Deer hunting for dummies (me)....

[jderrick]

So some buddies invited me out deer hunting this coming season....

I've spent plenty of time in the woods with scouts, fishing.... but have never actually done any hunting.

I've got plenty of time before the NC season begins. I'm training with my .50 flinter.... Accuracy is good, right? At some point this will involve a class and a license. Any other suggestions for preparations at this point? Please, educate me/refer me to other sources....

 

[Slake]

I"ve taught many people how to hunt deer. If money isn't an object to you, a good guide wouldn't be a bad idea. Your buddies that invited you could show you if they are serious hunters
The pointers I always give is that deer smell really good. They have good hearing, but ain't that great in the sight dept. {compared to their hearing} I've sat a few feet away from some of them and they look at me real close, but as long as I'm still, they'll go about their business. Remember that where you hunt them , they live. They'll pick up something that is out of place very quickly, but if consistant they grow used to it quickly.
Don't be stinky {keeps the smokes away from your huntin clothes and don't wear stinky deoderant or good heavens no colgne}
Don't be noisey. And try to blend in with your surroundings
Be Patient, very very patient
I like to shoot them in the chest/shoulder aiming for the heart/ lung area. Accuracy is good. A quick kill is good. Be sure of your shot and what's beyond...had to throw that in...I teach a lot of kids.....

 

[roundball]

So some buddies invited me out deer hunting this coming season....

I've spent plenty of time in the woods with scouts, fishing.... but have never actually done any hunting.

I've got plenty of time before the NC season begins. I'm training with my .50 flinter.... Accuracy is good, right? At some point this will involve a class and a license. Any other suggestions for preparations at this point? Please, educate me/refer me to other sources....

A few thoughts:

1) Read everything you can get your hands on;

2) Learn about hunting the place you'll be hunting ahead of time and walk the ground, locate some trail crossings at creeks or drainage ditches, etc;

3) Take note of how the prevailing wind/breeze moves through that area so you can plan your entrance and stand locations accordingly...you'll need to walk it at least twice to see a wind pattern...3-4 trips would be better...because if they scent you a couple hundred yards downwind, you'll never see them;

4) Motion/movement is everything:
A) get settled in and try to be as still as possible;
B) Use a comfortable cushion to sit on and one to lean against a tree, helps keep you from fidgeting;
C) Use bug spray to keep from swatting mesquitos (moving)...don't worry about them smelling the spray...if they get a whiff of it they'll also be getting your human scent anyway.

5) If you prime with 4F (as I do) dump & refresh it at least every hour under normal conditions, every half hour in damp conditions.

6) If it's high humidity, foggy, damp, drizzling, etc, keep the muzzle pointed down so water does not run back along the barrel edge into the pan...and keep the lock area up under your arm & hunting coat/raingear where it's warm & dry;

:thumbsup:

 

Get yourself some paper archery deer targets that show the vital organs. They will help you with your point of aim during the off season. I wash all of my clothes in scent free detergent and dry with scent free softener. The hang your clothes outside to let them air out. The morning of the hunt I take a bath using scent free soap. Don't put on all of your hunting clothes. You'll sweat. I carry most of mine and put them on very slowly and quietly when I get to my stand. Always hunt facing the wind. I try to hunt in a tree, against a tree or behind a natural blind. Sit still. Move very slowly.

Hope this helps,

Garryowen

 

[Slake]

Roundball's comments are good ones....I am a successful deer hunter because I spend much time in the woods....I watch what's going on all year...I see them, they see[url] me...In[/url] the summertime I walk the woods and cut some trails and shooting lanes in the puckerbrush...Deer use trails as much as we do..I watch where they go and when. Huntin season starts and I sit just off of one of their trails or one of mine

If you are patient, you'll prolly bag one, I love hunting with first timers for they almost always succeed {beginners luck}

 

[Stumpkiller]

Do some small game hunting of whatever comes up: squirrel, rabbit, woodchuck, etc. Getting off the shot under hunting conditions is different than at the range. You'll get practice moving slow and using natural rests.

Using cardboard silhouettes is a good tip. Deer don't have orange dot bullseyes. You have to pick a spot on a neutral background. Don't shoot "at" a deer. Shoot at a tiny spot on the deer. (Try visualizing a nickle or a dime on the deer's chest).

Start trying to estimate distances when you walk. We get spoiled shooting at measured ranges. Pick out a sign or some object when walking from the car into work and see how close you can guess the distance. It's amazing how many folks can be off 20 yards +/- over 75 yards actual distance.

Don't Panic!

 

[ronrryan]

I hunted deer for almost fifty years. Long ago a man told me, "The indians say: White man walk lot, look little. Indian walk little, look lot." You almost cannot walk too slowly, still hunting. When sitting, pick a spot in shade, against a background. Be still. Be thirty yards or so downwind of a runway, if possible. Good luck, Ron

 

[the skrat]

what everybody else has said plus dont get discouraged. like every thing else dont expect perfection on your first hunt. but if you fail just try keep on trying and always try to analyze what went wrong. if possible stay out all day or if you have to go in to camp do it quickly and get back in the woods you arent going to shoot deer playing cards with your buddies. one more thing say a lots of prayers works for me.

curly maple

 

[davy]

Perhaps the best advice I could give anyone who is out in the woods and hunting is this ..

Get out in the woods ... enjoy the moment, sit quietly and breath the fresh air, and gather all the goodness about you into your heart, it will do more for you than anything I can think of!

And if you should see any wildlife ... enjoy its honesty and earthiness ... and appreciate what bounty God has given us! :hatsoff:

Davy

 

[paulvallandigham]

Scout the territory you want to hunt weeks before the season. Look for tracks, and follow them. Learn how to tell the sex of the animal from its tracks, and how much it weighs, and its age. Put a stand up into a tree, and use binoculars to scan large areas of territory to find out where the deer are moving, and what time of day they are out. This is the real advantage of a tree stand. Once you locate a place where the deer seem to move back and forth each day, check the tracks to see if there are animals large enough for you to hunt. Then set up a few ground blinds, that take advantage of the sun and wind conditions that will be prevailing during the season. You are looking for an area between feeding areas, and bedding areas, so that you can set up to ambush the deer you want as he moves from one area to the other. This usually occurs just at dawn, and again just at dark. You can save yourself hours of frustration by learning fundamentals of tracking so you can scout your hunting area before the hunt.

 

[Rocky Johnson]

Jderrick
Talk to the buddies who invited you as to how they hunt,and where.
You must be close to them or you would not consider a hunt with them.A good hunting group is hard to find and keep to gether.
Good luck and have fun.
:winking: Rocky

 

[Old Ironsights]

So some buddies invited me out deer hunting this coming season....

Lucky you. I have to Pay to Play... and have to go alone.

 

[biliff]

It would also be helpful to check out your gear, clothing etc. before you go. Somebody suggested doing some small game hunting first. That's a good way to shake out the bugs. Its hard to sit still when the tag on the camo shirt you bought the day before the hunt is sticking you in the back of the neck (had that happen once, had to take the shirt off and cut the *^)^ thing off with my knife). It's also a good way to find and eliminate all the rattles and squeaks your gear tends to make at the most inoppurtune times. Practice shooting in your gear and/or just wear it for a few days if you can't actually hunt in it.

 

[madbrad]

Hey dont feel bad I have to go it alone to none of my shooting buddies hunt go figure.

 

[AZ-Robert]

I've spent plenty of time in the woods with scouts, fishing.... but have never actually done any hunting.

Best of luck, John, but it will be fun in any case. Already had lots of good advice here -- I'll add these bits because I'm hoping you'll find yourself in a position to put them to use:
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