New Hunter

[James Stella]

I am leaving today to take a new hunter out for 4 days of hunting. He has never hunted at all and just started shooting a muzzleloader this summer. He has an either sex tag so that should help some.

He wanted to muzzleloader hunt and knew I had before so he asked me for help.

It is also in an area I have never hunted. I drove over to the area last weekend and scouted for two days by myself. I only saw one deer but found an area with a lot of sign. Should be an interesting 4 days.

Will update when I get back Saturday.

 

[Beerd2]

good luck, shoot straight
..

 

[hanshi]

Best of luck to you both!

 

[sawyer04]

A good time to be had, success or not.

 

[Brokennock]

Best of luck to both of you.
I look forward to you after action report.

 

[Stykbow]

Good luck to you both.

 

[3Setters]

Always good to see someone mentoring a new hunter.

 

[oldwood]

Luck to ya both..........

 

[Rawhide67]

It's great to see someone mentor a new hunter. I've hunted the Adirondack Mtns for decades and hoped to pass on my knowledge to one or both of my son's, but neither is interested in hunting. Many hunters around here don't want any part of the mountains. Low deer numbers and long hard days.

But when you succeed.......

 

[flashpoint]

It's great to see someone mentor a new hunter. I've hunted the Adirondack Mtns for decades and hoped to pass on my knowledge to one or both of my son's, but neither is interested in hunting. Many hunters around here don't want any part of the mountains. Low deer numbers and long hard days.

But when you succeed.......

Just wondering Rawhide, are the low deer numbers there because the Adirondacks are mature forests?

 

[Rawhide67]

Just wondering Rawhide, are the low deer numbers there because the Adirondacks are mature forests?

I would describe most of the state land where I hunted as beyond mature. I don't think it been logged in 70 or 80 years, maybe longer. It's not unusual to put 10 guys in the woods making drives and only see 1 or 2 deer in day. Sometimes none.

I stuck with it because I love the remoteness , the views and sometimes you encounter deer that have literally never seen a human.

 

[Patocazador]

He has never hunted at all and just started shooting a muzzleloader this summer.

That's great but be extra careful. New, first-time hunters feel pressure to score and sometimes do very unsafe things trying to show they are competent.

 

[James Stella]

The hunt went well. We saw two does the first night but could not get close enough before it got dark.

The next day it poured on us. We stayed out all day but got soaked. Even with rain gear on we were wet. We saw no deer.

Last day we stayed out all day and saw one spike, which was the only thing he could not shoot.

In the truck on the way home he was talking about where we could go next year. So I guess that was good.

He learned some. He did not even have adequate clothing. I took extra and wound up loaning him rain gear.

 

[Spikebuck]

You must have done everything right! Some nasty weather and no shot opportunity and he still wants to go out again.

 

[William Lincoln]

The thing with new hunters is to put in some range time with the gun he will be hunting
with. The challenge when hunting with a buddy is maintaining silence, Keeping
favorable control of scent by staying downwind, and peeing into a mason jar or
a collapsible receptacle that can be emptied later. Control sound and your scent,
which is harder as the number of hunters increases. It seems as if you are on top
of it ,and the real test you Aced, because he wants to go again.

 

[Ponderosaman]

It’s not very rainy here in AZ, but it’s been my experience that when the rain stops and the sun peeks through the clouds, the forest comes alive and it’s a good time for us nose-less predators because the prey can’t smell us as good. My best hunt was one where I didn’t make a kill. I’ll never forget it. Being out there with my best friend, turkeys gobbling, coyotes yipping. Gives me chills thinking about it. Hopefully this is the first of many adventures.

 

[Rawhide67]

Sounds like a great experience for both of you.