My first hunt tomorrow

G

GPossenti

New member
A bow-hunter buddy of mine agreed he'd dwell around us lowlanders and take me deer hunting with rifles tomorrow.

I have my license, camo, boots, Marlin 336, Hornady plastic tip .30-30, hunter's orange vest.

It'll be my first time deer hunting as the shooter and not observer. Is there anything I'm forgetting?

Oh. I almost forgot my digital camera to document the kill!
 
A partial roll of toilet paper, to use in case you get into some serious blood tracking. You flag a bush with 2 pieces every ten feet or so.
A flashlight in case you are hunting at sunset and have to recover a deer in the dark.
A knife for gutting, skinning, or maybe for administering the kill.
A piece of rope, ten feet long, 1/4 inch. Tie around the horns or neck. Wrap other end around a 2 inch stick. Invaluable for dragging deer from the woods.

That's all you need. I hope you have practiced a lot with that Marlin, and from a rest can hit a softball 5 times in a row at 100 yards.
The best single thing a rookie can do is get to be a good shot.
 
Don't forget to sign your tag before you go out. I can't count the people I know, or have heard of, who executed a perfect hunt but drew a technical foul because of an honest oversight. They don’t care how honest it is, it’s a gotcha for a fine.

And prepare for the worst. Pack a couple of survival items; a lighter, foil space blanket (good for signaling rescue too) a couple of tourniquets to build a splint or make a pressure dressing, canteen and some purification tabs. Huge plus if you're in an area with a cell signal. I've given serious thought to a satellite phone.

Navigation skill and aids are big. I'm an expert on this because I've been lost in almost every kind of situation... Stranded in the fog at nightfall off the Pacific Coast because my loran went out and the sea was so rough my radar only registered scatter - thank you for that rescue 'Coast Guard Group, Bodega!' I overshot a trail turn while bow hunting in the Yollo Bolly Wilderness and had to back track miles to find the switch in the dark, without a flashlight. (Even I knew I was a reckless idiot by then. And it gets cold, all I had was a T-shirt.) I got lost over Texas in an old taildragger because I misprinted a VOR channel - found an alternate landing purely by God's grace while flying on fumes. Lost in the Sierras, lost in Mendocino, even a little lost on a Missouri farm, although I was never at risk for more than a very long walk. GPS, I'm sayin'. :D And have some back up skills if that fails.

I guess my point is that I might screw up, but I know how to get myself out of it, even if it means knowing nothing more than a main road is roughly 15 miles away that runs north and south, and I’m *somewhere* west of it. 15 miles is a piece of cake compared to staying lost or being out overnight with jack squat.

The thing about hunting is, you sometimes start out from an unfamiliar place that you arrived at in the dark, and then you can get so focused on the hunt that you surprise yourself with how much distance you can cover while not paying attention. Bam! You're lost! And it sucks.

So… why do squirrels eat the bread you drop so you can find your way back? They're not hungry; they're out to kill you. They want you dead, man! ;)
 
I like using a Coleman lantern for tracking - better light to see blood spots, more reliable than stinking batteries. Remember one time we tracked a wounded deer through a frozen standing corn field on our hands and knees - lantern really helped. good luck!:o
 
Don't know all your state rules, so just remember the most important ones - rifles, any rifle, is a long range weapon...know where all other hunters are and what's behind your target before considering a shot. Bring a whistle if there's a chance you could be left somewhere or asked to meet somewhere and get lost...
 
I have tracked a dozen deer at night with a flashlight.
It works great! Little tiny drops of blood the size of a bb glow bright red under the flashlight and are very easy to see.
Batteries are quite reliable, if they are fresh.
If they are the same ones you used last year, you might be disappointed.

Which would you rather carry into the field in you little deer hunting pack, a flashlight or a Coleman lantern?
 
I'm never out in the field that far and a difficult track will exhaust your batteries, If you can just go back to your truck...
 
I have tracked a hog in the swamps for 90 minutes and the batteries didn't give out.

How long does a tank ful of Coleman fuel last?
 
That night we tracked for 21/2 hours through a creek,woods and a frozen standing cornfield. we had flashlights and rechargeable spotlights(no lantern). Spotlights went first, then the flashlights and our necks were ready to snap off. Lantern allows you to look up(wide cone of light) and contrasts blood well, also provides some heat. Brisket shot, never found the deer
 
heres what i carry on my person,whether or not you decide to take all of this is up to you.

plenty of ammunition, more than what the rifle or shotgun holds and 2 full reloads.
2 lengths of nylon paracord,1 about 15' and 1 about 50'.
1 carabiner, steel or aluminum.
1 deer drag.
2 flashlights,1 aa and 1 aaa. and 1 headlamp with a red/white combo. spare batteries for each.
2 compasses 1 in shirt pocket and 1 in trouser pocket.
2 whistles 1 in shirt pocket and 1 in trouser pocket.
1 pencil flare launcher with 5 red flares. a toughy to find.
snacks, mainly some halloween size candy bars,granola bars.
1 canteen of water.
2 sharp knives,1 folding and 1 fixed blade type.
1 2 way radio with spare batteries.
1 handheld gps, before the charger cord broke :mad:.
1 disposable poncho.
1 1/2 wool blanket. in the winter.

if i am out of state hunting,i'll have a backpack with a lunch and some more survival type goodies.

can't recall the amount of burn time in a liquid (regular gas) fuel lantern. but a propane lantern with a full bottle will last 10 hrs. on high.
 
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Wash yourself and all your clothes in unscented soap. You might even want some odor neutralizer (usually sold in a spray bottle) to spray down with after the ride to the hunting area or to spray your equipment. You need to be conscious of the wind but unscented soap and scent killer really help.

Don't be too upset if you don't get a shot at (or even see) a deer. Deer hunting can be simple and easy if:
You've done it so much that you can reliably find deer.
You've got a line on deer that are un-pressured and have been patterned.
You're a non-hunter who thinks it's just drinking beer and ambushing defenseless animals.

For everybody else, it's not easy. If it was, everyone would do it.
 
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