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Hunting for the first year:what to look for.

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GregB:
If you're using a selfbow, and I assume you are, you have to get close! You've already heard about getting between the bedding and feeding area's, and that is true. Learn the terrain in the area you plan to hunt. Look for what I call "bottle-necks", which is anything that forces the deers travel  to be funneled into a narrow spot like the neck of an hour glass. It could be a steep sided deep ditch that spans the width of a ridge side. There may be only a couple of places where the deer are crossing that ditch...travel it's length and find those places. It could be where woods narrow, or a bluff that forces the deer high or low to get around it. Could be a large downed tree forcing the deer to go around, anything that force the deer to travel in a narrow area. Bodies of water can come into play in forcing travel corridors. These all involve a deer traveling typically to a food source.

Also look for the food source itself as a potential hunting spot. Individual oak trees that are dropping and look like a hog lot underneath due to the feeding sign are a hot spot if the sign is fresh. Deer may pass by one oak dropping to go to another one that for some reason tastes better to them at that time. Food plots or crop fields are a good source while they last, but are difficult to hunt over sometimes. May sit and watch deer all afternoon and they be out of bow range. I typically back off those spots and try and determine the deer's approach routes to them instead and set up there. I typically hunt from elevated tree stands. Blinds can be substituted but have to be even more careful of scent and movement. Hunting techniques vary in different parts of the country. Tree stand hunting is well suited in a dry woods in the south for hunting white-tailed deer.

hillbilly61:
Allot of good things have been said and all should be heeded. The one thing that I haven'tseen written about is Patience. Patience. Patience and More Patience. If you practice all the above, use your skills, study your area and use Patience everything will fall into place. Also a good Topographical map would help to study the terrain It will help find funnels, ridges, saddles and allot more that will narrow down the possibilities and save some leg work too

johnston:
These folks know what they are talking about and I can only add one thing...have fun. Hunting is a lifetime activity that comes close to a spiritual experience. Every time you do it. It is an awakening.

Killing and eating animals aint bad either.

Lane

Stringman:
Most important trick for deer hunting... Hunt where the deer are!

Sounds like you're on the right path. Don't forget to give God thanks for it all.

youngbowyer:
well im taking my hunter ed course tomorrow. Need to take a written test and shoot 3 out of 5 into a paper plate or a 3-d deer. I am using my recurve bow for the test though. But i just finished a hickory bow which i am quite accurate with and that will most likely be my hunting bow along with my osage bow. Wish me luck!

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