How Late Is Too Late?

[Marcus99]

Give anyone else you see a wide berth. I've had people walk within 40 yards of me during that time period and I was none too happy. My personal rule is that if I'm walking and I see orange, I turn around and go a different way. At the very least, change direction until you cannot see that person anymore and go around them. When in the woods, I try to never sit within sight of another person unless they're clearly very far away.

[Gunowner99]

I will keep my distance especially for the sake of safety!

[Emptymag]

Don't get too stressed out over the details.
Every year, thousands of twelve year olds (is twelve the min age? I forget) take deer in the PA woods. If they can do it, so can anyone else.

I think I was 14 when I got my first/only buck (I stopped hunting after graduating) and we would go into the woods with a flashlight just before it was getting light. That day I was a few hundred yards into the woods from the country road we parked along.
Shortly after daybreak I heard a bunch of shooting and kept my eyes open since that likely meant there were deer on the move. Sure enough, three came running in my direction about 50 yards away and stopped briefly, looking around before two darted off, leaving the one that I could see had antlers. BOOM!
He hopped over the crest of the rise he was on and I couldn't see him, so I went to look. Found him not far away. He was lying on his side, his back to me, and as I approached, he lifted his head and looked back at me, then lay back down. He was dead by the time my father and I got to him.

Nice and close to the road too!

There was none of this fancy shit that people buy these days. You wore long Johns if it was cold, a heavy coat - orange knit hat, and maybe one of those "Hot Seat" cushions. A stick of jerky, an apple, a thermos of hot tea, and that was about it.
I hunted with a sporteried Mauser. Iron sights.

Good luck, and most importantly, enjoy your time out there.

[Gunowner99]

There was none of this fancy shit that people buy these days. You wore long Johns if it was cold, a heavy coat - orange knit hat, and maybe one of those "Hot Seat" cushions. A stick of jerky, an apple, a thermos of hot tea, and that was about it.
I hunted with a sporteried Mauser. Iron sights.


That's so funny because so many people say that and the same amount tell me I have to get the $500 pattern just created by Willie Roberstson or whatever ha ha! As I get older, I simplify for sure. Thanks for the motivation, I really need it lately with this journey.

[wis bang]

Don't get too stressed out over the details.
Every year, thousands of twelve year olds (is twelve the min age? I forget) take deer in the PA woods. If they can do it, so can anyone else.

I think I was 14 when I got my first/only buck (I stopped hunting after graduating) and we would go into the woods with a flashlight just before it was getting light. That day I was a few hundred yards into the woods from the country road we parked along.
Shortly after daybreak I heard a bunch of shooting and kept my eyes open since that likely meant there were deer on the move. Sure enough, three came running in my direction about 50 yards away and stopped briefly, looking around before two darted off, leaving the one that I could see had antlers. BOOM!
He hopped over the crest of the rise he was on and I couldn't see him, so I went to look. Found him not far away. He was lying on his side, his back to me, and as I approached, he lifted his head and looked back at me, then lay back down. He was dead by the time my father and I got to him.

Nice and close to the road too!

There was none of this fancy shit that people buy these days. You wore long Johns if it was cold, a heavy coat - orange knit hat, and maybe one of those "Hot Seat" cushions. A stick of jerky, an apple, a thermos of hot tea, and that was about it.
I hunted with a sporteried Mauser. Iron sights.

Good luck, and most importantly, enjoy your time out there.

When I was 12 it was hand me down woolrich red/ black check, slush boots with felt shoes and yes Iron sights on the 8mm and my uncle showing the scar on his nose telling not to put my thumb over the stock or my thumb nail would be sticking there...

Still have that old mauser, my pappy cut the stock down a long time ago KAR98 / Erfort 1915

[98Redline]

One other piece of advice, you will NEVER beat a deer's nose. I don't care how many dollars you spend on high priced scent free clothing and soaps.
Play the wind. If you are setting up on a trail that runs North/South, you had better make sure that the wind is East/West and that your scent will carry away from the trail.
Early in my hunting I spent many hundreds of dollars on expensive Scent Blocker stuff and was busted more times than I can count. The simple fact is that regardless of how well to try to control your scent, you still smell. The only fix for that is the wind. If the wind is blowing from the deer to you, he has 0% chance of smelling you. I have since abandoned all of that scent blocker clothing, although I still try to keep my hunting gear as scent free as possible. I hunt based on the wind. That technique has never let me down.

To that end, you need to make a plan for yourself if the wind happens to not be in your favor for your intended spot. It will happen. Have another spot picked out that would best be hunted with the wind blowing in the current direction.

As far as working on getting your stuff as scent free as possible, here is my technique:
1) Run a full load of towels through the washer with your intended scent free hunting detergent. The towels are just to get the machine relatively scent free and to wipe away any of the residual Tide or other detergent. Throw them in the dryer, you are done with them.
2) Wash your hunting gear in the washer with your hunting detergent.
3) Take all of your wet gear outside and hang them up on the line, or fence, or patio chair or whatever to air dry.
4) When dry, fold them into a big Rubbermaid tub and use that as your hunting gear storage.

Don't get dressed in your hunting gear before leaving the house, do it wherever you park your truck to go hunting. This keeps your gear relatively fresh and scent free and doesn't pick up the odors from your truck or sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit you have for breakfast in the morning.

The other alternative as I mentioned in an above post is to put your hunting clothing into your pack and walk into the woods in a set of sweatpants and a t-shirt that was washed with your hunting gear. I have been doing that for the past couple of years and it seems to have cut down on the amount of times I get winded if the wind isn't exactly perfect.

One last thing, DONT go overboard and drag too much gear into the woods with you. It is astonishing how quickly your pack can get heavy.

[Parrisk]

... I will have a light backpack with some stuff so keep that in mind but I hear a harness works well but also where do you hook up to the deer? Head and mouth? Any help is appreciated..

Here is the bee knees, https://www.discountramps.com/throne...hair/p/THRONE/ A deer cart that is a swivel seat and rifle steady
Yes the big ones like to go places hunters don't.. like no hunt areas, or WAY WAY back up in a holler. I have had deer in my scope and thought "Screw this, I am not dragging this animal out and getting to my car at 10 at night.. nope, live well and prosper deer" and walked back empty handed.. no I just don't go that far in.. LOL

Go to a spot you want to hunt a few days early. Mark the tree/spot with orange tape or something bright. Walk a big circle around where you want to set up and look to see if anyone has a tree stand or marked the area. Many times from the parking areas you can follow small reflective dots stuck to trees that the hunter will use to find their spot in the dark. You want to be sure you are not setting up in someone's line of fire.

Getting there later, the only real drawback is that someone might be in your spot or very close.. just walk to a new spot.

Pack water, granola bars/snacks and a partial roll of shit paper flattened and inside a ziplock bag.. never fails me to be there an hour and have to fertilize over a log.
Best deer I have seen were when I wake from a snooze or when I have my pants around my ankles fertilizing .. they love to show themselves when you cannot take the shot

[gghbi]

Here is the bee knees, https://www.discountramps.com/throne...hair/p/THRONE/ A deer cart that is a swivel seat and rifle steady
Yes the big ones like to go places hunters don't.. like no hunt areas, or WAY WAY back up in a holler. I have had deer in my scope and thought "Screw this, I am not dragging this animal out and getting to my car at 10 at night.. nope, live well and prosper deer" and walked back empty handed.. no I just don't go that far in.. LOL

Go to a spot you want to hunt a few days early. Mark the tree/spot with orange tape or something bright. Walk a big circle around where you want to set up and look to see if anyone has a tree stand or marked the area. Many times from the parking areas you can follow small reflective dots stuck to trees that the hunter will use to find their spot in the dark. You want to be sure you are not setting up in someone's line of fire.

Getting there later, the only real drawback is that someone might be in your spot or very close.. just walk to a new spot.

Pack water, granola bars/snacks and a partial roll of shit paper flattened and inside a ziplock bag.. never fails me to be there an hour and have to fertilize over a log.
Best deer I have seen were when I wake from a snooze or when I have my pants around my ankles fertilizing .. they love to show themselves when you cannot take the shot

Quite the contraption you found there.

[Gunowner99]

I'm very flatulent, that may be a downside. ;-)

I need to segregate my clothes for sure, all of them including base layer I would assume. Socks and drawers as well!

What detergent? We use All I believe that is scent a dye free at home. That suitable?

[unclejumbo]

I'm very flatulent, that may be a downside. ;-)

I need to segregate my clothes for sure, all of them including base layer I would assume. Socks and drawers as well!

What detergent? We use All I believe that is scent a dye free at home. That suitable?

No UV brighteners. It makes you glow like a neon sign to their eyes.