Need Help Geting my first buck!!!!

[muzzyswuirrel@gmail.]

my advice would be to experiment a little. for one season or however long, dont take the 4-wheeler. for the next one, dont smoke. i personally think that its the smoking because its pungent and disperses very quickly and is not in any way natural. better luck this season!

[Psychoticchaos]

Don't let them talk you down about not getting a buck. I have hunted for 13 years and just got my first buck last year, and he was only a 3 point. But thats not the point, You can't help what mother nature puts in front of you. Hunting isn't for trophies, it's for food and the experience of the hunt. Just enjoy being in the woods and when the time is right you will get your big buck.

[Huntin Farmland]

cgpenna-

There definitely is a learning curve to hunting-unless your famiily puts you right in the middle of big buck habitat. It took me 9 years of hunting to harvest my first buck. Now my friends ask me for any pointers. Try to enact change in the attitude of the hunting camp-make sure you are as happy for anothers' deer (no matter the size) as you would be your own. Try to enjoy being out there and not be "pressured" to shoot any buck out there. Hunting (n my opinion) is suppose to be fun-not full of unwarranted pressure. There has been a lot of good advice on here and mine echoes the same. If you can keep somewhat scent free, I would move out of your stand and try to set up near that field or on a well-worn deer trail. It seems that you have been given a "less than ideal" stand location since you are the new guy. I would venture to guess that if you hunted out of the same stand as the family friend and put in the same time that you would bag a similar deer to what he/she has brought home. If you can get your hands on a trail camera to put out in the pre-season-that may help you pinpoint what deer are using certain trails. I personally think that checking my trail camera is like Christmas morning as a kid - you don't know what you are going to get. I have used trail cameras for a couple of years now and it helps me to know the quality deer in my area. It also helps me when I see a buck to know if I should shoot or not (are there bigger ones in the area). Below is my most recent deer. I changed stands the morning I harvested him and was chewing watermelon bubble gum at the time because my "scent free" techniques did not help me earlier in the season. Go Figure!! My #1 point of emphasis for new/young hunters is this: the more time you spend in the field, the better chance you have to see/shoot a nice deer.

[krawiech]

if your state offers anterless deer tags you should apply for one or if available purchase it dont worry about your first buck that will come but if you get the opportunity to take an antlerlees deer you should do so it will help build your confidence we did this with my friend who was getting into bow hunting fortunately nj allows you to take antlerless deer with a bow all of his friends told jim he should hold out for a buck first i told him i would set him up where he would see 3 to 5 deer before 800 am if he hunted out of my stand the first day out he took a doe that dressed out at 85 lbs he is now one of the better deer hunters that i know with bow shotgun and muzzleloader he really appreciated what we did for him that first year and every year since hank k

[Cut N Run]

Patience, grasshopper. Use this offseason to make it your mission to learn everything you can about the deer and that piece of land. Take a treestand in there and just observe well after the hunting season is out and watch the deer on more normal movement patterns. Act just like you're hunting, just don't take a gun. You'll have to play the wind, make careful & quiet entrances and exits from stands. Study everything you can about their habits. Get yourself a topographic map of the area and figure out why the deer go where they do. If you make it your mission and learn what the deer in that area do & where they go, it will be you having a better crack at taking a bigger buck. There's nothing wrong with taking does either. you will probably help the herd overall and get to enjoy some venison at the same time. Those things will make you a better hunter. Who cares what your father and brother do or say.

I had to live under the same circumstances with a golden child brother. He could do no wrong & I could do no right. I went my own way and became the best I could be at what I preferred. It didn't take long for my father to realize that he was not treating us fairly. What suits you is what matters. Be the better man and ignore them. If they are that petty about hunting there is something wrong with them anyway. Good luck and enjoy yourself.

Jim

[riverrat]

It’s sad that they rag you when they should be giving you support and sharing knowledge with you.
 
You don’t mention hunting the wind which means never hunting a stand when the wind is blowing in the direction the deer are expected to be seen or come from. Also “thermals” in the morning as it heats up your scent is going up and in the evening it is opposite and your scent will linger at the ground. My friend smokes like a train and hunts food plots but does see and kill deer regularly but uses the wind in his favor. Another thing is hunting one stand over and over will contaminate that stand and deer will shy away from it, I try never to hunt a stand more than two days in a row and I’m fanatical about scent elimination. Deer pattern hunters quickly and driving a 4-wheeler within 100 yards of your stand is to close in my opinion, I normally walk about 300 to 500 yards to my stand. Get yourself a compass and figure out a wind direction for each of your stands, example food plot to the south of your stand don’t hunt with a north wind. Figure out wind direction and have a stand location and a way to get to your stand for all different winds and never hunt them except when the wind is right for that particular stand. I hope this helps some and good luck!