Going deer hunting for the first time

[travisd]

Planning on going deer hunting this year for the first time. As long as I can get a tag which I'm going to apply for today. Looking for some tips. Now as for where to hunt I have family that have a house and a grove, not very great but I have friends who farm and would have land to hunt on. And of course public land or road hunting if it comes to that. For a rifle ill be using my Mosin with some 180gr soft points. Shots would probably be around 100 yards.
NOw what else would i need? Have some blaze orange and plenty of warm clothes and a decent pair of boots. Whats a decent knife to get as ill need one of those? any other things? We normally only hunt pheasant and small game so don't have much experience with deer. WOuld appreciate any tips.

 

[inclinebench]

Once you get a decent knife, you should have the basics covered. Dont go gear crazy, learn from hunting what you will need. As for your knife, you could start out with the basic Gerber hunting package that has a knife, small saw, and hatchet. That would be more than enough.

 

[jrdolall]

Immediately go out and buy everything that says "bone collector" or "scent blocker" and you will be set.

You don't need anything other than what you already have. You probably have a suitable knife already but if not then any decent skinning knife will do. If you hunt pheasants then you probably have all the cold weather clothing you need. The MN would not be my first choice but will be perfectly adequate.

If you want to be successful then learn the land you will be hunting so you know where the deer bed, feed and travel. Set up your stand(ladder, ground blind, sit against a tree)
near these areas and the deer will eventually amble by. Deer hunting can be as difficult or as easy as you make it and as expensive or as inexpensive as you want it to be. Don't worry about hunting horns at first and familiarize yourself with how the deer in your area act.

I have just about every conceivable piece of hunting paraphanalia ever made and have been hunting for nearly 50 years. 99% of the stuff does me no good.

 

[wyohome]

A piece of rope with a couple of loops for dragging. I carry two folding knives and no hatchet or saw. A plastic bag for heart and liver if you save those, some wipes to clean your hands or use rubber gloves.

 

[Naterater]

tips: if possible, stay downwind of the deer, but not by moving. They sense movement VERY well and spook easily; always make SLOW movements and be patient. If they have their tails up and wagging, sometimes they are on edge and ready to take off.

If the deer is moving too fast to shoot, say "MEHHHH!" to get their attention. Often times they will perk up and stop to figure out where the sound came from. That's when you shoot.

To be a sportsman and to help maintain deer population, hunt large does too. It sharpens your game so when that large buck walks by, you will know what to do.

GOOD LUCK!!!

 

[joecil]

Oh and one other thing is wait if you actually shoot one even if they drop. I had a friend almost get killed by a deer that wasn't moving till he walked up on it and got kicked in the head.

 

[Centurian22]

Sounds like you've got a good start. I just started hunting whitetail last season. Here is the knife I bought:

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/product/7-M2RHUNTERGH

Have not gotten to use it on a deer yet but it's sharp, has a good grip, decent sheath and seems rugged enough. I would sugest looking at and studying some vitals pictures from different angles, get to know the area you plan to hunt, and practice moving slowly, methodically, and being COMPLETELY aware of all sights and sounds (I missed a chance at a buck I never saw last year because I mistook a grunt for a frog while I was taking down my climbing stand) that you can possibly sense and take in. A decent set of binoculars wouldn't hurt to have either.

Best of luck!

 

[303tom]

Good Luck..............

 

[Savage99]

Bring along some binoculars to be certain of the game.

 

[Sav .250]

You don`t have any buddies that hunt?

 

[travisd]

Not deer hunting. The guy ill probably be going with was going to buy a 30-30 because according to him a 30-06 wont kill a deer :banghead:

 

[Kachok]

Not deer hunting. The guy ill probably be going with was going to buy a 30-30 because according to him a 30-06 wont kill a deer :banghead:

^ That is truly laughable. Anyone that thinks an 06 won't kill a deer clearly knows nothing of ballistics or deer for that matter.

 

[EmG]

going to buy a 30 30 because a 30 06 wont kill deer??????
ether one will kill deer, but the 30 06 is a much better choice!! my father has hunted for over 65 years and killed over 50 deer with the same 30 06. its more important that you know your gun and shoot it acurately! the cartridge size and caliber is not as important as being able to hit your target where you want!

 

[jrdolall]

Ummm...I don't think you should go in the woods with someone who thinks a 30-06 won't kill a deer. Sometimes it is best to just stay home.

 

[snakeman]

go get two buck knives. One big, one small. Sharpen them up and get ready. Also practice stalking and covering your scent with scent killer.

 

[snakeman]

also, look into some good service boots. I like to hunt in service boots because they are light, comfortable, and provide excellent ankle support.