any suggestions?

[shagy99]

I am 5 hunts into my second seasonand still have not seen a deer while deer hunting. Is this normal for a newbie hunting public land? I've beed out mostly mornings only this season. Any suggestions would be very helpful.

 

[snwwlkr]

Hunting public land is tough. My advice and it worked great for me. If you are hunting the typical places like a ridge thats torn up with sign, sitting in a tree stand. All that stuff could be done at night. Public land gets a lot of pressure and the deer, especially any buck that has lived more than a season or two is smart enough and will be laying low in the daylight as much as possible. Think outside the box and also look to the thick stuff where they feel more safe. Hunt in it if possible or on the edge. Using the wind is a must in the tight stuff.

 

[shagy99]

Thanks, that's exactly the kind of advice I am looking for. Seems like the old stand by advice is not working for me. Is it normal for a novice to go several seasons without a sighting? I was told that I was not paying enough attention to scent control and I significantly upped my game in that department. Anyone got a bead on a good spot that they would care to share? I am a meat hunter not a trophy hunter.

 

[snwwlkr]

I hunted several years before I got my first deer. There is a learning curve and I had virtually no one to learn from but myself.
Scent control is a must. I wash myself and my cloths in hunt soap normally and most of my cloths stay in a clean bag until I get to hunting location. NEVER wear my hunt cloths into a market thats cooking food or a restaurant. Avoid cigarette smoke. Dont put your hunt boots on until you get to your hunting spot. Just stopping for gas you can step in some smelly stuff. Last but not least I personally dont think you can beat a deers nose but by being clean you can gain a little time before being busted so use the wind to your advantage. If a deer is upwind of you, be still wait for the best shot. If a deer is down wind you are probably about to get busted so no time to waste on taking a good shot which by the way NEVER shot unless you have a good kill shot.
Hang in there.

 

[southernhunter]

hey friend, i started hunting alone around age 14 maybe earlier.i didn't kill my first buck till i was 24 a very small 7 point , that was a long 10 years . we hunted hard too. during that time id get very discouraged especially when others was having more luck than me,i am 36 now have way better places to hunt than i did back then and have had the opportunity to take several nice bucks.point being is stay with it, hunt hard and enjoy it.i look back now and realize maybe those 10 years was really my best hunting years though it didn't feel like it then. when hunting public land its tough very tough , but if you can learn to master skills to take deer there it will be a cake walk when you some day get your own lease or land to hunt and in the end you will be a much better hunter than most.in other words what seems to be failure now may be what makes you a very successful hunter later.some of these guys that are bagging about b&c deer they take each year are also the guys paying out the butt to be on some fancy hunting property. most of them couldn't do any better on public land than you.i don't think i could.to kill deer you have to be where deer are and the more they are the easier it is regardless of the hunter.though some will not admit it that's hunting in a nut shell.i said all that to say i feel your pain bro.i hunted some very poor hunting property growing up cause its all we had and was lucky to have it.my advice is#1 hunt safe #2 learn to love to hunt when there's no deer to be seen or had #3 focus on learning to scout food ,cover ect.. #4 learn your own system of remaining scent free as possible. #5 don't believe anything you hear about hunting but rather try it get your own results#6 remember deer are animals that are always changing to adapt to there environment and conditions so you must do the same.#7 last but not least figure out a way to get rich so you can get off public land and on a lease where 150" deer are the norm then give me a call so i can come hunting with you then we can claim its our skill set that enables us to kill such great deer "lol". joking aside you may know any and all of this and be a much better hunter than me if so disregard, other wise this is how id start thinking about it.

 

[stik]

I am 5 hunts into my second seasonand still have not seen a deer while deer hunting. Is this normal for a newbie hunting public land? I've beed out mostly mornings only this season. Any suggestions would be very helpful.

I hunted 3 years before I ever saw a deer in the woods while hunting.

 

[Appleman]

Pay attention to heavy well used trails that pinch together along creek bottoms and low lyling areas. Just keep at it and be patient. Good luck!!

 

[parkerxbowhunter]

Best piece of advice I ever got was it's not as much how your hunting as to where your hunting. You can't kill them if they are not there

 

[Super8]

It was my 3rd season hunting before I killed a deer.
It takes time to learn a few things and trying different strategies.
Just when you think you have it figured out they change the game.

I learn something new each and every year and see alot more deer each season and now 25 years later very seldom do I hunt where I dont see deer. It still happens from time to time but you learn where to hunt under certain conditions.

TIME SPENT IN THE WOODS... is probably my best reason for being where Im at.

I use most all of my vacation time for hunting,hunt most every weekend and any chance I get I take off to the woods and have done this for 20 of the 25 years.

TIME chasing deer teaches you and if you dont like being in the woods and not seeing deer then it will be tough.
Im lucky enough to enjoy the woods and have benefited from that alone.

 

[TNRazorback]

Chat up the manager of the WMA for any insight you can get. Check out mapper.acme.com and become familiar with the terrain. Generally speaking, go earlier and deeper and let late arrivers drive deer to you. Hunting open woods in high wind is tough sledding, they'll bed down in a thicket and stay there. Find the nastiest stuff in the joint and you'll find some sign. They'll move in open hardwoods in calm winds, they can rely on their senses and don't spook as much. The value of a climbing stand can't be overstated.

 

[Elmer]

1. Wind. I'll add scent control to it but wind shall dictate your set ups
2. Map. Read on the internet how to locate a funnel
3. Woodsmanship. Take it slow going in, don't make unnecessary noise. See what the woods are telling you
4. Get away from the crowd. Hunt where people are not
5. Find private ground
6. Kill the first deer you see