I just hunted for the first time today at Silver Springs State Park in IL. I have a Bowtech Diamond that I have been shooting for about 2 years or so. I finally was able to get a weekend off and take the hunters safety course and went out for my first time today. It was pretty cold out and there was a lot of snow on the ground. I do not yet have a tree stand so I wandered around for a bit looking for tracks, rubs, and good spots to sit. I was able to stay out for about 2 hours before my feet started to freeze, even with my Redhead socks and 800 gram boots. I did not see a single deer, but loved the experience. I think I watched one too many shows expecting deer to just be wondering about waiting for me to pick the one I wanted haha. I am wondering what is available for me to get the hang of things better, reading material, videos for beginners or something. I'm thinking I may be at a huge disadvantage not yet having a tree stand and also going out for my first time so late in the season. I don't really know any experienced bow hunters in my area so I'm kind of on my own as well. Any and all comments/suggestions are definitely welcomed. Thanks
first of all welcome as you are new to hunting, read anything you can, watch tv, videos anything regarding to deer and hunting deer. you will after reading alot of things see that not everyone agrees on things but there are many facts that hold true for everyone. the best way to learn about hunting beyond reading and watching stuff is to be out in the woods. i and i'm sure most will agree ... that i learn new things every time i'm out in the woods, every time ! the more you do it the better you'll get, just like shooting your bow, shoot more= better results. as far as a tree stand, you don't have to have one to be successful, but it does have it's advantages. you can make up a ground blind for free if you know where the deer will be. start by soaking in as much info as you can, ask ?'s , and good luck
In addition to this forum, I found this online book to be very informative http://www.bowhunting.net/artman/publish/BowhuntingTrophyWhitetails/index.shtml. Good luck from a fellow rookie!
Welcome to the forum. I have family in the Yorkville area and grew up down the road in Sugar Grove. There are some great people on this site that are a wealth of information. the site also sponsors and puts on a bow shoot at the end of June in Garden Prairie, Illinois where you can meet up with a lot of the people in the forum. There is also a lot you can learn on the web, check out the following sites to get started. http://www.qdma.com/articles/list_articles.asp?id=1 http://www.the-deer-hunting-guide.com/whitetail_biology.htm
race: thumbs up for the the-deer-hunting-guide.com link. The best pages, I think, don't show up early on google.
Thanks for the sites. I'll start reading them right away! I love learning new things. I have family in Millbrook, I lived out there for like 4 years too, I wish I would have gotten into hunting a lot earlier but better now then never.
