New to this forum and new to hunting. I plan on getting my license in October and also a slug gun for hunting H&R Ultra Slug Hunter is what I plan on purchasing. Anybody have any advice on some good public hunting lands in MD I live in Bmore City but I am willing to drive anywhere and any distance for a chance at a whitetail or sika. Not looking for anybody's secret location just some general knowledge and hints from people more experienced than I am.
New hunter need advice
- Thread starter stan5677
- Start date
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jac43k
Ultimate Member
Welcome from Brooklyn
Have you taken the Maryland Hunter Safety Course?? Online class, other classes are offered too.
If not see here: http://www.hunter-ed.com/maryland/ http://www.dnr.state.md.us/nrp_classes.asp
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/huntersguide/
I have hunted Patuxent River State Park, not far from Baltimore City
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/central/pax_river_2.asp
Have you taken the Maryland Hunter Safety Course?? Online class, other classes are offered too.
If not see here: http://www.hunter-ed.com/maryland/ http://www.dnr.state.md.us/nrp_classes.asp
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/huntersguide/
I have hunted Patuxent River State Park, not far from Baltimore City
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/central/pax_river_2.asp
Terpnut
Member
There are tons of public places in MD to hunt deer and most can be productive. Also consider buying a managed hunt permit ($35) and looking into managed hunts. Anne Arundel county has a program and Hoco has several. There are various lottery hunts across the state that if you draw one of the opening hunts you have a very good chance of an encounter with a whitetail. Research the DNR site. Good luck
x2 and dont go where everyone else goes...ie put your walking boots on!
ThatGuy179
Active Member
My advice to a new hunter is to buy a bow. You will get 5 months to hunt instead of 3 weeks and a bow kill is way more gratifying than a long shot with a slug gun or muzzleloader.
wilcam47
Ultimate Member
takoma
Roving Bandito
I'm in the same boat as the thread starter. I'm seeing deer everywhere I scout.
Story to tell:
So I was practicing with my crossbow at Adelphi archery range near UMD. Either a PG Co. cop or a UMD campus ofcr -- a shaved head white guy -- parks in the parking lot, sits there for 15 minutes staring at me. Whatever, I keep practicing.
He eventually gets out of his car, gets his compound bow, etc. and starts practicing. At one point he asks me about FPS on my xbow, I tell him it's about 340. He shakes his head, asks me "you hunt with that thing?"
I say "huh?"
He asks me again, "you hunt with that thing?"
I say "yeah, I hunt with this thing". I was about to add "you got a problem with that?" but I held my tongue.
He shakes his head some more, says "they should never have made those legal".
I don't say anything, leave about 10 minutes later.
Not sure what's this dude's problem was, but I get the feeling he's one of these "only bullsh*t wannabe hunters use crossbows" type guy.
Story to tell:
So I was practicing with my crossbow at Adelphi archery range near UMD. Either a PG Co. cop or a UMD campus ofcr -- a shaved head white guy -- parks in the parking lot, sits there for 15 minutes staring at me. Whatever, I keep practicing.
He eventually gets out of his car, gets his compound bow, etc. and starts practicing. At one point he asks me about FPS on my xbow, I tell him it's about 340. He shakes his head, asks me "you hunt with that thing?"
I say "huh?"
He asks me again, "you hunt with that thing?"
I say "yeah, I hunt with this thing". I was about to add "you got a problem with that?" but I held my tongue.
He shakes his head some more, says "they should never have made those legal".
I don't say anything, leave about 10 minutes later.
Not sure what's this dude's problem was, but I get the feeling he's one of these "only bullsh*t wannabe hunters use crossbows" type guy.
DaemonAssassin
Why should we Free BSD?
I mean no offense by this but using a crossbow for deer hunting is kinda BS. you don't have to have the skill required to use a compound bow or longbow when taking a deer, it is like shooting a rifle that sends arrows instead of bullets.
Agreed!
GRAY GHOST
The 43rd
when i was 15 and just starting to bow hunt i also had a problem with crossbow hunters
, now back then you had to have a medical issue,but it really wasnt hard to get. hey doc my back or my shoulder hurts.
but the way i see it now hunting is a dying sport. license numbers drop every year. and you just dont see the amount of hunters like you did back in the day. a hunter behind every tree. so if it takes a crossbow to keep the oldsters in the woods i dont have a problem with it. but i really would like to see the younger hunters go with the compound. so do you guys have problems with hunters that use scopes over iron sights??? it's kinda the same thing taking the ez way out???
wilcam47
Ultimate Member
sure hunting with a crossbow is easier...but so is getting it out of the supermarket...
I hunt with compound bow, crossbow, rifle, muzzle loader...sometimes it seems like people get on their high horse about using any of these...its not like deer are endangered. They need to be controlled...so what if its a bow, or crossbow, rifle with scope or muzzle loader. I think so long as you are hunting ETHICALLY its great. When you are out poaching or spotlighting or killing just to kill then I have a severe issue with it.
Liberal law makers are wanting to BAN hunting PERIOD...if you dont think that is true look at stupid laws in states about hunting...ie no hunting on sundays, no mechanical blades, no baiting...etc. these arent to restrict killing of deer its to restrict the hunter...
- Aug 17, 2011
- 26,172
QFT.
A crossbow is just another available tool. I don't care if someone chooses to use crossbow, compound bow, long bow, etc. - as long as they're making ethical kills, and doing it legally, more power to them.
wilcam47
Ultimate Member
Also if gutting a deer is icky to you...leave the hunting to the real men and women that dont necessarily like the gutting part but know its all part of hunting..
Also if gutting a deer is icky to you...leave the hunting to the real men and women that dont necessarily like the gutting part but know its all part of hunting..
Dont forget drinking the blood. Lol
HarCo2ANewb
Subibro
Also if gutting a deer is icky to you...leave the hunting to the real men and women that dont necessarily like the gutting part but know its all part of hunting..
"You go, no, don't wait up, I need to find where I put my man card"
That's probably the only thing keeping me out of the woods. Even my mom has cleaned a deer.....
- Aug 17, 2011
- 26,172
Or taking a bite out of the heart, that's good eating right there.
My first deer, I learned to gut and dress it that day, the guy teaching me made sure I got my hands/arms dirty.
DaemonAssassin
Why should we Free BSD?
when i was 15 and just starting to bow hunt i also had a problem with crossbow hunters
It used to be that crossbow was limited to those with an injury like you stated, somebody using a crossbow because of a legit injury that would prevent the use of a normal bow is ok with me. Today I have severe issue with people using a crossbow for hunting during bow seasons. A crossbow is not a rifle nor a bow, it is a hybrid between the two. A crossbow should not be allowed during a bow season because it is technically a rifle that fires arrows. It has no place in a bow season due to it taking away all of the skill required to truly bow hunt, it is a point and click interface, just like a rifle. I hunted once with a crossbow and never again will I do that. Even though I didn't nail a deer, I still felt dirty for cheating in some way.
sure hunting with a crossbow is easier...but so is getting it out of the supermarket...
I hunt with compound bow, crossbow, rifle, muzzle loader...sometimes it seems like people get on their high horse about using any of these...its not like deer are endangered. They need to be controlled...so what if its a bow, or crossbow, rifle with scope or muzzle loader. I think so long as you are hunting ETHICALLY its great. When you are out poaching or spotlighting or killing just to kill then I have a severe issue with it.
Liberal law makers are wanting to BAN hunting PERIOD...if you dont think that is true look at stupid laws in states about hunting...ie no hunting on sundays, no mechanical blades, no baiting...etc. these arent to restrict killing of deer its to restrict the hunter...
The issues I personally have with a crossbow, are that it takes as much skill for a beginner to use as a scoped rifle does, all the work is done for them, no shaking while holding back the draw on the bow, and the list goes on.
I sure as hell agree with you about what the liberal lawmakers are trying to do.
It replaces coffee in the morning for me!
Or taking a bite out of the heart, that's good eating right there.
My first deer, I learned to gut and dress it that day, the guy teaching me made sure I got my hands/arms dirty.
Make sure you take the liver too, so you can do a deer liver and onions kind of thing. Best eats I've ever had.
wilcam47
Ultimate Member
I know compound bow guys got the same flak from traditional bow guys...now compound bow guys giving flak to crossbow..
its still possible to miss, even with a crossbow...I know Ive done it Ive had problems even shooting my compound bow...the broadhead didnt open I did end up recovering the doe...fortunately...so I dunno errors happen, equipment problems occur its all part of hunting.
its still possible to miss, even with a crossbow...I know Ive done it Ive had problems even shooting my compound bow...the broadhead didnt open I did end up recovering the doe...fortunately...so I dunno errors happen, equipment problems occur its all part of hunting.
I used to be dead set against crossbows but have lightened up on my opinions. If it gets more people in the woods hunting then I think it's a good thing.
I agree the skill needed to use a crossbow is less than a compund but it was my old boss that really changed my opinion. He didn't have alot of money or time being he worked a full time job, is very active in his church, helps his wife homeschool their kids and is involved with both his youngest kids sports leagues. He wanted to hunt but didn't have much spare time to really practice. Me and a friend got him into a good used crossbow and put him in our ground blinds and stands and he got his first deer ever with it.
If he could only have used a compund or recurve, odds are he never would have gotten a deer his first year hunting. He tried to get his kids interested in it but they didn't really take to it so he probably won't hunt this year at all but I'm glad he gave it a shot. He really liked it but he is 110% devoted to his family and if it takes away from that, I doubt he will go on much longer.
I will probably use a crossbow when I am home in December. I haven't pulled a string in over a year now but I want to hunt and want to have a better opportunity for a clean, ethical kill.
Between the two, I would take a compound but I believe that crossbows have a place in hunting.
In all actuality, I would love to take a deer with my recurve but have never been consistent enough with it to be confident hunting with it. I still enjoy getting humbled shooting it at my 3D targets though!!!
I agree the skill needed to use a crossbow is less than a compund but it was my old boss that really changed my opinion. He didn't have alot of money or time being he worked a full time job, is very active in his church, helps his wife homeschool their kids and is involved with both his youngest kids sports leagues. He wanted to hunt but didn't have much spare time to really practice. Me and a friend got him into a good used crossbow and put him in our ground blinds and stands and he got his first deer ever with it.
If he could only have used a compund or recurve, odds are he never would have gotten a deer his first year hunting. He tried to get his kids interested in it but they didn't really take to it so he probably won't hunt this year at all but I'm glad he gave it a shot. He really liked it but he is 110% devoted to his family and if it takes away from that, I doubt he will go on much longer.
I will probably use a crossbow when I am home in December. I haven't pulled a string in over a year now but I want to hunt and want to have a better opportunity for a clean, ethical kill.
Between the two, I would take a compound but I believe that crossbows have a place in hunting.
In all actuality, I would love to take a deer with my recurve but have never been consistent enough with it to be confident hunting with it. I still enjoy getting humbled shooting it at my 3D targets though!!!
