First time hunter trying to learn

[C.Killmaster]

One thing that is a must have and sometimes even more than a bow or gun is a thermacell with extra refills

I ditched my thermacell a few years ago for a much cheaper option. Pic mosquito coils use allethrin, same as the thermacell, and the holder in the bottom link makes them really portable.

https://www.amazon.com/PIC-Mosquito...ls&qid=1587821327&sprefix=pic+,aps,233&sr=8-4

https://www.amazon.com/Coghlans-868...ds=mosquito+coil+holder&qid=1587821442&sr=8-7

 

[godogs57]

Thanks for the great feedback, I'll go for a small daypack and I do have to get the orange hat and vest. I haven't shot this particular rifle yet as the only nearby 100 yard range is closed for repairs but I have a lot of experience shooting pistols and rifles. I know patience is going to be the name of the game and I always prioritize safety above all else when firearms are involved. Sadly though I live in southern GA so not a lot of hill hunting to be had, but once I get better at it I'd lovely to take some trips up north

Whereabouts in S GA?

 

[ldavid008]

I'm not going to add anything to previous posts, but my biggest advice to equipment is to keep it to a bare minimum. Most stuff we carry is not needed though they can be nice to have on occasion.

Another bit of advice is don't get hung up on getting everything in camo. Your headlamp/flashlight and knife among other items will never be out of you pack unless you're using them and at that point you don't have to worry about them being 'seen'. Plus the first time you drop or set down one of these items you'll greatly appreciate them more if they're not camo and easier to find.

 

[delacroix]

I'd focus on small game on public. You will have more fun. About the time you get bored with that you will have a real good idea of how to kill a deer.

Gear you'd take is the same as going for a hike except you want less in case you have to haul it out plus deer. I carry as little as possible.

You want a lightweight climbing stand to hunt deer on public.

A guided deer trip is money well spent.

 

[bass4fun]

South GA...might want to add snake boots. Hunting is about learning the animal. This is more important than gadgets and gear. Where are the bedding areas, what are they eating, etc. Let hunting be the experience, take in the sights, sounds, and serenity of each day. You will learn new things every trip.
One piece of advice. Stay calm, take your time...if you don't have the shot...let em' go.
Good luck! Happy eating!

 

[theoldguy]

A ton of good suggestions from a lot of experienced hunters. The only thing I haven't seen, and would suggest, is always wear gloves of some sort to keep from leaving scent on everything you touch. I read this somewhere years ago and have always practiced it. Can't swear that it works, but it can't hurt, as long as you don't use them for anything else.
If it's not cold, I wear a pair of thin cotton camo gloves. I generally remove them when I get in the stand to better handle my gun or bow.
If you're hunting in south GA I would highly recommend getting the snake boots as others have suggested. Those rattlers get mighty big down there.

 

[nickel back]

This season will be my first time hunting and I'm trying to start getting gear together so I can spread it out and look for deals. Mostly gonna do day/weekend trips to wmas in the area if I have a place to crash nearby. I do have someone that will hopefully be able to show me the ropes and has a blind and stand. I just bought a mossberg patriot I got on sale. I was thinking if I should get a day pack or if y'all think a camelbak with a pouch to put some first aid stuff, water, and a razor knife with a pocketed vest would be fine

one thing that took me a while to figure out (cause I was self taught) is to keep it simple

 

[westcobbdog]

one thing that took me a while to figure out (cause I was self taught) is to keep it simple

and hunt the wind.

 

[ChidJ]

I'll drop a few things in here. Take em or leave em. My must have gear list is as follows:

Gun (make sure its zero'd with the ammo you intend to use. don't just get it "good enough". Really dial it in. It'd suck to have your first big buck show up and you whiff it because you didn't prep the gun)

Water (it gets hot)

Toilet Paper (sometimes the leaves won't do. also you can use it to mark blood trails)

550 cord (use it to pull the deer out or haul your gun up from the ground to your tree stand)

A good sharp blade

A headlamp (always. you may not think you'll be out at dark... until you have to track something deep into the woods and you find him at 8pm and theres no moon and its overcast and you've got a mile to the truck)

I bought a ton of other stuff this past year trying to up my game but really, the bottom line was to just get out and hunt. No particular gear item really made a huge difference as far as getting bigger bucks or more bucks or whatever. I will say that all my kills last year were from a tree stand (as opposed to on the ground) so that might be a gear item to consider but you said your buddy has one so don't spend it if you don't have to.

Also, a lot of the best tools are free. Read the forum, watch youtube, study the data provided by the GA DNR for your target area, go over the maps (topo is important) and go hunt. Another hunt under your belt will do more for your success than some spray, call, jacket, or phone app, IMO

 

[Buckstop]

Lots of great advice on this thread. Only thing I can add is I’d invest in a pair of shooting sticks for ground sits. And figure out a rest for your treestand hunts, whether against the tree, or a rail or the shooting sticks. Freehand shots are a last resort.

And make yourself wait at least 30 to 45 min before going looking after you shoot. Give it a couple hours at least if you think its gut shot. If he’s dead he’ll still be right there. If still alive and you jump them up, they can go a long way’s without much or any blood to track. That will save you a lot of frustration, lost deer and what if’s.

Good luck!

 

[shdw633]

Thermacell and Snake Boots are MUST HAVES. You can save you some money on the Thermacell products and though I like C Killmasters post and even went ahead and bought the $5 container, I will be using that more as a backup to my Thermacell as I don't like the idea of having to carry around a lighter everytime I go to the woods. That being said you can get the refillable portions of the Thermacell for a lot less than Thermacell charges by learning to refill your butane cannisters, lots of videos on You Tube to show you how and it does work great and also buying mats through Ebay. I save a lot of money using these with my Thermacell and have even broken up the coils like C.Killmaster buys and setting the pieces in the grid to get them to fire up and it's worked. Here is a link to that mats:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/120-PCS-MO...522322&hash=item288fc23019:g:sbsAAOSwUdZeX-fe

Don't forget the snake boots because it can be a beautiful thing to walk up on a rattlesnake and experience a moment with them knowing you are safely in a pair of those boots, but it can be an absolutely, gut wrenching experience to walk up on one and NOT have them on.

 

[swamp hunter]

Some of Ya'll sund like your D Boone fixing to cross the Continental Divide..
Simple , Simple , Simple.
How far is your Truck from your Stand..? do you really need a Life straw and a Spark Flint..?
Flares , Signaling Mirror , Space Blanket..

 

[juanlien]

You need a weapon, learn to shoot it , you need a knife, a sharp one, and the ability to learn.

Read, all you can about your quarry, you will not become a predator overnight.

This is my advice, always keep the wind in your face, both hunting and the approach to your stand.

Hunt a hill in the morning, hunt a bottom in the evening. You will need a climbing stand for the morning, and cushion in the evening.

It's about detecting movement. Your quarry is always looking for you, and it is movement they will detect.

Their nose will win, everytime.

good luck

nice advice

 

[bany]

Pick thru all this great advice and apply it to your needs.
you need hunter education. You need orange and a gun or bow. You need to be safe and able so you return with or without quarry. pack It out,pack it in.
knife,water,drag device. Most other stuff is a luxury.
Or get a big pack and take everything you can think of. You’ll learn something everytime you go if you survive!

 

[shdw633]

Biggest tip I can give you......you are not the only one out in the woods....ever!!! Always be aware of that as you are walking through them, even if you are the only one in the woods.

 

[Whit90]

The MOST important thing to know when it comes to hunting, especially public land, is that you are not the only one out there. KNOW YOUR TARGET. Your goal is one shot one clean kill. That means you take the time to identify you target, before you put cross hairs on it, and you wait for a clear shot. If you do not have a clear shot, you do not shoot.

There have been way too many hunting accidents over the last few years that were the result of someone being completely irresponsible and shooting at a target that they did not identify, and ended up injuring or taking the life of another hunter.

Safety comes first.

Good luck.

 

[godogs57]

Some of Ya'll sund like your D Boone fixing to cross the Continental Divide..
Simple , Simple , Simple.
How far is your Truck from your Stand..? do you really need a Life straw and a Spark Flint..?
Flares , Signaling Mirror , Space Blanket..

love this post. Reminded me of the time I took a guy hunting near my house. Dropped him off at the stand he’d be hunting and he pulled up a pack loaded down with two full rolls of toilet paper. I asked him what in the devil he needed with two rolls. He said ”In case I gotta go”. “Man you are about 150 yards from the house...you ain’t (dumping) in front of my deer stand. If you gotta go, walk back to the house!” Two rolls for a morning hunt. Good Lord.

 

[elfiii]

As far as gear goes - "Less is more". Take only what you need and that's a short list. You'll figure it out the more times you go to the woods.

Other than that, go to the woods and scout, scout, scout. The more you scout the more you see. The more you see the more you learn.

 

[Mr Bya Lungshot]

Biggest tip I can give you......you are not the only one out in the woods....ever!!! Always be aware of that as you are walking through them, even if you are the only one in the woods.

Biggest tip I can give you is try to take a lighter everytime.
Reason is if you just happen to break your leg and happen to be stranded overnight and it just happens to be below freezing you probably gonna be alot more alive if you had a lighter with you.

 

[shdw633]

I ditched my thermacell a few years ago for a much cheaper option. Pic mosquito coils use allethrin, same as the thermacell, and the holder in the bottom link makes them really portable.

https://www.amazon.com/PIC-Mosquito-Repellent-Coils-Packs/dp/B00K5TTZHU/ref=sr_1_4?crid=1XNJS7QZVVGHJ&dchild=1&keywords=pic+mosquito+repellent+coils&qid=1587821327&sprefix=pic+,aps,233&sr=8-4

https://www.amazon.com/Coghlans-868...ds=mosquito+coil+holder&qid=1587821442&sr=8-7

I got one of these and I am wondering how you keep the coils lit. The coils kept going out when I put the lid on? Is there a trick to it I am not seeing or does the screening have to be burned down before the coils will stay lit? The way it's working now I would never take it to the woods as I would be relighting the coils every 5 minutes it would seem. What am I missing here Mr Killmaster?