More Noob Hunter Questions

[Athelney878]

Hi everybody, I’ve been looking through other threads but still have some deer hunting questions I’m hoping you can help me with.

This will be my first year hunting deer. I took the hunter safety course, put in some extra range time with the rifle I’ll be using, bought a portable blind, scent control stuff, field dressing gloves, a deer pull, an orange hat and vest, orange squares for the blind, a bipod, camo clothes and backback, and scouted out the woods to find a few potential spots to set up. I already have a buck knife. I’ve been reading the Maryland regs and the safety course materials again, and watching videos on field dressing. I’m a member of BCC- IWLA and will be hunting on that property.

My questions:

1) When my dog and I scouted out the woods a few weeks ago, I ended up pulling several ticks off of him afterwards. Do you still use Deep Woods Off or other bug spray even with the scent control spray/detergent/deodorant?

2) I don’t have a truck, I just have an SUV. If I do harvest a deer, am I going to seriously stink up the SUV by putting it in there or is that no big deal? Will some plastic sheeting be enough to protect the vehicle?

3) I’ll be hunting with a lever gun. When do I chamber a round? At the beginning of the day or not until I see a deer I want to target?

4) How far away should I stay from other hunters for my own safety (and theirs)?

5) Do you bring your rifle with you when you track and field dress a deer you’ve shot, or lock it back up in the car?

6) BCC-IWLA prohibits leaving blinds up overnight, so I’ll need to set it up the day I hunt. Is it realistic to do so before dawn, maybe a half an our before, or will I scare all the deer away with my flashlight in the dark and the noise?

7) My blind says it has “shoot through” mesh, but is that a bad idea when using JSP straight walled ammo?

Thanks!

 

[outrider58]

Hi everybody, I’ve been looking through other threads but still have some deer hunting questions I’m hoping you can help me with.

This will be my first year hunting deer. I took the hunter safety course, put in some extra range time with the rifle I’ll be using, bought a portable blind, scent control stuff, field dressing gloves, a deer pull, an orange hat and vest, orange squares for the blind, a bipod, camo clothes and backback, and scouted out the woods to find a few potential spots to set up. I already have a buck knife. I’ve been reading the Maryland regs and the safety course materials again, and watching videos on field dressing. I’m a member of BCC- IWLA and will be hunting on that property.

My questions:

1) When my dog and I scouted out the woods a few weeks ago, I ended up pulling several ticks off of him afterwards. Do you still use Deep Woods Off or other bug spray even with the scent control spray/detergent/deodorant?
 No
2) I don’t have a truck, I just have an SUV. If I do harvest a deer, am I going to seriously stink up the SUV by putting it in there or is that no big deal? Will some plastic sheeting be enough to protect the vehicle?
Buy heavy duty commercial trash bags and a good tarp.
3) I’ll be hunting with a lever gun. When do I chamber a round? At the beginning of the day or not until I see a deer I want to target?
As first light breaks
4) How far away should I stay from other hunters for my own safety (and theirs)?
Preferably far enough away that you can't see any orange. That isn't always possible though.
5) Do you bring your rifle with you when you track and field dress a deer you’ve shot, or lock it back up in the car?
Always carry your hunting rifle while you're in the woods unless you are in after dark. If you are tracking after dark, unload you gun. If you are hunting on bublic land, do not leave you gun in your car for someone to steal.
6) BCC-IWLA prohibits leaving blinds up overnight, so I’ll need to set it up the day I hunt. Is it realistic to do so before dawn, maybe a half an our before, or will I scare all the deer away with my flashlight in the dark and the noise?
Do it before first light. You're better off not messing with a blind if you have to take it down every day. Instead, a portable chair or a log sit on would be less disruption in the woods.
7) My blind says it has “shoot through” mesh, but is that a bad idea when using JSP straight walled ammo?
Shoot through windows are made for bows, but nobody shoots through them. When shooting a firearm from a blind, it is best to have the muzzle of the gun outside the blind.

Hope that helps

 

[Pale Ryder]

^ Bravo. OP follow Outrider’s advice.

 

[Athelney878]

Awesome - thank you, Outrider!

 

[Cool_Moo5e]

Hi everybody, I’ve been looking through other threads but still have some deer hunting questions I’m hoping you can help me with.

This will be my first year hunting deer. I took the hunter safety course, put in some extra range time with the rifle I’ll be using, bought a portable blind, scent control stuff, field dressing gloves, a deer pull, an orange hat and vest, orange squares for the blind, a bipod, camo clothes and backback, and scouted out the woods to find a few potential spots to set up. I already have a buck knife. I’ve been reading the Maryland regs and the safety course materials again, and watching videos on field dressing. I’m a member of BCC- IWLA and will be hunting on that property.

My questions:

1) When my dog and I scouted out the woods a few weeks ago, I ended up pulling several ticks off of him afterwards. Do you still use Deep Woods Off or other bug spray even with the scent control spray/detergent/deodorant?

Nope

2) I don’t have a truck, I just have an SUV. If I do harvest a deer, am I going to seriously stink up the SUV by putting it in there or is that no big deal? Will some plastic sheeting be enough to protect the vehicle?

I use trash bags in the trunk of my Camry it's worked

3) I’ll be hunting with a lever gun. When do I chamber a round? At the beginning of the day or not until I see a deer I want to target?

Chamber it at the start to your day

4) How far away should I stay from other hunters for my own safety (and theirs)?

The further the better but it's not always possible

5) Do you bring your rifle with you when you track and field dress a deer you’ve shot, or lock it back up in the car?

Bring it with you, never know if you will need it again

6) BCC-IWLA prohibits leaving blinds up overnight, so I’ll need to set it up the day I hunt. Is it realistic to do so before dawn, maybe a half an our before, or will I scare all the deer away with my flashlight in the dark and the noise?

Go in before light and set it up, I've gone in a stand and bumped deer just to shoot one 10 min after shooting light

7) My blind says it has “shoot through” mesh, but is that a bad idea when using JSP straight walled ammo?

Thanks!

Just put your muzzle outside of the blind and it will be fine

 

[akalma]

On heavy duty commercial trash bags - try to find ones with no aroma, as it actully spoils meat.

 

[Melnic]

Back when I hunted on public land, I did scouting and figured out where I wanted to be set up.
I had 2-3 spots in case I felt there were more cars than I wanted to hunt around.
I had reflective tape/thumb tacks to mark the path off the main trail to the tree I wanted to set up the climber or where the ground blind would be. I put the tape/thumb tacks where I wanted. Now adays, you can get trail apps and make marks but I like the reflective tape. I used thumb tacks at the beginning cause they were less conspicuous.
For my SUV, I had one of those hitch mounted carriers from Harbor Freight. All Aluminum and I put bungies on them to hold the deer down. I never cared about onlookers so I did not put a tarp over the deer.
I have not hunted for 2 years, but the last year I hunted, dad gave me a portable ozone generator and man that thing worked like a charm.
If in a blind, I wore all black which was the backdrop inside the blind. I blended with the inside of the blind and not the outside of the blind. Black hat, black jacket, black gloves and black balaclava. Sunglasses till sundown.
In a climbing stand or on a chair, cammo everything and yellow shooting glasses to mask my eyes. I shot 2 deer just sitting on a folding chair one year picking my time to raise the crossbow.
Outside of my first year on public land where I used a ground blind, I used a climber. See more up there and you don't need to get all that high up really (Flat land out on eastern shore)

Good luck and if life is fair, you won't get a deer until your 5th or more trip
I always felt that even when I did not shoot a deer, I learned something every trip. (mostly what NOT to do)

If in a blind with Rifle, I always had a shooting stick.

 

[possumman]

Hitch rack with a couple pf cinch straps on the back keeps bloody deer out of your suv--although I brought a few home in the trunk of my Volvo years ago.

 

[delaware_export]

I don’t load until I am comfortable. dont climb loaded (in any context of the term loaded) walking In/out ok, but careful crossing fences, climbing etc. recommend unload

I started hunting with a mercury lynx. Ford escort … A tarp down and maybe something to absorb blood that may leak. Last hunt in rented suv , the buck leaked loads of blood. The spare tire cover was pumping out blood when sprayed down… seemed like 10+ minutes. It all cleaned up well, no smell. but try to avoid the urine or poop.

Be careful on public land . On open access areas, like many wma’s Someone else there doesn’t mean stay away! But you should always be careful. I recommend a couple hundred yards spacing. Don’t crowd folks! Last wma hunt I did in Maryland, two of us hunted a field, it was about 400-500y across. We were on opposite sides. A little into the edge.

(Some places have assigned stands and areas. Not sure about bcc. some Delaware state and federal places had assigned stands. )


Your choice in tick spray. Spray pant legs and boots . Some folks use natural stuff. Drinking ACV (apple cider vinegar) or pickle juice. For several days before hunting and during the season. or both. Your choice

Armed while tracking and hunting, but once you’re trying to pack out … if you can not get close with vehicle , trying to carry gun while dragging a deer is awkward .

 

[akalma]

but try to avoid the urine or poop.

Good point! Also beware of deer tarsal glands, they stink, don't try to touch them at all.

 

[axshon]

I've been back hunting for a few years now and I agree that you learn something new every time you go out. Some lessons are hard. I wouldn't worry too much about the noise putting up the blind, just be sure that you practice getting it up quickly and without a TON of noise. Clomping in you'll probably drive out anything there anyway. Once you're in, that's the time for absolute quiet. I've taken deer from a ground blind, a climbing stand, and a ladder stand. Each has its place. This time of year it's hard with a ground blind. Leaves are super crunchy.

Don't load your rifle until it's legal to shoot so 30 minutes before official dawn. Don't load your rifle until you are settled into wherever you're going to be. Unload your rifle before you climb down from a tree. Keep the safety on or the hammer down until you see a critter. It's too easy to make a mistake, drop something, catch on something, or fall asleep. Bad things happen. I've only had one instance where I fired a bolt into the air when attempting to turn the crossbow on a deer. Very embarrassing but not fatal and I deserved to lose that venison. Lit bolt so I found it. Lesson learned.

A friend and senior hunter showed me that its best to field dress on a little incline with a front and back leg tied up to a tree so the deer is spread out and everything rolls/flows down and out. Minimal blood left in the animal but still some from the neck and head. Works great. Remember to leave the sex organs in place in case DNR stops through.

I've sprayed my clothes with scent killer and then put permethrin on after it dried, hanging in the garage. Got a deer but I wouldn't say that's evidence. It just worked that time. I think we're approaching the end of tick season at any rate.

 

[RRomig]

Great info above.
I’ll add you should put some orange on the outside of your blind.
Good luck!

 

[axshon]

Quick add: well done getting into this sport! Tell your friends! We need more hunters.

I tell libs at work that I hunt because I'm an environmentalist. Makes 'em crazy!

 

[outrider58]

On heavy duty commercial trash bags - try to find ones with no aroma, as it actully spoils meat.

I've never seen commercial trash bags with odorant in them. Hmm...

 

[remrug]

There are lots of varying opinions on what works the best or the worst.
These are a couple of mine

I believe deer will smell you when the wind is in their favor regardless of any scent control. Dont thing you can use a cover scent and deer will never smell you.

If you wait to see a deer before chambering a round , you may never get a deer. Remember and practice at all times muzzle control, muzzle control, muzzle control. Keep your safety on until right before shooting and never put your finger on the trigger until you are ready to shoot.

I have hauled many deer in a SUV. I bought a Jet Sled and all the hair and blood will be contained. Dont gut shoot your deer and odors wont last long in your car.

Shooting direction is way more important than distance between hunters. Others who hunt public ground can chime in for the right answer to the acceptable distances.

Good luck....have fun but most of all, be SAFE

 

[remrug]

I've been back hunting for a few years now and I agree that you learn something new every time you go out. Some lessons are hard. I wouldn't worry too much about the noise putting up the blind, just be sure that you practice getting it up quickly and without a TON of noise. Clomping in you'll probably drive out anything there anyway. Once you're in, that's the time for absolute quiet. I've taken deer from a ground blind, a climbing stand, and a ladder stand. Each has its place. This time of year it's hard with a ground blind. Leaves are super crunchy.

Don't load your rifle until it's legal to shoot so 30 minutes before official dawn. Don't load your rifle until you are settled into wherever you're going to be. Unload your rifle before you climb down from a tree. Keep the safety on or the hammer down until you see a critter. It's too easy to make a mistake, drop something, catch on something, or fall asleep. Bad things happen. I've only had one instance where I fired a bolt into the air when attempting to turn the crossbow on a deer. Very embarrassing but not fatal and I deserved to lose that venison. Lit bolt so I found it. Lesson learned.

A friend and senior hunter showed me that its best to field dress on a little incline with a front and back leg tied up to a tree so the deer is spread out and everything rolls/flows down and out. Minimal blood left in the animal but still some from the neck and head. Works great. Remember to leave the sex organs in place in case DNR stops through.

I've sprayed my clothes with scent killer and then put permethrin on after it dried, hanging in the garage. Got a deer but I wouldn't say that's evidence. It just worked that time. I think we're approaching the end of tick season at any rate.

Deer ticks can bite you all year in Md. You just need a day or two of nice weather for them to get active enough to get on you. BTDT

 

[308Scout]

OP - if the ticks are thick enough to be a real concern, a scent free permethrin treatment for your clothes may be an option.

Amazon product ASIN B08DR49WS8

 

[Pale Ryder]

I've never seen commercial trash bags with odorant in them. Hmm...

Yes they have scented trash bags. Only seen it with kitchen size though.

 

[Athelney878]

This is great information - thank you!

 

[outrider58]

Yes they have scented trash bags. Only seen it with kitchen size though.

Exactly. I have never seen that in commercial construction bags. Never