What’s the one tip you wish you were given

[Usi05]

1) importance of wind
2) get mobile


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[Doofy_13]

Never hunt the same spot twice in a month.

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[Dbern7]

I might have a different opinion than a lot of guys. But if someone is just starting out, I would worry a lot less about having the best gear and more about learning as much about deer patterns as you can. Bucks don’t care if you are wearing Sitka or Walmart camo. Check out Dan Infalts videos. And mostly just spend a ton of time in the woods!


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Amen!

 

[Dbern7]

Play the wind and change spots often

 

[Campcreek12]

Just enjoy your time in the woods and don't judge your successes against others. Harvest the ones you want to, be that doe, spike, or bruiser. Hunting shows are just that, tv shows. No more realistic than spongebob.

 

[rclouse79]

Do your research and spend your money wisely when you get started. With so much to buy I fell into the trap of buying cheap crap at first. Some of it was ok, but I wish I would have done the buy once cry once for things like a rifle and scope.

 

[Bigcat_hunter]

When I started hunting I didn’t realize how much animals see movement. I was silent but I moved way to fast always pushing the animals to my wiser older mentors. I think most new hunters are way to fast always trying to find the animals over the next ridge. Slow down and realize they really see movement.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

1. Don't believe the hype. MOST whitetail hunting products are the same as fishing lures. They catch more fishermen than fish!

2. ALWAYS respect the wind. If its not right for a set, no amount of scent spray, activated carbon, oxygen diffusers, etc..., will fool a mature deer's nose. This goes for does or bucks. This is especially critical if you have a limited number of time and places to hunt. Blow a good buck out one time and you may never see him again.

3. Price doesn't equal quality. For example, I've been bow hunting for more than 20 years. I've had 2 bows during this time. My first was a no-frills Browning compound I bought during college at Scheels in '97. I'd still be shooting it if I didn't break my own #1 rule above and buy a new Hoyt in 2009 after selling my Browning to my brother. Both bows fully outfitted cost me around $700 combined and helped me harvest more than 2 dozen deer until shoulder surgery forced me to pick up a x-box. However, the $299 x-bow I bought kills deer just as dead as the $1,500 model my neighbor shoots.

4. Leave your phone in the truck or in your pocket.

5. YOU define what is a "trophy" to you.

 

[KYBowhuntin]

Less is more. I understand that there are times you have to get aggressive but with KY being a one buck state I have learned to sit back some and figure it out before jumping in head first and screwing it all up. Usually the aggressive moves are what gets it done but I already have my homework done before making that move.

 

[The_Squatting_Coon]

Don’t depend on anyone else, you’ll learn a lot more from mistakes and failures than succeeding. Get out and try new things. That goes for gear, hunting spots, and your hunting tactics.

 

[Zappaman]

Superb thread... excellent advice from many EXPERIENCED hunters!!!

My advice to most young/new hunters is SLOW DOWN, STOP MOVING, and look WITH YOUR EYES... NOT your HEAD! (and practice shooting before you go out please!)

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

look WITH YOUR EYES... NOT your HEAD! (and practice shooting before you go out please!)

Right on! Eyes first, then neck, then if absolutely necessary shoulders... People seem to focus all the attention on a deer's nose. However, those giant globes sticking out the sides of their head provide 300 degrees of vision, and a slight turn in either direction gets the remaining 60. The old rule of thumb is this, "...if you can see a deer's eye, from any angle, it can see you."

I forgot to add don't underestimate thermals in morning and evening.

 

[journeyman713]

Great advice here, I can offer just a little more.

No matter how much you play the wind, deer will be in the wrong spot, practice scent control.
Back pack in your coat and walk in slow, to not get sweaty.
Dedicate clothes and boots that only see the woods. Nowhere else.
Don't eat meat, fried food or anything with a strong odor before hunt.
An apple is like breath-camo and good snack.
Be ready to shoot on quick notice.
Visualize a deer walking in and Rehearse a mental checklist to shoot.
Never shoot at a deer - aim for a specific spot on a deer.

Enjoy nature, become part of it and learn from it.
A good hunt doesn't always have to end with a dead deer.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

Great advice here, I can offer just a little more.

No matter how much you play the wind, deer will be in the wrong spot, practice scent control.
Back pack in your coat and walk in slow, to not get sweaty.
Dedicate clothes and boots that only see the woods. Nowhere else.
Don't eat meat, fried food or anything with a strong odor before hunt.
An apple is like breath-camo and good snack.
Be ready to shoot on quick notice.
Visualize a deer walking in and Rehearse a mental checklist to shoot.
Never shoot at a deer - aim for a specific spot on a deer.

Enjoy nature, become part of it and learn from it.
A good hunt doesn't always have to end with a dead deer.

Great stuff there, and reminded me of another one that fits in with yours...

When I'm wearing rubber boots, I always try to wade into some fresh mud or cow $hit otw the way to my stand. Excellent cover scent for your way in...

Use creeks, gulleys, and topography to conceal your entry/exit routes to stands...

To your point about sweating... If you have a long walk to your set or the weather is warm, always wear the least amount of layers and pack the rest in... You don't want to be warm when you START walking...

When hunting in cold conditions, ALWAYS have an extra set of gloves, hat, neck gaitor, balaclava, or light base layer in your pack. Even if you don't ever use them, knowing you have extra clothes provides a mental advantage and you will sit longer.

If you have a long sit planned in the cold, make sure you take care of your feet. Depending on how long your walk in may be, you need to wear the right socks/boots. If a short walk, you can probably get away with high insulation and heavy socks. However, if you have a moderate to long walk, you are likely better off with either high insulation and light socks or low/no insulation and heavy socks. Whichever works best to keep your foot perspiration to a minimum. Try to walk slow and pause often to keep from overheating. Once you get sat down, your blood circulation to your feet is restricted, especially when wearing heavy layers. If your feet are sweaty they WILL get cold faster.

If you're using "hot hands" or similar air activated heaters, take them out off the package at home and get them activated on the way to the farm. This way they are warm when you get there, and you don't have to worry about unwrapping from a noisy plastic wrapper. The same goes for any lunch or snacks you plan to bring. Unwrap them and put them in zipper bags at home to reduce noise while you're in the woods.

 

[Adkhunter3]

Put yourself in stressful situations like competitions then when that big buck comes by it’s not as pressurized of a situation.

 

[Finch]

Don't be afraid to call/rattle/etc. I've called a lot of deer in by blind calling. Doesn't always work but when it does, it's pretty cool.

Keep TP in your pack!

 

[Southforkguy]

Stay in your Stand that you know is your number 1 and don't play the camera game, jumping from one stand to another. Making noise calling em in, scent and all other stuff that is BS. If the spot is on, all you need is to sit and shut up. And be as scent free as possible

 

[mcseal2]

Don't give up.

I've killed some of my best bucks during rifle season due to pressure on neighboring areas. Bucks I'd never seen before. If I'd have stayed home because scouting or cameras had not shown them, I'd not have filled those tags. Rifle season in my season is only 12 days, I hunt every morning and every night of the season until I tag out. I get my work done during the middle of the day or after dark.

Second best tip is to do everything possible to not let a mature buck know you are hunting him. Be unpredictable and as low impact as possible. One of my better bucks patterned me. 3 evenings in a row I saw his tracks in the snow around the area I'd been sitting at. He was checking out my scent trail after dark. The 4th day I moved back a hundred yards and sat behind a thicket. I had to get up and move a few yards to even shoot, so I set up a standing height tripod there. A little before dark I picked up a deer's face poking out of a cedar tree locked on the place I'd sat the previous days. That old grey faced buck stared at that spot for 15 minutes without moving. Finally he hopped the fence and headed out into the field to eat, figuring I was not there that night. I ended up getting him at 225 yards as he fed, and he grossed over 190". That buck changed the way I hunt forever. Without the snow to show his tracks, and the extreme cold to make him feed during daylight, I'd likely never have figured him out.

 

[mcseal2]

Couple others:

I believe Ozonics machines work after using them a few years. They aren't perfect, but I've had coyotes and deer within 20 yards directly downwind since I started using them. I'm convinced they help in the right situation. I am not crazy over scent control other than that. I store my clothes in a tote with fresh cedar branches the week before and during hunting season, and use some Nosejammer scent on my blind. Past that it's just the Ozonics. I play the wind whenever possible, but I have one spot that can only be accessed up a long lane. I can only put a blind in one spot to see into a staging area that has had a lot of big buck activity over the years. We very seldom get the perfect wind to hunt that spot so I had to think outside the box and try something if I wanted to take advantage of that location.

Be an excellent shot and able to make decisions and shoot quickly. I've killed my two best bucks on shots that had to be taken in seconds. Quick, accurate judgement and shooting have helped me on every species I hunt. Don't shoot to quick and make a mistake on a buck you are not happy with, but when you know a buck is the right one for you be able to make a good shot right now. Practice with your weapons of choice until the muscle memory is there. The confidence will help when the moment occurs.

 

[Combatboots]

Play the wind