Rick C.

At the risk of sounding like a whiner.....

I just started hunting this year. I have studied several books and web sites trying to learn how to make my hunt successfull. I got into scouting a little late, but found several trails and deer signs (the snow really helped that). I have no access to private land, so I have been doing all of this around the Frederick Watershed and Monocacy NRMA.

I have been out several times this season, have not seen a single deer, much less taken a shot at one. I was wondering if this self teaching will work, or if I need to make more of an effort to seek out experienced hunters and try to learn first hand from them. Also, I want to try to line up hunting rights to private land for next year. Any suggestions are welcome! Good luck to all in '03.

-Rick C.

Warren

After many years of hunting State land in N.J. and N.Y. and seeing only red coats, I finally got access to private land and got my first deer. That was about 20 years ago. Hunting on private land (with little hunting pressure)is much more like what you may read in magazines and what you have learned my work. It's a different ball game on state land. If you can get permission on private land, that would be the place to do your scouting and locate stand placements.
Good luck
Warren

Bionicrooster

I would definitly seek out someone more experienced, a sort of mentor, as it will make it alot easier for you to learn the basics and get some hints too.

Good luck!

"We do not inherit our wildlife from our fathers, we only borrow it from our children."

hill runner

Having just started hunting in Maryland on public land I can relate. I did my scouting and as soon as season opened, everything changed. I guess that people that have hunted these public lands for some years have a pretty good idea of what the deer are doing without going into the woods. I scouted some public land in Mont. County and didn't see any signs that anyone had been in the park. Come opening day the entire road was lined with pick-up trucks. Of course the entire summer of scouting was washed down the drain, as the number of people alone would change the patterns of the deer. I say on public land put yourself in the best possible position that you can find, invest in a tree stand and hope that luck in on you side the days afield. A side note is I have found that it is less pressured during the week. I have a pretty flexible schedule so I will work Sat or Sun so I can be in the woods on a Thurs or Fri.
Best of luck on public land. You can find some real nice deer, but luck really needs to be on your side

jalvja

To take my first deer my dad took me to a spot and said be patient.Soon after sunup a few doe appeared then soon after that a buck showed up.That was over 30 yrs ago.If I could give you one piece of advice.During gun season esp. on land that gets pressure.Forget about deer sign.Once people start movin into the woods the deer will abandon their normal routines.They will head for the thickest most hard to get at spots in the woods.The trick is to be there ahead of them.

model722

Best thing you can do is be PATIENT I've known some people that didnt get a deer until after 3-4 years of hunting. I new one guy that didn't shoot his first until 18 years, I asked him why even bother he told me it's the hunt that he liked it didn't matter about the kill. When you do go hunting go out and just sit back and listen to what the woods are saying, you'ld be surprised at what you can learn just by observing what's going on around you. As with everything else hunting takes time and patients to learn. You didn't learn to walk the first time you stood.

slicendice

Hunting public land in Md is handicapping yourself from the start.
It is possible to kill in there, but it ain't easy. I hunt in Wash. Co. and may be able to help you with getting some private land. I don't have alot, but I have access to some. Email me @ [email protected].

huntforlife

i hunt public land i lower new york state and had very good success in the past few years try to stick to the smaller mountains they are easier to manage ( finding rubs, runways, and scrapes) during the first few days of the gun season sit well off of a trail get in early before everyone else and let them move the deer for you after that you will have to get deeper into the mountain for a buck or just stick with a runway for a doe ,find food , and beeding areas also put as many hunting hours in as you can no matter how cold or bad the weather is hunting season is already short dont make it shorter by your own actions you will not see deer if you are not in the woods you luck can change in one second it took me 2 years to get my first deer

Edited by - huntforlife on 01/01/2003 17:36:33

mauser06

for mine it took the whole buck season..the last day i got a nice doe(juniors could take does on saturdays)...hill runner and everyone else is right..im lucky to have a dad that hunted public land most of his life and he now has a sweet honey hole...its so thick farthest shot is 50yds ...the trail they tend to use when they come through is about 20yds away from our cubby holes..kinda fun ambushing them like that...this year that spot produced 4 deer and if we hunted longer im sure dad could got his buck...and if we had more tags it would been nothing to take more deer...look for funnel areas that deer HAVE to go through if they are kicked out of their beds and areas like that...look in thickets and find a spot where you can see a little ways and find a spot and sit there...best thing to do is get with an expierienced guy and learn the ropes and maybe have him find you a spot....public land if you can see over 100yds your in the wrong spot..i mean sure first morning they dont know yet but after that they are sticking to the cover...we were in our thicket the first day and then the frist saturday....there were beat paths crossing the big human trail running from thicket to thicket...none of the trails were there before season...fresh snow made it nice! good luck to you...stick with it your time will come!

Mike NJ

OK,, YOU ASKED RIGHT ? HERE'S MY OPPINION,, FIRST THING YOU DO IS MAKE SURE THAT THE BOW OR GUN THAT YOU ARE USING IS SIGHTED IN(DEAD NUTS. ) THIS WAY WHEN THE SHOT DOES COME INSIDE THE DISTANCE THAT YOU HAVE PRACTICED,, WITH A BOW 20 YARDS, A GUN ,,SAY 50 IF YOU CAN,, THEN YOU SHOULD BE VERRY CONFIDENT. TRY IF YOU ARE ABLE TO HUNT FROM A TREE. YOUR ODDS ARE MUCH GREATER FROM A TREE. IF YOU ARE SHOOTING WELL, AND UP A TREE, THE NEXT THING IS TO JUST BE PATIENT AND WATCH WHAT HAPPENS. IF YOU SEE A DEER,MAKE SURE IT IS INSIDE THE DISTANCE THAT YOU ARE DEADLY SHOOTING. CHECK YOUR WATCH IF IT DOES NOT COME TO YOU BUT WALKS AWAY UN SPOOKED THEN JUST RELOCATE YOUR STAND CLOSER TO THAT SPOT A COUPLE A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER, AND A COUPLE HOURS EARLIER THEN THE TIME YOU SAW IT. IF THE DEER DIDN'T SPOOK IT WILL MOST LIKELY COME BACK TO THE SAME SPOT EVEN THE NEXT DAY. THAT'S NOT A BAD START. JUST BY BEING IN THE WOODS YOU WILL PICK UP LOTS OF STUFF ON YOUR OWN. HAVE FUN AND BE CAREFUL. GOOD LUCK ALSO .