Open Letter to New or Young deer hunters

[Guest merc]

Those who know my posts know I like to kid and have fun--but this time I think I need to step out of character and lend a helpful hand to the young and new deer hunters and the deer themselves.

This is not addressed to seasoned hunters or intended to offend or belittle but it may help you in the future as you go through the learning process as we all did at one time. Fortunately I had generations of experience teach me.

When I started hunting many years ago we wanted the meat---an nice set of antlers was definetly a bonus but it was not everything. Now the world is focused so much on that rack a few key points are being missed.

Our area is very highlighted as a place to get a possible record and along with this is coming hasty desicions being made and animals are being wounded and left because age old procedures were not followed.

This is not about killing animals and cutting off the rack and leaving the deer which I hear we also have had in our area because these people are not hunters they're just criminals and should be treated as thus.

In the last few days I have been made aware of deer that were thought to be missed but truly were not and this never turns out to be good.

Here's my list I follow because finding the animal has always been priority #1 in our group. Ask my son as he has these burned into his memory.

1. The first shot has to be your best---if your thinking you cannot make a good shot---don't

2. Once you shoot stay still for at Least 10 min and watch carefully what the deer does and where he goes.

I lost count how many guys shoot---deer drops--a few cheers--they run towards the deer---up he goes

and now your tracking for the rest of the day---sometimes without success.

3. Don't always rely on blood as if the bullet does'nt exit blood could be at a minimum. After my waiting

time I go to where the deer was standing and I try to find hair---you know they're not shedding in the fall

--hair indicates they've been hit.

4. Here's the tough one where many hunters get a failing grade----If there's no immediate blood and you

have found hair do not assume that he was just grazed. Another point is STAY CALM and search that

area you watched your deers movements after pulling the trigger.

5. Follow his direction but do not only look for blood on the ground---check trees and bushes as I witnessed

guys looking for blood on the ground--walk by hair and fat on a bush or small tree.

6 Have marking tape to mark his last certain movements be it based on blood or hair or his tracks---this

will be invaluable as if your deer gets in a high traffic area---one track looks very much like another.

If you lose his direction for a moment--go back to your last tape and search closer and make no

assumptions. Broken wood on the ground is also a good indicator--old logs with the brighter inside wood

showing reveals something has tripped over this very recently.

7. Patience and calm are very important--Don't just give up--Scan the area ahead as you go--many times

when I've been tracking I find him this way.

8. I am a successful deer hunter and shoot what I have considered a nice one annually for quite some time.

I have guided from time to time and it this been my experience----I followed my first rule and I have'nt

tracked a deer I've shot for more than a hundred yards. Also take the time to practice your shooting--

Rule #1 only matters if you shoot straight to begin with.

Deer hunting is a whole package---You have the peace and serenity of the forest, the heartpounding drama

of the pursuit, the friendships of old hunting partners and the celebrations of successful days.

It has to be more than the glory of antlers and approached with more care for our heritage.

This is my son's first deer----no less happy than if he shot something for a record book and me this is better than all the big bucks I've shot.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a261/terry_o/00630004.jpg

Merc

[Guest canuck]

Those who know my posts know I like to kid and have fun--but this time I think I need to step out of character and lend a helpful hand to the young and new deer hunters and the deer themselves.

This is not addressed to seasoned hunters or intended to offend or belittle but it may help you in the future as you go through the learning process as we all did at one time. Fortunately I had generations of experience teach me.

When I started hunting many years ago we wanted the meat---an nice set of antlers was definetly a bonus but it was not everything. Now the world is focused so much on that rack a few key points are being missed.

Our area is very highlighted as a place to get a possible record and along with this is coming hasty desicions being made and animals are being wounded and left because age old procedures were not followed.

This is not about killing animals and cutting off the rack and leaving the deer which I hear we also have had in our area because these people are not hunters they're just criminals and should be treated as thus.

In the last few days I have been made aware of deer that were thought to be missed but truly were not and this never turns out to be good.

Here's my list I follow because finding the animal has always been priority #1 in our group. Ask my son as he has these burned into his memory.

1. The first shot has to be your best---if your thinking you cannot make a good shot---don't

2. Once you shoot stay still for at Least 10 min and watch carefully what the deer does and where he goes.

I lost count how many guys shoot---deer drops--a few cheers--they run towards the deer---up he goes

and now your tracking for the rest of the day---sometimes without success.

3. Don't always rely on blood as if the bullet does'nt exit blood could be at a minimum. After my waiting

time I go to where the deer was standing and I try to find hair---you know they're not shedding in the fall

--hair indicates they've been hit.

4. Here's the tough one where many hunters get a failing grade----If there's no immediate blood and you

have found hair do not assume that he was just grazed. Another point is STAY CALM and search that

area you watched your deers movements after pulling the trigger.

5. Follow his direction but do not only look for blood on the ground---check trees and bushes as I witnessed

guys looking for blood on the ground--walk by hair and fat on a bush or small tree.

6 Have marking tape to mark his last certain movements be it based on blood or hair or his tracks---this

will be invaluable as if your deer gets in a high traffic area---one track looks very much like another.

If you lose his direction for a moment--go back to your last tape and search closer and make no

assumptions. Broken wood on the ground is also a good indicator--old logs with the brighter inside wood

showing reveals something has tripped over this very recently.

7. Patience and calm are very important--Don't just give up--Scan the area ahead as you go--many times

when I've been tracking I find him this way.

8. I am a successful deer hunter and shoot what I have considered a nice one annually for quite some time.

I have guided from time to time and it this been my experience----I followed my first rule and I have'nt

tracked a deer I've shot for more than a hundred yards. Also take the time to practice your shooting--

Rule #1 only matters if you shoot straight to begin with.

Deer hunting is a whole package---You have the peace and serenity of the forest, the heartpounding drama

of the pursuit, the friendships of old hunting partners and the celebrations of successful days.

It has to be more than the glory of antlers and approached with more care for our heritage.

This is my son's first deer----no less happy than if he shot something for a record book and me this is better than all the big bucks I've shot.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a261/terry_o/00630004.jpg

Merc

Well said Terry...I passed on a doe yesterday with the bow because I did not feel comfortable with what she was giving me as a shot. The first time bow hunting to boot and I didn't want to have to chase down a wounded animal just because I wanted to harvest something with the bow.

Nice buck for your son. Hope that he enjoyed his hunt. My son is 8 and he can't wait till he is old enough to take the course and hunt with dad.

Shane

[Guest Guest]

Awesome rules. Very good points to follow. Thank you.

[Guest Beamer]

Awesome rules. Very good points to follow. Thank you.

Excellent post,great words to live/hunt by.Here's a picture of my hunting partner cheers

[Guest canuck]

Beamer it will be a great time when our hunting camp consists of our children. I have to get a two man stand as Benjamin is dying to get out and watch the deer come in....behaps next season. Now with the new motor home we should get out and take the kids for a weekend next year.

[Guest Guest_Beamer_*]

Beamer it will be a great time when our hunting camp consists of our children. I have to get a two man stand as Benjamin is dying to get out and watch the deer come in....behaps next season. Now with the new motor home we should get out and take the kids for a weekend next year.

Sounds like a great idea,definately a plan

Beamer

[GC 54 31]

Beamer, how about the picture of your old hunting partner, #17. Did she quit hunting? lol

[Guest Guest_Beamer_*]

Beamer, how about the picture of your old hunting partner, #17. Did she quit hunting? lol

No she just didn't have her hunting clothes on

[Guest merc]

Beamer,

Seeing your boy there reminds me of a time years ago when I had come home after a successful hunt and I had a spot in a tree where I used to pull my animals up to skin them out.

I had the rope around his antlers and he was half way going up the tree---my then 3 yr old daughter comes out and sees whats going on how this rope somewhat looks like a dog leash to her and tells me..

"Not gonna get away on you now...huh dad"

It's a great age.

Merc

[Guest Guest_Beamer_*]

Beamer,

Seeing your boy there reminds me of a time years ago when I had come home after a successful hunt and I had a spot in a tree where I used to pull my animals up to skin them out.

I had the rope around his antlers and he was half way going up the tree---my then 3 yr old daughter comes out and sees whats going on how this rope somewhat looks like a dog leash to her and tells me..

"Not gonna get away on you now...huh dad"

It's a great age.

Merc

He is defiantely into hunting and gets in volved with the guys when we are skinning and cutting up the animals.I had intended to take him out one morning to sit in the two man stand I built but haven't got the chance yet and he keeps reminding me.We as hunters own it to the next generation to pass on good outdoors ethics and respect for the game we seek just as you stated in the start of this post.I know my father instilled many if not all of those points in my mind when I was young and I am doing the same with my sons.

Beamer

[Guest Guest_Loggerpete_*]

Nice one Beamer.

Even the experienced can`t find that deer sometimes.

Watched that show thats from Wisconsin can`t remember the name but anyways the guy was in a tree stand and nailed a pretty nice size buck with a bow and they showed it in slow motion too perfect hit.

It runs away and him and the camera guy watch silently and waited at least 1/2 an hour.

couldn`t find the deer so they went back to lodge and got like 10 people to help and still couldn`t find that deer.

I admire the honesty of that guy to put that on T.V. for everyone to I think learn from.

[Guest Guest_Beamer_*]

Nice one Beamer.

Even the experienced can`t find that deer sometimes.

Watched that show thats from Wisconsin can`t remember the name but anyways the guy was in a tree stand and nailed a pretty nice size buck with a bow and they showed it in slow motion too perfect hit.

It runs away and him and the camera guy watch silently and waited at least 1/2 an hour.

couldn`t find the deer so they went back to lodge and got like 10 people to help and still couldn`t find that deer.

I admire the honesty of that guy to put that on T.V. for everyone to I think learn from.

I know they can be hard to find some time,once while hunting with my father he shot a nice 6 point buck it went down and then jumped away.When I came along my father with over 50 years of hunting was trying to find sign of the hit deer.There was a bit of snow on the ground but the oak ridge he was hunting was trampled by hundreds of deer tracks adding to the problem.He was convinced he made a kill shot and had seen the deer go down which the sign we found indicated,but that was it, no hair blood or tell tale direction where the deer headed.That was when my father taught me a valuable piece of tracking advice.He said to pace off five yards from the last sign we had and then go in a circle ending back where you started,then go 10 yards and do a circle and so on graduallly enlarging your search area/circle each time.With that deer I believe we found it out about 60 yards it seems when it was hit and went down,sprang back up and jumped sideways over a rather large steep hill,its next set of tracks from the point where it was shot was almost fifty feet down this hill,it only stumbled several more bounds before crashing under a downed balsam tree and was almost completely hidden under the blowdown.It was with out a doubt the hardest deer I have ever had to find,but even now I have used the circle search method my father taught me and it has helped me find downed game when sign is scarce.

[Guest merc]

I know they can be hard to find some time,once while hunting with my father he shot a nice 6 point buck it went down and then jumped away.When I came along my father with over 50 years of hunting was trying to find sign of the hit deer.There was a bit of snow on the ground but the oak ridge he was hunting was trampled by hundreds of deer tracks adding to the problem.He was convinced he made a kill shot and had seen the deer go down which the sign we found indicated,but that was it, no hair blood or tell tale direction where the deer headed.That was when my father taught me a valuable piece of tracking advice.He said to pace off five yards from the last sign we had and then go in a circle ending back where you started,then go 10 yards and do a circle and so on graduallly enlarging your search area/circle each time.With that deer I believe we found it out about 60 yards it seems when it was hit and went down,sprang back up and jumped sideways over a rather large steep hill,its next set of tracks from the point where it was shot was almost fifty feet down this hill,it only stumbled several more bounds before crashing under a downed balsam tree and was almost completely hidden under the blowdown.It was with out a doubt the hardest deer I have ever had to find,but even now I have used the circle search method my father taught me and it has helped me find downed game when sign is scarce.

Beamer Your absolutely right ---the advice we received from our elders is invaluable and genuine.

The best any of us can do is listen when it's offered cause when it's gone it's gone.

There's never a deer I get that goes by that I don't give a glance into the sky and give a quiet little thank you to the ones that helped me in the past---I'll try not to be too philisophical any longer.

Anyway some of those tips that we got are not read about in most "Outdoors Magazines" as a lot of that is more about marketing or someones agenda and those little pearls never hit print.

Great Tip

Merc

[Guest Big Moose]

Thankfully I've never had to track a deer to far but my father also taught me the same circle tracking method and you guys are just proof that it does work and it is important to listen to your elders and pay attention to what they have to say because it's tried and true advice something that some of the younger generation should practice.

[Guest loggerpete]

Almost lost a nice Mule Buck in Alberta cause it was so close to night.Back tracked found couple drops of blood and bingo found it about 200 feet.