Passive-Aggressive Hunting
Victor Leake

Most archery deer hunters are divided into two groups; those who hunt aggressively with calls and rattles, and those who hunt in stands waiting for the deer to come by a well scouted trail.

Hunters who normally hunt aggressively, will do so from the ground level, moving quietly through the forest checking trails until they spot a buck. Then they quickly set up and with both doe bleats, buck grunts and rattling horns; they try to entice a buck within bow range. They try to fool a wise old male that another male has invaded his turf and that this new buck is after one of his does. When all goes right the action can be fast and exciting. The buck may come at a run, closing the distance quickly and making the heart pound.

Then there are the passive hunters. These men and women may spend days if not months scouting the best location to set up a tree stand. They check the winds, the travel routes of the deer between feeding areas and bedding areas. From their high post a hunter has the opportunity to watch wildlife for hours without the animals knowing they are being watched. Often, when the deer comes in, the passive hunter knows the distance, since he or she has paced it off ahead of time.

But there is a third style of bow hunter, one that fits my personal make up the best. I call it Passive-Aggressive hunting.

By using a climbing tree stand I can move my stand location each day or even during the day as weather and conditions dictate. Hunting on public lands for about 95% of my time I've learned the hard way to never leave a stand up a tree and go have lunch; it just may not be there when you get back.

If from my location I see deer moving along a ridge just out of bow range, then when they are out of sight I can quickly come down and move over. In less than five minutes I can be up a tree and hunting. I have also learned that if I climb easy the little bit of noise I make does not spook the deer. In fact I have had some bucks walk within fifteen feet of my stand seconds after I am sitting. I have come to believe they think I'm just a really big squirrel, and why not, for years I've been told I'm a really big nut.

When I spot a buck just out of range, I use calls to try to make him move within range. By aggressively calling, using both doe bleats and buck grunts and by being in an elevated stand I can watch the movements of the deer, to see how they are reacting to the call.

By being both passive, sitting in a stand watching the woods; and aggressive, using calls and rattles; I've been able to harvest an average of three deer a season with a bow over the last five years, and all on lands open to anyone to hunt. Often your best chance at a good buck will come the first time
you hunt in his area, for this reason the climbing stand is the best choice, as it will leave less of your scent around to alarm the deer.

I have also learned to use the other hunters to my advantage. With most hunters leaving the woods around 9 am and not returning until after 3 pm; I have learned that they will push the deer to me. I just set up my stand on a natural trail and wait for the hunters to walk to or from their trucks. The deer will often follow a hunter out of the woods or walk in front of them as they come in. By being in my tree stand after the others leave or before they come back I have deer drivers working for me.

And on those rare times when we get a snow during hunting season, I can move around, see fresh tracks and set up where the deer are today, not yesterday.

Hunt long, hunt often, and leave only your foot prints behind.