There's a lot more to hunting than just setting up over a pile of corn. Learn what deer do and what they prefer, and you'll have some skills you can take with you. Personally, I have never hunted over a bait station. I have hunted food plots on rare occasion, but have never planted any myself. I'm not opposed to it, but I find a lot of satisfaction in hunting the deer on their terms. Now, I will use some attractant scents during the rut, but mostly use some cover scent and try to minimize my own smell as much as I can.
I think you just need to spend some time in the woods. Deer are creatures of habit, but there's no guarantee they'll follow the "rules" you impose on them. One day, they'll be coming into your corn, the next, some succulent browse or a fruit tree may have their attention. You need to scout out the piece of land and find out what's available to them. Where do they bed, where do they drink, what are the different food sources, etc.? One stand on a piece of land won't cut it. And even with bait, deer and hogs will figure out real quick that those smelly two-legged creatures only show up during the daylight.
By scouting, you should be able to identify travel routes. In my opinion, you'll have a lot more success hunting the travel corridors. I've shot a lot of deer over the years by catching them going to and from a food source. I typically don't like to stink up where they are actually feeding. Of course, a blind or stand near a big oak shedding acorns, or a tree dropping fruit can be a real hot spot.
Spend some time making some natural ground blinds. My most thrilling hunts have come from natural ground blinds. They're cheap, plentiful, quiet, and you don't have to fool with your setup much when you get there. Remember, the less noise, the better. They do require some work, though. You'll probably need to have several. I build and modify mine in the winter, after season closes, but you can build them anytime. Just remember that the woods can look a lot different at different times of the year. South Florida may not, though, so just use your best judgement. I typically go in a month before the season starts and make sure that any new growth isn't in my way. Your first couple of seasons will be learning experiences for you anyway, so don't expect to get things exactly right the first time.
When building a blind, you want to have good cover behind you, not just in front. Blown down trees are good foundations to work with. Make sure you'll have room to draw your bow and that the ground is free of leaves and litter. I'd recommend investing in a good seat. A bucket will do, but you want something you can sit on without squirming around.
When choosing blind and tree stand sites, be conscious of how you will approach them. The last thing you want on a hunt is for your scent to be blowing out over an area you're going to hunt for the day. You'll also need to be conscious of where the sun will be in relation to your stand. You don't want the sun in your face, but you do want the wind to be.
Using the wind is vitally important. A deer's nose is his first defense. They also pick up movement extraordinarily well, so when you move, do it cautiously and slowly. You'll be amazed at how a deer can suddenly materialize right in front of you.
Camo-wise, the most important thing is to break up your outline. Plaids do this, as do any one of a thousand different camo patterns. Of course, hiding in a blind accomplishes this for you, but you'll need to be conscious of your face and hands. If you're light skinned, your uncovered face will be a focus of attention to a deer. I use a carbon-based face paint, but some folks use headnets.
Aside from a seat or stand, and my bow, my most used item is a pair of Leupold 6x32 Yosemite binoculars. For bowhunting, I haven't found a better pair. I also use a camelback-type water system. I've hooked one to my Waldrop Pac Seat and it works perfectly. One thing I'm going to make sure I have is a good camera with me this year. I'm always forgetting to bring one.
Shooting wise, starting in the summer, 99% of my practice is stump shooting or shooting at a tennis ball thrown around the yard. I don't like to fool with my equipment at all. I want to have my setup sorted out. Switching bows and changing arrows can introduce something I don't want. I want to have my eye used to seeing a specific arrow flight. Sometimes you might have to shoot in low light conditions and at unknown distances. I want my arrow to hit where I look. When that big buck steps into your range, the last thing you'll be thinking about is your grip or your release or your posture. You want that shot sequence ingrained and instinctive. You want it to just happen.
Regarding distances, for deer, the closer the better. You'll need to have the self control to wait for the right shot. Just because you can hit a tennis ball at 40 yards, doesn't mean you should shoot at a deer or hog that far. There may be circumstances that allow that, but mostly, you're looking at limiting yourself to 15-20 yards. Believe me, having a big buck at 35 yards and not being able to shoot is nerve-racking, but you'd have regret for the rest of your life, if you slung an arrow and hit him in the jaw or leg or gut and couldn't recover him. For my hunting setup this year, I'll be limiting myself to no more than 20 yards, with 15 or less preferable. My heavy, slow arrow has more than enough oomph, but the time it takes to get there dictates a close shot. Come to think of it, most of my shots over the years have probably been around 12 yards or so.
A deer has incredible reflexes, and their natural response to an unnatural sound is to leap away from it, immediately. I like to shoot at a calm deer and one that is not looking my way. A lot of people make a noise to get a deer to pause. I've rarely done that. I don't want a deer focused in my direction when I'm ready to shoot. I've found the best way to get them to pause to have a natural deer scent sprayed around my blind in various spots. In order to keep my scent down, once I'm in my spot, I'll spray some sticks and toss them to various spots. I shot my doe this past year as she stopped to smell a pee stick I'd tossed 10 yards from my hiding spot.
When you do get one, field dress as soon as you can. You might want to have a cooler in your vehicle with some bags of ice, too. Leave the ice in the bag and put it in the chest cavity as soon as you get the animal back to your truck. And get it to a cooler as quick as you can. In the heat, they can go bad quickly.
Just remember, you're choosing a method of hunting that has restrictions built in. Count it as a success if you get a deer in range and undisturbed. Count it a blessing if you get one. Good luck and keep us posted.
Topic: First Deer Hunting Season - Need Advice! (Read 948 times)
