Deer Hunting 101...Questions and Answers

moose266

Senior Member
Is it a good idea to call, rattle, grunt, etc. out of the rut or in late season? I don't really know so I dont call much but I should. My buddy said today, 1-2-11, that he was grunting every few minutes and out popped a 6 pt.
 

garnede

Senior Member
When you say downwind side what are you referring to?

Down wind means: if you are approaching an animal from downwind then the wind will be blowing directly on your face. Animals can pick up your scent being blown on the wind. You prevent this by trying to stay down wind. This means they never have a chance to smell you.
 

YeaHuskers

New Member
As green as they get, but I want to hunt deer for my first time this year. I'm learning as much as I can, but am still pretty clueless on the basics. I'm working on the CD-Rom Hunter Education course, since I know that's a prerequisite to getting a license.

Here are my questions:
1) What basic gear do I need to get started? I have a used Remington model 700 with a Bushnell 3-9x50E scope on layaway at a local shop. I have a Toyota Tundra 4x4...not the best hunting truck, but can get me places. I have a Gerber Gator with gut hook and cheap binoculars. I have decent Thinsulate & Gore-Tex leather workboots, and stuff for hiking (daypacks, shoes, including some cold weather clothing), but no camo. On a pretty limited budget and want to pay off the gun...what else do I really need this first year?

2) Where can I go to hunt in Northeast Georgia without committing to a Club membership or paying a guide? Again, not much $ to spend here. I don't really have landowner contacts. Are WMAs and other public areas safe, and will they yield results?

Thanks in advance for any and all help!
 

garnede

Senior Member
Camo helps but not a lot. If you have some shirts that are the same color as the fall leaves wear those. If you don't, I would not worry about it, you will be wearing hunter's orange over your shirt anyway. i would just avoid wearing black. For pants any kaki colored work pants or even jeans work just fine. You will need good long johns. I sometimes wear 2 pair a thin pair next to my skin, they fit the best, and a thicker pair between them and my pants. If it is in the 20's and windy you'll need it. Unless you work outside and are used to sitting in the cold for long periods, then I recommend dressing like it is 20* colder than it really is. This will make up for the fact that you are sitting as still as possible for long periods of time. A scarf will cheaply add 10* of warmth to anything else you are wearing.
Other than clothes you have the basic tools to begin hunting. If you are not comfortable finding your way in the woods from memory or a map and compass you might want to find a cheep GPS that will help you back track to your vehicle the shortest route. You don't need a fancy one, most of the time you will only use it to find your truck or see how far it was from where you shot to where you hit the deer.

It only cost $5 for a WMA stamp. It is worth it. Wile the success rate may not be as high as some hunting clubs, but it will not cost you a thousand dollars either. Otherwise look into leasing a small tract of land near you. You can often find 40-50 acres for under $500 a year.

Other than that you should buy several styles/brands of bullets and see what shoots most accurately thru your rifle. Depending on what you shoot you may want to space these trips out over several trips to the range. Make sure you shoot enough to get comfortable with your gun. You don't want to go to all of this work only to find that you forgot how to take the safety off when it comes time to shoot.


As green as they get, but I want to hunt deer for my first time this year. I'm learning as much as I can, but am still pretty clueless on the basics. I'm working on the CD-Rom Hunter Education course, since I know that's a prerequisite to getting a license.

Here are my questions:
1) What basic gear do I need to get started? I have a used Remington model 700 with a Bushnell 3-9x50E scope on layaway at a local shop. I have a Toyota Tundra 4x4...not the best hunting truck, but can get me places. I have a Gerber Gator with gut hook and cheap binoculars. I have decent Thinsulate & Gore-Tex leather workboots, and stuff for hiking (daypacks, shoes, including some cold weather clothing), but no camo. On a pretty limited budget and want to pay off the gun...what else do I really need this first year?

2) Where can I go to hunt in Northeast Georgia without committing to a Club membership or paying a guide? Again, not much $ to spend here. I don't really have landowner contacts. Are WMAs and other public areas safe, and will they yield results?

Thanks in advance for any and all help!
 

BONE HEAD

Senior Member
As green as they get, but I want to hunt deer for my first time this year. I'm learning as much as I can, but am still pretty clueless on the basics. I'm working on the CD-Rom Hunter Education course, since I know that's a prerequisite to getting a license.

Here are my questions:
1) What basic gear do I need to get started? I have a used Remington model 700 with a Bushnell 3-9x50E scope on layaway at a local shop. I have a Toyota Tundra 4x4...not the best hunting truck, but can get me places. I have a Gerber Gator with gut hook and cheap binoculars. I have decent Thinsulate & Gore-Tex leather workboots, and stuff for hiking (daypacks, shoes, including some cold weather clothing), but no camo. On a pretty limited budget and want to pay off the gun...what else do I really need this first year?

2) Where can I go to hunt in Northeast Georgia without committing to a Club membership or paying a guide? Again, not much $ to spend here. I don't really have landowner contacts. Are WMAs and other public areas safe, and will they yield results?

Thanks in advance for any and all help!

I think "green as they get" may be an understatement!

Just kidding..sort of.

If my feelings are right you have little to no experience in all of the above which would make me very reluctant to give you advice in a forum such as this.

I would suggest you befriend a hunter or two in your area, be completely honest with them and tell them your wishes. I think you'll be surprised.

As for the camo....don't waste your money, just wear clothes that are weather appropriate, quiet and NOT brown, tan or white.

The WMAs are safe, relatively speaking....but remember guys like you (beginners) are likely to be found in the WMAs toting loaded guns and very eager to kill something.
But there are also some very good season pros in the WMAs that have good success.

GO HUSKERS!!
 

BONE HEAD

Senior Member
What is the effect of using a flashlight walking to your stand on deer? Will it spook them? How about a red or green lense?

YES it will any color....but I would still use a small led light to let the other hunters know I am not a deer.
 

dave21182

Member
Otherwise look into leasing a small tract of land near you. You can often find 40-50 acres for under $500 a year.

What's a good way to go about finding, and asking to lease hunting land?
 

j the g

Senior Member
We all take precautions not to leave human scent in the woods but it still happens. How long does it take before normal human scent goes away?
 

sparta391

Senior Member
quick fix

what are some good ways to boost habitat and carrying capacity? I hunt on my great grandpa's land and can't quite convince him to select or clearcut but I'm working on it. I hoed and raked foodplots in his woods... clover's toast. Open to suggestions!

thanks
 

kathy1959

Senior Member
My 1st year hunting, I dont know anything about which way the wind is blowing and hunting accordingly, I dont know what kind or if I should use scent control, I have a rattle bag & a doe bleat call do I need a grunt call & if so what is the easiest to use? I have been looking at Flextone Buck Crusher a 3in1 call my stand is about 15 to 20 feet up and overlooking a nice food plot and suggestions for me or a good book or internet site to get some initial pointers. Thanks in advance
 

stick_slinger

Senior Member
Well I come home from Afganistan soon.. And am gonna be able to take leave soon after i get back.. I wanna get on some deer badly, will be hunting with my Hoyt Alphamax, still chasing my first bow kill, seen about 6 or 7 last season but only got 2 days, stayed outta range.... Well i get leave at the perfect time, November.. My question is, since scouting will be short.. What should i look for, i went off tracks the i found on my first scouting session last season... But what should i go off for November, i have 30 days...
Fresh tracks, natural foods, crop fields,etc.

Thanks in advance..
 

joel352

Member
question on hunting land

I recently got some new property to hck in the woods there's some old loging trails and I recently found a there's a river that runs through it in tips on where I should put my stand
 

JBH

Member
Questions from a newbie

Thanks for starting this. I'm so excited I can't wait.
1st question- I'm still checking out places to hang my stand in the woods where I'll be hunting. When is the drop dead don't go back into the woods before opening day or risk spooking them?
2nd question-where I'm looking there is no way to sneak in. It's not off a trail and is through crunchy leaves. The spot I'm looking at is a clear major intersection with MANY tracks down in a heavy cover bedding area that funnels them from a food source. Since i'm going to be making so much noise I don't know if I should be going morning or evening. I was thinking they would be feeding before bedding down in the early am and I should go then. Any advise?
thanks so much for all that reply.
 

nickel back

Senior Member
Thanks for starting this. I'm so excited I can't wait.
1st question- I'm still checking out places to hang my stand in the woods where I'll be hunting. When is the drop dead don't go back into the woods before opening day or risk spooking them?
2nd question-where I'm looking there is no way to sneak in. It's not off a trail and is through crunchy leaves. The spot I'm looking at is a clear major intersection with MANY tracks down in a heavy cover bedding area that funnels them from a food source. Since i'm going to be making so much noise I don't know if I should be going morning or evening. I was thinking they would be feeding before bedding down in the early am and I should go then. Any advise?
thanks so much for all that reply.

need to back away as far as you can from that area but still be able to see it,make you a good trial now(to your stand) and walk it down picking up all sticks and clearing any limbs.

if it is a good major intersection I would not hunt it to much,maybe a few times to just get an idea of the area until the rut starts to come in then hunt it hard and all day,them bucks know major intersection and will check them often during the rut......just my .02

good luck and stay safe
 

Jeff Phillips

Senior Member
When does the rut start in Ga?

It varies across the state, even across some counties, depending on where the deer restocked into that area came from. We have deer from Texas, Wisconsin, Michigan, Virginia, North Carolina, etc., as well as coastal island Georgia deer.

Whitetails are rutting in Georgia from mid October until mid January.

Check the GON Rut Map that they publish every year for your location.
 
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