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New deer hunter

SCOUT5
I previously posted about getting my niece's husband started deer hunting. They live in Columbus Ohio as he is finishing a masters degree in food sciences and intends to pursue a PHD in the same field. Anyway he's a good kid and wanted to start hunting. I offered to help get him going.

I live in Indiana and it just didn't work out for us to be able to hunt in Ohio. So I told him to come down here for late doe season and I would buy him an out of state tag and get him in the woods. He came down this past Thursday. After getting his tag and picking out one of my rifles to hunt with I took him to the farm he would be hunting, showed him the stand and the route in. I helped him get geared up, loaned him a set of binoculars and and a few other things, fed him breakfast in the morning and got him to the woods.

He sat in the stand Friday and Saturday from before daylight until dark. Friday it rained all day, even with temperatures in the 50's he had to have a long day of it and he came out soaked and cold. Saturday it was cooler, starting off about 40 degrees and dropping to 32 about dark, in the mean time the wind blew off and on and it threw light snow and rain at him throughout the day. I'll say this for him, he put in the time and didn't makes excuses. It was a good learning experience for him. Unfortunately he did not kill a deer. He seen a few does but what he seen most, and could have shot, was bucks. He didn't get a clear shot at a doe so he didn't shoot, he's patient and that's good. I found it ironic that on the kid's first hunt he had good shooting opportunities on 4 different bucks and all he had in his pocket was a doe tag.

He's looking forward to coming down for opening day next season. I hope we can get that done, I'd like to see him connect and put some venison in the freezer. He's a thoughtful analytical fellow, and he has determination and patience, I think he'll be fine and I'm glad to put the effort into helping him get started.
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Comments

12 comments

Date Votes
  • RobOz
    Great job on helping him get started. We need more recruitment being our numbers are down.
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  • select-fire
    Once he gets a deer it is all over. Hooked for life.. Having patience he will succeed. Too many hunters expect to kill a deer every time they go .
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  • Sam06
    Good job and he sounds like he has the patience for it.

    I have found when teaching a new hunter not many know where to shoot a deer. I get those anatomically correct deer targets and show them where to shoot and then let them shoot at one.

    I like these:

    AnatomCorrectTargets564.jpg
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  • SCOUT5
    The targets are a good idea Sam.

    My BIL, (this boy's FIL), was a small arms and explosives instructor in the Army, among other jobs. My BIL told me the kid is a good shot, I took his word on that. Distance between us being an issue I didn't have a chance to get him to a range. I know he has shot distance with center fire rifles with my BIL. Before he came I told him to look up proper shot placement, read some articles and watch some instructional videos. Then we talked about only taking boiler room shots and not head, neck or ass shots. I went over some diagrams with him and had him tell me where to shoot rather than me tell him. Even though he is 26 you still have to go over stuff with a new hunter.

    We all know being a good shot at the range doesn't mean you'll have calm nerves when it's time to shoot a critter. The only things that helps with that is experience.

    I told him. If you want to hunt what makes more difference than anything is to put your boots on and go. Stay safe, hunt hard, and you'll learn.
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  • drobs
    I'd tell him come in for lunch and then head out again at 330pm to 4pm.
    I see the most deer at around 4pm to dusk.

    Went out yesterday afternoon around 3pm, sat for a couple hours and didn't see anything. Hiked back to my house through my side field and scared up 3 Does. They were running so I didn't shoot.

    One of my nephews made a good point about deer hunting. Bring your phone along to either play games or read the internet (silently). I finally got a phone that works for that and found it helped pass the time.
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  • charliemeyer007
    Good job. After he catches one does he know what to do next and have the stuff.

    Years back I made up some 2 gallon zip lock bags kits for friends. Pack of Kleenex, nitrile gloves, pencil, bic lighter, 4 game bags, film can of black pepper for fly control, a couple of paper plates, large leaf trash sack - emergency poncho, 2 one gallon ziplocks - heart, liver, 3 thirteen gallon kitchen trash bags, hide & back straps and trash, a few good band-aides, a roll of flagging for marking a trail, cheap whistle.

    There are some good vids for field processing of the critter. Sharp knife and a stone or steel. I like those "gut hooks" to zip them open.
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  • SCOUT5
    Good job. After he catches one does he know what to do next and have the stuff.

    Years back I made up some 2 gallon zip lock bags kits for friends. Pack of Kleenex, nitrile gloves, pencil, bic lighter, 4 game bags, film can of black pepper for fly control, a couple of paper plates, large leaf trash sack - emergency poncho, 2 one gallon ziplocks - heart, liver, 3 thirteen gallon kitchen trash bags, hide & back straps and trash, a few good band-aides, a roll of flagging for marking a trail, cheap whistle.

    There are some good vids for field processing of the critter. Sharp knife and a stone or steel. I like those "gut hooks" to zip them open.

    I gave him a Browning 3 bladed deer knife and some rubber gloves. I use one of the knives myself and it's the gnat's ass for field dressing a deer. A good poncho was needed the first day, he used one of mine. I was not far away if he shot something so yes he would have known what to do, call me and I would coach while he gutted etc. He was smart enough to show up with a back pack and a little gear which included trail mix and a water bottle. I loaned him a harness and he wore it.
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  • charliemeyer007
    I was gifted that 3 bladed Browning by my deceased BIL, it does work. I do like the zipper hook better for most operations.
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  • SCOUT5
    I was gifted that 3 bladed Browning by my deceased BIL, it does work. I do like the zipper hook better for most operations.

    This is the model I gave him. It has the double gutting blade, a blunt tip side and a hook side.

    https://www.gunbroker.com/item/849315185
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  • charliemeyer007
    Mine has blade with a round thick dull point so it doesn't dig in - I use it between two fingers and cut outward. No saw, only 2 regular type other blades.

    Yes the zipper hooks work great.
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  • susie
    Did similar with my son-in-law who had aspirations to be a duck hunter. He's a buck hunter now. Lol. Already has two mounted on his wall. One from Missouri from his second season hunting up here. First season he saw a few does and let them walk. Engineer by trade so very thorough in prep. Has gone all in to the chagrin of my daughter. Has stands, a hunting lease, a four wheeler and an array of warm to freezing temps hunting gear.

    He has already laid out plans for getting 3 year old grandson into hunting mode. Daughter complains she married someone just like her mom. Son-in-law grew up fishing and not hunting.
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  • SCOUT5
    Susie, we have to share what we know or there won't be anyone left to carry on.
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