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Looking to Get Started! (deer / boar)
- Thread starter DJespersen
- Start date
Turkey hunting for me involves ALOT of walking. Most of my friends do not like turkey hunting with me due to this. I pay close attention to the old deer sign and learn the lay of the land this way. This keeps me from over walking my areas closer to deer season. Closer to deer season, I come back to the key areas that I found in the Spring and I am usually good to go. This keeps my intrusion in an area (especially in sanctuary) to a minimum so close to deer season. Passive scouting of an area that I am already familiar with has increased my success quite a bit.
Hope I dont repeat others - I skimmed quick.
BIGGEST thing to keep in mind is hunting is a lot like every other sport, or activity, or especially children - Your experience will be your own and everyone has their own opinions! Jump in now and start forming your own!
My first hunt was on 13 acres of private land surrounded by homes - I was shown the property on a saturday in daylight, and the following Thursday at 6am was handed a gun (the 30-30 I have for sale and am questioning taking down because this is nostalgic) and pointed in the direction of my preplanned tree. I got lost in the first 30 seconds and wandered around clanking around a climbing stand and shining my flashlight everywhere. Settled on a tree that barely fit the climber - and headed up about 15 feet. I shot my first deer 15 min later, about 3 min after legal light- he walked directly under me! This is NOT normal! I will say in 4-5 years of GA hunting Ive never had a shot over 100 yards - but I dont hunt power cuts or open land.
I'll second everyone's suggestion of a larger caliber than your .223 - I've shot deer with 30-30 and .308 with great success. Now I'm trying 300blk and that would be a very cheap option for you to throw a barreled upper on your AR. Just make sure to get good SUPERsonic hunting ammo if you go 300blk and get trigger time so you know your gun and rounds. Second suggestion would be .308 - I've owned 2 Savages but really like the feel of the Ruger American too.
As for phone APPs, I've tried a few but I think the one I liked the best is "HuntStand" by TerraStride. You can save stand locations and view wind direction/speed over the next 12 hrs or something. I only used the free version. Just make sure you have signal in the area!
If you do shoot one - I recommend knowing how to field dress it properly right there - but no harm in having a processor do the rest until you are ready to do everything yourself. Babysteps.
BIGGEST thing to keep in mind is hunting is a lot like every other sport, or activity, or especially children - Your experience will be your own and everyone has their own opinions! Jump in now and start forming your own!
My first hunt was on 13 acres of private land surrounded by homes - I was shown the property on a saturday in daylight, and the following Thursday at 6am was handed a gun (the 30-30 I have for sale and am questioning taking down because this is nostalgic) and pointed in the direction of my preplanned tree. I got lost in the first 30 seconds and wandered around clanking around a climbing stand and shining my flashlight everywhere. Settled on a tree that barely fit the climber - and headed up about 15 feet. I shot my first deer 15 min later, about 3 min after legal light- he walked directly under me! This is NOT normal! I will say in 4-5 years of GA hunting Ive never had a shot over 100 yards - but I dont hunt power cuts or open land.
I'll second everyone's suggestion of a larger caliber than your .223 - I've shot deer with 30-30 and .308 with great success. Now I'm trying 300blk and that would be a very cheap option for you to throw a barreled upper on your AR. Just make sure to get good SUPERsonic hunting ammo if you go 300blk and get trigger time so you know your gun and rounds. Second suggestion would be .308 - I've owned 2 Savages but really like the feel of the Ruger American too.
As for phone APPs, I've tried a few but I think the one I liked the best is "HuntStand" by TerraStride. You can save stand locations and view wind direction/speed over the next 12 hrs or something. I only used the free version. Just make sure you have signal in the area!
If you do shoot one - I recommend knowing how to field dress it properly right there - but no harm in having a processor do the rest until you are ready to do everything yourself. Babysteps.
Don't pay much attention to deer hunting shows as they're usually far fetched.
I read several deer hunting books from the library and gained a lot of good info that way when I first started.
You're welcome to pm me once rifle starts and my buddy and I can set you up in a few good WMA areas we hunt in the mountains and get you started.
Of course we will scout an area together and set our climbers on a tree in a spot you like then find our way back to the rendezvous point.
If you buy a pack of those glow markers to clip on trees on the way it will help mark your way back in the dark (highly recommended) especially in an unfamiliar spot.
Once you know the lay of the land and hunt there a few times you'll know your way around.
I read several deer hunting books from the library and gained a lot of good info that way when I first started.
You're welcome to pm me once rifle starts and my buddy and I can set you up in a few good WMA areas we hunt in the mountains and get you started.
Of course we will scout an area together and set our climbers on a tree in a spot you like then find our way back to the rendezvous point.
If you buy a pack of those glow markers to clip on trees on the way it will help mark your way back in the dark (highly recommended) especially in an unfamiliar spot.
Once you know the lay of the land and hunt there a few times you'll know your way around.
Yes: Learn to do without it. Once you are comfortable in your overland nav skills with a map, go ahead and use the smartphone GPS for convenience. But first force yourself to learn to do without it. Technology can and will fail, and you're back to doing it the old fashioned way, which means you need to now how to do it the old fashioned way.
I second HuntStand app. It also works reasonably well offline if you download weather the night before.
One word of warning about smartphones though. The GPS always works, and is reasonably accurate, but NEVER trust the compass on one. I don't care which brand, they're all awful.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
One word of warning about smartphones though. The GPS always works, and is reasonably accurate, but NEVER trust the compass on one. I don't care which brand, they're all awful.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yeah I had mine and my wife's I phone compasses side by side and one was way off from the other while other times they were the same.
I think it may be due to not being able to calibrate it due to spotty service signal.
