Silent on snow crust?

Arcticfox

Arcticfox

New member
Perhaps someone can help me with this?

We've had almost three months straight with no temperatures above freezing and right now we have pretty good snow for getting out quietly. I ski to my stands.

But anyday now it will start melting some in the daytime and then there will be a month or so of crusted snow. (Most of the time I expect it will be strong enough to walk on at least in the mornings.) Fox will have a hard time catching mice but will travel easy and should be good to call. Remains one little problem: how get quietly to a stand?

One guy told me to take a sheep-skin with the hair down and tie it to snowshoes. Anyone try that? I guess I might as I am a sucker for trying anything at least once but I'd just as soon hear from someone who already did.
 
We hunt a lot in crusty snow. There is simply no way to get quietly to a stand. Even with carpet or some soft cloth on your snow shoes, it will still crunch.

When it's crusty, we don't attempt to get too close to where we want to go. At times we have three people on snowshoes moving in to a calling stand. We just crunch in to where we want to call and count on calling the critters out to us. If you get too close, you'll spook the animals. Stay back. Call them to you.

Randy
 
Thanks for the feedback!

The chrunching-in approach kind of opens new perspectives. I haven't dared try that kind of stunt, but I guess it is time! For sure the foxes must travel easier and perhaps come from further off on a solid crust. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Most years the snow gets so one can walk on it in April and if it gets that strong this year I may try some kind of soft and furry fabric too.

Anyway conditions are still great, two feet of soft snow in the woods and I called in and shot another fox last night. (It was a first with a TallyHo, by the way. I do like the sound of that call and it makes a nice change to the other open-reeds!) My only trouble is serious competition from trappers /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
 
By the way Randy, I read on your homepage about the Predator Enticer decoy earlier. I was going to get one but one way or another I couldn't get hold of one and got a Western Rivers decoy instead. Think it is so loud it is better saved for other uses or do you think it could do some good? (With red fox)
 
I'm sure that if it's a breezy day and if you don't expect the critter to get too close before you kill it, it will be fine. But, that kind of defeats the purpose. The whole idea of a decoy is to help get the critter in nice and close. In fact, the only time I use decoys is when I am shotgun hunting. I want them as close as possible and decoys work well for that.

Randy
 
In Central Iowa, you can count on the snow getting crusty by the next day. As others have already stated, its hard to stay quiet.

Things I do to help cut down noise, on crusty snow;

1. (Slide) my feet, don't walk/step.
2. Look where each foot is going.
3. (Slide) on white snow as compared to "grey snow"(thin air pocketed snow).
4. Slide...SLOWLY.
5. Use valleys as compared to walking in, on a hillside.
6. Use any natural or un-natural noise in the area, as you move.
7. Use natural(eg; timber, hills) or man-made(building) obstructions/features, to buffer my noise.
 
This last week, since the snow got crusty after some three months of soft snow, I've been out 3 nights after work and made a total of 7 stands. I've basically used Randy's chrunch-in technique in combination with kirby's points 5-7 and on the 7 stands I've called in and killed 2 red foxes. That's not bad at all for these parts. If nothing else I've lost most of my respect for silent nights with crusty snow /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
 
I was sure hoping somebody would come up with an idea that worked. I'm not so much worried about the crunchy snow when predator calling. I use a traditional blackpowder rifle for deer and elk hunting. I need to stalk close. The crunchy snow has made stalking big game near impossible.
 
Arcticfox,
Very cool! The dreaded crunchy snow, is a curse for us all for sure. Which is why, pretty much anyways. I have to take long or running shots. Or none @ all. Many-o-dog has heard me try to stealth in on'em, even walking into a "ripping" head wind. Still fun regardless though.
 
It is my history in deer hunting that made me fear the crunchy snow /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif Wish I could offer some help on that but I don't really think I can. Nothing tried and true.
But here is one opening: One very experienced moose hunter told me to try this: 1) Simulate the rythm of a walking moose, ie get away from the even chrunch-chrunch-chrunch of a human. 2) Avoid the heel-toe roll of the foot, ie put the foot down flat or even better toe first. The theory of it all is that the animal will hear you, just as it hears other animals all the time, but simply don't recognize the gait of man. (Obviously there is no room for a single piece of goretex clothing or such noisy stuff in this plan.) Haven't had much opportunity to try all that out though. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif Can't help think it must work when one gets good enough at identyfing and copying how a specific animal moves.
 
I used to live in NW Minn. and did alot of fox hunting up there. Just keep using your skis they spread your weight enough to keep you from breaking through. Waxless steel edged CC skis will make turning on the crust alot easier and you can keep going as the day warms. You can realy cover some country insted of postholing through the crust.

I liked to use a Nimrod style back scabard to carry the rifle and hook the poles together to make cross sticks for shooting.

AWS
 
Yes, I use skis too, it is the only way most of the time. I use a pair of long wooden skis whenever the snow is a little loose and a pair of steel edged Tua telemark skis when the crust is stronger. I should get a back scabbard instead of the sling but I do make use of the poles for cross sticks when shooting. I hone that technique when shooting rock ptarmigan with a .22 in winter /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

But that is a long way away now. Still fox season opens August 1 and I saw a fox on a newly cut field a couple of hours ago:)
 
my dad tought me to just crunch right thru to you find a nice spot. brake branches to get a clear shot and then settle in for 15 minutes before you call or sit. It works great on deer in the morning before dawn.
 
I have had some success doing what I call cover calling. Doesn't matter if it is dry or crunching snow. Usually don't walk at a steady pace and squeeze an elk call bulb once in a while.
 
I have a 12 Horse power back pack mounted hair dryer with a 3 gallon gas tank. I fire it up and melt the snow on the way to my stand. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Funny thing I can't hear a step I make or anything else for that matter when I get to the stand, but for the life of me I'm still not calling any critters in. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif I think maybe I need a quieter muffler? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif

Haven't found no real solution to that problem except creap'in in slowly.
 
Quote:
One very experienced moose hunter told me to try this: 1) Simulate the rythm of a walking moose, ie get away from the even chrunch-chrunch-chrunch of a human. 2) Avoid the heel-toe roll of the foot, ie put the foot down flat or even better toe first. The theory of it all is that the animal will hear you, just as it hears other animals all the time, but simply don't recognize the gait of man. Can't help think it must work when one gets good enough at identyfing and copying how a specific animal moves.



You're moose hunter buddy has it right! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gifI've been using a similair method for years when stillhunting whitetails.(I'll never figure out why it's called stillhunting /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif)
Anyhow,i'm not much for sitting in stands,and take a more aggressive approach to deer hunting.I guess i'm always wondering what's over the next ridge.Many of my favorite deer haunts are mature hardwoods,mixed with conifers and rolling hills and ridges.I use rattling antlers alot,and after a good rattling session with no response I just don't have the patience to sit,as I beleive any respectable buck within earshot either comes in or bugs out?so i'm up and moving to the next stand.

Trying to walk through an 8" carpet of beech and maple leaves silently when they are frosty is impossible,so I've taken the "can't beat 'em,join 'em" approach,and try to sound like a deer,complete with grunts,bleats,frequent pauses,and sometimes even a few quick hop skip steps.Sounds rediculous,and if you're seen by another hunter....well,but the proof is in the freezer and on the wall.Toe first is a very good tip as well.Walking on tip-toes can be tiring and time consuming and you won't cover alot of country if you are doing it right,that is slow down,then slow down more,but I'm in no rush to get anywhere when in prime country with lotsa rubs and scrapes.A wise old deer hunter taught me many years ago it's better to walk 1 mile/day and see everything than to walk 10 miles and see nothing. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 


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