch where the dogs go when running and you will find some excellent places to still hunt.
 

jug

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Everyone has given good advice. I will add that the still hunting for nice can and usually gets better after Thanksgiving . We always had good luck seeing nice bucks between Thanksgiving and New Years. The dogs keep the nicer bucks laying low at the beginning of the season but as the season wanes on those same bucks move more when the temps drop and most of the does have been bred. They go to roaming looking for the does that have not found them. My brother saw one down at our club less than 200 yards from his stand the last 2 weeks of the season during the middle of the day.
 

DRS

Old Mossy Horns
There is some good advice here for sure.

The best advice I can give, is don't mind the dogs.


I have killed deer back standing the dogs on cast. I have killed deer where were ran that day, mature bucks tend to hold tight when the dogs are there. Many times, if it gets quite these bucks will move. I actually ran a small cut over of +/- 75 acres with several well handling dogs the fourth time in I killed a decent 8 pointer. That afternoon a friend shot his largest buck to date, a nice 8 pointer, coming out of that same cut over, while stand hunting. If the dogs do get after a nice buck and he gets away in the morning, hunt that escape route he used, that afternoon. Seen a many a nice buck killed this way. Just remember there is no such thing as never or always, when it comes to hunting deer. One of the best stand hunts I had this year was when the guys that have always ran dogs across the road had dogs get on my lease, I had a ball and even killed a yote the dogs were pounding. I do own and have hounds, so I always like a good chase any how.

Find some good crossing down in the woods were others don't like to walk to and set there all day. I had some places like this before I had hounds and on any given day at some point it was highly like a deer would either slip through or come through being pushed by hounds.
 
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aya28ga

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
DRS;1837898 Find some good crossing down in the woods were others don't like to walk to and set there all day. I had some places like this before I had hounds and on any given day at some point it was highly like a deer would either slip through or come through being pushed by hounds.[/QUOTE said:
This is some great advice for a stand / still hunter who is hunting in an area that dogs are running in.

I use it myself on my property - I don't hunt with dogs but my land is in a dog hunting county, so on any given Saturday or holiday when I know the local club will be running dogs in the area, I'll sit in a place down in the woods, usually along a gully or where two trails intersect were I know the deer will come slipping through. The club will be running their trucks up and down the roads trying to get in front of the deer, but I'll be playing the "patience game," waiting for the dogs to run one directly to me or something even better: having that buck that's trying to slip away from the dogs step in front of me. I usually kill one or two deer a season this way, including this fellow from last Fall.

 
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Shine

Six Pointer
Contributor
I find luck with hunting spots that they do not dog run often. Locate the small plots but I've had plenty of luck where they dog run as well. My club switches tracks every week (3 different tracks). Although I don't dog run much I would give it a try. It is a lot of fun and usually more action but I like just relaxing in the woods with no one around as well.
 
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