it helps a great deal to have a GPS for what should be very obvious reasons.
get and use a decent back-pack
carry a note book and pen and camera, that stores digital pictures , carry extra batteries, carry water, Toilet paper a cell phone
game does not report to a certain location at a set time, (no bus to catch too work, no restaurant seating hours.
they move due to changes in hunting pressure,
changes in food sources,major environmental changes,and mating season and weather.
the more time you spend becoming familiar with the area youll hunt the better your grasp of the wildlife and how it spends its time and where it spends that time,
game will detect you about 80% more often than you detect game, observe by finding a concealed area and sitting, it will take 30-45 minutes for the natural process to resume.
learn the local food sources, be aware of changes, oaks don,t drop acorns all year.
will be to your benefit, wear a watch take notes and what I do is divide the map of the area into roughly 1/8 mile grid squares,
label them A-Z then you can make readable notes like
"8 am, oct 12, zone G- kicked up 3 does, found several game trails converge south of oak stand 30 yards from north end of canal" or
"11Am zone D,oct 28, found perfect tree for climbing stand for winds from north, over mixed myrtle and oak, lots of hog digging sign "
"5pm zone C oct 26 large oak grove obviously torn up by hogs"
organize notes by zone, and month on your home computer data base
learn to be a damn good shot from field positions (shooting skeet also helps)
you can aimlessly and randomly wonder around like most "hunters"and occasionally see game
or you can up your odd markedly by understanding where when and why game move and where they are more likely to be.
youll also up your odds by getting in before dawn and hunting till after dusk.
http://www.northamericanwhitetail.co...t-do-deer-eat/
http://www.wideopenspaces.com/whitet...ld-foods-pics/
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw121
https://www.mossyoak.com/our-obsessi...ing-in-florida
https://www.qdma.com/know-native-deer-foods/
go to the local fish & game office and grab all the local area brochures ,of areas your likely to hunt
http://myfwc.com/hunting/wma-brochures/
once you find an area that appeals to you get a detailed topo map and sat photos
talk to the biologist, if you do your home work, its not that hard.
visit the local rifle ranges and larger mom & pop gun-shops you might find a knowledgeable & helpful mentor
get up off the computer and grab a compass, and a map a back pack with water and a snack, your cell phone, etc.
and actually walk through the area,take pictures and get familiar with the ares,
in many cases your allowed to as long as you follow a few simple rules
after a few dozen trips youll get a clearer mental picture of the area
after several seasons youll know pretty much where to set up a stand to have an excellent chance of success,
as youll have a good grasp on how and when game moves,
if theres been a grass fire or the game department used a dozer to cut a new dirt road through the area,
or the adjacent farm burned sugar cane or it rained enough that your walking through knee deep water most of the time
, it will effect the game travel patterns.
the basics are simple you'll need to learn to be able too,
consistently find game on a regular basis,
and once found you need to be able to quickly place lethal shots precisely.
knowledge of where and when the game travel and skill with your equipment helps immensely.
being able to see down between the brush and optically cover a very large surface area (several acres)from an elevated tree stand helps in both cases
tips
be paitient, get a good stand location, relax be observant,
have a quality set of 8x or 10x compact binoculars
never leave your stand over time someone will steal it
never piss near your stand
the higher the tree stand , generally the more area you can observe
wear a safety tree stand fall harness, let the wife know the grid (s) on the map your likely to hunt
charge your cell phone, ideally have a spare battery or battery charger
put a sling on your rifle use a cartridge holder butt sleeve
ideally youll want a pack large enough to carry most of the boned out meat from a deer.
heres a quick memory jog list, for hunt day pack
(remember you might be forced to stay out over night, & weather is unpredictable)
skinning knife
kukri
compact blade sharpener
compass
area topo maps
large canteen
licences
cell phone
several lighters
granola bars
rain poncho
2 gallon zip lock bags
small block & tackle hoist & rope
(50 ft parachute cord)
spare ammo
toilet paper
mosquito repellent
alcohol hand wipes
heavy hoodie jacket