any experienced hunters willing to help teach me the ropes

[Guest pontiac_fiero_g]

hello all, for those that dont know me my name is mike, im 21 and live in the knoxville area and have done some small game hunting but never deer hunting and with this time of year coming up i would like to start deer hunting and just dont know where to begin. any advice would be appreciated. ill be using a mn 91/30 as its the only thing that will kill a deer legally. where can a man hunt if he doesnt know somebody with private land? how does one get started hunting? sorry i know that these might sound like stupid questions coming from somebody my age but i just didnt come from a hunting family and want to make sure that im a seasoned pro before i have a son that i can pass the skill onto. thanks in advance guys

[Guest coldblackwind]

Where to hunt, I can't help you much on, just ask around, you may find someone who will let you hunt their land, or lease it for hunting. 91/30 will definitely drop a deer. Little on the overkill side actually, I carried an M44 last year due to lack of options, never got a shot though (we were only hunting about an acre, ). As for getting started, its pretty simple. Go to walmart (or any number of other places) and tell them you want to get a hunting license, you'll need your drivers license. Then throw on some blaze orange, head out, preferably early morning, find a good likely spot to sit, then wait...and wait....and wait, and eventually, if you see a likely customer, let the air out of it. Pretty simple in concept, its the whole likely spot part that takes some practice. There's also plenty of expensive items (scents, stands, blinds, etc) you can use to try to increase your chances, personally, I don't bother, but a lot of people like them. If you do get one, everything you need to know about gutting, skinning, checking, etc can all be found with a quick google search.

[SHbicycle]

I have never used a rope to hunt might try it.

It will take some time but the best thing to do go shooting at a range on week ends and meet people lots of people. keep going back and after 4 - 5 weeks you will get to know people. then you you start hounding them day and night. someone will let you go hunting just to shut you up. Are in my case because they think you are the coolest guy in the world.

Edited November 15, 2009 by SHbicycle

[memphismason]

First find a Hunter's Safety Course to take. This is mandatory before you can buy a license.

[Guest clutepc]

I was in the place your were last year, I watched more hunting shows than I can count, read books, talked to anyone I knew that did hunt then got out in the woods every chance I could and still do.

I spent time going to state parks and walking trails anything to get out and to spend time in the woods. Try to learn from everything you see when your out.

I would check out the TWRA site for public land in your area, they have maps that will import into google earth. that works out great for finding parking areas.

Public land is all I've hunted and so far I've been fortunate enough to take a 5 and 8 point buck.I'm using a bow this year because I liked the challenge of it.

I've still never hunted with anyone else and It would be odd to me now that I'm use to being by myself.

Just learn from your mistakes because you'll make them we all do, that's one of the things that adds to the fun. I'll need to remind myself of that with the next deer I miss..

If you can find someone else to hunt with I'm sure it will help a great deal.

Good Luck and keep us to date on how it's going!

[TNTitan]

I'm pretty new too. I just asked a bunch of stupid questions and got some great input from the veterans on this site.

Read here for a list of public hunting land: http://www.state.tn.us/twra/pdfs/wmaseasons.pdf

Get some good hunting books, watch a lot of Versus and spend a lot of time outdoors watching.

Also TNdeer is a good resource, I got several "tag-along" offers there: Tennessee Deer Talk: Viewing list of forums

[ShaunM]

I'm pretty new too. I just asked a bunch of stupid questions and got some great input from the veterans on this site.

Read here for a list of public hunting land: http://www.state.tn.us/twra/pdfs/wmaseasons.pdf

Get some good hunting books, watch a lot of Versus and spend a lot of time outdoors watching.

Also TNdeer is a good resource, I got several "tag-along" offers there: Tennessee Deer Talk: Viewing list of forums

I don't think you ever asked a stupid question. The only way to know is to ask.

[Guest clownsdd]

There is no stupid question if you do not know the answer. Research the public lands in your area.

[Westwindmike]

So do you just drive up to a WMA and walk in? I've never tried to hunt public land and the TWRA site is confusing to me.

I'm trying to get back into hunting after not hunting for about 20 years. It's gotten tougher to find a place to go. I don't seem to know anyone willing to let me hunt or take me along.

[Guest pontiac_fiero_g]

So do you just drive up to a WMA and walk in? I've never tried to hunt public land and the TWRA site is confusing to me.

I'm trying to get back into hunting after not hunting for about 20 years. It's gotten tougher to find a place to go. I don't seem to know anyone willing to let me hunt or take me along.

if i find some land to hunt on would you be willing to go with me and teach me some if i agree to be your pack mule and haul your stuff in?

[Guest ADAM]

ive never had any luck hunting public land due to to many people(but thats just me). just drive around and find a farm or field on private land, find out who owns it and just go ask; you would be surprized at the people that will let you hunt if you ask, because the worst thing they can say is NO. if you do find some private land just remember leave it in better condition when you leave than when you got there.

[Guest clutepc]

So do you just drive up to a WMA and walk in? I've never tried to hunt public land and the TWRA site is confusing to me.

I'm trying to get back into hunting after not hunting for about 20 years. It's gotten tougher to find a place to go. I don't seem to know anyone willing to let me hunt or take me along.

Do you normally gun hunt, do you have a tree stand?

[Guest jackdm3]

Where to hunt, I can't help you much on, just ask around, you may find someone who will let you hunt their land, or lease it for hunting. 91/30 will definitely drop a deer. Little on the overkill side actually, I carried an M44 last year due to lack of options, never got a shot though (we were only hunting about an acre, ). As for getting started, its pretty simple. Go to walmart (or any number of other places) and tell them you want to get a hunting license, you'll need your drivers license. Then throw on some blaze orange, head out, preferably early morning, find a good likely spot to sit, then wait...and wait....and wait, and eventually, if you see a likely customer, let the air out of it. Pretty simple in concept, its the whole likely spot part that takes some practice. There's also plenty of expensive items (scents, stands, blinds, etc) you can use to try to increase your chances, personally, I don't bother, but a lot of people like them. If you do get one, everything you need to know about gutting, skinning, checking, etc can all be found with a quick google search.

My father-in-law has 10 or so acres of land in Hernando, MS. Half forest, part clear valley and part flat clearing. Last week he was sighting in his scoped .22 for quite a while at 4 PM. A decent doe emerged from the woods to the tree line and paused when she saw Bob shooting. Walked down the treeline 50 feet and paused again, all while Bob kept shooting. This happens every week. Bob uses Irish Spring, Old Spice deoderant and Cheer for his clothes. These personal products combined with lots of shooting didn't phase the doe. Even though we built two twelve foot enclosed towers placed far from each other, I think you can just squat against a tree on mildly elevated soil and do just as well. It's not as hard as you believe. You just have to put the time in. Stay warm. Read a book/mag.

PS: Don't be holding just a .22 when you see that deer. Bob's 30-06 was at least 100 ft away.

[Guest 70below]

I've never held much weight in all the expensive products out there. I've had does come within 3 feet of me sitting at the base of oak trees looking for acorns and as long as I stayed quiet and didnt move, they paid me no mind. I had one doe that I though was charging me but it just ran right past and never seemed to realize I was there. The bucks always seem more cautious and spooky, but as long as you're quiet and don't fidget, they'll come right along.

[Garufa]

Upcoming Hunter's Ed classes in Knoxville...

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency - Hunter Ed Classes Region 4

[Westwindmike]

Do you normally gun hunt, do you have a tree stand?

I used to bow hunt a lot. Tree stand and ground hunting. Now 20 years later I don't want to be climbing any trees. I'd either stay on the ground or use a ladder stand. I only gun hunt now.

[Guest clutepc]

the places I'm hunting only allow muzzleloader and shotgun because of the area they are in.

Also, with WMA land you have to get a permit to hunt those areas but It's only $21.00, if you have a sportsman license or something like that you don't need it.

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency - Hunting License Fees

I'm always in a tree stand these days with my bow but we could probably work something out sometime.

There are a few large trees that someone could hunt from the base of without any problem and plenty of trees for me to get in.

This is my first year so I probably won't be showing you anything you don't already know.

[Guest thorn]

the places I'm hunting only allow muzzleloader and shotgun because of the area they are in.

Also, with WMA land you have to get a permit to hunt those areas but It's only $21.00, if you have a sportsman license or something like that you don't need it.

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency - Hunting License Fees

I'm always in a tree stand these days with my bow but we could probably work something out sometime.

There are a few large trees that someone could hunt from the base of without any problem and plenty of trees for me to get in.

This is my first year so I probably won't be showing you anything you don't already know.

I just hunted LBL and they said I had to have the $21 permit even though I had a Sportsmans.

WMA's are all different so if that's where you go you'll have to find out what the restrictions are at each one (e.g. point count, buck only, doe only, bow, ML, or SG only, quota hunts, sometimes different seasons are longer or shorter...).

Some of the guys at the WMA's can be pretty good to talk to (some are not but they work for you!) so if you get a chance, go to a check in station and ask some questions there.

[Guest coldblackwind]

My father-in-law has 10 or so acres of land in Hernando, MS. Half forest, part clear valley and part flat clearing. Last week he was sighting in his scoped .22 for quite a while at 4 PM. A decent doe emerged from the woods to the tree line and paused when she saw Bob shooting. Walked down the treeline 50 feet and paused again, all while Bob kept shooting. This happens every week. Bob uses Irish Spring, Old Spice deoderant and Cheer for his clothes. These personal products combined with lots of shooting didn't phase the doe. Even though we built two twelve foot enclosed towers placed far from each other, I think you can just squat against a tree on mildly elevated soil and do just as well. It's not as hard as you believe. You just have to put the time in. Stay warm. Read a book/mag.

PS: Don't be holding just a .22 when you see that deer. Bob's 30-06 was at least 100 ft away.

At last count (and the last time I asked was a few years ago), my dad had gotten something like 116 deer over time. He NEVER takes anything but his blaze orange hat/field jacket, plenty of ammo, and whatever gun he's using, oh, and a .44 mag revolver, for finishing purposes (shotgun used to be all that was legal there, 12 ga deer slug at close range is....well...messy).