Gun Season Opener

[Slappy]

Another exciting chapter in every hunting season is coming up this Saturday, gun season! I have been blessed with access to a couple family farms and I cant wait. One of the farms was purchased a few months ago, so other than a part leased out to a farmer we have no food planted. We put up a ladder stand over the food source and the only wind you wouldnt want to hunt it in is a North wind, well as my luck would have it, Saturday looks like it will have a North wind. So in your experience, would you still hunt when the wind is bad, or set up a new ground blind somewhere, not giving the deer a chance to get used to it, but play the wind right. I cant decide what to do.

I have also been mentoring a few new hunters this year and am looking forward to putting blood on their faces. Good luck to everyone! Use your guns, not your cars as would seem to be the trend here lately!


Anyone else going out there Saturday??

Edited November 15, 2012 by Slappy

[Wingshooter]

[quote name='Slappy' timestamp='1352863918' post='845236']or set up a new ground blind somewhere, not giving the deer a chance to get used to it, but play the wind right. [/quote]

I would do this, or better yet use a portable climber. It's opening morning, and the deer are probably in their normal routine unless there has been a lot of scouting or Muzzleloader/bow hunting. Edited November 14, 2012 by Batman

[Slappy]

[quote name='Batman' timestamp='1352864773' post='845249']


I would do this, or better yet use a portable climber. It's opening morning, and the deer are probably in their normal routine unless there has been a lot of scouting or Muzzleloader/bow hunting.
[/quote]

That's how I am leaning. I just don't really like either option. Haha

[Howler]

This time of year most bucks could care less about the wind. On a hot doe they could be anywhere. Hunt the farm and kill a bigen.

[whiskey]

I always hunt the wind, no matter what. The buck may not care about the wind, but you can bet those doe will. I don't like to over hunt areas and I don't like to burn an area if the wind is wrong. If you aren't worried about killing a mature buck, than you probably aren't going to hurt anything by hunting there. Big old bucks get that way by being smart.

[sigbrown1297]

i know nothing about deer hunting. All i know is that they taste great and i would like to get a couple deer to fill a freezer. My brother in law has a little bit of land where he said i could hunt. I know you have to have a license and looked at the TWRA website and saw the info about limits and all. I don't want to invest in a lot of money in equipment and camo, and stands. What the best way to go about this. Also i don't know how to field dress a deer so I'm a little worry about what I do after it shoot one.

[Jasongar8]

I never really worry about the wind. Don't wear scent lock style clothes either. I've just never had a problem getting winded by deer. Some have stopped and looked my way, but haven't had any turn tail and run. I do hunt 10-15 ft off the ground. You my have bigger problems hunting off the ground.

[Slappy]

[quote name='sigbrown1297' timestamp='1352942247' post='845826']
i know nothing about deer hunting. All i know is that they taste great and i would like to get a couple deer to fill a freezer. My brother in law has a little bit of land where he said i could hunt. I know you have to have a license and looked at the TWRA website and saw the info about limits and all. I don't want to invest in a lot of money in equipment and camo, and stands. What the best way to go about this. Also i don't know how to field dress a deer so I'm a little worry about what I do after it shoot one.
[/quote]

I have been mentoring a few family members of mine that wanted to get into hunting this year. Part of my mentoring them was writing up a few e-mails that explain a lot of things from what to wear and why, to what to do after the deer is down. PM me your e-mail and I will forward them to you. You can also e-mail me any specific questions not answered in the e-mails.

[Slappy]

Well, I think I will play the wind this time. Yall are right though, bucks will be less cautious this time of year, but I dont want to educate them either. I am a QDMA member and make my best efforts to manage quality game. I will not be shooting any buck under 3.5yrs old. I look less at the size of the rack, and more at the age of the deer to make my harvests. We also have a bet going on on who can get the first deer so I dont think I will wait to see if Mr. Buck will come out!

[Guest adamoxtwo]

[quote name='Slappy' timestamp='1352866701' post='845287']
That's how I am leaning. I just don't really like either option. Haha
[/quote]

I use to pay attention to that and not I stopped. They run where they are going to run. Descent yourself the best you can, don't fart in the tree stand, and if the wind is in your favor awesome, but not a show stopper for me. Especially during gun season. Bow.....maybe a little different.

[10-Ring]

[quote name='sigbrown1297' timestamp='1352942247' post='845826']
i know nothing about deer hunting. All i know is that they taste great and i would like to get a couple deer to fill a freezer. My brother in law has a little bit of land where he said i could hunt. I know you have to have a license and looked at the TWRA website and saw the info about limits and all. I don't want to invest in a lot of money in equipment and camo, and stands. What the best way to go about this. Also i don't know how to field dress a deer so I'm a little worry about what I do after it shoot one.
[/quote]

Contrary to what Cabela's, Gander Mountain, etc would have you believe it doesn't have to be expensive at all. One you get licenses and hunter safety out of the way you don't NEED a ton of stuff. If I were starting from scratch and on a budget I would buy a Mosin Nagant and some decent hunting rounds for it if you don't already have a suitable gun. Besides that buy a good knife if you don't have one and a cushion to sit on. You won't need camo since you are wearing orange anyway, just wear something comfortable. A good rifle, a good knife, and some patience/ knowledge of local deer habits are all you will need to put one in the freezer. Best of luck. I think I could easily get into the woods for well under $200.

[Guest adamoxtwo]

[quote name='sigbrown1297' timestamp='1352942247' post='845826']
i know nothing about deer hunting. All i know is that they taste great and i would like to get a couple deer to fill a freezer. My brother in law has a little bit of land where he said i could hunt. I know you have to have a license and looked at the TWRA website and saw the info about limits and all. I don't want to invest in a lot of money in equipment and camo, and stands. What the best way to go about this. Also i don't know how to field dress a deer so I'm a little worry about what I do after it shoot one.
[/quote]

Youtube cleaning a deer and you will get that part down. Don't go nutz with all of the gear. Pawn shops and this site can help you find an inexpensive rifle and even a stand or blind. Depending on your set up you may not even need that. Good Boots and a consistent rifle are the only musts when hunting. Oh yeah and a sharp knife. If you need help with any of that send me a PM and I'll do my best to help you out. SCOUT SCOUT SCOUT. Know the pattern and look for signs. Rubs, Scrapes, prints, poop and trails. Find a good spot that has cover and concealment and set up your ambush. You will be dining in redneck style in no time at all.

[sigbrown1297]

what do you think about 5.56 for deer hunting?

[Handsome Rob]

It's on the light side, but if you put it in the heart or lungs, it'll certainly do the trick!
Probably not a guaranteed dead-on-the-spot round, but with 4 holes in the lungs, most deer ain't going far.

[sigbrown1297]

[quote name='robtattoo' timestamp='1353040713' post='846381']
It's on the light side, but if you put it in the heart or lungs, it'll certainly do the trick!
Probably not a guaranteed dead-on-the-spot round, but with 4 holes in the lungs, most deer ain't going far.
[/quote]

ya, i'll have to see what I can borrow.

[Guest adamoxtwo]

[quote name='sigbrown1297' timestamp='1353040358' post='846376']
what do you think about 5.56 for deer hunting?
[/quote]

If you are accurate with it....that will put them down

[Handsome Rob]

[quote name='sigbrown1297' timestamp='1353040780' post='846382']
ya, i'll have to see what I can borrow.
[/quote]

NOPE!
Shoot what you're used to and accurate with. 5.56 WILL kill deer. While I would prefer something like .270 or '06, if all I had was a .223 I was used to & knew I'd take that over a bigger gun that I wasn't so familiar with, every day of the week.
It's ALL about shot placement. Everything else & I mean EVERYTHING else is a secondary consideration.

You gotta remember, even with pin-point-perfect placement, not every deer is going to dump on the spot (although the Sportsman (sic) Channel would have you believe this)
Use good quality bullets that are going to expand properly, learn where to shoot a deer from all angles & keep your shots to distances you're 100% comfortable with & you'll be fine.

[C.lunn]

I know nothing about hunting as well. Are there any laws prohibiting from using a converted saiga?

[Jasongar8]

You can use any center fire rifle Chad. You may have to get one of the little 5 round AK mags to be legal. But other than that you should be good to go. The 7.62x39 is comparible to .30-30 ballistically.

[dralarms]

[quote name='Jasongar8' timestamp='1353193275' post='847331']
You can use any center fire rifle Chad. You may have to get one of the little 5 round AK mags to be legal. But other than that you should be good to go. The 7.62x39 is comparible to .30-30 ballistically.
[/quote]

They removed the 5 round limitation didn't they?

[ShaunM]

TN has no mag restriction except on migratory birds i.e dove, ducks, geese...... Edited November 18, 2012 by Hunting101

[Guest Kamikaze]

I hunted today with an AK and a 30 round mag. Turns out I only needed 1.

[Jasongar8]

That's why I said he "may" have to get one. I didn't know for sure and was being "better safe than sorry".

[Slappy]

[IMG]http://i532.photobucket.com/albums/ee326/jtv14/hunting.jpg[/IMG]

Well we had a hunt to remember for a lifetime! I hunted with wind and ended up seeing 7 deer (doe and fawn) but elected not to shoot. However, 2 other members of our crew BOTH got their first deer on their FIRST hunt. I told them they were spoiled and they agreed. Normally, I would be upset if someone shot a spike, but I also think it is wrong to tell a new hunter what he cant shoot. We had a great time and are looking forward to many more hunts! Between the 4 of us, we saw over 15 deer.

[DaveS]

[quote name='Slappy' timestamp='1353268501' post='847732']
[img]http://i532.photobucket.com/albums/ee326/jtv14/hunting.jpg[/img]

Well we had a hunt to remember for a lifetime! I hunted with wind and ended up seeing 7 deer (doe and fawn) but elected not to shoot. However, 2 other members of our crew BOTH got their first deer on their FIRST hunt. I told them they were spoiled and they agreed. Normally, I would be upset if someone shot a spike, but I also think it is wrong to tell a new hunter what he cant shoot. We had a great time and are looking forward to many more hunts! Between the 4 of us, we saw over 15 deer.
[/quote]

Looks like ya'll had an AWESOME time! Congrats on a good time! And the deer!

Dave S