Is it bad that I hunt out of a blind? I see all you folks talking about actually walking around in the woods and stuff. That sounds like a lot more fun than just sitting and waiting. I kinda want to do that now that I think about it.
Well it is my favorite way to hunt to be honest, but I have spent many an hour sitting in a little plywood box or perched atop some form of ladder stand as well.
As mentioned the terrain you have to hunt plays a big role in it as well. If your sitting on wide open pastures where there is nothing to blend in with but the tall blades of grass, it's pretty much useless unless you have some ridges or ditches to work with.
I hunt both wide open pastures and thick woods. The pastures are pretty much flat with no features to use, so you get behind something to try and blend in, like a youpon bush or similar cover, and sit and see what shakes out. Your mainly looking to break up your silhouette against any type of background.
In the woods though, if you have enough to work with, you can spend all day. If your working it right and proper as I was instructed growing up, you will only cover 3-400yds. I was always told, if your covering more than 100yds an hour your going to fast.
Still your outside using the natural cover, plotting your next move, and generally getting into the whole scheme of things. Use the wind and if you can try to pick days when it is misty rain and calm. That way the ground clutter is damp and quiet. Move as slow as possible even when stepping. Plot your next move to coincide with getting to the next little clump of brush, a bush, or two trees together rather than just one. Once there stop and ever so slowly look around 360 degrees. Those deer can seemingly just pop up like a jack in the box right out of nowhere.
It isn't like when a deer or 7 or 8 come up, or ease by a few yards away, that you can simply jump and duck behind a tree either. If your caught out in the open, well your caught, and nothing you can do but begin the contest of nerves, who's gonna move first. Trust me when I say, those white faced old matriarch's of the herd will peg you dead to rights in no time, and there ain't no winning a staring contest with one either. LOL It is however a total rush to stand still beside a tree and have them walk within yards or feet of you never realizing your even there.
One of the last really nice bucks I shot, I was simply standing next to a big ol tree. I had half a dozen or more does walk up with him in tow, to within 5yds, stop, and start feeding on the acorns. The old white faced one snapped first, and then they all started the staring and flipping their heads up and down, knowing I was something that shouldn't be there. The buck was standing not 20yds away watching all the commotion wondering what they were doing. He should have been paying attention to them, cause now he is on my wall