thinking about deer hunting

[18902man]

New to pa and new to hunting. Familar with firearms, but no idea how to hunt etc. So how did you all learn?
Is there a way to learn. i see the required course, but honestly there is non within a 100 miles of where I live according to the PA fisg and game site in the sticky above.

Very interested but want to learn the proper way so any advice would be appreciated.

[customloaded]

New to pa and new to hunting. Familar with firearms, but no idea how to hunt etc. So how did you all learn?
Is there a way to learn. i see the required course, but honestly there is non within a 100 miles of where I live according to the PA fisg and game site in the sticky above.

Very interested but want to learn the proper way so any advice would be appreciated.

Check out Amazon for books and aricles written by Jack O'Conner. Read them.
Join a hunting forum and read, read, read. Get out of the house and in the woods. Learn to read sign, tracks, feeding, bedding habits, deer habitat, etc...pretend you are a stalker and now stalk deer. Yup, learn their every move.

Also, if someone was willing to show ya, point out lil things that would surely help.

Good luck and keep your powder dry,

CL

[A-5]

New to pa and new to hunting. Familar with firearms, but no idea how to hunt etc. So how did you all learn?
Is there a way to learn. i see the required course, but honestly there is non within a 100 miles of where I live according to the PA fisg and game site in the sticky above.

Very interested but want to learn the proper way so any advice would be appreciated.

The Hunter education class will be coming to a area around you soon enough just keep checking the class registration forum on the PGC web site. Archery hunt best way to lean and make mistakes. Just do it stay safe and have fun.

[Buckster]

The hunter safety classes will start popping up all over closer to the time when the new licenses go on sale. Even thought when I did the course I don't remember there being much of " how to hunt"'it was mostly hunting safely. Like look beyond your target, how to tell the difference between a male and female turkey. That sort of thing. I learned from just going to the woods and talking with other hunters.

[jaron3]

Some people will disagree with my opinion I'm sure but the best way to learn about deer habits and behavior is scouting from a distance. Once you gain permission to hunt a property glass one field from far away. Maybe from your car, maybe from another field. In late summer deer will be in those fields well before dark. Note when and where they enter the field. The next time you go scouting pick a different field to look over. Once you've scouted all the fields you could without spooking the deer take slow walks, and I mean SLOW walks, in the woods. You're listening more than anything. The quieter you are the more you'll hear and see. Learn to look through the trees not at them. Binoculars help a ton here. Look for beds and food sources. White oak trees, crop fields, apple trees, ect for food. Thickets on south facing hillsides is a good start for bedding areas but they can be anywhere. Learn the woods you're hunting as well as you can. Walk deer trails to see where they go and why. Have fun with it. It can become an addiction and can get very expensive. Good luck. If you have any other questions, don't hesitate.

[Arch007er]

Apart from the obvious steps you need to take to acquire a Pa license (which you seem to know) the best advice I can really give you is to try to hunt with some experienced hunters. This is a great forum with a lot of good advice, but the problem is the division between the keyboard and the woods. While many people on here have great advice, its very difficult to try to type a post guiding you on the proper way to hunt. While key points/specific questions can be answered, I honestly will say that one on one would be your best bet.

Many hunting mag's have great info (some are BS) but read what you can and take it with a grain of salt and test it in the PA woods. If I were to suggest a magazine that offers a good deal of information, I would go with Deer and Deer Hunting, they put out a large range of good info, but like I said try to "partner" up with a good hunter that can give you the larger picture to give you a footing into the hunting world.

[jaron3]

Archer - You hit the nail on the head man. Well said.

[A-5]

Apart from the obvious steps you need to take to acquire a Pa license (which you seem to know) the best advice I can really give you is to try to hunt with some experienced hunters. This is a great forum with a lot of good advice, but the problem is the division between the keyboard and the woods. While many people on here have great advice, its very difficult to try to type a post guiding you on the proper way to hunt. While key points/specific questions can be answered, I honestly will say that one on one would be your best bet.

Many hunting mag's have great info (some are BS) but read what you can and take it with a grain of salt and test it in the PA woods. If I were to suggest a magazine that offers a good deal of information, I would go with Deer and Deer Hunting, they put out a large range of good info, but like I said try to "partner" up with a good hunter that can give you the larger picture to give you a footing into the hunting world.

Also the pa outdoor news publication is great. The Game News is good if I you didn't get the PGC propaganda.

[sixstringer]

Easiest way to shoot a big buck is this: Get a crossbow because PA lets you hunt with one and it will be easier to learn to shoot requiring minimal practice unlike a compound bow. Just buy some walmart camo. No need to waste all kinds of money on fancy gear. A tree stand is a huge advantage for weary bucks but not totally necessary especially w/ a crossbow. Find a spot were there are does and hunt from the last week of Oct. thru the end of archery. This is when deer are rutting and extremely stupid. Make sure there are does in your area. This is your bait and there really is no need for lure. Shooting the first legal buck you see on the first day of the season is stupid. You will see many of these smaller deer daily during the rut when bucks are literally chasing does around in circles under your tree. Wait for a 2 1/2 year old shooter. Shooting a deer with a crossbow is pretty easy so you don't want to shoot a young buck that a twelve year old kid would shoot. I personally only gun hunt as a last resort. By the rifle season deer are spooky and it's just a crapshoot.