Rpcross45

Lol my post did seem lame but I'm the farthest thing from a yuppie. Ever heard of a yuppie welder? I haven't lol but in all seriousness great info fellas I'm gonna soak up as much as I can. Literally though can I find a good spot in the woods maybe bait it a little before season starts then just sit in stand is it literally that simple though?

MudderChuck

For the first few years I would kind of blunder around and occasionally get lucky.

Found a master to teach me something about Deer, before that most of my hunting was Rabbit, Dove and varmints.

About 50-50 between what I picked up from my Deer mentor and just sitting and observing. Who, What, When, Where and Why are the basic questions to ask yourself in most any scouting scenario. When you can answer most of the questions yourself, you are well on the way to finding Deer most anytime.

Anymore I could care less if I shoot a Deer or not, the challenge just isn't there anymore. I do fill my freezer every year.

I find Fox and wild hogs to be much more of a challenge, both are generally smart and canny, especially the old timers. I enjoy night hunting, legal here for Hogs and Varmints.

I'll give you a tip. Anyplace with cover and food likely has Deer. If they aren't where you are, they are likely just out sight within a few hundred yards. The trick is them not smelling you, hearing you, seeing you (mostly motion) or even feeling the vibrations of your footsteps through their hooves ( I believe this to be fact). Stalking Deer takes some real talent, though they do screw up on occasion, especially the younger ones.

A little story, I noticed a lot of tracks between a Corn field and lettuce field on a farm road. Figured the Deer were using the road to cross from an area with good cover to a bedding area. I was just scouting and not hunting. I'd parked my Jeep Cherokee on an intersecting road maybe a hundred yards from the path they were using, just before dawn. Kept both front doors open (I'd disabled the inside lights long ago) and was just watching the road through my binoculars. Just about time to give it up and go home, a young Buck pops out of the Corn field right next to my Jeep, maybe 15 feet away. He looks left, looks right and heads right for the open passenger door of my Jeep. Best guess is he thought the quickest way to get from where he was, to where he wanted to go, was through my Jeep. I'd learned a long time ago not to make jerky movements, I'd turned my head very slowly to look at him. I had a picture in my mind of him trampling me on his way through and decided that yelling and waving my arms was the best choice at the moment.

If they don't smell you or hear you or see you (usually motion) they really don't see shapes well and may walk right up to you. IMO a better chance of them walking up on you, than you walking up on them. There senses are a whole lot better than yours are.

Sometimes the tiniest thing will spook them, sometimes not so much. Sometimes whether they consider that strange smell, sound or shape to be a threat can be variable and seems to make no sense at all. Generally the younger ones make the most mistakes. Which is fine by me, the younger ones taste better.

I ambush hunt mostly. Learning to sit still for long periods of time, turning your head with the breeze like you are part of the landscape, is not easy to learn. Patience isn't taught it is learned. IMO camouflage doesn't mean much, Deer see movement first, shape second and color last. I wear muted colors, olive green or brown. Putting something in front of you to break up your outline a little can help some.

Second tip, watch how a Deer moves from cover into an open area to feed. Step, step, pause, look, listen, step step step pause, step pause. It is a cadence you can copy and use. They may mistake you for another Deer if you get good at it. I've had them bolt at a hundred yards, just from shifting my position and having the two unzipped halves of my jacket rub together. If they think an odd unnatural sound is a threat they are out of here. Useful when you are moving to your spot, you may spook them a little, but not a lot. If you just spook them a little, within a half to three quarters of an hour they may return to whatever they were doing before you showed up.

Oldtimr

Find a deer crossing sign, park your car and go into the woods and wait. Sshhhh, don't tell anyone else about this.

Fieldmouse

Easiest way for you to learn deer sign and tracking deer in your area is to go to anyone of the state parks daily and track deer. They have a ton of them and you can learn quickly what is fresh sign vs 12 hour old sign vs a day old...... As for getting a spot to hunt loaded with deer, just talk to some friends and bring up the out of control deer problem. That always get's the conversation rolling. From there slip in that you're looking for a place to bow hunt. It is just that easy there.

Oldtimer, you make the joke about the deer sign but it's actually has some truth behind it. The DMV puts up those signs whenever X amount of cars hit deer.

super_hunt54

BarnesX.308

Ha ha. There are all types of guys everywhere. But that would still be a good place to talk hunting and get to know other folks of like mind. Also, you could become a regular at your local sporting good store. You don't have to spend a ton, but spend some time and a couple dollars and get to know the owners and employees. If they have an archery range or shooting range, even better. You can shoot or even join a league. Then you'll be making friends and shooting the breeze with other sportsmen. You just gotta get into these circles and you will have lots of mentors and maybe even some new friends.

Rpcross45

Thanks for the great tips guys. Really appreciate it.

BladeGuy87

Great tips already mentioned, +1 on hunter safety course, it's required here in Alabama before they even issue a hunting license if your not a kid, may even be required for children now I'm not sure. A mentor would be good, if hunting a field you can scout the edges and look for tracks. Usually they will come out at some point. It's just a waiting game.

rickcroom

Well I am not a good hunter nor do I have great wisdom. I started hunting 3 years ago and have killed 6 deer. I am not a trophy hunter. I hunt strictly to put meat in my freezer/ cupboard. My first year I did exactly that. I put 200 lbs of corn near a deer trail. Then I put up a ladder stand about 50 yards away from that corn pile. I spent long hours sitting in the stand and missed more than I killed. I got 2 deer that year and observed what the deer did and learned a lot that first year.

Year # 2. I moved my stand to a location that provided me more cover and started paying attention to my scent and wind direction. I also put a scope on my rifle and spent some time putting lead down range and getting the rifle sighted in. Season two netted me 4 deer. I also got a bonus of 2 coyotes. I have yet to kill a deer with horns and that is ok with me. I don't eat horns. My family did not spend any money on beef all year. All our red meat needs such as hamburger, steaks, stew meat etc. have been venison. As of right now we still have 6 lbs of hamburger, 4 lbs of cube steak and 2 lbs of canned venison.

This year #3 I have added a 2nd ladder stand in a different location, some more concealment items (cammo), coverings for my stands and a game camera to try and narrow down when the deer will be there. This should help me spend less time in the deer stand.

My goal for this year is to bag 6. If one or two so happens to have horns I will hang them in my garage.

Oh yeah I don't start putting out bait until 1 month before the season opens. At $6 a 50# bag of corn that could get real expensive if I tried to feed the deer year round. My experience says it only take them about 2-3 days to find the corn once I put it out.

That is my $.02. Hope it helps

Kathwacckkk

You have taken Hunter safety, so obviously make sure you follow the regulations in your area about baiting, tree stands, bag limits, hunter orange requirements, seasons, antler restrictions, etc...


If you do not have a mentor you like, simply get in the woods. Try to absorb as much as possible, even when not hunting. No experiences like real world. Keep in mind that deer sense of smell is amazing. Try and approach areas that you want to hunt from downwind. Sit still and observe. Your personal experience will be your best learning tool.


Practice, practice, practice... With whatever and each weapon you plan to use to pursue game. Just cause a slug box says it can shoot 200 yards, can the hunter? Know and be realistic about your shooting ability and personal ranges. I always aim to try and shoot the top off the heart.


Last, have fun! Hunting is not just about the kill, but the pursuit and being outside. Enjoy your time in the woods. Many great articles on field dressing, game care, hunting, etc... The internet is a wealth of knowledge, but you need to figure out what works for you.