Last minute tips for a hunting Newb.

[twofifty]

practice visualizing the shot

What helped me harvest a first deer -2 days ago- was repeated visualizing practice exercises. It took 8 day or partial day trips to get my first buck. So I saw a lot of deer during those hunts.

Here's what I did to practice visualizing the shot:

For example whenever I saw a Mulie while their season was closed, or a Whitetail doe during WT buck season, I would shoulder the rifle and place the reticle on the exact spot where I would have taken the shot had that sex or species been 'in season'.

If the 'practice' deer was walking I'd track it through the scope or 'ambush' it at the next opening in the trees. If it was busy feeding and looking up from time to time, it would present shots from multiple angles. I learned that quartering on or away shots do not look like picture-perfect broadside opportunities. To a first-timer like me non-broadside presentations can be quite disconcerting, so the practice helped settle me down.

Anyhow, all that visualizing (and sometimes even dry firing) helped when that little buck strolled up head-on from 70 yards away. Up went the rifle and off went the shot. Three leaps and it fell dead like tossing a 100# sack of potatoes.
Half the heart was shredded and there was much lung damage.

To conclude, you have to be quick with whitetails for their senses are very keen. This year, visualizing helped me act with confidence, quickly.

edit:

Andrew, you beat me to that piece of advice. Last year was my first time hunting deer and I screwed up because of anxiety and lack of familiarity with a number of matters, incl. being freaked at how far a 50yd deer looks like at 2x when I was used to 10x and 18x target optics. That deer looked like it was "500"yds out and I shot below it due to not following through.

Good luck CarJunkie.

 

[Centurian22]

If you will be out of sight of the truck I highly recommend having a compass, even if its a cheap all in one survival whistle, compass, mirror just have something. A flashlight (or two) with extra batteries. A lighter and/or matches. GPS is even better as long as you know it works (like having phone signal if you're relying on a smart phone). Make sure someone knows when and where you're hunting and when and where you will be back at a minimum. I usually type out a whole 'hunting plan' including planned roads, license plate and description of my truck and I email it to two different people if possible then text them when I'm done or home. Might seem a little excessive until you're in the middle of the dark woods cold, lost, and nobody knows where to find you. The knife thing seems to have been covered. I started with a mossberg knife with a gut hook. Gut hook proved useless as it wasn't sharpened right but the knife was great. 3"-4" is plenty, really sharp is the key. Couple gallon zip lock bags and food prep or rubber gloves, rope / para cord helps. A tarp or roll up kids sled is nice if you have to drag the deer more than 50yards especially if its through the woods by yourself. I took my first deer this year and it was a 'small' 4pt that weighed in at 125 lbs. getting it 130yards through the thick woods by myself is one of the most physically strenuous things I've ever done.

Good luck.

 

[WayBeau]

Baby wipes. Either in one of the thin travel packs, or put some in a zip lock bag.

You can thank me later.

 

[stressed]

I didn't shoot anything this year. It's ok. Wait for next year.

 

[oneounceload]

I always used two knives AND brought a stone. A small drop point folding knife is perfect for initial field dressing/gutting and something like a Buck 110 (mine is almost 38 years old now) for skinning

Baby wipes. Either in one of the thin travel packs, or put some in a zip lock bag.

Don't forget toilet paper!!!