way to get into hunting?
- Thread starter protegeV
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pleasant1911
Ultimate Member
- Apr 12, 2012
- 10,323
Expect to drive hour to/or hour and half to go hunting. Then you have to scout there, and drive there and forth. If you are willing to do it, you can go to north tract off of 295 and 198. Its only bows, and you have to take a test or something. Buts you have to pay on top of hunting license. I was looking into that....But if you are willing to do the drive, there are few places you can go to, from balitmore
HogCommander
Active Member
I think pleasant1911 is talking about the Patuxent Research Refuge. I hunted there this season for the first time. Plenty of deer but couple of points...they do have muzzle loader and shotgun seasons and they also have an antler restriction on bucks. Can't harvest bucks with less than 15" inside spread. Haven't hunted anywhere farther north than the Patuxent refuge so can't help with other places closer to Baltimore.
OP, sounds like you're now considering crossbows. I took two deer this year with a Barnett Jackal (my first deer with x-bow). Nothing fancy but it's budget friendly...greater than 300 fps (advertised) for under $300. Bought mine last year to quietly take out hogs in Texas in urban areas, then got orders to Maryland. Very glad I had it for first year of deer hunting in Maryland because of the 5 month season. This was only my 2nd season of deer hunting and the extra time in the woods taught me so much!
FWIW my crossbow strategy was to hunt from tree stand in open cover...picked spots inside treeline within 20-30 yds of game trail intersections. Hunting by myself, biggest fear was whether I could field dress and recover the deer alone (had helped field dress one the year before but never by myself). 1st solo deer I skinned in my garage and kept the quarters and backstraps but didn't gut it. 2nd solo deer I gutted it in the field and took it to a processor to recover more meat.
If you don't have an experienced hunter to show you how, I think you can still field dress one successfully. Suggest watching YouTube videos to see how others do it but in the end, the task is basically to remove all the internal organs. You'll find lots of input here on the forum on different techniques but I basically remove everything that's not muscle. Don't let fear of ruining the meat keep you from trying. If you make a mistake, chances are it's recoverable.
Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions...happy to help any way I can.
OP, sounds like you're now considering crossbows. I took two deer this year with a Barnett Jackal (my first deer with x-bow). Nothing fancy but it's budget friendly...greater than 300 fps (advertised) for under $300. Bought mine last year to quietly take out hogs in Texas in urban areas, then got orders to Maryland. Very glad I had it for first year of deer hunting in Maryland because of the 5 month season. This was only my 2nd season of deer hunting and the extra time in the woods taught me so much!
FWIW my crossbow strategy was to hunt from tree stand in open cover...picked spots inside treeline within 20-30 yds of game trail intersections. Hunting by myself, biggest fear was whether I could field dress and recover the deer alone (had helped field dress one the year before but never by myself). 1st solo deer I skinned in my garage and kept the quarters and backstraps but didn't gut it. 2nd solo deer I gutted it in the field and took it to a processor to recover more meat.
If you don't have an experienced hunter to show you how, I think you can still field dress one successfully. Suggest watching YouTube videos to see how others do it but in the end, the task is basically to remove all the internal organs. You'll find lots of input here on the forum on different techniques but I basically remove everything that's not muscle. Don't let fear of ruining the meat keep you from trying. If you make a mistake, chances are it's recoverable.
Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions...happy to help any way I can.
bilbravo
Active Member
I'll second the "buy a crossbow" movement. I plan to buy one for this fall. I had intended to go hunting with my rifle (ha) or my 12 gauge, but I couldn't find a place to go really. I could not get reservations on any of the CWMAs near me and I found it difficult to locate another place that allowed firearms. Nearly every place closeby (Liberty, Patuxent, etc) all allow crossbow use -- and for a much longer time.
I'd love to find another hunter to hook up with, because hunting my my father in WV and father-in-law in VA is getting expensive ($150+ a year for a non-resident license). At least a bagged a deer so I didn't feel like I totally blew all that money. (Plus I had a good time, obviously).
I'd love to find another hunter to hook up with, because hunting my my father in WV and father-in-law in VA is getting expensive ($150+ a year for a non-resident license). At least a bagged a deer so I didn't feel like I totally blew all that money. (Plus I had a good time, obviously).
bilbravo
Active Member
Where are you located? I know it's weird to just come right out and ask someone out -- but if you're looking for a hunting partner I'd be interested. Sounds like you may be hunting in the same areas I'm looking to go this year.
bilbravo
Active Member
I've never been hunting for water fowl, but would love it. I've been quail and pheasant hunting before, so it's not an entirely new concept to me (bird hunting, that is) -- but ducks and geese are what I'd love to hunt -- because they are both tasty. I have a 12 gauge though, not 20. I could probably be persuaded to pick up a new toy though.
Where do you hunt?
danb
dont be a dumbass
FIFY. The worst thing you can do gutting a deer, really, is puncture the stomach. I've done it. Everybody does it. As long as you rinse it soon the meat is fine. Humans invented garlic and splices for exactly this reason (actually, for even worse reasons like scavenging day-old roadkill). What happens in the field stays in the field.
HogCommander
Active Member
danb...I know funny...and that's funny!
Bilbravo...I live in Bowie and spent most of the season hunting places farther south like Spice Creek NRMA (pretty good ways south of Baltimore). Haven't decided yet if I'll hunt Patuxent again during 2014-15 season. PM me if interested and will help out any way I can.
Bilbravo...I live in Bowie and spent most of the season hunting places farther south like Spice Creek NRMA (pretty good ways south of Baltimore). Haven't decided yet if I'll hunt Patuxent again during 2014-15 season. PM me if interested and will help out any way I can.
wilcam47
Ultimate Member
gotcha. your persistence has convinced me. Sounds like a good way to go. Gonna start looking for one
Thats what Ive been trying to tell you...
See post #31. My son and I both finished the hunters safety course last week.
Where did you take your course, protégé?
I was just curious as Stoney Creek had their sessions the same week apparently and I was there for a couple of lectures and the Woods Walk. Thought we may have crossed paths
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