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- Nov 17, 1998
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- 3,296
Who here has gone paintballing? I did today for the first time. I was amazed how close I could sneak up on people. Of course, animals have a better sense of smell and hearing than humans.
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Paintballing for Stalking Skills?
- Thread starter K Williams
- Start date
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2002
- Messages
- 3,291
If you're looking for ways to improve your basic stalking skills for pursuing prey animals while hunting, paintballing won't help much. It is a lot of fun though. Basically, humans are easy to stalk up on. When compared to the average deer, a human is deaf, blind and has no sense of smell. We are also clumbsy and noisy, even when compared to an animal as large as a Bear or Elk.
As a youngster, my first experience with learning to stalk was to watch cats pursue their prey. Ever notice how easily they could hide behind a blade of grass? Or seem to anyway. Or when they knew their prey could see them, they froze and didn't move a muscle. How smoothly they move, how low they get to the ground and how gingerly they took each step as they approached their intended target and how quickly they struck when they were within range. They always approach from downwind and take advantage of other noises before they move and never look their prey in the eye. Even though we aren't cats, we can utilize, if not perfect their methods of hunting and the more you use them, the better you will become at them.
One book that I'd recommend on stalking and still hunting was written by a traditional bowhunter named G. Fred Asbel. The name of the book is "Stalking and Still hunting-The Ground Hunters Bible".
As a youngster, my first experience with learning to stalk was to watch cats pursue their prey. Ever notice how easily they could hide behind a blade of grass? Or seem to anyway. Or when they knew their prey could see them, they froze and didn't move a muscle. How smoothly they move, how low they get to the ground and how gingerly they took each step as they approached their intended target and how quickly they struck when they were within range. They always approach from downwind and take advantage of other noises before they move and never look their prey in the eye. Even though we aren't cats, we can utilize, if not perfect their methods of hunting and the more you use them, the better you will become at them.
One book that I'd recommend on stalking and still hunting was written by a traditional bowhunter named G. Fred Asbel. The name of the book is "Stalking and Still hunting-The Ground Hunters Bible".
I went paintballing once, and somewhere along the way I managed to sneak about 4m away from two guys who were on high ground. The terrain was forest, definitely not dense, but there were rapid changes in elevation, and I used the terrain features as cover to approach their position. (I knew the position because they spoke to each other at least once, loud enough to penetrate my mask)
I think the paintball mask was a key element. Without masks, they might have heard me, and on the other hand having a mask handicapped my eyesight, and as a result I made some bad choices. So it isn't just sneaking on humans, it's sneaking on humans with weakened senses, with your own senses weakened as well...
- Gon
I think the paintball mask was a key element. Without masks, they might have heard me, and on the other hand having a mask handicapped my eyesight, and as a result I made some bad choices. So it isn't just sneaking on humans, it's sneaking on humans with weakened senses, with your own senses weakened as well...
- Gon
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2000
- Messages
- 1,526
Kind of a side note.I first played paintball about 20 years ago,back then the guns were ten round bolt action pistols.These were used to mark trees for cutting I believe.The paint was REAL paint and oil based besides.I know guys who had blue hair for a couple of weeks
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They seem a lot harder then the balls made for the game today and your only "gear" was a pair of plastic safety glasses.I played with guys who tackled you and shot you in the face...oh to be young,strong and dumb.
.They seem a lot harder then the balls made for the game today and your only "gear" was a pair of plastic safety glasses.I played with guys who tackled you and shot you in the face...oh to be young,strong and dumb.
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2002
- Messages
- 2,177
We went paintballing for my best mates bucks (stag) party. We all got to wear camo gear and he had to wear a bright orange pair of coveralls. It gave me a little insight on combat that I would never otherwise have.
Sitting in what I thought was a well protected bit of cover and having my face mask suddenly covered in paint showed me how random death could be on a battlefield.
I played on a team with older guys all day. Against a number of younger and fitter guys. A couple of the old blokes on our team where vietnam vets and they got us well organised. We didn't lose a scirmish all day, just by being patient and looking out for each other.
Sitting in what I thought was a well protected bit of cover and having my face mask suddenly covered in paint showed me how random death could be on a battlefield.
I played on a team with older guys all day. Against a number of younger and fitter guys. A couple of the old blokes on our team where vietnam vets and they got us well organised. We didn't lose a scirmish all day, just by being patient and looking out for each other.