novice deerhunter querys

[just mark]

many years ago, i tried deer hunting a couple of times, but i didn't know what i was doing, my hunt basically boiled down to a walk in the woods, i have never harvested a deer. other things in life kept me from hunting til now.

i am going to hunt this fall and there's some things i need to know:

do you generally gut the deer at or near the place you dropped it?

when hunting with a flintlock, it seems to me the sound of pulling the hammer back is going to send the deer running- how do you deal with that? i know that it would not be safe to sit there with a cocked rifle.

i really don't like tree stands. i am sort of clumsy and just do not trust myself to sit in one for hours without falling out. it IS possible to hunt deer on the ground, behind a blind, right?

i have read about "boning" meat in the field, do any of you guys have any experience with this? it seems like an easy way to get your deer out of the field.

and please, whatever obvious things i should know, feel free to point out. i'm a 52 yr old taking up deer hunting, help me not look like such a dork.

 

[Britsmoothy]

When you pull the hammer back hold the trigger back too untill the hammer is all the way back now release the trigger and lower the hammer untill it engages the trigger silently.

Sounds like you are expecting a deer to jump out for you with a target pinned on it's side! Slow down bro :hatsoff:

Oh and good luck, all hunters need some of that :thumbsup:

Brits.

 

[just mark]

"Sounds like you are expecting a deer to jump out for you with a target pinned on it's side!"

Wait a minute...you mean they DON'T? that could explain why i wasn't having any success all those years ago...

 

[rabjr]

What Brit said, thats called a hunters cock and makes no noise.

I hunt from a wheel chair and have taken more than my share from the ground. You just need to learn where to setup and watch the direction of the wind, which is very important.

Gutting depends on where your at and if someone is with you. I know some who if have help will not gut in the field and wait until the deer is home and hung up. They do that as to not get dirt and stuff inside the body cavity while dragging it out. We generally gut where the deer falls or an appropriate area near there. And then haul it out. :thumbsup:

 

[Britsmoothy]

"Sounds like you are expecting a deer to jump out for you with a target pinned on it's side!"

Wait a minute...you mean they DON'T? that could explain why i wasn't having any success all those years ago...

You asked :hatsoff:

B.

 

[George]

I have always gutted my deer where they fall. Any appreciable delay will allow the bacteria in the gut to create a lot of gas and severely bloat the deer's belly making it harder to gut. Gutting there makes them lighter and easier to handle, too. And in the unhappy event you have shot them into the belly cavity they need to be cleaned out quickly and thoroughly.

I have always hunted on the ground, never shot one from a tree. You don't need a blind, either, once you learn how to behave when a deer is close. That's what real hunters do. :haha:

Since I got old I bone my deer in the woods because I hunt alone and dragging them out and lifting them into the Jeep is more than I can handle. I have a game pulley and gambrel which allows me to do the job alone and without much strain.

Don't expect to get it all right the first year. Reliably collecting deer is a learned skill. The learning can be the best part, though. Have fun.

Spence

 

[paulvallandigham]

Field Dressing the typical Whitetail deer remove 1/3 of the total body weight. That doesn't sound much if you have a 4-wheeler to get the deer out, but if that deer is at the bottom of a steep ravine, and you have to haul it a mile or more along that ridge line to get to where you can reach the trail with a vehicle, then it means a lot. I do save the Liver, Heart, and tongue when I field dress my deer, but have so far not found a good recipe for other organs in the deer to justify saving anything else.

Your refrigerator is set at roughly 38 degrees F. to reduce spoilage( bacterial growth). It just so happens that the most dense a water molecule gets is at 37.5 degrees F., and all bacteria need water in which to "swim" and multiply.[Above, and below that temperature, water molecules expand.] So, be aware of the actual air temperatures where you hunt. Try to cool the meat down to that 38 degree range ASAP. There are places to buy Ice in 10 lb. bags at every grocery, "stop and rob", or gas station you pass, so there is no excuse for not cooling that meat.

In high altitudes, in our mountain states, where you are often hunting above 5,000 feet, the nights are so cold, and the air is so thin, and DRY, that there simply is not enough daylight for bacteria to multiply in those conditions, even when the air temperature gets up into the 60s. As long as you keep the carcass out of direct sunlight, in the shade, where breezes can reach it, meat won't spoil as fast up there, as it does down here on the flats! If you have a mountain stream near your camp, wrap the meat in plastic "garbage bags" and anchor them in the stream to cool down. pull them up high in a tree to keep the bears away at night. Its a rare day to find a mountain stream where the water is much above 40 degrees! :hmm: :hatsoff: If a stream is not that convenient, then soak a blanket to wrap around the carcass as it hangs. The evaporation of the water will cool the meat.

However, the colder you can get that meat, soonest, the better. And take off that HIDE, before hanging the carcass. That thick skin is an excellent insulator, and the body heat of the deer or elk can spoil the meat even in cool weather.

 

[FishDFly]

many years ago, i tried deer hunting a couple of times, but i didn't know what i was doing, my hunt basically boiled down to a walk in the woods, i have never harvested a deer. other things in life kept me from hunting til now.

i am going to hunt this fall and there's some things i need to know:

do you generally gut the deer at or near the place you dropped it?

when hunting with a flintlock, it seems to me the sound of pulling the hammer back is going to send the deer running- how do you deal with that? i know that it would not be safe to sit there with a cocked rifle.

i really don't like tree stands. i am sort of clumsy and just do not trust myself to sit in one for hours without falling out. it IS possible to hunt deer on the ground, behind a blind, right?

i have read about "boning" meat in the field, do any of you guys have any experience with this? it seems like an easy way to get your deer out of the field.

and please, whatever obvious things i should know, feel free to point out. i'm a 52 yr old taking up deer hunting, help me not look like such a dork.

You are facing a steep learning curve.
This goes from learning to be iiniatially successful and then getting a deer from on the ground into the cooler.

Volumes and volumes of books have been written on deer hunting, some good and some not so good. There is no shortage of books and sites like this which contain good and some very poor information which to learn from.

Everyone here has their own view on what is right. These views are based on local state regulations, local traditions and is the land public owned or private owned, etc.

My best advice is to find someone local where you live and trust to take you under their wing and to teach you.

What I can tell you is correct in East Texas is not the correct information for parts of the Texas Hill Country or far South Texas. I lived in Oklahoma for four (4) years and you have to shift your thinking to hunt there on public land.

One of the best books to learn about white tail deer hunting is from Dr. James Kroll from Stephen F. Austin University. Order the book and learn.

Is there a magic answer on the internet to deer hunting? No, it does not exist. Time in the woods and a good mentor is how a person learns to be successful, there is nothing else.

Many years ago after spending time deer hunting early one morning I did not see any deer. I mentioned to my very old neighbor why are there are so many deer in the fields at 1030 while we are going to town to get cattle feed.

He asked me, did I look out the bathroom window when I got up. No, I had not. His response was there was a very heavy frost. Then he said do you eat "frozen lettuce? No, I do not. He said deer don't like frozen breakfast either, if there is a heavy frost out your bedroom window, go back to bed and start huning at 0830.

Full moon during the night, if there is one, start hunting about 0930 or so.

Kind of like bass fishing tournaments, the out of state folks are not going to beat the local, he knows his locals waters.

Find a local and learn.

 

[luieb45]

You don't need an actual "ground blind" you can either make one out of brush or just sit at the base of a tree. When I make a blind I usually just cut a couple of cedar trees and maybe some other stuff a week or two before season and just make a half moon around a tree. If you do make a brush blind, they conceal you unbelievably well. About the gutting, I usually drag my deer within 100 yards of the house out on the edge of a field then I drag the deer to my pickup or if it's dry out I drive my pickup back to where I gutted. I know some won't like this but I see nothing wrong with it... but I usually use my fourwheeler for dragging deer. Or if it's a good buck or a deer where we're saving the cape I put it on the back rack of our four wheeler.

 

[ronrryan]

Some simple precautions: (1) always be in shade rather than in sun, if possible, youre less visible.(2) Always have a tree or bush at your back to screen you if possible (3) a "ground blind" can be as simple as a couple branches or a portion of a deadfall, doesnt have to be suitable for a leopard bait (4) walk a little, look a lot
(5) try to make your noise as little as you can, and as slow as can, and as irregular as can. You will do fine, I know fellows who have shot hundred of deer in eastern cover with these simple tricks, and have shot quite a bunch myself. It is a great sport and good eating. God Bless, Good smoke , Ron in FL

 

[just mark]

much thanks to all you guys, i just got in from work and am reading over the posts, much to mull over and remember.

 

[Snow on the Roof]

A lot to learn but then that is part of the enjoyment. The best ground blind you can have starts with a good pair of rose nippers or a hawk. Just build the blind right where you need to be at that moment. A few clipped off branches with a stump or tree to your back is all it takes. Just break up your silloutte. A turkey hunting friend of mine once told me, "the difference between the big birds and whitetails is a deer thinks every man is a stump and a turkey thinks every stump is a man." As long as you stay down wind and montionless this is a very true statment.
As to field dressing vs boneing out. check your state regs. Many states east of the Missisipi require a full bodied animal be transported, most western state allow boned out carcases as long as proof of sex remains attached.

Check out www.drnorbergondeerhunting.com an excellent web site and series of books on ground hunting deer using the "portable stump" method. Another good source is the book "Stalking and Still Hunting" by G.Fred Asbell. Fred is a Traditional archer and bow hunter of some note as well as the former president of the Pope and Young club. His book is full of information on hunting deer from the ground, much of which applies to the black powder hunter as well as the stick and string shooter. His books can be found on Amazon.com or at www.gfredasbell.com

Snow

 

[flyfisher76544]

When I first moved to Georgia I had a bud who took me out on a scout for a day. I learned more on that one scout than any other day. Find someone who lives near you and ask them to take you out for a scout. Figure out which oaks are going to drop acorns and difference between the oaks.
Like most have already said, you can just snip a few branches for a blind or use other natural material.

When dressing wild game comes into question, I always recommend this dvd to them. Deer and Big game processing Vol 1, it will help you out in taking care of the animal from field to table. It even goes over caping out a buck for the taxidermist, and that knife is the best 50 bucks I ever spent!!! http://www.outdooredge.com/Deer-Proc-DVD-Vol-1-p/deer-big-game-processingdvd.htm

 

[bigbore442001]

I really appreciate the link to Dr. Norberg. I don't want to have this drift too much but I like the information on his style of stump hunting.

I too have noticed some changes in the past several years regarding deer behavior. It seems that in big wooded areas deer are more wary of a treestand site due to the noise and accumulation of scent in a singular spot.

There are many variables to deer hunting and deer learn to avoid certain areas due to scent, noise and something that stands out.

I will tell you a story of a deer I shot off the ground with my bow. I was in a lay off from work so I had the whole fall to hunting. Basically I hunted almost every day between job searches. I did well getting three deer( which isn't easy in New England) and shot my first deer with the bow off the ground. I basically used the same technique as Dr. Norberg.

My Dad hunting this spot behind my friends home and he saw a nice buck but unable to get a shot off. I went the next day and instead of sitting in a treestand I elected to wear my Rancho Safari ghillie suit and prop myself against a pine tree. Sure enough that moring and 6 point buck was trailing a doe. He had his nose to the ground sniffing and wagging his tail like a dog. As he passed by I was in full draw and blew a kiss. He stopped for a minute and I shot. He jumped and went back with his nose to the ground and sniffing with the tail wag. Soon he fell over dead.

Although this deer was taken with a bow I don't see why it would not work with a muzzleloader.

One of the things that I have learned by keeping a journal is that most of my deer as well as Dad's have been taken in October and November. After Thanksgiving it goes downhill. The Massachusetts shotgun season opens up and then we have muzzleloader at the end of it all. By the time muzzleloader rolls around there are fewer deer left and whatever deer are left are thoroughly spooked after the majority of hunters have pursued them with a shotgun or muzzleloader for two weeks. Now the rut is ended and the deer left over are in full blown survival mode. In this situation being more mobile may be the way to go.

Hmm. After having my third cup of Earl Gray tea I had a moment of mental clarity. There is a book written by Dave Ehrig that would do you a world of good. He wrote "Black Powder Whitetails" a small green soft cover book on muzzleloading for deer. I love it. He covers many topics including the best techniques depending on the time of the season. In addition he bases his experiences on hunting mostly in Pennsylvania so it applies to what I do in New England.

You may want to check that out.

 

[oletymepreacher]

Hunting year round is legal if you don't have your firearm along. I suggest you get out into the woods as often as you can and practice sneaking up on a deer. I wouldn't get any closer than 100 yards, as you might just be training the deer to avoid human beings, they are good enough at avoiding as it is. Keeping some type of journal will help. Write down both your successes and mistakes. Learn to spot deer while woods walking, and keep one eye on the woods when you drive around.

Any patterns of behavior you find the deer have this summer probably won't be worth much during hunting season. They know what time of the year it is, and if they forget the first rifle shot of the year will remind them.

During your hunt, if you set up some kind of blind and see nothing from it, it is time to move, so always have backup plans. I once met a guy in the woods who had been stand hunting at the same stand for eight years during the elk seasons and never saw an elk.

Good luck. We all need a good dose of luck.

 

[hoochiepapa]

Never skyline yourself! Hunt ridge tops, but stay below ridge line. If the ridge has steep sides, walk further down the ridge so you don't skyline.
You can set up blinds before the season, I have a blind set up in my "magic meadow" that I have used for 40 years. I go up before season, generally in the summer when elk are high, and refurbish it.
I also carry a gun year round, and hunt year round. I carry a fur bearer license that allows that. I walk like I'm hunting, and you will surprise yourself what you will see that way. I have walked right up on coyotes, bear, silver fox, etc. Try to get yourself out of the "city", and move your mind to the woods. That means being quiet, trying not to startle anything, and do what the animals do. By that I mean, the animals move and stop, look and listen, and cover very little ground in say, an hour. Take a few quiet steps, moving your head and extremities very slowly, at times, just moving your eyes. Stop for a few minutes, looking around, just moving your eyes, if you have to turn your head at all, do it slowly. Fast movements attract attention. If you snap a twig, stop, don't move, and then proceed after a few.
Most of all, have fun.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Never skyline yourself! Hunt ridge tops, but stay below ridge line. If the ridge has steep sides, walk further down the ridge so you don't skyline.
You can set up blinds before the season, I have a blind set up in my "magic meadow" that I have used for 40 years. I go up before season, generally in the summer when elk are high, and refurbish it.
I also carry a gun year round, and hunt year round. I carry a fur bearer license that allows that. I walk like I'm hunting, and you will surprise yourself what you will see that way. I have walked right up on coyotes, bear, silver fox, etc. Try to get yourself out of the "city", and move your mind to the woods. That means being quiet, trying not to startle anything, and do what the animals do. By that I mean, the animals move and stop, look and listen, and cover very little ground in say, an hour. Take a few quiet steps, moving your head and extremities very slowly, at times, just moving your eyes. Stop for a few minutes, looking around, just moving your eyes, if you have to turn your head at all, do it slowly. Fast movements attract attention. If you snap a twig, stop, don't move, and then proceed after a few.
Most of all, have fun.

:hatsoff:

B.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Remember that sound always travels faster through solids than through air. If you muffle the sound of your lock when you cock it, by putting the gun next to your stomach, and a hand over the lock, no one is going to hear it much farther than 20 feet. If you pull the trigger back, while holding the hammer by the spur, you can then pull the hammer back to full cock, and release the trigger to allow the sear to fit into the full cock notch, SILENTLY. Try this at home, with an empty gun of course.

Spend time working on your woodsmanship skills. Learn how to walk quietly. Stick to existing trails, rather than breaking branches, and dead leaves. ( I have students take their shoes and socks off and walk barefoot so they learn to FEEL with their feet to avoid sticks and dry leaves.)

Learn to move SLOWER than you think is possible. I practice in late spring by walking in local drainage ditches, stalking Carp with a bow and arrow.

Walk only as fast as a "Tree". That means, move only when the wind blows a branch or grass blades, and then only as far as those items move. Moving that slowly, you appear to not move at all, when in fact you can move several feet in a few minutes, and that is enough to give you an entirely new view of the area around you.

Learn to listen to the animals that give alarm calls to the rest of the forest critters. Squirrels, and many birds have "sentries" that alert them when something strange to the area enters.Learn to move so slowly that these animals don't give out alarms when you are there.

Bend you knees when you walk, so that you don't "stomp" the ground as you walk. Deer also listen through the bottom of their feet to vibrations in the ground. Using a "city walk"( where the knees lock, and you fall forward onto the heel of the extended leg/foot) in the woods will send out lots of sound waves alerting every animal within a quarter mile, or more, who and what, and where you are.

Heighten your senses of hearing, and smell, by going out into the area where you want to hunt( scouting before season is always appropriate) and sitting down, with a blindfold on, so that you must use your ears, and nose more than your eyes. you will be surprised at how little you actually hear and smell when you have your eyesight, but how quickly your senses of smell and hearing improve ( even with your eyes open) after you have done this exercise a few time. Start with a short "sit", and extend the length of time as you get used to being "still". The longer you sit quietly, the more you learn to hear, and the better both senses become. You will then find that you actually SEE more now that you are using both your eyesight, AND your sense of hearing and smell.

Best Wishes. Paul

 

[Stumpkiller]

I'm way too clumsey to walk up on most deer. I walk into the woods an hour before shooting light (no shooting from "legal" sunset to the next sunrise in NY) and sit on a stump or my tree seat. The deer move to their bedding areas - so pick a spot 20 or 25 yards off their trails and wait them out.

I sit until about 10:00AM and then slowly move (usually to a tree about 100 yards from my trail spot first) while watching for movement and pausing frequently. If you are covering more than 100 yards in five minutes you are moving way too fast. Take a step, look around, listen, take another step, etc. At 2:00PM I pick a spot to sit and wait for sundown. Usually I put myself where there is thick cover with a few lanes out to 40 to 100 yards, depending. Thicker cover hides me and allows the deer to get in close. ;-)

I bowhunt from tree-stands often but haven't used them with a firearm (reg or m/l). Usually too cold by the time regular season is open hereabouts. I have arrowed deer on the ground from 11 paces. They are not supernatural, but they are darned good at natural. Minimize your movement, pay close attention to the wind, and DO NOT make eye contact. IMHO deer can spot eyes from 50 yards. Close one, squint, look at it's feet, whatever. Then, when the deer passes behind cover, get yourself aligned and aimed. Take the first available shot (he who hesitates is lost).

I snick the hammer back when I first recognize it is a deer. As noted above: "covering" the trigger lightly silences the sear snap. Practice it with an empty & unprimed muzzleloader.

Note that you seldom see a whole deer at first. Learn to spot an ear twitch, the movement of a leg, the horizontal line of the back, or, best of all, the white glint of an antler.

I gut and drag the deer.

 

[Pete Gaimari]

I just drive around in my Jeep. When I see one, I jump out and blast it.

Then I throw it on the hood, and drive around showing off.