Deer Hunter Out of Retirement

[hunterridgefarm]

22 years ago I was in my hunting gear, steped outside at 4:30am, 15* temp, thought of the wife in the warm bed and said the H with this! I was 30 years old then and hunted since I was 12 or 13 years old; gun, muzzle, bow; everything in season. Seemed I always had projects, and still do and any time off during season wwas spent working around the house or farm... but I've decided it is time to start back. I let a friend hunt on my property last year and sat in his stand a couple of mornings and it was like the feaver was starting again. Plus the fact deer have eaten everything in a 3-4 acer field the last 3 years.. And I think this will be kinda like sitting on the tractor, de-stressing:thumbsup:

So when I last bow hunted it was with a 55lb recurve, and I "walked the string" instead of sights. Now we have combo's and CROSSBOWS with scopes:thumbsup:. So I went last week and purchases the Barnett Quad 400 with Rage broadheads for the arrows, 2 ladder stands and a game camera. Getting some goods ideas from the camera as to when deer are comming in the field and when it get close to acorns falling I will put it in with my white oaks to check times. I have put corn out and will make a couple of feeders this weekend.

I plan to put in some food plots well away from the produce field next spring and also plant some chufa for the turkey and deer.

The point of this thread is, you guys that deer hunt a lot, help a hunter get re-established. Tell me some of your tricks, baits, etc. :thumbsup:

Thanks,
David

 

[lakngulf]

Welcome back. But I will have to tell you that it is still hard to choose 15 degree temps over a warm bed. While I have maintained green fields, nourished saw tooth oak trees, planted chufa, and generally maintained a hunting area, in the past few years my time has been spent more on "other projects". I bow hunted from '92 to a couple of years ago and loved it. Never took the bow to the stand last year. Of course, breaking my leg in September had a little to do with that.

This year I plan to be back in the trees with bow in hand. Will look for those early white oak acorns and monitor the green fields. I do not have the latest and greatest bow but one I am confortable with. Now to bet out that target and practice, practice.

Good luck with your return.

 

[clemsonfor]

Not sure about your area but in more than half this state all baits are illegal. Lure scents and salt blocks do not apply nor does a planted food plot or agricultural practice, say a corn stand left to dry then bushhoged down is not baiting here.

I hunt white oaks or places where they come into my hardwoods from the thick overgrown clearcuts around me.

 

[foreman Etexas]

Welcome back!!! I know sometime on those cold winter morning sitting in the stand I have ask myself WHY:laughing: I see someone has talked you into the "RAGE" broadheads:laughing: alot of folks use them nothing wrong with just kidding(I use the bloodrunners). Everytime it gets close to season I just act like a kid at christmas(im 32). Me and the wife been together 4yrs and dont even have to say anything,she just knows"James is going to be in the stand every minute he can". Glad to see you get back into hunting...

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Yea, I still don't think I will do the 15* mornings, besides according to the camera I have a group of deer showing up between 11:00am and 12:00pm so I told my wife on real cold mornings I will hunt the 11:00am deer:thumbsup:

 

[Bartcephus]

Always something to do.... Right now, I have two feeders in the back of my truck. They need rebuilding after vermin and pests damaged them. Corn seems to be at an all time high around here. Over $10.00 for a 50# bag. Too dry to put in food plots. Ground is like concrete. It will be an interesting year. Oak Trees don't seem to have many acorns.

 

[ToadHill]

I gave it up many years ago as well. I came out of retirement several years ago when I found the deer were eating all the small sugar maples that sprouted every year and I was not getting any regrowth in my woods.

Since one of the better deer trails runs right behind my house about 75 yards from my back deck, It has become my deer stand. I sit out on the deck chairs and wait for the deer to come by. Saves a lot of time dragging as well.

 

[nybirdman]

NO crossbows allowed in NY(first year for use during rifle) and no baiting.
Best advise I could give is ....get a good safety harness and use it.I now carry a cell phone also.I use ladder and hang on stands,but I am purchasing only ladder stands and will phase out the hang-on.Up north the deer don't start moving until it gets cold out.15 degrees would be a balmy day.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

ISince one of the better deer trails runs right behind my house about 75 yards from my back deck, It has become my deer stand. I sit out on the deck chairs and wait for the deer to come by. Saves a lot of time dragging as well.

I have a good trail about 50 yards behind my house, Only problem is my deck is screened in. But I can sit and look out the window and watch for them then sneak out the front door!

 

[Western]

Welcome back to the "woods":thumbsup: I haven't bow hunted in 4-5 years, got tired of all the drama with smell, now just hang a rifle out a window!! (deer blind)

I know one this is , I would avoid all the "gimmicks" sold for deer hunting such as the bagged attractants. I have just as good of luck with granulated cattle mineral as I have with that "other cra$", cheaper too.

A good food plot with a corn feeder is hard to beat, especially if the food plot has better palatability (sp) or protein than competing crops around you. Down here in Texas it's hard to beat Oats, but generally we are competing with native vegetation. We also will mix some wheat, arrow-leaf clover or clay peas to the mix on occasion.

Range finders are invaluable too, don't realize it till you get one.