Tips for a first-time deer hunter?

[Nathanael_Greene]

Thanks for all the tips!

I'm leaving this morning for the hunting lodge--I'll be sure and give a wrap-up when I get back.

 

[sm]

Bring the right ammo, remove scope caps, leave word where you will be hunting...

Load the gun as soon as you are in legal hunting area . Meaning - as soon as you get out of the truck. Don't unload the darn gun until you arrive back at said vehicle ( whichever is legal of course). Not that deer would ever catch one with an unloaded gun. [ Yeah right]

BTW the loudest sound heard while hunting is a "click" instead of a bang.

Pretend you are hunting Turkeys. See if you go for deer the turkey decide to come out and under your stand. Go Turkey hunting and the deer show up.

Critters have Wildlife Hunting Calendars with all seasons, zones limits and regs...they read them and know better than the hunter. [ I can't prove this theory...but I just know it is true]


Umm ..."bark" the squirrels if you must "quiet" them. 12 bore slugs, 30-30, and '06 ammo....does not leave much meat.

OH , creeks are always deeper and the water much colder than you think if you must cross one. Mud is always deeper and sucks the boots off your feet.

Smoke Somewhere someone must have published that the area with trees with purple paint means " come on in", and I guess the NO Tresspassing signs look like targets to some hunters. I guess this phenonomen relates to road signs that get shot...just what is the DMV giving these guy for eye tests now-a-days? If one has farm fuel ...don't be surprised if the rude hunter on your lease decides to help himself.

NO , that was not me that me that moved the vehicle to the other side of the road off private property and turned the radio on full volume....that was the farmer with the tractor. I have no idea who put innards on the manifold on said truck...only two folks were around said truck and the farmer was busy....

 

[txgolfer45]

Just got back from my trip

I got an 11 point on opening day!

For in the deer stand:

Binoculars (don't use the rifle scope to look around and check out the deer)
Rifle
Grunt tube
Rattling bag
good hunting knife
bug spray for chiggers
Masking scent like coon urine for the bottom of your feet and around the deer stand
Scent neutralizer for your clothing
Camera to take the picture of your trophy buck or doe
Ammo
Butt pad for the deer stand chair

For afterward,
Surgical gloves
trash bags
cooler
Location of the nearest deer processor
Rope
gambel or large stick to hoist the deer up with
saw to cut through bone
first aid kit ( I needed mine yesterday, the tip of the knife got my other hand to the tune of 4 stitches)

Good luck

Scott

 

[Nathanael_Greene]

Skunked

Well, my first trip wasn't exactly a stunning success.

I had a good time, and learned a lot, but never had a deer even close to my rifle--at least that I could see. (I suspect they were out there, though.)

One guy at the ranch shot a spike buck; the other guy and I never had a shot.

They say it was too warm and there was too much forage to draw the deer even close to the feeders, but I saw plenty of fresh tracks in lots of places.

Maybe I spooked them, or was dozing off while they were parading past me.

I'll just have to try again later...

 

[Diesle]

Ditto on the TP. Youd think after having cut up 5 pairs of undershorts to use as asswipe I'd ALWAYS remember to bring some....

Diesle

 

[beardking]

Hah, that's kinda funny. I didn't do this while hunting, but it did occur on my hunting trip. I went to lunch with my buddies and we ate at the is little back woods cafe and I had the taco dinner. Comes out SOAKED in grease. Well, I knew it was a bad idea, but oh well, I was hungry so down it went. About half an hour later we are down at the river fishing (we would hunt in the mornings, fish until around 3 or so, then head back at that night) and my stomach start bubbling. Finally it gets to the point that I can't stand it so I head to the nearest public facility. This facility being a state park provided facility there, of course, was no TP at all. I noticed that and I made a conscious decision to finish my business and then I'll worry about "the other stuff" later. Well, while I'm enjoying my break from standing, I start digging through my pockets to see what I could use as a makeshift roll of TP. a couple of receipts was all I could find, and I knew that wasn't going to be enough. As luck would have it, I had bought a $0.96 blaze orange knit stocking cap for my required orange. It's amazing how much "TP" a stocking cap can make. Even more surprising, it actually flush. Of course, by the time I had it all cut up, it looked like a hunter had exploded in there.