new to deer hunting
 

first time deer hunting this year, i missed the rut, what are the chances of getting a deer this late....i'm in ohio, and bow season ends the end of this month...i would love to get a deer being my first year....but i understand most people go years without getting a deer.......i don't want to get discouraged....

RE: new to deer hunting
 

lfranklin I do not want you to get discouraged either, but I will warn you that some folks hunt for years without getting their first, others by sheer luck get their first the first time they go out. There are a couple of things you must do to become a successful hunter. First thing you must do is be persistant, the second thing you must do is learn, every time you go into the woods hunting or not try and leave having gained some sort of knowledge. Every time you get busted by a deer try and figure out why. Every time you hunt and do not even see a deer figure out if the reason you didn't was because you did something wrong or if you were just there at the wrong time. If this is your first season one thing you may want to do if you are not already is to hook up with an experienced hunter. Ask questions of us or anyone who knows how to hunt.

Hunting is learning.

RE: new to deer hunting
 

Welcome.

If hunting with a bow you only have to do one thing:

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE,

Get my drift?

RE: new to deer hunting
 

farmcntry what did you say

RE: new to deer hunting
 

Dude, I said:

PRACTICE!

RE: new to deer hunting
 

Gotcha, i thought you said practice

RE: new to deer hunting
 

Taz gave some excellent advice.

The most important thing to remeber is not to get frustrated or discouraged. Patience is the key!

Also, if you have been hunting hard in one area and it isn't working out for you.....do some scouting to find where the deer are. In-season scouting is extremely important and some hunters forget that. Know what signs to look for.......if you don't know, then ask someone who does, whether on the net or in person.

RE: new to deer hunting
 

if you have snow now get out there and find where the deer are traveling . find a funnel area or a good food sorce good luck

RE: new to deer hunting
 

Where in Ohio are you hunting?

RE: new to deer hunting
 

Everyone has given good advice. Practice is very important and leads to confidence in your abilities and equipment. Don't get discouraged if you don't harvest an animal your first year because many people don't but yes some do. I wasn't one of the lucky ones who did and it took me several years before i took my first deer when i started hunting. One thing i learned early on and you must remember is...YOU MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN! If you're patient yet persistent then your opportunity will come. It's never to late to harvest a deer and i've seen some big bucks killed on the last day of hunting season. Just hang in there and enjoy yourself because that's what it's all about. Good Luck!

RE: new to deer hunting
 

Everyone is giving great advise and really only time in the woods will make you a good hunter. Learning from your mistakes. Three things that I have to add.....

1)whatever type of weapon your using...know it and be good at shooting it before you step out in the woods!!!! Know how to use it in a lot of different types of "hunting" situations. This will serve two purposes....1)you will much less frustrated if your not missing your target all the time. Don't get me wrong...you will miss and most likely more than once, we all have and will continue to do so. 2)By practicing and knowing your weapon, you will have less of a chance of wounding animals that you can't find. You can't be a hunter without being a marksman or an archer 1st.

2)Hunting shouldn't really be about always harvesting an animal. It's about being out in nature and trying to figure out or out-smart the game your trying to hunt. Sure it's VERY, VERY nice and rewarding to do so, but this is how I gauge a successful year. If I have made every attempt to put myself into position to shoot a big deer(because that's what I opt to shoot for or shooting doe), or if I see something new or learn something new. That to me is a "GOOD" year.

3)Keep a log book of everytime you go out. Let's say you go out today...write down where you have gone, what the temp is, what's the speed and direction of the wind, how many deer you see and what types of deer you see(fawns, doe, bucks(size), when and if you harvest a deer and what time of day you are hunting. It's just something fun to do and it tells you generally what is the best time to see deer, what were the conditions when you saw the deer, what stands were good and at what times...with different weather for your area. It's kind of interesting to go back 5 or 10 years and see when you hunted...what deer you saw etc...

Good luck to you. Feel free to keep asking questions. The guys on here can and will give you all the information you need or want.

RE: new to deer hunting
 

i live in northern ohio, just west of cleveland, if that is a help

RE: new to deer hunting
 

I agree with everyone else. Learn by doing! It may take a couple of years to get it all down. It's not like riding a bicycle, catch on in a few short hours. Hunting is a great sport that you will never get bored with because things are constantly changing. That makes it a lot more exciting also! Good luck to you!

RE: new to deer hunting
 

I agree with everyone else, but would like to add this. As a new hunter, your interest may have been sparked by seeing a video, or by a friend, or by tasting some of the food produced from a hunt. My advice on hunting is to learn to enjoy the outdoor experience and don't get wrapped up in being "successful". Hunting success comes in many forms and they're not all about the kill. Take note of how enhanced all your senses become while in the outdoors. The smells, the beauty to be seen in the woods, the sounds, and the experiences you will have can be both remebered and shared. If you will do these things, hunting will be much more rewarding and patience will come. Welcome to the society of providers and defenders of the creation.

RE: new to deer hunting
 

The 3 P's advice is right on the money (practice, patience and persistance). I agree with Taz take something out of each trip be it experience, learning, finding a new trail or sign, etc. Look at these as success vs weighting your hunts or season on the harvest portion. My keys to success have always been enjoy the moment, scout, the 3 P's and always keep learning!

Hunting post rut my advice is hunt the FOOD! Bucks will hunker down for a while to rest following rut and then hit the feed bag hard. Get yourself on a travel route leading from bed to breakfeast, the deeper the better as these bucks have seen and smelt lots of boots over the past few months. Also some does may have not been bred in the first rut and the bucks will keep close tabs for a second crack (or poke;)). I would look for places that give deer cover while traveling to and fro, natural or made funnels can be an excellent spot for a higher % chance. Ridges, saddles and draws are other land mass structures that will produce, just think deer safety zones and get into them to intercept. Watch your wind direction as mentioned these deer have been pressured and any wiff of something just ain't right they will vamoosh!

Good Luck and enjoy:)

RE: new to deer hunting
 

The first one is always the hardest and if it came easy, you would throw the idea in the corner with the golf clubs. Good luck and perservere, Bobby ;)

RE: new to deer hunting
 

thanks for all the advise, i will be in touch again, as i am full of questions...one last question.....when do the bucks lose thier racks??? i was amazed when i found out that they lose them and grow them back all in 1 year...WOW !!!

RE: new to deer hunting
 

Bucks lose their racks at different times of the year in different parts of the country, here in Va. (at least in the area I hunt), depending on their health and age it may be as early as the end of January or as late as early March, but I would say most of them lose thier racks here in Febuary.

RE: new to deer hunting
 

be/have patients. good luck!

RE: new to deer hunting
 

You have been given some good advise here, especially by Taz and Gobbling Buck!
Here is some advise for next season, scout out your area well! You can't kill 'em if they are not there! I hunted four or five years before getting my first one. Part of it was being a rookie, part of it was there just were not many deer where I hunted.Since then, I have been successful every year for the past 15 years!
Someone else has given you good advise too! You don't have to make a kill to be successful! Enjoy the whole experience! Good luck!

RE: new to deer hunting
 

Once you get done with all that "PRACTICE", then "PRACTICE" some more. Hunting with a bow, you should practice all possible shots, that means practice from a stand at all distances out to about 30 yards. Practice holding the bow at full draw for a little longer each day. Also Practice consistency ie: your anchor point, follow through on the shot, grip on the bow. Once you think you're ready, find a range thats having a 3D shoot and get in to it. After a few 3D shoots, practice some more. It will pay off in the long run.

RE: new to deer hunting
 

Can't really add too much advice from previous posts, all sound wisdom. Hooking up with an experienced hunter as a "mentor" to show you the ropes and lend their hard earned knowledge would be near the top of the list though.

RE: new to deer hunting
 

i would say the same that everyone else has said... pratice and hunt with someone experienced to learn the "ropes"

RE: new to deer hunting
 

can't add much to all the advice everyone else gave. just find an experienced hunting partner and be patient