New here and a new hunter

[jvannatta]

Hi everyone, new here and new to hunting and need some help. I got some great answers from deertracks, thanks. Everyone told me to repost in this forum so here we go. I know nothing of deer hunting but what to.

1. I want to hunt with a rifle but don't know what to get that is fairly good and won't break the bank but legal in Indiana.

2. What is some good outer wear to stay comfortable and warm.

3. I plan on hunting from a tree above a dry creek bed, what is a good tree stand.

4. What are some good scents to use and are they really needed.

5. What type of knife is used for gutting and what do you guys recommend.

6. Where can I find some good information on how to properly gut a deer.

Thanks guys for any responses. I know I have asked alot questions and I appreciate any answers you can give. I just want to have a good experience and have fun.

[Decatur]

I replied at the welcome mat.

[Woody Williams]

Hi everyone, new here and new to hunting and need some help. I got some great answers from deertracks, thanks. Everyone told me to repost in this forum so here we go. I know nothing of deer hunting but what to.

1. I want to hunt with a rifle but don't know what to get that is fairly good and won't break the bank but legal in Indiana.

Rifles for deer hunting in Indiana must be the “pistol cartridge rifles”.

Rifles with pistol cartridges

Rifles must fire a cartridge with a bullet of .357-inch diameter or larger; have a minimum case length of 1.16 inches; and have a maximum case length of 1.625 inches.

These rifle cartridges can be used only during the deer firearms season.
Some cartridges that are legal include the following:

.357 Magnum
.38-40 Winchester
.41 Magnum
.41 Special
.44 Magnum
.44 Special
.44-40 Winchester
.45 Colt
.454 Casull
.458 SOCOM
.480 Ruger
.475 Linebaugh
.50 Action Express
.500 S&W

Some illegal rifle cartridges for deer hunting are the .30-30 Winchester, .444 Marlin and .45-70 Govt.

A god number of hunters are opting for the .44 Mags. You can start pretty easy by buying a H & R (New England Firearms). This is a single shot, but it can get you started for a couple hundred bucks.


2. What is some good outer wear to stay comfortable and warm.

Lots of choices out there and I’m sure we all have our own favorites. I would look for something that will also have some rain repellency to it too.

3. I plan on hunting from a tree above a dry creek bed, what is a good tree stand.

Big Dog, API, Gorilla and Summit are just several pretty good brands. Look for something with a comfortable seat. The longer that you can sit there more deer you will see. I would suggest a set of climbing sticks instead of screw in steps. They are heavier to pack in, but they are a lot safer to climb. You’ll need a good full body safety harness too. I like the Seat of the Pants Fastback.

4. What are some good scents to use and are they really needed.

Some people swear by them, but I think they are a waste of money.

5. What type of knife is used for gutting and what do you guys recommend.

I prefer a good folding knife with a 4 or 5 inch blade that has a lock blade. Buck, Shrade, Case are all good knives

6. Where can I find some good information on how to properly gut a deer.

See...

huntingindiana.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=deerhunting&thread=22829&page=1

huntingindiana.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=deerhunting&action=display&thread=3022


www.surviveoutdoors.com/reference/fielddress.asp

hunting.about.com/od/deerbiggame/ht/htfielddress.htm

Thanks guys for any responses. I know I have asked alot questions and I appreciate any answers you can give. I just want to have a good experience and have fun.

You are about to embark on a great adventure. Enjoy it all..

[dbd870]

Jul 23, 2009 19:24:49 GMT -5 jvannatta said:

Hi everyone, new here and new to hunting and need some help. I got some great answers from deertracks, thanks. Everyone told me to repost in this forum so here we go. I know nothing of deer hunting but what to.
A fair amount of this is personal preference but awyway.....

1. I want to hunt with a rifle but don't know what to get that is fairly good and won't break the bank but legal in Indiana.
The H&R's are fine, if you are willing to spend a little more take a look at a T/C Contender or Encore - you have far more options on barrels once you get rolling (that can be dangerous as well though! ;D You will spend more $$$ if you choose a repeater but I'll throw in my 2 cents anyway; I had a pretty bad experience with a Marlin 1894 so I can't recommend them however the Puma (45LC) I had shot very well - the sights on that particular model were set up for Cowboy loads and I ran out of adjustment with heavy loads so I sold it. I'm sure the 357 or 44 guns would not suffer from that issue. If you can find a Ruger 44 autoloader they seem to run pretty well. They list them as back in production but they are not available yet

2. What is some good outer wear to stay comfortable and warm.
I prefer to use layering for warmth - wool is always good for a middle layer.

3. I plan on hunting from a tree above a dry creek bed, what is a good tree stand.
There is alot of personal preference here but I don't use fixed stands as I prefer just to use my Summit Viper (climber). I prefer the flexibility

4. What are some good scents to use and are they really needed.
Agree with Woody,I don't use scents either. Do pay attention to the wind though!

5. What type of knife is used for gutting and what do you guys recommend.
I have a Buck (105 I think) that is at least 35yrs old - I have used this knife to dress everything I have ever killed

6. Where can I find some good information on how to properly gut a deer.
Woody covered it well

Thanks guys for any responses. I know I have asked alot questions and I appreciate any answers you can give. I just want to have a good experience and have fun.

[larryhagmansliver]

Wow! You guys both gave out some well thought out answers. Impressive. ! I have to agree with everything you said. The only thing I will add is you have about 1000 mistakes to go out and make that you really can't learn from reading. Spend as much time as you can in the woods or if you are married, as much time as your wife will allow. After about 25 years you will find out what works, but will still go out and buy more stuff because thats part of who we are and what makes it fun. I'm sorta trying to be funny, but most of the people on here will probably relate to most of what I said.

Larry

[jvannatta]

Thanks guys. Alot and very good answers and I appreciate the time you took answer those considering I feel like I am bothering you guys with basic stuff. I look forward to making some mistakes and learning from the experience. Thanks.

[oldrookie]

Good luck to you and above all else, be safe.

[kevin1]

Jul 26, 2009 13:00:04 GMT -5 jvannatta said:

Thanks guys. Alot and very good answers and I appreciate the time you took answer those considering I feel like I am bothering you guys with basic stuff. I look forward to making some mistakes and learning from the experience. Thanks.

You aren't "bothering" us by asking basic questions, mentoring is as old as hunting itself, and personally I relish the chance to mentor someone. Yes, you'll make mistakes, we all have and still do, you learn just as much from failure as you do from success. If you live near Louisville you're welcome to stop by, I have a pretty good learning size woods, and I'd be more than happy to share what I know. I have plenty of nice fat squirrels too, the perfect "training wheels" for a budding deer hunter, the squirrel season opens on the 15th.

[oldhoyt]

My advise to you is to start simple as far as equipment and gadgets go. You'll NEED a gun and along with that you need to know your max effective range (practice shooting a lot). Then you NEED a knife and just a couple other essentials depending on where and how you want to hunt.

Then just focus on learning deer behavior. Reading is fine, but can't compare to time in the woods. Stand hunting gets you in the woods, but you can learn more (faster) by walking your woods and reading sign. Where do they bed, where do they go in bad weather (really bad, not just a normal rain or wind), where do they feed and when, where are the scrapes that are active every year, where do the first rubs show up every year. You may or may not be able to do this during the season depending on your situation - size of woods, other hunters, etc., but a great deal can be learned right after the season, and maybe during the break between firearms and muzzleloader. If there's snow cover, make every effort to get out and see where they travel.

I always tell beginners to take the first few legal deer (except perhaps fawns) they can. Get a couple "under your belt" before setting high standards.

As you gain more knowledge about deer, you will be able to decide what additional equipment (calls, lure scents, cover scents, rattling horns, etc.) you WANT to use. IMO, too many beginners focus on the gadgets and attribute their success or failure to what they take with them to the woods. A good hunter can take deer in Indiana with just a gun (or bow) and a some time in the woods.

Lastly, be prepared to trail your deer. Bring what you need (lights, some ribbon, drag rope/cart, etc.) to find your deer and get it out of the woods. Trailing is an art that you learn by doing. Well shot deer should leave relatively short trails, but even they can leave the scene without looking like they are hit. Absence of blood (it is always there, but not always easy to see) is no reason to assume a miss. When you think you've missed, keep looking and then look some more. A good number of deer are lost by giving up too soon. And remember, hunting is supposed to be fun. Too many guys get hung up on taking a deer, and don't really enjoy the hunting experience itself. Many of my most enjoyable days in the woods ended without a shot fired. Enjoy yourself out there.

[Woody Williams]

Aug 6, 2009 6:54:03 GMT -5 oldhoyt said:

My advise to you is to start simple as far as equipment and gadgets go. You'll NEED a gun and along with that you need to know your max effective range (practice shooting a lot). Then you NEED a knife and just a couple other essentials depending on where and how you want to hunt.

Then just focus on learning deer behavior. Reading is fine, but can't compare to time in the woods. Stand hunting gets you in the woods, but you can learn more (faster) by walking your woods and reading sign. Where do they bed, where do they go in bad weather (really bad, not just a normal rain or wind), where do they feed and when, where are the scrapes that are active every year, where do the first rubs show up every year. You may or may not be able to do this during the season depending on your situation - size of woods, other hunters, etc., but a great deal can be learned right after the season, and maybe during the break between firearms and muzzleloader. If there's snow cover, make every effort to get out and see where they travel.

I always tell beginners to take the first few legal deer (except perhaps fawns) they can. Get a couple "under your belt" before setting high standards.

As you gain more knowledge about deer, you will be able to decide what additional equipment (calls, lure scents, cover scents, rattling horns, etc.) you WANT to use. IMO, too many beginners focus on the gadgets and attribute their success or failure to what they take with them to the woods. A good hunter can take deer in Indiana with just a gun (or bow) and a some time in the woods.

Lastly, be prepared to trail your deer. Bring what you need (lights, some ribbon, drag rope/cart, etc.) to find your deer and get it out of the woods. Trailing is an art that you learn by doing. Well shot deer should leave relatively short trails, but even they can leave the scene without looking like they are hit. Absence of blood (it is always there, but not always easy to see) is no reason to assume a miss. When you think you've missed, keep looking and then look some more. A good number of deer are lost by giving up too soon. And remember, hunting is supposed to be fun. Too many guys get hung up on taking a deer, and don't really enjoy the hunting experience itself. Many of my most enjoyable days in the woods ended without a shot fired. Enjoy yourself out there.

That is the very best advice that I have ever read for a new hunter.

Thanks oldhoyt!

[oldhoyt]

Just putting in my $.02 Woody, but thanks.

[ridgerunner]

Life is short , take time to look around, enjoy what's happening around you and take it all in...Don't get too obsessed with taking a trophy buck that you forget to enjoy the experience. Too many guys can ruin hunting for young new hunters through competition and jealousy..Have fun, but keep things in prespective..Respect wildlife, respect other hunters, respect landowners and if you drop trash in the woods pick it up, if you open a gate, close it...Don"t tresspass and respecct property lines....Too many hunters give us all a bad name being slobs....Best of Luck! Good Hunting..

[turkeyscout]

all these comments are right on!! , and i appriecate the folks on this great hunting site and more.. to pass down ideas that would help a young hunter get started right, "well said guys" and a lot of true sportmans have spoken here!!!! i just like to add (long time bowhunter here) if i was starting over ,when i go hunting with a pal, instead of splitting up ,you go this way and i go that way, i wish that we could hunt side by side and both of us enjoy the hunt to its fullest, i had my best hunts when my grandson was right there, my grandson taught me there more things to enjoy in the wooooods besides deer!!!!!.......hunting is family and friends.....good luck jvannatta......turkey scout