Anyone deer hunting yet??

Monroe312

Monroe312

PR Founding Father
Before I even get started let me state that I am entirely new to this shooting pointy sticks sport..
I picked up a Mathews Switchback XT back in the spring, been shooting the bag target a lot. 20 yrds spot on, (even got a robin hood..pissed me off i ruined my arrow) 30 yrds still confident on kill shot. When i get to 40 yrds things get a little Iffy.. I high jacked my buddys foam deer to shoot at and im getting pretty Amped. I picked up an XOP climber stand and ive been shooting from tree in backyard, the only part that sucks is theres no easy way to get my arrows back. I have to put an aluminum ladder on tree next to me and jump over, climb down and back up.... Whats your average distance on a common shot?? Will I be good at 20-30 or should i keep working on shooting a little farther??
 
My adage : I don't want to see how far I can shoot and still hit a deer , I want to see how close I can get and not miss ( still can though ) .

I try to set up for a 15 to 20 yd. shot . You actually can get too close IMO , which makes it easier for deer to detect you and the shot angle gets pretty steep .

Don't know if you have gun hunted deer before but bow hunting intensifies all aspects of the game and it's all in the minute details . My advice is to concentrate on the hunting part . Just watch some deer at close range first and tell yourself you aren't going to try a shot . This helps calm nerves and aids in learning the animals' habits and demeanor . Maybe just try moving a bit or even drawing the bow without shooting . That is where you get picked off most of the time . Learn when to draw and how long you can hold at full draw and pull off an accurate shot.

My top 5 things to concentrate on:

1) Scent control . Keep your body , clothes , and equipment as scent free as possible . Lots of products available to help achieve this . Nothing is more important IMO . I actually get dressed in my hunting clothes after I get out of the truck ( no matter the weather ) and carry much of my clothes to the stand so I don't get sweated up .

2) Play the wind . Get up in a tree (15 feet + for me ) , stay on the downwind side of where you expect the deer to be , find a way to get to your stand without your scent blowing toward where the deer are .

3) Make sure all your gear is quiet . Some clothing rustles or " whistles " when brushing against things , loose treestand parts can creek or pop when you move , bows can be noisy when drawing or shooting ( I will take a quieter bow over a faster one any day ) .

4) Learn what it takes to be comfortable . Can't be fidgeting around because you are too cold/hot , bugs are eating you , you are soaking wet , or your stand seat makes your legs cramp or a$$ ache . You'll be out here for hours .

5) Be safe . Always wear a safety belt or harness in the tree . Never climb while carrying gear . Concentrate on climbing up and getting belted in before hauling your gear up on a rope . I fell once when a tree step ( I won't use them anymore ) broke in extremely cold weather . Fortunately I had learned to always have three points of contact while climbing and caught myself with my arms before dropping very far ( broken stub of the step ripped open my clothes and gave me a gash though ). You can even fall with a climbing stand so have your safety belt on and push it up the tree as you go . One in three hunters will fall from their treestand ( mostly when climbing or getting on/off of it ) .

There is definitely a learning curve to this game .

Oh , and make sure you practice with your broadheads as they can fly very different from a practice tip .
 
Good advise . 40 yards is iffy for me too.
Also..... it is very important to have a good angle to shoot. Deer seem to never cooperate and offer a broadside shot.
Whether walking to you or away from you the trajectory of your arrow and corresponding vital that will be hit are critical.
A well placed shot will assure harvesting your deer . Its a whole new ballgame tracking and recovering deer.
Good luck ......
 
thanks for the reply, lots of good information there.... Im soakin it all in, although im counting on beginers luck a bit also.
 
Got a good spot to hunt Marc? If not, hit me up and I can point you toward some pretty decent public land to hunt.

All of the above is excellent advice. It's alot like riding. You will come to find your own methods for each aspect of the hunt. I've killed alot of deer and only 1 was over 30 yards.

Make this your goal... be like Zach Kaiser. Lol
 
I just happened to stop here today since I realized I didnt post my yearly pitracer update in the deer thread, and I see meister is trying to lead people in the wrong direction by telling them to me like me.. ha


Marc, what kind of broadheads are you using? Seems trivial, but make sure your field points and broadheads are the same weight.

As for distance its best to play it safe and keep all shots under 30 yards, especially since you are new to the game.. Even people that arent new to the game can have problems when shooting over 30 yards, deer's reflexes to sound are incredible.

Most importantly, have fun. enjoy nature. sit in a tree and soak it up.


As for me, I killed my buck on Oct 9th. My little girl is finally getting to the age where she understands why we check trail cameras all the time, and whywe drive around looking for "big bucks." I think she was more excited than I was the night I shot him. Its amazing how kids change your perspective on life.

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Zach i'm using Montec C-5 carbon steel broad heads and yes they are 100 gr. and match my field tips, went to Kame's last night and got my license and tag... i'm ready to give it a go!!!
 
but do you have you're safety belt yet? that should be you're most important piece of gear!!!lol
 
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Shot this buck after 2 whole days of hunting. Cameras sure allow you to spend your time efficiently in the woods. That and my buddies say I have a horseshoe stuck up my ass! This buck was grunting so loud after a doe it was unbelievable. One grunt sounded like "LISTEN TO ME BITCH"!
A simple 30 yard shot, I aimed high in the shoulder to drop him in his tracks but missed and got both lungs instead...drats. He went another 30 yards stopped and slowly fell over. A total 4 hours in the stand and whammo. Everything was wrong...it was 70 degrees, North East wind, he came from opposite of where I expected...but he's down.
Zach was there in a flash to watch me butcher the field dressing and skin him out. Good friends are great when you have times to share like this.
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I finally got to go out Sunday afternoon, sat in a tree for 2 1/2 hrs and saw nothing. Heard a lot of turkeys, was amazed at how quiet and peaceful everything is out in the woods. Its funny its like the difference between practice and a race, I climb a tree in my back yard and shoot... all calm and good. Climb a tree in the woods and i'm shaky and nervous, Hopefully next time out i will be a little more relaxed. This morning i'm leaving the house at 4:45 to go to the gym and I see 6 doe within a block from my house?? (And yes I have a nice hunter safety systems harness) hopefully i get to go out again this weekend, appreciate all the helpful advise....
 
OK I'm finally getting out again. Working 1/2 a day tomorrow and heading to caldwel.
A lot of activity on trail cameras and I believe there is a cold spell in the forecast.....
 
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