I just got into hunting within the last year. I went on an unsucessful turkey hunt last spring. I was determined to bow hunt for deer on opening day (tomorrow). I scouted this morning and saw four deer about 90 yards in front of me. They took off, likely because they smelled me.

As the afternoon came, I realized, my first hunt, for deer, with a bow, on public land, hand spreading bait, in a ground blind, alone. I had the least amount of odds in my favor. What would everyone else have done? I hope I can get out soon regardless but I feel I really need someone to show me the ropes before I go solo.

Yes, you're a wuss.

First off, your odds aren't really that much worse than anyone else's. You saw deer, they're there, you're doing great.

Second, even if you don't kill anything, what's the harm in getting out there and enjoying the great outdoors? You might get one, you might not. You'll get to feel the world wake up, and that's worth it even if you don't see anything.

Get after it.

Good answer! But I'm waiting till tomorrow afternoon because I AM a wuss and I'm scared of the dark.

"Unsuccessful" is a relative term. I have no issue in not connecting with an animal. Being in the woods, learning from my mistakes and gaining experience is what it is about for me.

When you do connect, your trials and failures just make it that much sweeter.

Hunt the wind, hunt the wind, hunt the wind. Very important, especially when now hunting. If the wind isn't right, no point in hunting that stand. Try not to get fidgety. Many new hunters get anxious and excited and will end up moving more than they should.

Get out there and enjoy it. Try to learn something and just relax. The rest will come in time

Best way to fail is to not try

It's called hunting verses killing for a reason...man up and get out there. What's the worst thing that could happen, you're going to spend a few hours enjoying the outdoors?
You'll be fine, watch some videos on what to do when you get one down and enjoy it, you'll make mistakes but you'll learn from them too.
Good luck

If the thought of going hunting and not killing anything bothers you, stop hunting now.

I've heard some guys like golf.

That's how its done.

It's hunting, enjoy it.

I guarantee you won't kill anything sitting on the couch.

The day I feel like I have to kill something when I go hunting, will be the day, Nevermind I will never feel that way.

You saw 4 deer on public land with no prior scouting? Sounds to me like you're on the right track... And yes, I agree with Cameron, you're a Wuss if you don't get back out there. Unless of course you'd rather sit at home eating Bon Bons and watching Judge Judy.

It's interesting, but I find that I equally enjoy the hunt where I do everything right and connect, as well as the hunt where I seem to do everything wrong and still connect.

Sometimes it's just in the cards, except when you're not in the stand.

Don't get caught up with how hunting is portrayed on the Tv hunting shows. If you arnn't ready to spend hours in a deer stand and not see a deer, hunting isn't for you. Like others said above, it isn't about killing, it's about enjoying the outdoors.

I've gone hunting and not even seen a deer and I'm still happy and go right back.
If i go fishing and don't catch anything I'm pissed.

Study the wind, especially if you hunt with sharp sticks. The best way is to use bubble soap. You can get a 3 pack for $1 at the dollar store (in the toy department). Pay attention to what warming and cooling do to the thermals. Much like learning to use binoculars, it aint as simple as it first appears.

Are you saying you're a wuss because you used bait on public land even though it isn't legal? I know it's not legal on the public land that I hunt.

X2

Pretty much.

I had to work yesterday. You can bet if I didn't get called out, I would have been hunting.

Hunting is called "hunting" because if you got one everytime you went it would be called "finding".....

I haven't figured out fishing yet....but more often than not we throw 'em all back anyway.

(....except trout, then we only keep what we'll eat!)

I caught that too. I don't know if the rule apples everywhere on Public Land, but on the places I go, baiting is illegal. I went to one of my usual spots in the Sam Houston National Forest and the ground was covered with corn, all up and down the trail and a 5 gallon bucket's worth poured out on the ground about 30 feet from the parking area. At first I thought. "Neat! That ought to bring them in", but I thought about it and got so paranoid that a Game Warden might come by that I packed up and moved.
I want to bring home some venison, but not enough to break the law.
But spending the day in the woods hunting, and mot shooting anything, is nothing to be ashamed of. If you shot a deer every time you went out, the season would be one day long. And then what would you do the rest of the winter?
The better way to look at it is that every time you go hunting and don't harvest something , use it as a learning experience. I just recall what my dad used to tell me, "That's why they call it hunting, not shopping".

Baiting isn't illegal on all public land.

Last year I hunted ever weekend my land and puplic land and seen 2 dear and those I scared walking in. But I still went and this weekend I sat and sat no deer but I did get shoot a hog my first animal ever with a bow. As nd he ran off and I couldn't find it. Pissed off but still got up this morning and went out and seen nothing. But that feeling of seeing that pig started shaking and going full draw was like nothing iv ever felt. I had pig fever and loved it.

Can't wait to see a buck and go full draw on him

How about this.... If you caught fish every time you went fishing they wouldn't call it fishing, they'd call it Catching.

One, congrats on getting into hunting from what it sounds like was a self made decision and not one you were born into as I would think 75% of us on here were.

That leads me to Two, which means because you didn't have someone to mentor or see how it was done you're gonna have to work off of trial and error. Benefit of being alone, if you mess up, which we all have, there will be no one there to judge you and it will be a learning experience.

The most important thing here is..don't overthink this. Have fun in the process, getting ready the night before, getting out early in the am, watching nature wake up with a cup of coffee and see what you see. When you kill a deer, more lessons will come with cleaning it etc. On the lease we have as much fun putzing around clearing lanes, moving stands, loading feeders, planting plots as hunting. For me I have fun in the process and watching and seeing what I see. Every time is a surprise in what will walk/fly by.