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Old December 21, 2000, 11:20 AM   #1
BMiracle
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Join Date: February 12, 2000
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Just wanted to know if anyone has any useful advice fo ra first time whitetail hunter with a rifle. I have read lots of books and magazines, but is there something you huys have learned from personal experience that is not written about? Heading to Kansas and hope to get some big does. (missed the buck season there...next year though!)
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Old December 21, 2000, 01:17 PM   #2
Art Eatman
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If you're sitting in a stand, the key word is patience. I usually take a book to read, and have trained myself to read about a half-page, glance around, read, glance...

If you're on the ground, the key word is "imitate a stump". This takes patience and the willpower to just flat-out not move anything but your eyes, and sloooowwwwwllllyyyyy your head.

Ask the area locals. They'll know more than any outsider.

FWIW, Art
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Old December 21, 2000, 01:54 PM   #3
BadMedicine
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the personal experience from one deer hunt, spooked deer, wind scent giving you away, will teackh you far more than you could write here. I like to still hunt, it covers area, keeps you circulated, so you don't get as cooled as sitting. Also, my attention span is about as long as a full grown eyelash, so I like to do something that keeps me active. When I'm just sitting, I wanna eat. Then I make noise. I end up carving something with my knife and quite looking fordeer/moose, whatever I'm hunting. Hunting preferences are diferent in different areas though. It's a good thing you read up, there's alot of knowledge to be shared out there. What gun/caliber are you using? going with friends? somebody who's hunted before?? Anyways, good luck, and remember to tell us all about it when the hunt's over
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Old December 21, 2000, 02:41 PM   #4
muleshoe
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The advice my momma used to give me was "don't shoot your eye out". Still sound advice.

Other than that, keep your nose into the wind and yourself off the skyline. Enjoy yourself.


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Old December 21, 2000, 02:43 PM   #5
CD1
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A lot of people think doe are easy to take, they can be some of the most easily spooked critters in the woods. Especially one thats been around a while. Be patient, heed the advice above about movement discipline. When you do get a deer in front of you (especially if its close) move slowly. Dont get over excited and try to move quickly to get a shot. If you've done your reading youve got an idea of the basics. You'll learn the rest in the woods. If you want to learn, the deer will give you all the lessons you can stand. Good luck. Let us know how it turns out.
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Old December 21, 2000, 04:16 PM   #6
Dead Aim
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Yo buddy I was just like you when i started hunting. I wanted to know everything and anything that could happen. My word of advice is just to git the hell out there and do it and dont ask to many questions. You can learn more about hunting in a one day of actual hunting than a year of reading these posts.

(Sarcasm follows)

But one thing i would like to recomend is dont go hunting unless you have a rifle in caliber 300 mag or higher, those does can get pretty damn big and you need plenty of firepower to take them down. And after you kill it and walk up to it, shoot it again in the front quarter at least once. They play dead and when you walk up to them they will run on you. And another thing, take all kinds of candy bars and crap out because they give you a good boast of energy. And dont worry too much about movement and scent and all that crap. Does are stupid compared to the trophy bucks, to put it plainly they are the retards of the deer population. Ive shot does and ten seconds after i shot it a couple more walked over to the dead doe i shot and started sniffing, right under my stand. There lucky i follow rules because i was damn tempted to pick them off.
peace out

[Edited by Gizmo99 on 12-21-2000 at 06:08 PM]
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Old December 21, 2000, 05:26 PM   #7
BadMedicine
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WOW....

And the advice about a 300 or bigger, nonesense, I would stay above a .243, since you're a beginner, but even much smaller ones do fine. (Are you a biginner at shooting, or just is this your first hunt, or both??) As for shooting them again.... If they fall, and you can walk up to them, don't shoot again. Even IF she does jump up, you're now about 3 feet away from her and can EASILY make the shot. And about does being stupid, and easy to hunt??? Naw, they're just as wiley as the bucks, sometimes more so. Does aren't half-crazed trying to get their "groove-on" with dulled senses like bucks sometimes are. Especially if they've had babies to protect before, or have been with a buck that's been shot, as does often are. Sometimes it seems like they're dummer, cuz they're everywhere, but this is because there are so many more than bucks. Some places you can't hunt does, and where you can alot of people don't like to shoot them. Don't be fooled, they're smart, but I think just they're just as fun to hunt/shoot as the bucks. (though I do like the looks of a nice big rack on my wall)

[Edited by Gizmo99 on 12-22-2000 at 08:30 AM]
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Old December 21, 2000, 08:53 PM   #8
jbgood
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What Art said. Locals can tell you the best places to go, what the deer are up to in their neck of the woods, etc. Other than that, remember to make yourself as inconspicuous as possible. Remember that a deer is genetically programmed to watch for movement and to listen for unnatural sounds. If you have to move, keep it slow, move your eyes as far as possible in the direction that you want to look, then catch up with your (slowly moving) head. Be hunting all the time, stay alert, move deliberately.

Above all -- have a good time. As others have said, you will learn a lot every time you go out.

Best of luck. Let us know how it went, too!

Regards, jbgood
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Old December 22, 2000, 08:21 AM   #9
Thibault
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Have fun, try to make yourself invisible, and take care of your bowels BEFORE getting in the woods. Eight hours of torture sitting on a stump is much more that the average schmo can take!!!!!
Hang in there!
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Old December 22, 2000, 11:42 AM   #10
ChrisR246
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And don't head out back to camp too early. Many people will head back about 9:00am for coffee, etc. Stay out there! -their movement might push deer. And make sure you either know your way in/out from your stand well or have it well marked, so you are comfortable going back and forth in the dark. You dont want to have to head out too late or in too early because you need the daylight.

Know where the other hunters are around you and make sure they know where you are.

Good luck and have fun.
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