Rookie deer hunter

I'm headed out this weekend for my very first deer hunt and I'm so excited that I can't hardly sit still! My uncle has a place in Hamilton county and we have been out there to shoot hogs before but never deer. I haven't even been able to set up a feeder this year or scout the area at all so my expectations are tamed but I'm still hopeful I can get on a buck when he's chasing. Any tips for a rookie?

Thanks in advance for the advice!

Throw some corn out in several areas that you can make a ground blind or brush blind to hunt out of. Watch the wind direction and have fun!

Same at STX mentioned...and above all, have fun!
Good luck!

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Good luck watch those antlers spread if your in AR country be safe and have fun.

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Lots and lots of deer in this area. Corn the roads/ areas that u see any sign of deer. If there's cattle on the place it's a good chance deer will use the same trails. Look around these trails and see if you don't find any sign near them. Check the wind direction and set up pop up blinds or brush blinds down wind of where u anticipate deer coming in. Good luck and hunt hard and often. Don't be afraid to walk around in a different area outside where u are hunting. If you choose one spot spend your non hunting hrs scouting the rest of the place out.

Like they said, scatter corn on the ground where you can see it and within your comfort zone for shooting. Kick back and watch the area. Get yourself calmed down before you try to take the shot then make it count. We'll be looking for pics of your very first deer. Good luck and be safe out there.

Welcome and Best of Luck!

X 2 on the corn. The freeze this week will burn up all of the green forage thus making the corn more appealing for the deer.

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Also ask your uncle where he see them the most, he should have a good idea where you need to focus.

Like its been said CORN! I also like to get a bag of sweet grain when it's cold because it has alot of extra fat and sugar that the deer use to put on some extra weight for winter. It's not a good staple food for feeders and such but it can help keep deer eating a little longer and the longer the does stay the more likely a buck will walk up.

Have fun and be safe. Make sure hunting license and Hunters Education card or one year deferral are with you if you were born after 1971 and you are over 17.

I'm still a rookie, only started 3 years ago. I started with a pop up blind, feeder, and cameras. That's so that I would be able to move around with no problems. In order to locate the deer. Look for pinch points where multiple trails come together.

Good Luck! I think Hamilton is now an AR county. If so make sure the buck is wider than the ears...

Give us a report and get ready to be addicted and spend some $$$ on this "hobby", lol!

Good luck! One thing I would add other than having fun is to set reasonable goals for yourself. When I started, I hunted three or four years without ever shooting a deer because I wanted my first deer to be a "good 8-point". Not sure I'd recommend that to anyone.

But again, have fun!

Thanks to everyone for all of the replies. I have been reading this forum for the past few weeks and have noticed how helpful everyone is to one another, it's definately a brotherhood!

I have another rookie question, what about using doe urine to bring them in this time of year? My brother (also a rookie) has a hard on for that idea and i have no clue as to what that would do. Thanks again and I hope to have some great pictures by Monday. For now, here's one of the hogs (wrong thread I know) from our trip out there last year.

I have never had success with scents of any kind.
I would stick with what the others have said - very good advice.

good luck!!

good luck and welcome to the forum

Be patient and quiet and especially don't leave until it gets DARK I have had so many rookies and even some seasoned hunters (or so I thought) say "it's too dark lets go" to me right at prime time. If you can see stay until you can't and best of luck to you hope you get to join the brother hood soon.

Well in most counties you have to do it that way because of the AR's my first buck was a 5pt now days Id get a ticket for shooting him.

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I killed the buck of a lifetime last year at dark. 20 scoreable points with a 20 inch spread. I've hunted for 27 years, and always thought I knew what "dark" was until last year. If I had left when I was accustomed to leaving, I would have never seen him. If you can see, dont leave the stand.

Be very cautious of the wind direction in relation to where you think the deer are, or will be.

Isn't legal shooting light 30 minutes before sunrise till 30 minutes after sunset? It's still light enough to see but not legal to shoot.

Good luck