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Bravo if you are getting into hunting or are considering it! Aside from being an inventive and enjoyable way to enjoy time outdoors with loved ones, deer hunting provides organic, free-range meat. However, being a deer hunter is not easy, regardless of whether your objective is to capture a photograph of a “trophy buck” or to feel a stronger connection to the land.
Following these excellent first-time hunting guidelines will give you an advantage this autumn and help you avoid making many rookie mistakes when first starting.
Be a Watchful and Safe Hunter
When hunting, safety must always come first. One thing hunters need to learn about safety is how to climb into tree stands, which is another dangerous thing they use to catch animals.
Fortunately, an individual must complete a hunter education course or class to obtain a hunting license in 49 out of the 50 states. You can get information on hunter education programs in your area by searching online resources.
Hunt Together With a Friend
Lots of us have at least one friend who is a hunter. Feel free to seek answers or tag along on their next hunt. The learning curve for competent deer hunting can be high. Therefore, it’s much more practical to go on a hunt with someone who has experience. They may even own a rifle or bow suitable for hunting deer, which you can use for target practice and the actual hunt. Thus, you can learn more about whitetail hunting gear before making a large initial financial commitment.
Attend a Mentoring Program for Hunters
If you are interested in hunting but do not know someone who does, you can find mentorship programs through websites or by contacting the state’s wildlife and fish department.
People from various walks of life who have never gone hunting can benefit from hunter mentorship programs like the National Deer Association’s Field to Fork program. Members work with seasoned hunters for in-the-field instruction and post-kill debriefs during organized hunts and events. These kinds of initiatives will not only enable you to learn faster, but they can also help you make new friends and find new shooting spots in the future.
4. Search Between Feeding and Sleeping Places
As a novice hunter, you are undoubtedly curious about the best place for me to start. Even while the forest may look the same to a novice hunter, there is a good chance that the deer you are after are not just walking around aimlessly.If you want to catch deer while they are moving, you need to know where they sleep and buy food.
When it is time to sleep, deer frequently seek out dense vegetation and tall grasses. This shields them from the biting wind on chilly days while letting the sun’s rays warm them up. A deer’s diet can consist of anything from the grass and shrubs in the backyard to carefully cultivated food plots to corn and soybean fields or acorns falling from an oak tree.
To find a decent hunting area, you should check for paths and deer footprints leading to and from thickets, which deer might use as bedding grounds.
5. Employ Covert Cameras
Trail cameras are the most advanced form of surveillance equipment because they act as your eyes in the forest around the clock. Prices for trail cameras can be found anywhere from far under $100 to well into the hundreds. They are small and easy to use. You can attach them straight to a tree or post and take pictures during the day or at night.
Plus, various kinds of trail cameras are available. For instance, digital cameras save all of their photos on a single SD card, while cellular cameras transfer the pictures to your phone. A single AA battery may power these cameras and will automatically snap a photo anytime someone or something passes in front of them.
Ideally, you should position these cameras two to three feet above the ground, facing down a deer trail, above a food plot or feeder, or any place else you notice a lot of deer signs.
6. Prepare as if You Were Going on a Hunt
It is said that practice makes perfect. That is why getting some time behind the bow or gun is crucial before heading out on a real hunt. You must train as much as possible before hunting, both with your bow and rifle in the garden and at the gun range.
Getting used to shooting a bow from a tree platform 15 to 20 feet above the ground is very different from practicing on the ground. It is simple to hit the target while sitting on a warm, comfortable shooting bench, but try doing that when you are bundled up against the elements and your adrenaline is pumping.Thus, if you plan to hunt from a treestand or ground blind, you should practice firing from these positions.
Final Thoughts
The learning curve for whitetail deer hunting might be intimidating, but the experience is worthwhile.
With the help of these professional instructions, you will be able to get started and bring high-quality meat home for your family to enjoy. It is among the best and most fulfilling endeavors one can undertake. Producing one’s food is the ultimate act of oneness with the natural world. Remember, hunting is about stealth and strategy. Happy hunting, folks!
