deer hunting tips for a novice?

Rickyy101

Rickyy101

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hey all, just did my first day of hunting on the weekend and I know jack shiit. I kinda wish my hunting course was more about tactics as opposed to legalities and what kind of bow is what.

I went out and got myself some camo and my hunters orange (got my .45 muzzleloader, as well.)

Really, what else do I need to find myself some deer? I have no clue in regards to scents, baits, and what not.

Cheers :D
 
Try to get away from roads - in other words walk! Make sure you have proper kit with you in case you get lost or injured. Watch and listen more and be patient.
 
Its my opinion that for successful deer hunting, you need to subscribe to the attitude that there are many things that can work in your favor as well as many other things that can work against you. Deer are not defenseless, they can smell you hundreds of yards away and they have ears big enough to pick up HBO. Some of the big things that can work in your favor are number one: Patients. Deer move slowly and when undisturbed, they take a while to move into your shooting range. Keep a bic lighter with you to monitor the wind and changing directions. There is no point sitting at your favorite spot when your scent is blowing straight at them. Don't piss or sh*t near your honey spot, and jump up and down to make sure you got nothing rattling or banging in your pockets or your pack. Metallic noise such as keys, change, or spare cartridges in your pocket can be heard a mile away. These are the biggest things that will get you busted.

Look for areas that they frequent and pay attention to what direction they like to move, and when. When you see small deer, let them move away undisturbed. Small deer are often followed by a bigger doe or buck. If the little ones snort, bark, or flag, you've been busted.
 
I am a new hunter too. I took my first doe yesterday. I was getting worried that there was no deer on my property as everytime I go there I see nothing around. I've been putting apples down and the deer were coming by at night to eat them, game camera caught them. went out monday during the day and tried to call some in and saw nothing but blue jays for 6 hours. Yesterday I went out right at the end of the day and that is when stuff started to come to life. Saw a doe run right behind my stand and then a rabbit a little bit later. 15mins before cut off 5 deers came out of the bush into my open field and I finally got my first doe.

patience and reading up on hunting tactics on here is the way to go. good luck.
 
Best piece of hunting advice I ever got.

Remember that you are out there to enjoy yourself. You will never have a bad day hunting if you remember that.

If you expect to come home carrying meat, guaranteed, you gotta know where the late night grocery stores are! :)

Be patient. Try to be quiet. Despite the theory that deer move like ghosts in the woods, they don't. They thrash through the bush like rowdy teenagers, at least much of the time. They listen well though, and their body language is fairly easy to read. A deer with it's head up, is a good sign that you should sit still, or at least avoid sudden movements. Head down in the grass, is a good time to be slowly lining up a shot.

Try to recognize deer habitat when you are in the middle of it.

Learn to sit still and quietly, if using ambush tactics. Use the lay of the land to move closer, if you are too far away.

Remember that you are doing this for fun. Take a camera out with you and you can get some great pictures of the 'other' wildlife out there.

Cheers
Trev
 
:Look for sign. Snow makes it very easy to notice tracks, but if you look carefully, you will see game trails, crossings, etc even in leaves. Find a commonly-used pathway and stake it out.

A low area between two valleys separated by hills is a good place to look for game moving, especially at dawn and dusk. Near food sources is a good place - acorns and apples rate high on their list.

Watch your silhouette. Sit with your back to a tree, rock or bank with the wind in your front quarter (if the direction you are facing is 12 oclock, the wind is ideally between 2 and 10). If the wind is behind you, you are facing the wrong way as deer will scent you in the direction you are facing.

As noted before, patience, patience and more patience.

Good luck.

Oh, and - before you go out for the first time - read up on field-dressing deer and find a place that will butcher it for you. (Please don't ask me how I know this... f:P:2:)
 
And always have a cheap child's plastic sled in your truck on the off chance you do get your first deer. Mine was a 125lb spiker and it took me 2.5 hrs to drag it less than 1km to the truck. If I had a sled it would have been more like 45 mins of work.

$20 at Cambodian tire and your golden.
 
biggest things my father taught me when stalking deer in the woods is do not look for a deer look for a piece of a deer, an ear, leg. Pretend your hunting (sounds bad but) a man you only have one chance, then a deer will become easier. learn from every encounter go over what happened and why and adjust.share and discuss.
 
Without a mentor, you will have to rely on books for info. There are a few out there that are pretty good. I used to have one that was called Whitetail Tactics, can't remember who wrote it and I no longer have it, but it helped me a lot. There wasn't much instruction from my Dad. He just rode around until he found a deer, got out and shot I t, in later years, he baited with apples and veggies and just shot over that. I read, walked, hiked, spotted, trailed, went home more often than not empty-handed, but with a head a little more filled with knowledge each time.
Pretty much had it down in NS and NB for hunting tactics, then I moved here. Took me two years to re-learn hunting whitetails.
My wife (a newb hunter 4 yrs ago, several other newb hunters over the past 8 yrs) think I have some sort of gift on how I "predict" where deer are and what they will be doing and how. Ain't no prescience involved, just plain old hard work that fewer people seem to want to do. You gotta get out there and walk the ground, study the tracks and trails, scare off a few animals, study lots of terrain and country. You do that and you will have a hundred memories to fill your time bringing with it another hundreds of hours or experience. Oh, and don't be like me. Pack along a camera so you can share them. I hunt most times alone and it can suck dragging out stuff that way but you will never match the feelings with anything else. Hunting is hard work, only the guys that put in the time make it look easy. Give yourself a few years and you'll be one of them. Good luck.
 
biggest things my father taught me when stalking deer in the woods is do not look for a deer look for a piece of a deer, an ear, leg.

I look for the horizontal back of a deer. It stands out from all the vertical lines of the trees.
I've found that the couple hours after dawn and before dark are the usual times when deer transition from woods to fields and back. Stake out a
spot where they will be coming. Get there well before dawn, and stay REALLY quiet on your last 150 yards approaching your chosen spot. Dress
super warm so that you DON'T MOVE. Have your gun good to go and move slow if you have to scratch.

I missed my only shot this year cause I spooked the deer. I think it saw me scratch my nose. Jumped up not 40 yards away, about an hour after sunrise, ran amongst the trees and my
only shot whizzed by it. Gotta work at the stillness.
 
Lots of great advice previously mentioned. Dress in loose layers and if moving through deer habitat from one place to another on foot, stop frequently to look and listen to everything around you. Watch your steps to avoid loud noises and pay attention to the wind directions. (best in your face) Never be in a rush to go anywhere and if you really have to move while under deer observation, (like mounting your gun) do so as slowly as possible and avoid all sudden moves. Get in the habit of preparing what you are going to physically carry with you the night previous and when setting out from a hunt cabin or truck etc, do a final pat down to confirm all goodies before you quietly lock that door. Try to get into the habit of telling someone you trust exactly where you plan to hunt and what time (very roughly) you plan to return home.

Cheers!

Edit: Perhaps I forgot the most important factors here. When you are a lucky fellow and you are about to pull the trigger on furry game, for pete's sake please watch your backdrop behind your intended target and take your time to strive for a clean one shot harvest.
 
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modern way is the buck bomb(i find the acorn one works nicely) and a ground blind thats what i use bow hunting anyway(zone 94 ont). up north i change to spot and stalk for everything deer,bear,moose ive filled my tags every year ive hunted best way is to listen to the guys who have been around for a while they always have some trick or another

of corse you will find you see more game your not looking for when deer hunting and more deer when your hunting other game
 
I am a stone. I do not move. Very slowly, I put snow in my mouth. Then he won't see my breath. I take my time. I let him come closer. I have only one bullet. I aim at his eye. Very gently, my finger presses on the trigger. I do not tremble. I have no fear. I'm a big boy now.












Just kidding :D





Lots of good advice here. Here's some more.

Go to Google Earth and find the area you will be in and look it over for clearings, bottle necks, coulees, trails, access roads/lease roads, fence lines, water sources, etc..

It will give you a very good idea of where to perhaps start the day and make your experience so much better.



Enjoy yourself, no pressure at all. Everyday your out you will learn something to make your next day better, I guarantee that.
 
As my old pa used to say, "don't look up in the tree, they are not there".
Watch for movement out in the bush.
Sometimes out of the corner of your eye you may see a blimp or a movement
you shrug off. Don't.
Take a good long hard look as they blend in.
Forget the lighter, stick your finger in your mouth and hold it out.
The cold side is the way the wind is blowing, or tie a thread to the end of your barrel.
Acts like a wind sock.
Some walk the bush like a timed marathon. This doens't work for my eyes.
Slow and steady wins the race.
Don't forget what you practised at the range for barrel control. Use it here too when
the time comes.
And for heaven's sake, don't blink when you pull the trigger. Keep your eyes on the fur.
Only then will you know if your bullet lands as directed.
If you managed a long shot, find a referrence point to where your game is when you shot.
Mark your shooting spot too.
Good luck and don't forget to cut your paper.
The reminder may hurt.
 
For me, sitting in a stand has been effective. I look for deer sign, and place my treestand accordingly. Then, its a game of waiting & a little luck. Remember, when a deer does show up, it's business time. Go into 'get it done mode', and stay calm. Move VERY slowly when the deer is NOT looking towards you. Movement WILL get you busted & most deer will take off!

Good luck!

Cheers
Jay
 
Great tips. A couple more simple ones. I like to take anything that could make a noise in my pockets and stuff them into an extra pair of gloves. Keeps things quiet and you'll have some extra gloves, just in case. I'll also use a doe bleat, after walking into my stand, you've already made at least a little noise getting in, might as well make it sound like another deer. Other than that, what these guys said is spot on. Deer hunting is all about being at the right place at the right time. Move slow, watch the wind and get to that place!
 
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