New to deer hunting- need help
 

This is my first year of hunting- I have been out twice now and the only thing that I have seen is a squirrel...Is there any books or anything that are a "must-read" about deer hunting?

It is kinda rainy/misty today and I dont have to work- I would probably be wasting my time going today huh?

RE: New to deer hunting- need help
 

I am sort of new to this, but there are some great books out there that may help.....Advanced stand placement is a great read....your never wasting time out in the woods....try and learn something everytime out.....and you may not see deer everytime you go....hope this helps. Jay

RE: New to deer hunting- need help
 

Oh yeatheres all kinds of books and magazines you can read about hunting deer , here's a few to look for at your local library or favorite book shop.
Hunting Rutting Bucks by John Trout , Jr.
The Art of Whitetail Deception by Kathy Etling
Moon Phase Whitetail Hunting by Jeff Murray
You could learn alot by reading and watching videos and getting advice in here , good luck to ya.

RE: New to deer hunting- need help
 

Thanks guys-

I think I have my ground blind in a pretty good spot- I am in shooting distance of multiple scrapes and 3 rubs! So I dont know...do they usually hit that stuff in the morning or late at night? I usually go out around 3:30 then stay until dark

RE: New to deer hunting- need help
 

Be patient, have faith, and be persistent. Right now, you're up against the full moon. I don't care what the experts say, hunting during the full moon ishard. You see very fewdeer during this time. I've noticed it seems to be better on me if I wait until after 9:00 am to get in the woods during a full moon. I just see more deer then. I've been hunting for over 30 years.
Most important thing to keep in mind is wind direction. If the wind isn't right for your particular stand/area that you'll be hunting, then stay out or hunt a different spot. You don't want your scent blowing in the direction that you expect the deer to come from.
Right now, white oaks are dropping in my area and the deer are eat 'em as fast as they hit the ground. Concentrate on food sourcesright now.

Big Racks Clothing

RE: New to deer hunting- need help
 

Hey, Taz.


First, let me say welcome to the wonderful sport of hunting.


I'm not what anyone would call an expert on the subject, but I can tell you from personal experience that one of the biggest mistakes a hunter can make is to base a good hunting day on the weather.


To be a successful hunter, you can't be afraid to get a little cold or wet. Deer are living creatures, and on a daily basis, they have to have food and water. That means that no matter what the weather, they will move at some point throughout the day. They may not move as much as normal, but they will move. I've found that on some occasions they move more than normal.


What it really comes down to is this... In order to harvest a deer, you have to be in the woods...period. The more time you spend in the woods, the better your odds. Get a good rain-suit, and maybe even wear a couple of extra layers of clothes to stay warm.


As far as reading material goes, there are all kinds of magazines available to help you. One of my personal favorites is "Deer & DeerHunting Magazine".


Always think positive, no matter what the conditions, and good luck during your first season. Hope to see some pics of a monster from you soon.

RE: New to deer hunting- need help
 

I have been lucky to have a father to teach me alot of things about hunting. Although at the same time I learned alot by reading deer hunting magazines and renting/buying videos. Just get every magazine sub. you can and read about peoples experiences/hunting stories, tech stories and just keep reading. You can gain alot of knowlege from doing this.

I noticed that you wrote "It's rainy and misty today and you don't have to work".From my experience over 17 years of hunting, any weather is hunting weather. Expecially rainy misty cold days, I've seen some of my biggest bucks when the weather is rainy misty and cold, it gets the deer up moving. Anything can happen once you get in the woods no matter what the weather, but nothing can happen when your sitting at home watching tv on the couch. A good hunter looks at miserable weather as just another challange and doesn't letitaffect their goal. Most of the midwest is experiencingcoldfront and rainy conditions right now, that means unusually coldweather forOctober and in my book that means unususallyactiveDeer movementfor October. GET OUT THERE!

RE: New to deer hunting- need help
 

Thanks for your help- I think I will go hunting today...what the hell, I have nothing to loose right.

I shouldnt really be using any calls right now either right? Or scent attractants?

RE: New to deer hunting- need help
 

Let me just clarify a couple of things, light rain, misty, cool, cold, and the such..... DEER LOVE. That is their weather. Hard driving rain,bitter cold white out type conditions or high winds...... Not so much. Deer come into rut ( breeding ) in the Oct., Nov. Dec. months. The bucks are more active now to locate does ready to breed. It is the time of year when they let their guard down a bit.... Mind you I did not say a lot, I said a bit. The only time I have seen them relax is about 2 weeks after the season ends until about 2 - 4 weeks before it begins again the next year. They notice the increase in activity in the woods, " their world ", They are more aware of every little blob in the trees, the slightest noise or movement might send them running till they get to the next county, so move slowly and quietly going into your blind. No skipping or whistling.

As was stated before, hunt near the food right now. The bucks are going to be stocking up on food right now, in preparation for the rut. Food places,before the rut, that is a key. Another key is before the rut and mainlyduring the rut, FIND THEDOES AND THE BUCKS WILL BE CLOSE BY. That was a loud whisper, like a secret being told. The buck want to breed. Guy wants a woman on a Friday night, He goes to the bar or local pub to find her. ( Not me.... but I am talkinga lot ofsocial guys in this world ). Thinking like a buck in rut !! LOL So that is a buck in the rut. The bucks run and chase and search for every available doe in heat they can find, so they can breed. When they are chasing the does is when they are most vulnerable. ( A woman will get you every time ).

Bucks do not really like being out in the open. They like edges. Shadows. Woods. They will come out into the open some, but they are not comfortable.

Ground blinds can be very effective, but also consider a good ladder, climbing, or fixed position stand to compliment the ground blind, and give you other places to hunt. Other ways to "trick" the deer. If done right, it is often easier to get the drop on a buck from up in a tree, than it is from on the ground. Your scent is less of a factor. Your shape and movement is less of a factor. Note: I did not say a lot less... but any help is better than none. Noise is always bad.

Is camo clothing absolutely necessary? NO ! Does it help? YES ! And you should always take precautions to be as scent free ( you and your clothes ) as humanly possible. Shower with scent free soap ! Limit activity so you do not sweat. Wash your clothes in scent free detergent. Is this a must do? NO! Does it help? YES!

And as previously stated, always pay close attention to the wind direction when deciding where to hunt.

Scents and calls: Right now, cover scents would be ok, but rut scents might be a little early. A lot of that depends on your demographic area, where you live and what phase the deer are in right now. Calls are more effective coming into the rut and during the rut. But be careful, because over use can and often will run deer off or at least cause them to be very leery. And it also will help them to pinpoint where YOU are. And don't think they are not good at it. They are pros at it. They have great ears and noses. They know really close to how far a noise is away from them when they hear it and in what direction it came from. And do not fool your self into thinking that bucks are better at it than does...WRONG. A doe will bust you in a heart beat.

I hope this helps you some.

Good luck and good hunting.

God Bless.

RE: New to deer hunting- need help
 

WOW- thanks alot michaelT!!!

I drew a little picture because I was bored of the place that I hunt---tell me if you think I have my blinds in good spots...

RE: New to deer hunting- need help
 

oh the brown is the road leading to all of the hay fields

RE: New to deer hunting- need help
 

Well I think I am going to head out to go hunt in about 15 minutes--I cant decide what blind that I want to sit in today because the winds are coming from the west and the deer are usually downwind from all my blinds..hmm...

RE: New to deer hunting- need help
 

Well I would perfer to know which direction is what , or is up considered North, before I say anything. I need to know what directions the winds are coming from on a daily basis. I know things can change, but which way the blow mostly. I also would like to know some distance scale for the drawing. Like one inch = 100 yards, or something like that. If you can give this info, we could be more help.

RE: New to deer hunting- need help
 

ok--- looking at the map, north would be at the bottom, south the top, east the left and the west would be to the right.

The winds blow in from the south west and the west most of the time.

To scale the map would kinda be a pain... the creek is probably325 yards long and275 yards north of the circle of walnut trees. Hope that helps

RE: New to deer hunting- need help
 

It's hard to really tell from your map, but what does the white space represent and what are the big orange blocks?
Are you walking into the blind in the circle from the road to the right of it? If the wind is out of the west and southwest, then it looks to me as if your scent is blowing directly into the bedding areas on the left side of the circle. I would try to get a little closer to the corn and alfalfa. Seems to me that those deer bedding in the circle would be feeding there. Just my opinion.

BRC

RE: New to deer hunting- need help
 

Sorry its kinda a crummy map-

The orange is allbean fields- most of the white space is tall grass

The only thing is I can only enter the area from the little road that goes back there- otherwise I would have to walk through a huge bean field and be quiet (they havent cut them yet)

Maybe ill try to take some pictures next time im out

RE: New to deer hunting- need help
 

I drew a little picture because I was bored of the place that I hunt---tell me if you think I have my blinds in good spots...

The wind * vs * blind placement..food for thought.

I would consider a blind at the east line to the south end of the walnut tree line. Ifthe winds are from the south to south west, That would blow out to the corn and alfalfa,from you inside the walnut circle,and kill anything in the walnut tree circle ( grove ) area wanting to head west from the bedding areas or returning from eating the corn and alfalfa. Also you have to be careful inside the grove of walnuts, because if the wind is blowing, the trees can cause the windto swirl, andthat will spread your scent all over that part of the grove, and you are in ground blinds, right at nose level. There are a lot of possible places for blinds, but think about the wind and your scent at all times. Where your ground blind is inside the oval grove, your wind is going to blow into all of the stuff you have made up on the east side of the grove and the deer in turn would head east, north east,or east, south east,to avoid you by going around you to get to the west area.

Is it an entry trail or an exit trail? Which direction are they using a certail trail to travel?

Also remember this, not all deer trails are the same. A lot of times the deer have trails they take to one place, and leave that place by a different trail. So try to see which trails are the in trails and which are the out trails. You may be set up on atrail that you would have a hard time getting a shot from because of the deers direction of travel *vs* the direction your scent is blowing. If they are headed to someplace in the south - south west area and your wind is to their nose ( which is the way they like to travel ) , then they will smell you and you will never see them. So make sure you are always to the east north east of the trail or bedding area food source, scrape or rub.

Now nothing is fool proof. But this is a basic idea for your set-up. I hope it helps and you bag a great deer.

Ok

RE: New to deer hunting- need help
 

I started hunting about 10 years ago.Learned to listen to expeirenced hunters. One hunter told me to liquidfy some protoleum jelly,and apply to my broadheads. Stops the blood from conglogelating. I have always found my deer, even bad shots.It was a good tip. Another hunter told me that the deer you hit will ussually veer to the oppisite side hit or head to water if near. Hope you see one and get a hit.

RE: New to deer hunting- need help
 

It's really hard to pick sites based on a colored map without really seeing it in person. However, I would place my stands based on:
a) wind direction MOST CRITICAL!
b) accessability
c) cover
d) food
I've been hunting for over 30 years, and I've hunted whitetails in the north and south and it has been my experience that big bucks will travel with the wind. It makes logical sense. When he's travelling with the wind, he can see ahead of him for danger and he can smell anything approaching from the rear. Same way when he beds down. His butt will be pointing into the wind. I was hunting a big buck in IL last november and I saw him one day and he was travelling with the wind. I moved my stand over to that ridge and the next day with a stiff south wind, he came with the wind. I had a scent bomb placed up wind from me, hoping that he would pass the scent bomb, smell it, turn and go back and investigate it and I would have a clean shot. He would be upwind from me so he never smelled me. All worked out just as planned except for the shot. I hit him a little farther back than I wanted and to make a long story short, we never found him. Went back the next day a roamed all the property and never found him. I was sick!
But anyway, as far as stand locations just keep the wind in mind when approaching your stand and deciding which stand to hunt. The red X's on the map would be places worth considering. Remember, bucks like to work the edges, as evidenced by the scrape lines.

BRC

RE: New to deer hunting- need help
 

Thanks for your help-
I will have to go out there now and move a couple of my stands. I have yet to see a deer so maybe wind direction is my problem.

Well see what this brings me- thanks again.

RE: New to deer hunting- need help
 

Here is a sattelite image that I found of the area- this might give you a better idea of what I am talking about.

Let see if I can get it to work...

http://imageatlas.globexplorer.com/ImageAtlas/view.do

This map would be
n
w e
s

RE: New to deer hunting- need help
 

Well we have talked about wind and stuff already, so I will just add that deer like edges, places where things change, like woods to fields, wherejunctions of terrain come together like trees andfields and bedding areas. Trails can converg there. Look for places of different surroundings ( terrain ) where trails through them combinedown to a single trail.Look for saddles, or points of woods that stick out to a food source and gives the deer a little extra cover.

RE: New to deer hunting- need help
 

Well I went hunting today- the farmer started cutting the bean field so I was able to walk where the wind would blow my scent away from where I think the deer are- about an hour into my hunt the wind started blowing like crazy- probably 30 mph gusts...so I stuck it out for another 2 hours then I left after my hands were numb from forgetting my gloves at home.

1 questions: My dad tells me that deer are like humans- if it is really cold and windy we cover up (bed down) and if it is raining and stuff they do the same. Is this true?