If you’re a new deer hunter, the entry into the bowhunting world appears intimidating. It doesn’t have to be. During the last 4-5 years, it feels like common sense and a realization around how fragile our food supply is has settled in, and adults who have never previously hunted are interested in taking up the sport.
If you’re new to the game, read on, because this article is going to outline all the details of finding hunting land, acquiring acceptable equipment, steering clear of things you don’t need, and how to get yourself on the fast track for becoming a master at reading the woods.
Here’s a look at 5 things new hunters need to accomplish in the off-season.
1. Find a Place to Hunt
If you can’t purchase land and don’t have access to private land, this step can be the most difficult. I’ll say this right from the start, do not refuse to hunt public land just because you think private land is the only place you can kill deer. More on that later.
To get private land access from scratch, you first need to have a mapping application that displays parcel data. Don’t go for the huge properties. Rather, find 30-40 acre chunks connected to larger pieces.
I would drive to these potential hunting locations, and knock on doors. Research for their phone number in case they aren’t home. Sending letters can work as a back up as well, but nothing beats face to face contact.
When you knock on doors for permission, don’t fly into a driveway with a jacked-up truck or try to appear boastful in any way. Dress casually, knock on their door, back up off the steps a ways, and keep your hands at your side. Immediately introduce your name, tell them where you’re from and why you’re there.
Don’t try to shake their hand until you get into the conversation, and tell them you’re a new hunter looking for hunting permission. Remember, they have no idea who you are, and it’s a little intimidating having someone knock on your door these days.
How the rest of this conversation flows with the landowner depends on your ability to keep a casual conversation going. Ask about their land, how long they’ve been in the area, and try to ask questions about their rural life.
People enjoy being asked about their interests. If they say “no” right away, tell them thank you, but be sure to ask if they know someone who might grant you permission in the general area.
If you get a “no,” it still might be worth calling them a week or so later and just thank them for their time. If you get a yes, make sure you know what you can and can’t do on the land. Don’t assume you can deploy trail cameras, plant food plots in open areas, or hang treestands. Ask the landowner about each of these items.
Driving around asking for private land hunting permission, or seeking out public land opportunities can be very time consuming. In fact, it may take up most of your Saturday, or even an entire weekend. However, the rewards can pay off big.
Just remember, as you’re scouring the countryside in search of a place to hunt, be sure to mark your findings in your hunting app for future reference. This can be a priceless tool to track all the opportunities you’ve found, or potential spots to go back and take a closer look at in the future.
2. Determine Your Archery Equipment
Brand association with compound bows is a real thing. There are Mathews guys, Hoyt guys, this brand, that brand – just like Ford and Chevy.
In the end, any bow from a reputable archery manufacturer will kill deer. The biggest thing is “feel.” Sort of like golf. If it sits right in your hand, go for it.
Research and seek out a reputable archery shop in your area, and give them a call telling them what you’re looking for. If they have multiple used bows for sale that could be a good fit, stop by and check it out. If you purchase it from them, they will help get you dialed in.
Sure, we’d all love to have the best of the best when purchasing a new bow. However, there’s honestly no need to spend $1400 on a bare bow to get started. Not to mention another $1000 on accessories like a sight, arrow rest, arrows and a quiver.
There are plenty of manufacturers that offer excellent entry level bows at a great price. A number of brands even offer a “Ready to Hunt” package with everything you need to get started at an affordable price.
You can use one of these budget-friendly bows for a while, and then pass it on down to other family or friends to use when you upgrade.
3. Don’t Fall for the Extras
I love supporting outdoor and hunting industry companies as much as the next guy, but there are certain products you won’t need right away.
I believe in-field ozone generators work to an extent, but in your first few years of hunting you need to learn how deer use their nose. You don’t need to be hauling extra gadgets to the woods every hunt. Nor do you need to spend $2,000 on self-filming camera equipment. You need to kill deer, and get experience. Remember, you’re new at this. Pace yourself accordingly, or you’ll burn out fast.
You also won’t need fancy stabilizers on your bow, an outdoor-branded GPS watch telling you where you are when you hunt 10 minutes outside of suburbia, or Stealth Strips on every piece of gear because you heard about it on a podcast.
Think middle of the road on just about everything except warm clothing. You will need warm boots and clothes to keep you on stand during brutally cold November mornings. But for many other items, you can get by spending less money.
One area I see many hunters spending way too much money on is binoculars. If you’re hunting in whitetail country, you can find suitable optics for $400 or less. There is zero need to spend more if all you’re doing is hunting whitetails.
You also don’t need to drop $6,000 on an E-bike. Are they really awesome? Yes, but your hunting style might change after your first year of hunting. So get the basics, and roll with it to start.
4. Decide How & Where You Want to Hunt
There are countless methods to hunt deer. You can sit in box blinds, tree stands, bury yourself in ground cover, or even saddle hunt. Once you have a place to hunt, decide how the land sets up for a given hunting strategy.
If you know accessing your hunting property without spooking deer might be difficult, you may want to hang a stand in the corner of a field, and do a few observation sits to see how deer travel from bedding to food sources.
Maybe you found permission on a piece of land from a private landowner, but they don’t want you to set up permanent treestands. In this case, hunting with a saddle or lightweight mobile hang-on setup is the ticket.
If you’re taking kids hunting as well, and the landowner doesn’t mind stands being hung, by all means set up some double ladder sets, and brush them in well. So much of how you want to hunt is based on what you have permission to do on the land and how it sets up terrain-wise.
If you have private land hunting access, consider asking the landowner if you can plant food plots in any clearings they may have near field edges or in the middle of the woods. At most, you’ll need a bag seeder, a method for spraying herbicide, and a mower.
If it’s in your budget, put trail cameras on the property to help you gather intel. This will help speed up the learning process of how deer are using the land.
5. Spend More Time Scouting
One of the biggest mistakes I see new hunters make is not spending enough time in the woods scouting and perfecting their woodsmanship skills.
Scouting with the hunting app on your phone is great, but it should not be a replacement for time spent with boots on the ground.
When you’re in the woods scouting for deer in the off-season months, have a friend stand in a known bedding area as you access one of your best treestands, and see how quiet and stealthy your access is, or isn’t.
Take milkweed seeds with you, and release them into the air if you think you’ve found a prime hunting location. Pay attention to how the wind swirls and where the milkweed seeds land. Do this on multiple days during the off-season and throughout the season in your hunting locations.
Throughout the later winter and spring months, find time to locate bedding areas in snow cover. A cluster of beds next to one another is likely a doe bedding group. Solo beds can indicate bucks, but it’s never a guarantee. Research shows bucks use many different bedding areas and individual beds throughout fall.
While shed hunting doesn’t always indicate where a buck will be come fall, it can clue you into where bucks bed and feed.
Since you’re a new hunter, any time spent scouting and shed hunting will be beneficial. Identify bedding areas, heavy crossings and trails so you’re primed to go by the time fall arrives. Spend as much, or more, time scouting than hunting and you’ll likely see your success rates soar.
Conclusion
One bit of advice for when you finally begin hunting this fall – shoot deer! There is no substitute for live targets. Fill out those doe tags, and don’t be too picky when it comes to finding the right buck.
Enjoying the process of acquiring land, fine-turning your equipment, and finally filling your freezer with well-earned meat is quite the reward for the hard work you put in ahead of time.
Check out the video below as you prepare to buy your next bow.
