Noob needs hunter help

[shredder4286]

I'm not gonna puff myself up here, guys- i'm a straight noob to the hunting world. being stuck in the desert for a while yet, i have a lot of time to think and plan things for when i come home.

If you knew what you needed to hunt whitetail deer in say- Colorado, and all you had was a rifle and a scope, what gear would you go and buy? i'm talking camo clothes, scent cover, stands, etc. what do i really NEED to get me out in the woods so i can bag a deer?

thanks,

noob

 

[hooligan1]

Attitude is a big part of hunting whitetails, if you really get into it, there's alot to pick up on knowledgewise. Yes there is some certain gear a guy needs to carry but that's secondary to having hunting knowledge of the whitetail. The best way to pick up on this,(it is what I did) is to use hunting videos, how-to videos. They will take you from totally newb to educated hunter. Also watching other hunters being successful will give you more confidence, in what their trying to teach you. Dude hunting deer is the biggest blast!! Now hunting in Colorado is something I haven't done ever, so other members will have to share their insight. Thanks for getting my six out there man. and be safe.

 

[shredder4286]

Originally posted by Hooligan1 The best way to pick up on this,(it is what I did) is to use hunting videos, how-to videos. They will take you from totally newb to educated hunter

i have a few whitetail-huntin vids on my laptop here, and there are some things i picked up on from them. However, alot of the hunting these guys are doing are on reservations, or places where it's a low-stress environment for the deer. Not to say these deer aren't "wild", but they aren't exactly rough and tough'n it, when they have clover plantations everywhere...

 

[hooligan1]

Right on man, you will have to put some boot time in the area you're planning to hunt to identify sign and trails and watering holes and rub lines and scrapes and escape routes, hunting pressure,, especially those last two. You will learn to control your scent, what kind of cover scents to use, using the wind to your advantage, when to stay on stand and when to give it up and stalk. These vids your talking about are being filmed mostly on private land, but honestly I don't think deer can read, so they don't know this and should act like normal whitetails, having said that public land whitetails do act somewhat different due to human traffic. You will learn all this stuff in time. I also recomend finding a great hunting partner. Dragging a huge buck out of a deep gully by yourself ain't the most fun I have ever had but it is rewarding. Eat up all the info you can, never stop trying to learn something new about your prey, it makes hunting more and more pleasurable when it starts to pay off.

 

[shredder4286]

You will learn to control your scent, what kind of cover scents to use, using the wind to your advantage, when to stay on stand and when to give it up and stalk

a buddy of mine was tellin me a while ago, that his dad taught him to take his hunting clothes and put them in a pile of leaves for a few days, and then take them out right before the hunt. that sounds like a good start, to get ya smelling natural and also, using scentless deodorant, soap, etc.

yes, and scouting- i need to learn- not only WHAT to scout for, but WHERE to scout. like what makes one spot better than another. obviously, you want to give yourself a wide area of view, with little obstruction of your shot as possible, and be in an area that has things that draw deer in- i.e. creeks, corn or an area that's close to a field of grass, where they bed down.

 

[Daryl]

Having hunted Colorado (for elk, mule deer, and antelope, but not whitetails), the thing I use the most is a good pair of binoculars. A spotting scope can help, too.

They'll help keep the miles off of your boots, and you can cover country faster with your eyes. You can watch animals from a distance to see what they're doing, and why, then plan your hunt, or your stalk if you're already hunting.

In places where cover it close, the bino's won't be needes as much, or if they are, they'll need to be lower powered. In Colorado, I'd go with 8x or 10x bino's, and maybe a 25x spotting scope. Personally, I use 10x binos, 15x bino's, and a 25x spotting scope, depending on my needs in the area I'm hunting.

Daryl

 

[shredder4286]

anywhere near CO springs?

 

[Art Eatman]

In hilly or mountainous country, bucks tend to bed down on the downwind crest of a ridgeline. A bit below the ridgetop so they won't be skylined when they stand up. Near a saddle, so if some booger spooks them they can bail out upwind and stay in brush.

Spooked bucks go upwind and generally, uphill.

If you're going to sit during the first light, be at your spot at least a half-hour before first light. A deer's attention span is around twenty minutes, so any disturbance you've made will be forgotten--if you can do a good imitation of a stump.

Working with the wind and being motionless is far, far more important than any camo or scent-games.

During mid-day walking hunting, generally work quietly along a ridge, upwind or crosswind, looking to kick Bambi out of bed and if you like him, shoot him.

Evenings, I like to pick a likely location and sit and wait to see if anything good happens. I'll likely be a bit tired from walking, so I won't be all that far from the truck or from camp. And, after all, it's been quiet around camp all day so there's no tellling what might be fairly near by.

Note: Not all bucks have read my book "What Deer Do".

 

[shredder4286]

Working with the wind and being motionless is far, far more important than any camo or scent-games.

Note: Not all bucks have read my book "What Deer Do".

"working w/ the wind..." - That makes alot of sense. If you do all you can to keep your scent from being picked up by the deer in the first place, that's better than letting him smell your cover scent


Haha! good thing bucks can't read field and stream...

 

[shredder4286]

so... you agree that the tactics and techniques of hunting are more important than gear for the most part? essentially- i could do better on a hunt w/ a good rifle and plenty of knowledge about how to hunt my prey, than a guy with a fancy get-up and accessories, but no experience or mindful approach to his hunt.

 

[BfloBill]

You could spend a fortune on gear, some of it is helpfull, some of it is nothing but a gimmick. The two things that every good hunter I know have in common are knowledge and alot of time in the field. Put in your time and pay attention to tips from people who know more than you do (vids and magazine articles help) and you can be successful with minimal gear.

 

[Daryl]

anywhere near CO springs?

I haven't hunted that far east, but a buddy of mine lives a bit east of The Springs, in Peyton.

I've hunted quite a bit around Salida, and south around Saquache. Another friend is an outfitter in Moffat. I killed my first elk up in the Bonanza area (west of Villa Grove) back in '91.

I live in SE Arizona, but my wife grew up in Beulah (30 miles SW of Pueblo) and has a lot of family in that area. As a result, I get to spend a bit of time up there. Beautiful country, no doubt!

Daryl

 

[shredder4286]

You could spend a fortune on gear, some of it is helpfull, some of it is nothing but a gimmick. The two things that every good hunter I know have in common are knowledge and alot of time in the field. Put in your time and pay attention to tips from people who know more than you do (vids and magazine articles help) and you can be successful with minimal gear

that sounds like the ticket, friend can't wait to get back and get out into that beautiful country again... and yes, colorado is great maybe i'll get to see some more of Washington state, too

 

[Big Bill]

All you need is a good pair of boots, jeans, and a good warm shirt, jacket and hat and some hunter orange. A good deer rifle like a 270 or 30-06 with or without a scope ammo and a hunting licence and good knife. You might also like to bring some water and lunch. And, you'll also need a ride of some kind. Almost everything else are just wants.

 

[Buzzcook]

Knowledge never hurt, but sometimes the guys with all the fancy stuff get the deer.

Know the place you're going to hunt. Walk the land if you can and draw your own map. A compass and or a GPS is a good idea.

Food, water, a way to stay warm and dry. One of those survival kits, first aid kits, and orange ponchos you find by the check out stand will do in a pinch.

A sharp knife. I use a Gerber Gator.

The address of a butcher where you can drop off your kill.

 

[shredder4286]

All you need is a good pair of boots, jeans, and a good warm shirt, jacket and hat and some hunter orange. A good deer rifle like a 270 or 30-06 with or without a scope ammo and a hunting licence and good knife. You might also like to bring some water and lunch. And, you'll also need a ride of some kind. Almost everything else are just wants.

Roger that, bill. i like the way you hunt.

 

[taylorce1]

Around what time frame are you due back from the sand box? There are some great opportunities for you to hunt elk on Ranching For Wildlife properties that you can draw on with 0 prefrence points. You being military makes you a resident and gets you access to those properties. Plus being military and a veteran more than likely if you talk to the ranch hands they will guide you right in on the elk, all you have to do is make the shot.

If you don't get back in time to put your applications in for next year make sure to do it from the DOW's web site. I can help you hunt pronghorn pretty easy if you don't draw then I can usually find a landowner tag no problem. Especially if you are willing to hunt a doe I can usually find one or two of thoes tags at no cost.

Deer is a different story where I like to hunt it usually takes a minimum of 5 prefrence points. However there are a ton of deer up in the mountains of CO, and you can find some great ones from time to time. Plus there are a ton of guys out here always looking for a new young hunting friends to help with the hunt (packing out dead animals) around here. Not too many hunter friendly areas in CO to hunt white tails unless you have the money to spend, most of the prime area is leased since it is private land East of I25. You will hunt mainly mule deer here.

Other than what was mentioned for gear, boots, good pants, poly-pro, warm shirt, jacket, and orange requirement all you really need to add besides your hunting rifle would be a area map and compass and a good pair of binoculars. You will spend a lot of time behind the glass looking for animals in CO.

 

[wpcexpert]

If I were going to be hunting Colorado, I would be durn sure I had a good frame pack to carry out the meat. I know one could chase deer for miles thru steep terrain. Although it is a big want, it sure would be handy to have. That and a great big echo on the boots. Nothing ruins a trip like a blister.

 

[oneounceload]

Hunting in Colorado, first thing you need is a great pair of boots - custom if possible. You need to be used to changes in altitude. Never saw whitetail in Colorado, but plenty of mule deer. No tree stands, this isn't the East where they do "deer waiting", this is the West where you actually have you "hunt" for the animal. Good glass, GPS or topo maps showing springs is nice - a ruck sack with emergency gear, etc. is all nice (and essential).

Patience will be key. Knowing where you are is as well. There was a lot of private land interspersed among the BLM land when I lived in Rifle and they didn't have to post it. Know your gun, practice shooting uphill and downhill.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[shredder4286]

Around what time frame are you due back from the sand box?

around march 2011

There are some great opportunities for you to hunt elk on Ranching For Wildlife properties that you can draw on with 0 prefrence points.

I imagine that a preference point is where you can reserve your own little spot of the land?

You being military makes you a resident and gets you access to those properties. Plus being military and a veteran more than likely if you talk to the ranch hands they will guide you right in on the elk, all you have to do is make the shot.

That's not really what i'm looking for. i'd rather have a challenge, and end up with nothing, then be guided and get something for sure.

If you don't get back in time to put your applications in for next year make sure to do it from the DOW's web site. I can help you hunt pronghorn pretty easy if you don't draw then I can usually find a landowner tag no problem.

If i dont' draw??...

Especially if you are willing to hunt a doe I can usually find one or two of thoes tags at no cost.

I'd be perfectly happy with a doe

Deer is a different story where I like to hunt it usually takes a minimum of 5 prefrence points. However there are a ton of deer up in the mountains of CO, and you can find some great ones from time to time. Plus there are a ton of guys out here always looking for a new young hunting friends to help with the hunt (packing out dead animals) around here. Not too many hunter friendly areas in CO to hunt white tails unless you have the money to spend, most of the prime area is leased since it is private land East of I25. You will hunt mainly mule deer here.

I heard that I could get access to hunting ground on FT carson, not sure how that works, but I've personally seen a nice whitetail buck on post during training, i was tempted...

thanks bud