Advice for first hunt?

It may have been mentioned but, after pulling the trigger, mentally mark where the animal was standing when you did pull the trigger. For us, much of our hunting is in sagebrush which all looks the same. Pick out a rock, tree, bush..just something to mark where he was when hit. That gives you that point to start circling outward from once you give him time to bleed. Even using this method, I have had to retrace myself after having walked past a bull elk in the brush that I was looking for.
Even an elk can get pretty smallish when laying in 4ft brush.
elkman06
 
I totally agree with the GPS, get one NOW and start playing with it. They can be a life saver, plus they are fun. Mark you camp, mark your stand, mark water (if no snow). The woods look a lot differant at night but the GPS dosnt care if its dark or not.

If I'm not mistaken, its cold in Maine in Nov. So make sure you can make a fire, if lost or disorinated nothing calms a person down like a nice warm fire. You have snow, so water isnt a problem, a surplus army canten cup is all you need.

Don't get carried away with the survival kit BS, I use to hunt and travel a lot in Alaska. I carried instant oakmeal and instant coffee. When things look bleak, nothing revives you like a warm fire, oatmeal and cofffee. All you need to perk up and start enjoying the hunt again.

But you're hunting with a group so not to worry. Keep your feet dry and warm and you'll be a happy camper.

Get your rifle as early as possible and shoot the crap out of it, learn what it will do, and more important, WHAT IT WONT DO.

I could never understand the ideal of camo and orange, but you see it all the time.
 
I don't know what kind of phones you guys are using but the majority of current phones can access GPS satalites without cell service.

As far as the "head phones" comment, I don't wander around the woods blindly listening to music while hunting. However on the times i decide to camp out it is nice to have something to occupy some time.
 
A. Prepare to come back. If you are stand hunting, this is not quite the catch-all requirement as if you are going into backwoods Colorado or Wyoming. If you are going into the backcountry, take a USGS map, gps (spare batteries) and a compass. I had an eye-opener a few years ago when I got caught in a sudden snow storm just before dark. Couldn't see the sun or the mountains or any guide points. Then the sun went down. The map and GPS got me back fine. If I had dropped my GPS, I still would have gotten back to camp. Later that week, two local policemen wandered off into the woods they knew so well and almost got lost. No worries in this department lets you relax more and enjoy the experience.

B. You're a beginner, enjoy the experience. Being the rookie and getting to fill your tag is exciting, but you're going out into the woods with your buddies for cryin' out loud. Ask lots of questions; don't put any pressure on yourself. Beginner's luck is very real and takes care of itself.

Good luck~ ! Let us know how it turns out.
 
@kraigwy.....I have camo cloths for archery season. I also don't like to wear my good jeans out in the woods since my $20 camo cargo pants are comfortable. That is why I wear camo with orange when gun season comes in. No need to buy a bunch of extra cloths that you don't mind getting briers in or blood on.
 
but dont know anything about actual hunting and tracking.
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If you make a shot and the deer takes off out of view stay exactly where you are. You'll want to get up and go find your deer but do not leave your spot. Study the exact area the deer was in when you shot it. When you know where the spot was study it again. When you get up and walk towards where you think you shot the deer you'll find that it isn't as easy to find as you thought it was. That's why you need to study the spot and identify landmarks because if your deer did run a bit before dropping you'll want to find the blood trail starting where he was hit.

Additionally, if you hit your deer, giving it 10 or 30 minutes before you set out to find it will give it time to expire if it didn't drop right off.

The first deer I killed caused me a heartache like you wouldn't believe. I shot the buck, gave it 10 minutes and walked to the spot where I knew I hit him at. No blood. I searched and searched and convinced myself that somehow I must have missed him. My buddy showed up and we started a wider search area for blood and I finally found blood, hair and a part of a lung against a tree that was a good 7 yards away from where I swore I hit him. After picking up the blood trail he had ran about 100 feet and dropped in some brush. Very easy to track but since I didn't know where to start looking I might not have found him without my buddy telling me to widen my search.

After the shot, take your time, give the deer time and make sure you identify a landmark to walk to where you think you shot him at.
 
Another thing I teach the FAS students is to set the dial of their compass on the direction of the shot. (They all get an orienteering style compass here in MN upon finishing completeing FAS).
Its good compass practice and if hunting from a stand the direction of the shot may look very diferent when on the ground.
 
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