A few questions from new guy
 

Have read your posts and you guys seem like a great group. I am new to hunting. I will be shotgun hunting deer in Carroll county Illinois the weekends before and after thanksgiving. Obviously I have a lot of questions and a lot to learn. Unfortunately I don't have anyone exprienced at deer hunting to guide me.

Can someone recommend a good video on deer hunting for beginners? It seems like there are a lot of them out there. I want something that will be instructional not just scenes of deer kills.

Is a tree stand a necessity? I understand that it improves my chances but if I hunt from the ground, do I stand a chance or am I wasting my time?

Finally, is it possible to have a deer tested for CWD privately?

Thanks in advance for your help. Keep up the good work.

Robert

RE: A few questions from new guy
 

welcome aboard!...the only question i can asnwer is the treestand one...its not a nessisity...it helps keep your scent from the deer and out of their eye level so you can get away with some moving sometimes...i hunt from the ground and see many deer..just keep your clothes as scent free as possible and you should be ok..just dont move alot and be quiet...you dont need all the fancy scent stuff just let it sit out side for a few days to cath the breeze out of rain and such of course...thats about all i do..and if they ever need washed wash in plain water...

RE: A few questions from new guy
 

Thanks for the detailed info. Every little bit helps.

RE: A few questions from new guy
 

Try and find some deer trails,buck rubs,scrapes etc.It always helps to scout an area before you hunt it.If you have a few days to hunt use the first day to look for sign.Move very slow,look for any movement no matter how small.It may be a bird or an ear of a deer.

GUNS AND KNOWLEDGE ARE THE BEST PROTECTION AGAINST TERRORISM

RE: A few questions from new guy
 

berto, treestands are not REQUIRED by any means. I won't get in one (and I've got ALOT set around the farm I hunt) unless I'm absolutely wide awake! If I'm up there and feel even SLIGHTLY drowzy I get down. I actually favor ground blinds a bit more. Nothing like the "V" of a great big deadfall. On the ground you can rotate a heck of alot more than in atreestand where your rotation is limited.

I hunt Johnson County. Leave 11/20 am. I've heard alot of good stuff about Carroll (i.e. big bucks). Good luck this season.

Now....."Go Get Ya One!"

Uncle Matt

RE: A few questions from new guy
 

A treestand is not a must. I can give you one other pointer, you did not specify if you were hunting with buckshot or slugs. If buckshot, I find 00 buckshot to be the best with a modified choke. It throws a real tight pattern. I don't know of any videos right off hand, but if you go to the hunting.net site, go to deer hunting on the little tab at the top and it will walk you through everything from shot placement, to skinning, to cooking. Hope it helps a little.

RYAN SMITH

RE: A few questions from new guy
 

Thanks guys, your advice is much appreciated. Ryan, here in Illinois we're not allowed to shoot buckshot at deer so I will be shooting slugs. I was out hunting turkeys the previous weekend and saw a lot of deer (mostly does), probably need to go into the woods to find the bucks. So yes, Carroll county does have a large deer population and I should get a good look at a few if I'm not a total amateur.

RE: A few questions from new guy
 

Treestand have a purpose and if the area is condusive they are good. I am a ground hunter, except bears. I prefer to be able to move at any time, with the proper setup you can get right up with the deer.

I agree the key to is finding the right spot or spots. Look for trails, intersections, meadows in bush, funnels, rubs, scrapes...really anything that tells you deer are in the area and like it. Hunt the wind, keep it on your nose or the very least cheek at all times. If you know the trails then you should have a good idea where the deer come from or go, Set up to the advantage of you and wind. I prefer to get back as far as I can and shot confidentally with any weapon...just gives you more room for error.

RE: A few questions from new guy
 

Berto, if you have seen many does in your area, like you said when you were turkey hunting stay in that area. The rut is coming soon, and it should be in peak rut when you are hunting. During rut, the bucks come looking for the does, you dont have to go looking for the bucks deeper in the woods, they will find the does. Just stay camoflauged and try to stay as scent free as possible. And remember, deer have very keen eyesight, so try to stay as still as possible.

RE: A few questions from new guy
 

Welcome to the board Berto.....When ground hunting,like mentioned before keep yourself and your clothing scentfree is the most important thing.I like to use deadfalls,crawl right into them and let them camo you.Try not to go into an area blind.Scout around and find trails,Rubs or scrapes.And set up 20 yds downwind.On the ground i really believe using a headnet to cover your face is a big plus.

It's not how big the Deer,But the size of the experiance that matters!!

RE: A few questions from new guy
 

Berto, if, and I emphasize the word if, you ever do decide to get into hunting from a treestand, make very sure you are intimately familiar with it, and accept the fact that a safety belt is just part of it. Get in the habit of using some type of safety harness from the git-go, and never climb a tree without one.<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>Good luck this season!

RE: A few questions from new guy
 

Man, you guys are great, I'm learning a great deal here. I did scout the area and there are rub marks all over the place. Just a matter of picking the right spot with my shotgun pointed in the right direction so I don't have to move around to take the right shot. The area I'm hunting is mostly a harvested corn field with woods around it and a couple of fingers of trees sticking out into the corn field. Should I get a deer call? Do you have to be experienced at it to use it properly? If I should get one, what kind of noise should it make?

Thanks,
Robert

RE: A few questions from new guy
 

Good topic. I would agree w/ everything above as well. first and foremost, i take extra care in the storage of my field wear. A couple of days before i go hunting i wash my clothes, hunting bag, gloves, and field pack in baking soda. washing your gear in this manner will insure that your clothes are free of human smelling toxins (that includes fabric softner). when you return to camp remove your hunting clothes and put back into bag. i repeat this process before and after every hunt.

as far as grunt calls are concerned and how to use 'em... you're in the right place. i've been hunting for years and i am still learning.

RE: A few questions from new guy
 

Thanks to all who answered my questions.

RE: A few questions from new guy
 

Berto, a grunt tube is all you really need to start, if only to use it just to stop a deer for a shot. They are basically a short blow or inhale to operate for a contact grunt. Yes their are many different sounds you can make with only a grunt tube, but the contact grunt is what most guys will use to stop or turn animals...it works and is easy to do. You can buy calls that have all the sounds like the &quot;true talker&quot; and &quot;ridge runner&quot; to name a few. These calls will make grunts from immature to mature, bleats, doe in heat and fawn bawls..by either placing your finger on the appropriate band or adjusting a band on the reed portion of the call. I personal prefer just a grunt, I have a &quot;Knight hale EZ Grunter Plus&quot;, it doesn't have adjustments like the above. If you want a doe in heat the best and easiest one is &quot;the can&quot; style. However when starting out with calls I think your better off with a grunt or only one, it causes many people to over call. Once you get a little field experience and confidence then branch out to other calls. I mentioned it but I will again do not over call, basically use the call as a sight call, if you blind call just wait a period between calling. I personally rarely blind call, except when rattling or I step on branch and use it to try to cover my tracks sort to speak.

RE: A few questions from new guy
 

Thanks Skeeter, sounds like good advice. Keeping it simple is a good idea at this point. To experienced hunters like yourself, all of this is second nature. But to novices like myself it's intimidating when looking for a deer call and seeing dozens of them on the shelf. So I appreciate the detailed advice and the grunt call recommendation.

RE: A few questions from new guy
 

Berto,
Safety should be first and foremost. If you are hunting from the ground and there will be other hunters in the area you need to protect yourself. Here in S.C. we are only required to wear either an orange hat or vest. I normally opt for the hat only but always carry a vest in my pocket. When ground hunting in a blind that may actually prevent not only deer but other hunters from seeing me I will take my orange vest and hang it on a limb overhead or close by.
Regards to safety of others, make damn sure that you are shooting at deer and not noises or movement that have not been positively identified as a deer. I'm sure that you have already thought of this one but in the woods things can happen, if you want that deer bad enough your mind may feed you information that you are processing as a deer that when reality it's some guy coming thru the brush with a brown jacket and a white T shirt.
Keep it simple is good advice, don't get wrapped up in all the gadgets at first. Over time you will figure out the things that you need. Do not put too much pressure on yourself to kill a deer. If you hunt smart you will get one soon. Just relax and enjoy your days in the woods. It is not the kill that makes a good day in the woods. Good luck and I hope that you enjoy deer hunting as much as I have over the years.

Mark

YEEEEHAAWWWWWW!!!!

MARK IN S.C.

RE: A few questions from new guy
 

I hear you there Mark. I do enjoy being out in the woods and when turkey hunting a couple of weeks ago, even though I didn't shoot anything after sitting still for 5 hours, I still enjoyed the experience. I know it will take me a while to become a proficient deer hunter and I hope not to do anything stupid in the meantime (including picking the right shot). At this point shooting a deer is not as important as learning as much as I can. That's why your advice is so important since I don't have an experienced deer hunter to guide me.