Deer Hunting Tips On Hunting Your First Deer

Introduction

For many American men and women who have caught the addiction, there is probably no other sport that is as exciting and as rewarding as deer hunting. For some, the sport has been handed down from many generations. For some, the interest comes from the love of deer meat, venison. They may have tried an authentic venison dinner or they may have been encouraged by some deer hunter friends. The enthusiasm for the sport is definitely contagious and you would probably get addicted to once you experience its thrills.

Presented in this article are some deer hunting tips that a would-be deer hunter will find useful. The article covers most of the basics in deer hunting, what a beginner hunter should know as he engages in this sport. As you become more experienced, you would probably learn a few tips based on your own and other fellow hunters' experiences.

The Rewards of Deer Hunting

The deer meat, venison, is a very delicious, flavorful, healthy, and low-fat meat. While getting the meat was the main reason people hunt for deer in the old days, nowadays, having a sumptuous venison meal is just one of the many unique rewards of downing a deer. Deer are very elusive and to most hunters, outwitting and outsmarting these animals is the main challenge of the game. Particularly if a hunter has been scouting a buck for years, the sight of its antlers and head on his wall would be another motivation

As a beginner deer-hunter, though, you should not be disappointed if you do not get these rewards during your first season. Even expert deer-hunters do not get tasty venison or a deer head and antler for display on a wall every hunting season. You should, instead, enjoy the experience and focus on honing your hunter skills. The thrill of the chase should be reward enough for all your efforts.

Deer Hunting Tips: Finding A Place to Hunt Deer

One of the first you will probably ask is where you will find a deer. If you live in the country or near woodlands, this is probably easy for you. If you live in the city, you may have to do a bit of research first to find out which hunting place will work best for you. You can check out magazines, clubs, or ask hunter or country friends if they can suggest any good places for you. There are private as well as public hunting places across the United States. You need to have a hunting license. If you are hunting on private property, you need to have a written permit from the property owner.

If you have narrowed down your choices to a few places that appeal to you, you will have to make a trip to check whether the place has good potential for hunting deer. Venture into the woods and look for signs that some bucks and does are present in the area. Look for deer trails, droppings, rubs and scrapes. If you see many of these in the woods, these are tell-tale signs that a significant population of deer is in the area.

Once you have chosen your hunting place, you should do some deer scouting. Do not wait for the hunting season to do this. Some deer hunting tips from experienced hunters say that you should scout for deer throughout the year. It is better that you familiarize yourself with the area and make your preparations for the hunt before it begins.

Choosing Your Hunting Weapon

Before you go out hunting, you should choose your hunting weapon carefully and be comfortable using it. If you are a real novice at handling weapons, practice may postpone your hunting for another season or two. It is better to bear a little delay than be a danger to other hunters and the animals.

Some things to consider when choosing a weapon are accuracy and safety, although a lot of it really depends on your preference. You can choose a rifle which should be at least .243 in caliber. Shooting range for rifles is between 100 to 150 yards, or less for women. Unless you are an expert or have done it before many times successfully, you should not attempt to shoot beyond your weapon's ideal range. Some hunters also choose a black powder weapon which should be at least .45 caliber. Powder guns can shoot at a range of 60 to 80 yards. If you prefer a shotgun, this should be a rifled barrel and modem 12 gauge ‘sabot' type slugs shot gun. You could shoot a shotgun up to a 60-yard range.

Still yet for some hunters, the best weapon is a bow and arrow which can shoot up to 30 yards. Whatever you do choose, be sure that you become really familiar with your weapon. Make good use of its features and strengths. If you need to buy accessories that will make your shot more accurate and your hunt more enjoyable, then you should do so. You should be comfortable using your weapon at all angles and directions. Master shooting from every position: standing up, sitting down, one leg propped up, leaning forward. Also practice shooting not just straight on, but upward and downward. You do not know how a deer will come to your line of sight during the actual hunt. Try to simulate situations you might encounter when you are out there in the woods.

The Hunt

Once you have mastered your weapon, done your scouting and decided where to place your hunting stand and cleared it out, you can just wait as the hunting season begins. You may want to visit your hunting stand from time to time, to see whether you should clear out some new growth or branches.

On the day of the hunt, make sure that you get to your stand post early. Wear your blaze orange vest as a safety measure for other hunters to spot you as another hunter and not mistake you for a deer. You may want to wear some camouflage for your clothing and your scent so the deer will not recognize you, be distracted and run away. Hiding your scent is important. The deer's senses are very keen and even if they don't spot you, they may be able to smell your presence. Be sure to make yourself and your clothing clean and free of human scent when you head out into the woods. There are some products that can cover your scent. Otherwise use baking soda to wash yourself and your clothing to neutralize any odors that might be there. Also avoid smelly food for breakfast and gasoline stations in the morning of your hunt.

When you get there, be prepared for a long wait and this will be a long one, for sure. While waiting, try to keep still. Try not to make sudden movements and noises. When a deer does come and you want to go for it, you should be careful at aiming your shot. You should not rush your shot and wait until you get a clear view and aim at the heart or lung area. If you think you are not in a good position and will only injure the deer and not kill it, then think twice about pulling that trigger or releasing the arrow. Remember that when you shoot, the intention is to kill. You would not want just to wound the animal for it may just run away wounded and that will spell trouble for you. It is best if the animal drops immediately after you shoot or even if it able to run away, your shot is good enough that it weakens and drops after a few yards. If you've wounded a deer and it runs further away, you have to track it down and make sure that it is killed.

Field Dressing a Deer

Deer meat, venison, is such a wonderful meat and can be very tasty and flavorful. Field dressing a deer in the woods is recommended to retain its flavor. You need to remove the innards and allow the deer's body to cool down so that its meat does not spoil.

First of all, you should know if local laws require you to tag the animal. You should tag the animal immediately after killing it. You will want to seal off the anus by cutting around it pulling out a portion of it and tie it up with a string. This is to prevent the feces from escaping and tainting the meat. You then remove the testicles careful not to pierce through the bladder or the intestines. You should use a sharp, thin-bladed knife and wear rubber gloves,

You then cut through its stomach from a few inches from the rectum to the ribcage. The cut should just be enough to pierce through the hide and a thin layer of muscles but be careful not to pierce the guts or the bladder. Use your fee hand and fingers to guide through the knife and to push the entrails and other organs back if they start bulging out of the body.

Once you've made this cut, the organs should be relatively free and easy to remove. You may have to cut some ligaments and body tissue to free them up. Be careful in removing the bladder and do not allow urine to spill on the meat. Have some water or clean cloth ready to clean up if it does spill. Cut off the ligaments holding the entrails to the abdominal walls and remove them along with the rectum.

Separate the liver, the kidneys, and the heart if you would like to enjoy them later. Let them cool by placing them in a cloth or plastic bag. After you've cleaned the body cavity, making sure all its contents are removed as quickly as possible, you can then roll the deer's body and allow excess blood to flow and drip out.

Returning to Civilization

When toting your game back to civilization, be sure to cover its head with a blaze orange cloth so it will not be mistaken for game by another hunter. Then haul it into your truck covering it with a thick black cloth. This helps to keep the meat cool and clean and also not to expose the antlers to other hunters who might mistakenly think it is a live deer and shoot at it.

Report your kill to the authorities as required by law. Then you can take it to a butcher, return home, refresh yourself and look forward to a beautiful venison dinner with your family and friends.

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