Clueless New Hunter Needs Help
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Clueless New Hunter Needs Help
So...this will be my second deer season upcoming. I have 0 practical knowledge...though I spend most days and nights reading articles, books, listening to podcasts, and watching youtube. Nothing compares to actually experiencing it and I do not have a plethora of experiences. I have to decided to only bow hunt, and in my first season I missed the same buck twice (first shot clipped a branch, and second shot I mis-ranged and missed low), and missed a very nice buck that sailed over his back from 40yds. I can stick arrows in a 6in group from 60yds all day, but nothing prepared me for the adrenaline rush of the moment. I have worked really hard on that this entire year to make sure that I am ready, and can make an ethical shot. I live in a very tough state to get permission (very little public land relatively speaking), and though I love public land and continue to hunt it, I worked really hard over the last 12 months to get at least one permission close to home that my 11yr old can learn with me. I was fortunate enough to gain that permission, and now I am trying to figure out what to do with it. Just wondering everyone's thoughts on how I can hunt it, I have in my head what would be a good set up but frankly that could be completely wrong. If you have a minute and would like to give some feedback on possible stand location, access, good winds, bad winds, etc... I would sure appreciate it. This is extremely flat farm land in the Midwest and outside of the trespassers we found, it has not been hunted before. I have a layout of the area, but not sure how to relay it to those willing to take a look, let me know the easiest right way to do that. Thank you in advance!
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Re: Clueless New Hunter Needs Help
For training to overcome adrenaline, I sprint around my house a few times and do ten clapper pushups, ten shoot. Your heart will be racing, your arms tired and probably shaky. Just an idea that works for me.
For judging distance, I don’t use a rangefinder so if you are like me one thing to do as SOON as you are in your tree look around and pick trees or terrain features all around you and decide the distance you believe they are at. That way as the deer is coming in you talk to yourself and say ok he’s at that tree and that’s my 50 yard tree and now he’s just beyond my 20 yard rock so I’m guessing he is 23 yards out.
Levi Morgan says as soon as he spots an animal the way he calmes down is constantly estimating the animals range.
For judging distance, I don’t use a rangefinder so if you are like me one thing to do as SOON as you are in your tree look around and pick trees or terrain features all around you and decide the distance you believe they are at. That way as the deer is coming in you talk to yourself and say ok he’s at that tree and that’s my 50 yard tree and now he’s just beyond my 20 yard rock so I’m guessing he is 23 yards out.
Levi Morgan says as soon as he spots an animal the way he calmes down is constantly estimating the animals range.
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Re: Clueless New Hunter Needs Help
Thanks for the feedback...I made that part of my practice routine for this year, along with all kinds of distractions to practice on the staying focused aspect too. Big one for me has been talking myself through the shot sequence as it takes place in real time.
- Horizontal Hunter
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Re: Clueless New Hunter Needs Help
Welcome aboard.
Where are you located?
Bob
Where are you located?
Bob
Vegetarian: vejiˈte(ə)rēən/noun: old Indian word for lousy hunter.
Excalibur Exocet, GT Laser II, 2" Bhoning Blazers 125g NAP Spitfire
Excalibur Exocet, GT Laser II, 2" Bhoning Blazers 125g NAP Spitfire
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Re: Clueless New Hunter Needs Help
Horizontal Hunter wrote:Welcome aboard.
Where are you located?
Bob
Thanks Bob...Central Indiana
- wolverinebuckman
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Re: Clueless New Hunter Needs Help
Welcome Bash!
I spent my first five years of hunting on a small woodlot, 7 acres, that was set toward the back of a 40 acre ag plot. Flat as a board. Tough hunting, a very high pressured area.
I way over hunted it, as i never hunted public. A buddy took a young buck two years ago, and i got one last year for the first time.
I think I'm going to let it rest until the rut this year, as i have a new found love for public. It has always held does, so I'm hoping staying out until November will help.
A good listen on the subject of woodlots is the Hunting Beast podcast with Stanley Schmidt.
What are some of your hunting factors for the year?crops, size of property? Any info will help.
Good luck this season!
I spent my first five years of hunting on a small woodlot, 7 acres, that was set toward the back of a 40 acre ag plot. Flat as a board. Tough hunting, a very high pressured area.
I way over hunted it, as i never hunted public. A buddy took a young buck two years ago, and i got one last year for the first time.
I think I'm going to let it rest until the rut this year, as i have a new found love for public. It has always held does, so I'm hoping staying out until November will help.
A good listen on the subject of woodlots is the Hunting Beast podcast with Stanley Schmidt.
What are some of your hunting factors for the year?crops, size of property? Any info will help.
Good luck this season!
Bummer of a birthmark, Hal.
- Ghost Hunter
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Re: Clueless New Hunter Needs Help
You got a good start by joining in here. Now, time to start doing your home work.
I'm reason they call it hunting and not shooting.
- headgear
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Re: Clueless New Hunter Needs Help
Sounds like you got the basics down, now its time to get that experience. A guy can read about hunting all day long but you can learn a lot more spending that day in the woods walking around scouting or hunting. Don't worry about messing up or putting too much pressure, no doubt you can burn a place out by over hunting it so try and move around a little and mix in some public land hunts once a while but just get out there and hunt and enjoy the show and learn the deer and the land you hunt. You will start to pick up on some patterns, bedding, deer behavior and food sources. Take it slow and have fun.
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Re: Clueless New Hunter Needs Help
Take your time and soak it all in. Sounds like you had a lot of experiences in your first season. I’ve been bowhunting for 40 years. It took me 14 years to kill my first deer. I have killed many since and gained a lot of experience and confidence through it all. One of the most important things that one of my older experienced bowhunting friends taught me was to “pick a spot” before you release that shot. He told me if I couldn’t tell him where I was aiming, I didn’t “pick a spot”. If you just shoot at the deer you’ll shoot all around them all day long. Also, it’s not too hard to shoot awesome groups at 40 yards in the back yard while practicing with today’s archery gear but 40 yard shots in the whitetail woods leave a lot of room for error and potential bad hits. Honing in on your effective shot range while hunting is important. As I said before, soak it all in, have fun with it and don’t forget to mentally “pick a spot” before you let that arrow go. Good luck!
He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my sole.
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Re: Clueless New Hunter Needs Help
If you have the opportunity to kill some does it is the best way to gain confidence and experience in your (short game).
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Re: Clueless New Hunter Needs Help
There are lots of guys on this board that could help you if you sent them a map of the property.
The first thing I would do though is purchase Dans Farm bedding dvd, even if you are not trying to kill mature bucks yet, it would still help you gain a lot of knowledge.
Also just shoot a lot of deer the more you shoot the better you become at killing animals. I try to take a doe early season every year just to get the jitters out. I always struggle with ranging deer, so I try to keep all my shots 25 yards and in. There are many guys that can shoot 60-70 yards, I am not one of them and never will be. So learn and know your limitations. I use a range finder and range all the trees and take mental notes of which trees are in range and which ones are not, I might do this 2-3 times a hunt.
The last thing I would say is if it’s a small property you can over hunt it very fast, stay mobile, and try not to burn areas out.
The first thing I would do though is purchase Dans Farm bedding dvd, even if you are not trying to kill mature bucks yet, it would still help you gain a lot of knowledge.
Also just shoot a lot of deer the more you shoot the better you become at killing animals. I try to take a doe early season every year just to get the jitters out. I always struggle with ranging deer, so I try to keep all my shots 25 yards and in. There are many guys that can shoot 60-70 yards, I am not one of them and never will be. So learn and know your limitations. I use a range finder and range all the trees and take mental notes of which trees are in range and which ones are not, I might do this 2-3 times a hunt.
The last thing I would say is if it’s a small property you can over hunt it very fast, stay mobile, and try not to burn areas out.
- jporcello
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Re: Clueless New Hunter Needs Help
welcome
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results” Albert Einstein
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Re: Clueless New Hunter Needs Help
Thank you to all that have responded...I do have a map of the property, but it seems that I am not allowed to add to the post, so any way that it is possible let me know. Seems I have to upload to another spot on the sight?
I promise I do a lot of homework, my wife will attest. I bought my first bow exactly one year ago yesterday. I have shot literally shot everyday since (I think it may be a sickness). I don't like to fail and I have a hard time putting it down sometimes. She found my binders of aerials, topos, and predominant wind directions for the areas I am scouting...she laughed, but has been intrigued and is gaining a real interest in learning too.
Its funny, I have spent my whole life in the woods when I had a chance, backpacked over 2000 miles at this point, camp all the time, fish all the time....and yet it feels like I have never actually looked at my surroundings when I have been in the woods. I can identify trees, and plants, etc...but can't spot a scrape or a rub because I have never actually looked for it until now.
I do have an opportunity for doe this coming season in the form of a reduction hunt in an urban area that is only open to property owners and family...and this place has a serious herd issue. Hopefully I can get some jitters out and make the process easier. You stand in front of me and throw a baseball 95mph and I will smoke it, put a deer in front of me and its like I started in little league again. I know it takes time, just frustrated. My son has learned with me (11yr old) and can finally pull the required weight per state regulations to join me, just feel like I am trying to teach him without knowing the game myself. Guess we will learn together!
As far as the property itself, I have aerials with mock ups of trails, food, water, bedding, etc...as well as where I think to put a stand and where I currently have the only camera I own. How do I post so others can give some thoughts? I definately understand the importance of not overhunting...my plan was to use this just for my boy and I occasionally when conditions are right. Its a mile from our homestead and gives him a chance to be out without having to drive for 1 1/2+ just to get to decent public land.
Thank you to all that have posted thus far, makes me feel better about it all and gain some understanding on how difficult it really is...though no offense Razorhead, I hope its not 14yrs before my first! :)
I promise I do a lot of homework, my wife will attest. I bought my first bow exactly one year ago yesterday. I have shot literally shot everyday since (I think it may be a sickness). I don't like to fail and I have a hard time putting it down sometimes. She found my binders of aerials, topos, and predominant wind directions for the areas I am scouting...she laughed, but has been intrigued and is gaining a real interest in learning too.
Its funny, I have spent my whole life in the woods when I had a chance, backpacked over 2000 miles at this point, camp all the time, fish all the time....and yet it feels like I have never actually looked at my surroundings when I have been in the woods. I can identify trees, and plants, etc...but can't spot a scrape or a rub because I have never actually looked for it until now.
I do have an opportunity for doe this coming season in the form of a reduction hunt in an urban area that is only open to property owners and family...and this place has a serious herd issue. Hopefully I can get some jitters out and make the process easier. You stand in front of me and throw a baseball 95mph and I will smoke it, put a deer in front of me and its like I started in little league again. I know it takes time, just frustrated. My son has learned with me (11yr old) and can finally pull the required weight per state regulations to join me, just feel like I am trying to teach him without knowing the game myself. Guess we will learn together!
As far as the property itself, I have aerials with mock ups of trails, food, water, bedding, etc...as well as where I think to put a stand and where I currently have the only camera I own. How do I post so others can give some thoughts? I definately understand the importance of not overhunting...my plan was to use this just for my boy and I occasionally when conditions are right. Its a mile from our homestead and gives him a chance to be out without having to drive for 1 1/2+ just to get to decent public land.
Thank you to all that have posted thus far, makes me feel better about it all and gain some understanding on how difficult it really is...though no offense Razorhead, I hope its not 14yrs before my first! :)
- Drenalin
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Re: Clueless New Hunter Needs Help
Go to the Beast photo gallery and sign up here:
http://photos.thehuntingbeast.com/
You will get an email letting you know your photo gallery account has been activated. Then follow the instructions here:
http://www.thehuntingbeast.com/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=10695
I go to the photo I want to post in my gallery, right click, select Properties, copy and paste the Address(URL) into the post where I want the photo, then highlight that URL and click on the image button up next to your text options (it's the mountain and sun thing to the right of where you bold, underline, etc. when making a new post).
http://photos.thehuntingbeast.com/
You will get an email letting you know your photo gallery account has been activated. Then follow the instructions here:
http://www.thehuntingbeast.com/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=10695
I go to the photo I want to post in my gallery, right click, select Properties, copy and paste the Address(URL) into the post where I want the photo, then highlight that URL and click on the image button up next to your text options (it's the mountain and sun thing to the right of where you bold, underline, etc. when making a new post).
- The Silence
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Re: Clueless New Hunter Needs Help
Bash, check your personal messages. I just sent you one.
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