Rifle hunting tips

[Neilthepilot]

I'm new to hunting.

Just curious as to what scents and calls the rifle hunters use for deer since it is later in the season.


Also I just got a climbing stand and will be working public land. Does anyone leave their stands on public land or do you pack it in and out each day?

Thanks

[itsmyright]

I use Tink's #1 Doe-P on some cotton patches, hanging from various tree branches spread out around my stand.



I set up a few ladder stands for me and my sons in WMU 3D and leave them in for the duration of the hunt. I lock the upper portion to the tree trunk with a cable lock and padlock the ladder sections together. If you wanted to leave your climber out there I guess you could also lock it to the base of a tree with a cable lock.

[keystoneman 85]

No scents no calls during rifle, just archery seasons.

[A-5]

just the scent of pbj, and gunpowder, as for the call pull the trigger and call your buddies.





Rifle is a very different animal, then archery.

[ironhorse]

no scents during rifle season. On public land i am not comfortable in a tree stand during rifle season,, Stray bullets you know. I have had a few wiz over my head before...

[soup]

Rifle is a very different animal, then archery.

True.

First I assume you've taken the required hunter safety course?

Do you have a good safety harness if you plan on using a climber?

Are you only planning on hunting deer?

Are you hunting with any friends or are you hunting alone? Do you know how to field dress an animal?

I assume you've picked a few areas you'd like to hunt. Have you scouted any of them recently? When you scout are you seeing deer? Are you planning on hunting first week? second week or a mixture of both at this location?

Below is my personal opinion and advice for a person new to hunting.

I think too many people sit around during rifle season and wait for the deer to come to them. In rifle season I see more deer while stalking than sitting.

I suggest that before you put yourself in a tree all day you get to know the area you plan on hunting. Talk to people you run into while scouting. Don't be afraid to put some miles on the ground and always document what you see and where. That information might be very useful when you're trying to find a food source in the colder months.

During archery the deer are moving around a lot where as rifle season they are getting back into their usual patterns. Waiting around in a spot that's even 50 yards away from where they are could mean you miss seeing deer all season. When everything is brown on a cold Nov. morning with no snow on the ground it's easy to miss a deer walking through the thick stuff.

There is no better way to get to know your hunting area than to hike it in Fall/Winter. It's amazing how different and area will be a week after the leaves fall vs full green vs 2 hours after a snow storm. It's equally amazing at how easy it is to get yourself turned around in just a small patch of woods. Knowing the area your hunting will help you minimize these issues.

And lastly... be prepared to miss or use a Y branch or something to steady your nerves when the first deer comes into your sights...

[Neilthepilot]

First I assume you've taken the required hunter safety course?

Yes, I actually went out a little last year.

Do you have a good safety harness if you plan on using a climber?

They come with a safety harness system and I have gone through the PGC tree stand safety course on-line.

Are you only planning on hunting deer?

I'm going out on the 13th for Squirrel or Grouse, Bear in November and Deer during the firearms season

Are you hunting with any friends or are you hunting alone? Do you know how to field dress an animal?

I'll be alone. I have read and watched a number of videos on dressing the animal, hopefully I can practice on the squirrels.

I assume you've picked a few areas you'd like to hunt. Have you scouted any of them recently? When you scout are you seeing deer? Are you planning on hunting first week? second week or a mixture of both at this location?

It will be a mixture, usually during the week as my job keeps me out of town on most weekends.

Thanks to everyone for the input.

[firemanmark]

Neil,
I hunted gamelands in the Harrisburg area for years (mostly SGL 211), and had good success. You may want to consider leaving the stand at home however, as myself as well as many of my friends determined that it wasn't really worth the effort to hang because unless you are in a really remote part of the lands more then likely due to the heavy hunting pressure the sgl's recieve during rifle season, someone or multiple people are more then likely going to walk through or set up near the area you are watching and its alot easier to move without having to take down the stand etc. I found a great spot that was almost 1.5 miles back from the gate located on a saddle on the mountain that the deer naturally followed to escape the hordes of hunters coming in from the parking area. I would get there early, sit down on a deadfall and let the deer be pushed to me. If i didn't see anything by 9am or so I figured out a nice looping path that took me up the hillside then back down to my vehicle. When hunting the more pressured gamelands I found that "patterning" the hunters was just as important as the deer. That being said the need to use scents(other than a cover scent if you choose) is not really necesary as the deer are not in their normal patterns and are in "flight" mode from all the activity in the woods. As I once read in a hunting mag several years ago during rifle season "hunt the escapes, not the scrapes" meaning try to figure out where the deer go when pressured not where they were when they were in their normal routine.

[Shodan]

I wouldn't leave any stand on public property. Besides, if you're using a climber to get out of the tree there's not really any convenience reason to leave it in the woods.

Good for you on getting into hunting.

[Captain4]

Do yourself a favor and try to meet some other hunters to sit down and have a conversation with, prior to going out. Small gun/bow shops almost always have guys hanging around looking to bs about stuff like this and most of them, I know that I would, would probably be more than happy to help you get started, you mostly likely won't get all the tricks or any "honey holes", but they'll hit you with the basics (eventhough they will all disagree on what they are). You can get some sound advice from the website here, but a face to face will work better, and you never know you might make some friends and open some doors.

Also, try to stay away from the commercial world advice, there are some good articles and tips, but most of it is there to make money (hence your treestand, scents, calls, etc.) many a deer has fallen without this stuff. TV shows and magazines aren't there for our benefit, if they weren't getting paid, they wouldn't be there. Like a previous poster said, learn your area and learn your deer, this is the safest and most effective way to be successful.

One more thing and I'll be pc about it; "field dressing" a squirel is not the same as "field dressing" a deer, which you will quickly find out the first time you try to do it.

Finally, welcome to the hunting world, it's a great place to be!