School Me on Whitetail Deer Hunting
07-20-2012, 12:35 PM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 5
School Me on Whitetail Deer Hunting
What are some great resources available to a newbie whitetail hunter?
What are some tips you learned along the way that you wished you knew from day one?
What are the "golden rules" when it comes to deer hunting?
I really want to start hunting whitetail with my uncle in Ohio. However, he is directing me to learn all I can before the hunt to ensure success in the field.
Thanks for your time and help!
What are some tips you learned along the way that you wished you knew from day one?
What are the "golden rules" when it comes to deer hunting?
I really want to start hunting whitetail with my uncle in Ohio. However, he is directing me to learn all I can before the hunt to ensure success in the field.
Thanks for your time and help!
07-23-2012, 08:33 AM
#5
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Grand Isle Vermont
Posts: 353
Patience lots of patience. Hunting is something you learn over time. Yes we can tell you little things like don't rush your shot take your time, aim small miss small. A lot of it you will learn thru the process. Like others suggested tho deer and deer hunting is a great magazine. Just enjoy the outdoors and be safe
07-23-2012, 09:50 AM
#6
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NEW ATHENS, IL, USA
Posts: 426
I don't know how old you are, or how long you've been hunting. The best way to learn about the outdoors is to go outdoors as much as possible. Not just during deer season. Go become a good squirrel hunter, that will help you with deer hunting, shooting, stalking, patience, and scouting. Hang up the video games and the phone, GO OUTSIDE.
As for reading... try this... "Mapping Trophy Bucks"
http://www.amazon.com/Mapping-Trophy.../dp/0873495039
As for reading... try this... "Mapping Trophy Bucks"
http://www.amazon.com/Mapping-Trophy.../dp/0873495039
07-23-2012, 03:00 PM
#7
Typical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Pikeville, Tennessee
Posts: 592
Be patient, be silent, be able to hold absolutely still for long periods of time, think about what would be natural for a deer to do, for example, a good rule of thumb is that they feed at night, and early in the morning, move from feeding areas to bedding areas, and vice versa for the evening. The rut is an absolutely magical time where bucks will move, even throughout the day, if you are hunting in dry areas, be mindful of water. You can hunt every day of the season and not see deer if you are in a bad spot. Scouting and preparation are key. Keep the animal in the forefront of your thoughts as you pull the trigger or release an arrow. You owe it to the animal to make a clean shot and end any suffering. If an animal is quartering towards or away from you, pay more attention to the path of the bullet to the exit hole than you do on the entry. Only take shots you are comfortable with, and ALWAYS follow the law and be safe. Good luck to you. BB
Last edited by Beard Buster; 07-23-2012 at 06:13 PM.
07-24-2012, 12:46 PM
#9
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location:
Posts: 6,357
Deer are prey species. Other animals eat them. To reduce their exposure, they are crepuscular animals -- they are most active at twilight. They are most active at first light and at last light. Typically, the best time to hunt deer is from first legal shooting light until 2 hours after sun-up and from 2 hours before sun-down to last legal shooting light. Also, the very best hunting is on opening day, opening morning. It doesn't take deer long to figure out they are being hunted, but first thing opening day they are not yet wise.
Hunt where there are deer. Sounds obvious, doesn't it? Do some scouting in advance to assure yourself that deer actually frequent your chosen hunting grounds. Deer typically remain within an about 1 mile radius. Deer will need food, water, and cover where they will bed during the day. Deer eat at night or during twilight hours. They then hole up in cover and "bed" during the daylight hours when they chew their cud.
Place yourself in a position where you expect deer to walk past on their travels from feeding areas to bedding areas . . . or from bedding areas to feeding areas. Sometimes it takes awhile to figure this out. Sometimes you can discover trails and assume the deer use those trails to move around. You should be positioned where the wind at that time (day to day wind direction changes, even within the day wind direction changes) is blowing from where you expect to see the deer towards you. If the wind blows from you to the deer, the deer will smell you ("wind you" in deer hunting jargon) and will run away.
Get into position at least 30 minutes BEFORE your preferred hunting time slot. Thus, get there at least 30 minutes before leagl shooting light and at least 150 minutes before sun-down. Find a comfortable spot. Wear sufficient clothes for the weather so you will be comfortable and warm . . . even after you have been sitting still for 2 hours. Try to place yourself in the shadows. Try to have things behind you and in front of you to break up your outline. Be very still. When you move, move very slowly. This includes turning your head.
I prefer to hunt on the ground. I just pick a place I like the looks of and hunker down in the bush. I may learn a place I like and return to it year after year, but I'm not really tied down to any one place and can improvise at any time. If you are hunting from a tree stand . . . you have to hunt in that tree stand. If you have three tree stands set up, then you only have three places you can hunt from. Hunting on the ground I have no such limitations. IF you hunt from a tree stand, use a safety belt and learn to use it correctly. People die falling out of tree stands and also people die wearing a safety belt or harnes that they use incorrectly. I'm not kidding on this subject.
Practice shooting with your rifle so you know how it shoots and what your own personal limitations are. Shoot groups of 3 or 5 shots at a time. 1 Shot that lands in the bullseye tells you less than what 5 shots is going to tell you. Use the same ammunition you practice shoot with when hunting.
If possible, get out and walk around in your deer hunting area a lot. Learn the lay of the land, where the streams are, where the hills are, where the ponds are, where the acorns are, where the berries are, where the trails are. Watch for tufts of hair, like on a fence line. Maybe the deer cross the fence there. Do they crawl under the fence at a gully where it passes under the fence? Go at different times of day, particularly very early in the day and at the end of the day. You should be able to walk around in your area in the dark because, guess what, you probably will be doing just that come hunting season! Walking in the dark to your hunting location in the morning and walking in the dark out of the woods at the end of the day.
Carry a hunting knife and know how to field dress a deer. It isn't too complicated. Be careful not to cut yourself. Have a head lamp so if you need to field dress your deer after dark you have light. Carry extra batteries. Don't shoot unless you are pretty sure you can make the shot. Don't just blast at deer hoping you'll hit one.
Good luck. I have always loved deer hunting, though now I have moved on to elk hunting and prefer that to deer hunting. Same basic feelings of hunting, just a bigger animal, bigger country, bigger physical challenge. Love it.
Hunt where there are deer. Sounds obvious, doesn't it? Do some scouting in advance to assure yourself that deer actually frequent your chosen hunting grounds. Deer typically remain within an about 1 mile radius. Deer will need food, water, and cover where they will bed during the day. Deer eat at night or during twilight hours. They then hole up in cover and "bed" during the daylight hours when they chew their cud.
Place yourself in a position where you expect deer to walk past on their travels from feeding areas to bedding areas . . . or from bedding areas to feeding areas. Sometimes it takes awhile to figure this out. Sometimes you can discover trails and assume the deer use those trails to move around. You should be positioned where the wind at that time (day to day wind direction changes, even within the day wind direction changes) is blowing from where you expect to see the deer towards you. If the wind blows from you to the deer, the deer will smell you ("wind you" in deer hunting jargon) and will run away.
Get into position at least 30 minutes BEFORE your preferred hunting time slot. Thus, get there at least 30 minutes before leagl shooting light and at least 150 minutes before sun-down. Find a comfortable spot. Wear sufficient clothes for the weather so you will be comfortable and warm . . . even after you have been sitting still for 2 hours. Try to place yourself in the shadows. Try to have things behind you and in front of you to break up your outline. Be very still. When you move, move very slowly. This includes turning your head.
I prefer to hunt on the ground. I just pick a place I like the looks of and hunker down in the bush. I may learn a place I like and return to it year after year, but I'm not really tied down to any one place and can improvise at any time. If you are hunting from a tree stand . . . you have to hunt in that tree stand. If you have three tree stands set up, then you only have three places you can hunt from. Hunting on the ground I have no such limitations. IF you hunt from a tree stand, use a safety belt and learn to use it correctly. People die falling out of tree stands and also people die wearing a safety belt or harnes that they use incorrectly. I'm not kidding on this subject.
Practice shooting with your rifle so you know how it shoots and what your own personal limitations are. Shoot groups of 3 or 5 shots at a time. 1 Shot that lands in the bullseye tells you less than what 5 shots is going to tell you. Use the same ammunition you practice shoot with when hunting.
If possible, get out and walk around in your deer hunting area a lot. Learn the lay of the land, where the streams are, where the hills are, where the ponds are, where the acorns are, where the berries are, where the trails are. Watch for tufts of hair, like on a fence line. Maybe the deer cross the fence there. Do they crawl under the fence at a gully where it passes under the fence? Go at different times of day, particularly very early in the day and at the end of the day. You should be able to walk around in your area in the dark because, guess what, you probably will be doing just that come hunting season! Walking in the dark to your hunting location in the morning and walking in the dark out of the woods at the end of the day.
Carry a hunting knife and know how to field dress a deer. It isn't too complicated. Be careful not to cut yourself. Have a head lamp so if you need to field dress your deer after dark you have light. Carry extra batteries. Don't shoot unless you are pretty sure you can make the shot. Don't just blast at deer hoping you'll hit one.
Good luck. I have always loved deer hunting, though now I have moved on to elk hunting and prefer that to deer hunting. Same basic feelings of hunting, just a bigger animal, bigger country, bigger physical challenge. Love it.
Last edited by Alsatian; 07-24-2012 at 01:07 PM.
07-25-2012, 12:14 PM
#10
Typical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Northern WI
Posts: 853
You might find yourself overwhelmed by the thousands of dollars worth of stuff that you supposedly need. A few key things:
- Don't let deer smell you. Hunt up wind and minimize your own scent and extra scents like gasoline, food, etc.
- Don't let deer get "know you" in the area you hunt. Only scout when the wind and time of day (mid day) is right and do as little of this as possible. Once "busted" with deer in the area, it becomes many times tougher.
- Keep well concealed. Up high or concealed in a good blind with natural vegetation. Any movement on your part spotted and it is all over. Much easier for gun than bow.
- There is a lot more, but this is a good start.
Forums like this one are great, but there are many other sites as well. Here is one I just found: http://www.americanhunter.org/articl...unting-skills/
- Don't let deer smell you. Hunt up wind and minimize your own scent and extra scents like gasoline, food, etc.
- Don't let deer get "know you" in the area you hunt. Only scout when the wind and time of day (mid day) is right and do as little of this as possible. Once "busted" with deer in the area, it becomes many times tougher.
- Keep well concealed. Up high or concealed in a good blind with natural vegetation. Any movement on your part spotted and it is all over. Much easier for gun than bow.
- There is a lot more, but this is a good start.
Forums like this one are great, but there are many other sites as well. Here is one I just found: http://www.americanhunter.org/articl...unting-skills/