First off I highly recommend reading this book by Peter Fiduccia “Whitetail Strategies” Tons of great information especially for a beginner it will definitely get you started on the right track.
https://www.amazon.com/Whitetail-Str.../dp/0883172798
When I was in my early 20’s I had to have back surgery and was laid up off work for 9 months. I was still fairly new to hunting, so I did a lot of reading and research during that time and it dramatically improved my confidence and success rate. This book was a huge part of it, along with hunting magazines and hunting shows.
The biggest part of it is learning and understanding the animal. Learn it’s behavior and habits, what does it do and why, which is what will ultimately determine how you need to effectively hunt a certain piece of land. Deer are pretty predictable for the most part they are creatures of habit. Focus in on food, water, and bedding areas and how they travel to and from them.
Scouting is paramount for your success especially in new unfamiliar territory. I’d look at a satellite view of the area you will be hunting before even stepping foot on it to see how it lays out, look for the obvious, food/crops, water source, pinch points, and their suspected travel routes in between. Don’t wait until just before next season to walk it, go after the season ends while sign is still more visible and fresh like rubs and scrapes, again creatures of habit if there’s sign there now you can pretty much bet there will be next season too. Doing some homework first will increase your chances of finding sign and hot spots quicker and easier while decreasing the amount of tromping around running more risk of spooking game off.
Other factors are will you be hunting with a bow or a gun? In a tree stand or on the ground? Are you trophy hunting for a big buck or just looking to fill the freezer? Do your scouting accordingly. Keep wind direction in mind when selecting a stand/blind location and how you anticipate the deer to approach, and also how it will affect your entry and exit. The wind can be your best friend or worst enemy wen it comes to deer and hog hunting their sense of smell is greater than a bloodhound and is their #1 defense mechanism.
I’m a firm believer in scent control products, you cannot completely eliminate your human scent but you can certainly diminish it significantly. Scent free laundry detergent, shampoo, and soap. It is much more critical for bow hunting than it is with a gun obviously as you are at closer range. Either way ALWAYS play the wind to your advantage.
As for lures such as urine, estrous, buck n rut etc... I have not used them all that much so I can’t say whether they work or not. Calls on the other hand definitely work when used properly, they have their place and time when they can be effective. Make sure you have the right gear and clothing to be prepared and comfortable for the conditions you’ll be hunting in, this will play a huge role in having patience, which in turn will equal success and having more fun.
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