zak123

I hunt way down south and I don't know much about deer hunting. The season is from October to the end of January. What calls and scents should I get, if any? I will be bow hunting. Sorry for the question being open to so many answers but I don't know enough about deer hunting in order to ask more questions or narrow the listed question down.

thndrchiken

Scent control is a big factor, I use any of the commercially available detergents without scent or brighteners and line dry the clothes, after that I put them in a garbage bag with pine needles or leaves from the area I'll be hunting. I'll usually wear fresh earth cover scent wafers or if your near an apple orhchard apple wafers. If it's early in the season and there are still acorns on the ground then acorn wafers. Not to gross you out but I know guys that swear by used tampons in a paper bag. Find out what the deer are eating and where, that's where you want to be around midday and just before sunset. As far as calls go, I have decided all you really need is a grunt tube and a doe bleat. Rattling antlers wouldn't hurt either.

timbercruiser

thndrchiken I have this funny thought wave of some 16 year old in south Mississippi trying to get a sack full of Tampons...................

kevin1

But what if he does ?

Zak123 ,
Thndrchiken touched on many of the basic points , I'll add practice with your weapon until you're positive what you can do with it , then practice some more . Also , never underestimate the power of thorough scouting , do it as often as you can .

t roy

zak,

1. scout the area you will hunt and the surrounding areas

2. set up a couple stands before your season begins, you may want to change locations during the season and that is fine as long as you dont cause to much ruckus.

3. scent control, i use hunter specialties scent control laundry detergent, works like a charm, no need for scent lock suit or cover scents.

4. calls- antlers for rattling during the rut, doe bleat and a grunt tube.

5. practice, practice practice with your bow.

6. lotsa time in the woods.

good luck.

mrfritz44

Here's a link for how to call and when:
Deer Calls

Here's a link for a homemade scent killer that I and others swear by........it's cheap too:
Homemade Scent Killer

rockytop

I agree with most said but until you've had a few years in the woods, don't worry about attractants, grunts, rattling horns and all that other stuff. Learn to hunt first, observe the deer. Stay motionless. In my opinion, the movement you would create using calls and such do more harm than good. I agree that scent is the most important thing along with practice. Keep yourself scent free. You don't have to buy carbon suits, there are several good commercial odor neutralizers that you can spray on you, your equipment and your clothes. Also, wash your clothes in a good odor nuetralizer. Some guys keep their clothes in a bag with limbs and leaves from your local trees.
When your in your stand don't look for deer. Look for movement, look for tails wagging, legs moving, or maybe just a straight line horizontal to the gound between two trees and that might be a deers back. The deers ears are a big give away too, sometimes thats the first thing I see and it might not look like deers ears but what I notice is that it doesn't look like everything else around it because the ears are sticking up and in a v shape. Look for whats different in your surrounds. If you don't look for these little things the deer will be on top of you and then you might not be able to move to get your bow back. Keep you head movement down, use your eyes, at home practice using your side vision without moving your head.
Don't trash your good hunting spots right before the season. Going into a bedding area or feeding area during the season will surely run off your mature bucks or make them noturnal. The best time to scout is right after the season and scout for the next year. Find their early food spots, like persimmons and stuff. Put your tree stands up in the spring if your not using a climber.
Before your bow season, bucks are running in groups and fairly easy to find without going into their bedding areas. I usually locate them along the edges of fields right before sundown. I watch them and see where they come out and where they go but make sure your in a spot where you can get out without scaring them. Early bow season is a great time because of the bachelor groups but it doesn't last long before they will break up and start going after the does. During the rut, locate the does and you will find the bucks. Remember, during the rut if that doe walks in their might be a buck following. Usually if there is a buck following, the doe will give him away by looking back in his direction.
I kind of got long winded here. I guess the two key points of bowhunting are 1. Practice from every concievable position and from all angles and know your yardage limitations. There's alot of good hunters on this board that won't take a shot over 25 yards. practice, practice, practice, if you don't you'll regret it. 2. Keep scent free. I guess there's one more point or two, keep safe and have a great time. Good luck