Newbie hunter, looks for tips for first successful season
09-06-2017, 04:17 AM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 7
Newbie hunter, looks for tips for first successful season
Hi guys, newbie here i finally got my hunting license (after an ungodly amount of hours of "hunter education" which was a joke).
Looking for any and all advice so i can have a successful season this year.
I will be hunting out of a stand which is a pretty good size, its maybe 10' up in the air and has a chair for 1 person but you could easily fit 2 people up there and gear. The previous owners had set this stand up so i know its in a good location already.
I have a game camera out right now so i can try and get down the deer timings of when they like to roll through.
I guess my main questions for this thread is what do you guys pack for a day out in the field? Food/Drink are my biggest question marks as i know smell is what will likely give me away to the deer, so what are some good options?
I don't have to trek far from my truck to get to my hunting spot (maybe 300 yards) so weight is not a big issue for me.
My pack list so far:
- Hunting license printed on waterproof paper
- Pen/Pencil and extra sheet of waterproof paper
- Esee 4 Fixed blade knife
- Smaller Morakniv
- Various lengths of paracord
- Rain gear
- Compound Bow & Arrows (how many arrows do i realistically need to bring?)
- gallon of water (for washing when cleaning a deer)
- Headlamp/Flashlights
- Small med kit
Looking for any and all advice so i can have a successful season this year.
I will be hunting out of a stand which is a pretty good size, its maybe 10' up in the air and has a chair for 1 person but you could easily fit 2 people up there and gear. The previous owners had set this stand up so i know its in a good location already.
I have a game camera out right now so i can try and get down the deer timings of when they like to roll through.
I guess my main questions for this thread is what do you guys pack for a day out in the field? Food/Drink are my biggest question marks as i know smell is what will likely give me away to the deer, so what are some good options?
I don't have to trek far from my truck to get to my hunting spot (maybe 300 yards) so weight is not a big issue for me.
My pack list so far:
- Hunting license printed on waterproof paper
- Pen/Pencil and extra sheet of waterproof paper
- Esee 4 Fixed blade knife
- Smaller Morakniv
- Various lengths of paracord
- Rain gear
- Compound Bow & Arrows (how many arrows do i realistically need to bring?)
- gallon of water (for washing when cleaning a deer)
- Headlamp/Flashlights
- Small med kit
09-06-2017, 04:31 AM
#2
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: south eastern PA
Posts: 15,424
I wouldn't not know what to say to someone who is a new hunter that thinks Hunter Education is a joke. There are several hunter education instructors on this site and I used to be a hunter education instructor for over 30 years.
09-06-2017, 05:13 AM
#3
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 7
While there WAS some useful material in the class, it could have easily been condensed down into a 1 day affair, i think i had to do 3 8-hour days to complete the class. If I already took the required training to carry a gun, i should not have to repeat 2 days of gun safety classes. It's a shame the education classes are not better adapted for more experienced people trying to get into hunting, they really seem to be geared towards kids and people who have never picked up a firearm.
09-06-2017, 06:01 AM
#4
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: south eastern PA
Posts: 15,424
Sorry, hunter education instructors are volunteers, they don't have time to put on special courses for people who think they know it all and different courses for others . You can never be reminded too much or too often about firearms safety . I have given shooting instructions to far too many people who in their mind knew it all, the fact is, they were more dangerous with a gun in their hand than people who knew little or nothing. I am just saying when you asked for help, attitude means a lot. You can take it as advice or not.
09-06-2017, 06:10 AM
#6
Typical Buck
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location:
Posts: 506
Hey bud don't worry about it thats how they treat most newbies here. Look for anything to complain about and then run it. Thats about all you will learn here !! Most of the good guys have been turned off years ago but there are still afew here maybe one of them like JW or arrowmaster will help out 
.
.
09-06-2017, 07:06 AM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Audubon & Red Rock, Penna.
Posts: 4,472
What time of year will you be hunting and how long will your hunts be? If I was hunting 300 yards from my truck and only hunting a few hours in the morning and a few hours in the evening, I wouldn't bring much. I would bring my bow, 4-6 arrows, a knife, a flashlight and a drag rope. Anything else, I would just leave in the truck.
Toilet paper is handy to have. For nature's call and to mark a blood trail.
If I was in a tree stand, 300 yards from my truck, and shot a deer with my bow, here is what I would do. I would watch where it went. Make a good visual confirmation of where it went. I would wait until all was quiet and/or it was out of sight for a good 10 minutes. Then I would climb down from the tree and go to where the deer was standing. Mark that spot with some toilet paper and see if my arrow is there. I would then walk back to my truck. I would drop up everything I don't need anymore. I would grab a flashlight, drag rope and my compass and/or GPS, then return to the spot. At this point, we have given the deer some time to bed down and bleed out.
Of course, this timing depends on the hit. What I'm really saying is that you don't need a lot of stuff in the tree with you when you are that close to the truck. Less is more, in some instances. I would have some calls, depending on time of year, though. Especially if you are in mid-Oct through November.
I have taken the hunter safety course about 5 times. Once when I was 11 years old. A couple times with friends that were new to hunting, once with my wife and once with my son when he was getting his license. It was redundant for the last few times. But I enjoyed it. Especially because I was sharing it with new hunters.
Toilet paper is handy to have. For nature's call and to mark a blood trail.
If I was in a tree stand, 300 yards from my truck, and shot a deer with my bow, here is what I would do. I would watch where it went. Make a good visual confirmation of where it went. I would wait until all was quiet and/or it was out of sight for a good 10 minutes. Then I would climb down from the tree and go to where the deer was standing. Mark that spot with some toilet paper and see if my arrow is there. I would then walk back to my truck. I would drop up everything I don't need anymore. I would grab a flashlight, drag rope and my compass and/or GPS, then return to the spot. At this point, we have given the deer some time to bed down and bleed out.
Of course, this timing depends on the hit. What I'm really saying is that you don't need a lot of stuff in the tree with you when you are that close to the truck. Less is more, in some instances. I would have some calls, depending on time of year, though. Especially if you are in mid-Oct through November.
I have taken the hunter safety course about 5 times. Once when I was 11 years old. A couple times with friends that were new to hunting, once with my wife and once with my son when he was getting his license. It was redundant for the last few times. But I enjoyed it. Especially because I was sharing it with new hunters.
09-06-2017, 07:17 AM
#8
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 7
What time of year will you be hunting and how long will your hunts be? If I was hunting 300 yards from my truck and only hunting a few hours in the morning and a few hours in the evening, I wouldn't bring much. I would bring my bow, 4-6 arrows, a knife, a flashlight and a drag rope. Anything else, I would just leave in the truck.
Toilet paper is handy to have. For nature's call and to mark a blood trail.
If I was in a tree stand, 300 yards from my truck, and shot a deer with my bow, here is what I would do. I would watch where it went. Make a good visual confirmation of where it went. I would wait until all was quiet and/or it was out of sight for a good 10 minutes. Then I would climb down from the tree and go to where the deer was standing. Mark that spot with some toilet paper and see if my arrow is there. I would then walk back to my truck. I would drop up everything I don't need anymore. I would grab a flashlight, drag rope and my compass and/or GPS, then return to the spot. At this point, we have given the deer some time to bed down and bleed out.
Of course, this timing depends on the hit. What I'm really saying is that you don't need a lot of stuff in the tree with you when you are that close to the truck. Less is more, in some instances. I would have some calls, depending on time of year, though. Especially if you are in mid-Oct through November.
I have taken the hunter safety course about 5 times. Once when I was 11 years old. A couple times with friends that were new to hunting, once with my wife and once with my son when he was getting his license. It was redundant for the last few times. But I enjoyed it. Especially because I was sharing it with new hunters.
Toilet paper is handy to have. For nature's call and to mark a blood trail.
If I was in a tree stand, 300 yards from my truck, and shot a deer with my bow, here is what I would do. I would watch where it went. Make a good visual confirmation of where it went. I would wait until all was quiet and/or it was out of sight for a good 10 minutes. Then I would climb down from the tree and go to where the deer was standing. Mark that spot with some toilet paper and see if my arrow is there. I would then walk back to my truck. I would drop up everything I don't need anymore. I would grab a flashlight, drag rope and my compass and/or GPS, then return to the spot. At this point, we have given the deer some time to bed down and bleed out.
Of course, this timing depends on the hit. What I'm really saying is that you don't need a lot of stuff in the tree with you when you are that close to the truck. Less is more, in some instances. I would have some calls, depending on time of year, though. Especially if you are in mid-Oct through November.
I have taken the hunter safety course about 5 times. Once when I was 11 years old. A couple times with friends that were new to hunting, once with my wife and once with my son when he was getting his license. It was redundant for the last few times. But I enjoyed it. Especially because I was sharing it with new hunters.
Welcome to the site, lol.
09-06-2017, 07:37 AM
#10
Typical Buck
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Martin, TN
Posts: 854
If you're only going to be about 300 yards from your vehicle, you might consider leaving some of the field dressing equipment in the vehicle.
As far as number of arrows, back when I bowhunted I always took whatever was in my quiver. Might not hurt to leave a field or judo point on one of them in case you have an opportunity to bag something smaller like a squirrel.
Also, definitely bring toilet paper. Apart from the obvious, it has several good uses.
As far as number of arrows, back when I bowhunted I always took whatever was in my quiver. Might not hurt to leave a field or judo point on one of them in case you have an opportunity to bag something smaller like a squirrel.
Also, definitely bring toilet paper. Apart from the obvious, it has several good uses.
