I'm sure that made for some very derogatory word usage. hahaha

There are no substitutes for patience, safety, practice, good binoculars, safety, good boots, smaller backpacks, and safety.

I feel like there was some kind of subliminal message in that...not sure what it was though...hahaha

This may sound silly, but don't forget the ammo...friend of mine made it all the way to the lease with all the usual stuff....Gun, knife, binocs, groceries - but left the box of ammo sitting on the kitchen table.

Ditto all of the above, patience is a definite requirement. There are times when you may need to make that quick shot, but if you forget to take the time to put the X on the right spot it's all for nothing. I once asked an old FBI sniper type what he was thinking as he was coming to bear on a target and he said...."Sight alignment and trigger squeeze".

I can tell already you're gonna do just fine....'cause you are asking questions first.

Good luck & Glad to have ya here!

Don't waste money on stuff you don't need. I hunt from a converted truck sleeper for a blind. I've also got a really nice pair of Realtree Brush pattern pants hanging in my closet.
Buy the best that you can afford, but don't fall for gimmicks. you don't need a computer programmable scope and a digital wind station to hunt deer at 200 yds.
Don't get caught up in whiz-bang or golly-gee mode unless you handload your own ammo. the latest WSSM\USM or granddads ole' Betsy may look great on paper or hanging over the fireplace, but go to your local Wally World, Academy, or local gunshop and see how hard the ammo is to find before committing to hunting with it.
Use the best mounts, rings and scope you can. My Win. Mod. 70 wears Millett bases and rings and a Sightron SI 3X9x40 scope and I'm hoping to update the scope soon. It's a great scope, but I want more magnification as we regularly shoot 200 yds +.
Shoot a lot at various ranges before you go afield and actually learn were your gun and ammo hits at differing ranges. Keep in mind that just because you hit a target at 300 yds by holding 1 inch over does not mean that 1 1\2" will put you on at 350-you have to shoot it. You probably already know this.
As with any other endeavor, cash is king-how much are you willing to spend?

I'm trying to get out there for around 600 bucks right now. I will have some wiggle room since I will not buy everything all at once and instead spread it out over the next year.

Optics are king, you dont realize it until you have a big buck at 50 yds in low light and cant see through your scope. It happened to me ONCE, then I ponied up for a Leupold vxII 4-12x50. A 3-9 will do you fine, but I hunt places where I can see forever (not neccesarily shoot).

As far as rifle/scope combo, I would rather be able to see 200yds in low light and shoot 1" groups with a cheaper rifle/expensive scope. Than not be able to see and have tighter groups out of the box with expensive rifle/cheap scope.

Basically, think hunting conditions, not 2p.m. on a Sunday at the range. Theres a big difference.

It seems like all the greenhorns I've hunted with/around can't stay in the stand long enough... sun comes up, they don't see a deer, they give it another 30 min and by 8 a.m. they're out walking around.
So saty in the stand at least until 9 0r 10 in the a.m and get back out by 3 in the evening. The time you spend in the stand the better.

Not getting to my stand early enough in the morning and not staying there long enough.

Not staying quiet and still.

Not paying enough attention to the wind direction.

Not practicing enough before the season (we were poor and ammo was not to be "wasted").

Not wearing warm enough clothes.

Turn off your cellphone while hunting !!!

Now that is one I hadn't thought of! Hahaha

Hey Tony, welcome. Lots of good advise given. Lots more available on this great forum.

my added advice is to remember that this is a recreation and in order to get the most out of your hunting efforts you need to take in the overall outdoors experience. Don't get too caught up in the kill... that will happen. Enjoy being out in nature. Take time to "get to know" your wildlife population. You will spend much more time just watching the wildlife than actually killing it.. this is what I have found most rewarding in my hunting. Watching playful pigs at a feeder, or squirrels fighting, or a hawk swooping in a taking out a dove on the ground... all good stuff.

Another thing to consider is that there is a multi-million dollar industry that revolves around selling hunting gear. A whole lot of it is junk. Don't be fooled by marketing... and don't be affraid to ask for peoples opinions on this forum.

Another rewarding method is to take along your video camera on every hunt. I still have film from 15 years ago that I get out and watch from time to time.

Best of wishes to you.

Ditto this 2......I usually don't have to much trouble here though cause once I get comfortable in the blind, I usually don't wake up til around 9:30 or 10:00

I forgot that once...and I was the bloody guide! My phone now gets turned off when I exit the truck, no exceptions.

Do not rely completely on your rifle scope for optics. Get binoculars!

Just thought of something VERY important...

If you are deer hunting and you shoot at a deer and it runs off don't just assume you missed.
It's important to make a mental note of where the deer is standing when you shoot, concentrate on your shot, but try to notice how the deer reacts... did he kick? did he stumble? did he fall down and get back up?
Even if you can't see his reaction watch, where the deer goes and where you last saw him. Stay put for a minute, calm your nerves, make your gun safe, then take your gun and slowly and quietly walk to where the deer was when you shot and look for blood and or hair. Then if someone else is there go get help(to look).
I can't tell you how many deer I've help find that people "thought" they missed.

Very good advice Rick! On the subject of tracking... Tracking takes patience and concentration sometimes. The best tracking tip I ever received was to keep some toilet paper with me at all times when hunting (good idea for obviouse reasons). When you find your first speck of blood, tear off a square and hang it from the nearest branch... start your track and every so often hang a new square along the blood trail. This gives you a visual of the path the animal has taken and also marks your last spot if you lose the trail...

#1 Practice ,practice ,practice. Know your weapon.
#2 I know the first deer that you see you're going to want to shoot but, wait. Deer travel in groups. Where there is one there are more most of the time.
#3 Like was stated earlier... dont forget to breath.
#4 Watch the deer that you see. You'll learn alot by just watching what they do.
#5 have fun! and enjoy the great outdoors.

welcome to the forum.

Um something else I thought of.
If you are hopeing to hunt next season, start now (or asap).
Start looking for a place to hunt.
If you have a place already, try to go there and explore, find the trails, draws, water, ect.
If you plan to hunt public land it's REALLY important to start early.

Don't limit yourself to a blind looking at a feeder. If you have an area you can walk hunt safely, do it. It's best with the wind in your face and the sun at your back. Walk too little, look too much. Walk a hundred yards in a hour or longer. Keep an object, tree or whatever between you and where you're headed. Peek around the object slowly. Get on your knees and look under trees ahead of you. Bear in mind if deer are feeding, their head is close to the ground and they're looking out while they're eating. I have walked within 20 feet of deer and had them walk within 10 feet of me. There is no greater hunting experience.

Be consistent and standardize on one ammo. One mistake newbies make is to practice with one ammo and then load up the hunting rounds for the kill. They soon find out no two brands of ammo will have the same trajectory.

Good advice given already.

My two cents to add: Be prepared for after the kill. Know how to dress your kill in the field. Keep in mind how you want to mount and make it easier on your taxidermist by not wrecking the cape for example. Have the right tools to get the job done. A small sharp knife for starting cuts and getting up there and cutting the trachea and a ball tipped for incisions are especially helpful for rookies. Cut the gut is not the way to shoot or clean. Have a processor lined up and know their hours and such.

Don't feel you have to take a deer every year unless you are just trying to fill the freezer. My brother patiently passed on bucks for 7 years before he saw one that made him raise his eyebrows. It paid off with this nice one that scored 172 5/8 gross 12pt. That's a great first buck. But only because he was patient and enjoyed the hunt as much as the kill.