Want to get into deer hunting
 

Hey guys. My family farms a rice farm of about 1800 acres here in south LA. We see a fair amount of deer(usually does) throughout the year, but not a huge amount. I'm thinking about maybe trying to hunt a little bit because at the moment, the only hunting I do is goose/duck/dove and want to try something different.

What basic advice could y'all give me? What caliber/brand gun? What kind of stand? Should I scout heavily? Could I try to hunt before the end of this season or just set up and wait til next season?

Thanks guys!

Well gun/calibor is personal preference but to a new hunter I recomend a new England handy rifle in 7mm08 or 308 it's just a singleshot but that's all it should take if you place it right. They can be had for around 230-250 new. Put a decent scope on it and your set. If you just wanna spend extra money on a bolt action you can't beat the Remington 700 but stay away from that model 770 crap. I don't see no reason why you couldn't hunt this season just go where you've seen em find a well used trail and backoff about 30 yards and lean up against a tree make sure your camoflaged good and see what happens. Next year get a stand or groundblind and your set. Any stand will work just get one that you like.

this is good information above.

I would not go out and spend thousands to find out you do not like it. I prefer a .270 cal. I would consider buying a used gun where you can trade it later if you want. If you buy a stand a ladder stand works good to start with and they are not expensive. The main thing I would say though is be safe, and prepaired. Do you know what you are going to do with your deer if you shoot one? You do not want to it spoil.
If you get involved in deer hunting you can have a lifetime of enjoyment. I look back on all the years I have hunted and all the changes I have made in my style. I hope you enjoy deer hunting and good luck!.

thanks guys. I'm planning on either borrowing a gun or buying an entry-level rifle to start. I'm planning on setting up against a small patch of trees. We've seen deer in our rice fields generally when they are in the backside of the crop rotation(they're overgrown). I realize the chances of a sighting/killing are slimmer than a "deer hunting area" but I want to maybe give it a shot.

Welcome, and im sure youll be hooked! with deer hunting, you can get as involved as you want, take it as far as you please. Scouting is a big help, but it all depends on what your goals are. If you want to get big bucks well, there are many things you can do to help yourself get in a position to. If your just looking to get into the action, hang a stand on a food or water source, and just get out there and sit. When they start coming in and moving around you, im sure you will get the excitement that im sure all of us hunters get. And from there like I said, you can go as intense as you choose (scouting, food plots, QDM, etc.) goodluck!

Good advice on caliber, but Backwoods7 is not a new hunter. He already has experience with waterfowl. I would suggest a Marlin XS7 bolt action in 7mm-08 or .308. These can be had for about $300.

Get the Deer processing DVD from Kentucky Afield to learn how to field dress a deer and process the meat. I use his method now and really like it.

thanks guys. Any tips on attracting deer to a specific area? And we mainly see does. The only 2 bucks I have seen on our farm were 2 big bucks with their horns locked dead in a canal :(

If it is legal you can always throw some corn out...and maybe a trail cam

Marlin 336 in 30-30 is a good starter gun.