Deer Season: 2012

[Hookeye]

My local spot (private) just doesn't have many deer.
We only burn one doe tag per hunter there (bow or bonus).
Nice for a quick hunt though (close by) and we have seen deer in the 120-130" range.
So there's a chance we could stick a P&Y. Not a great chance, but a chance.

 

[HICKMAN]

i will NEVER hunt public land.. last time i hit missinewa reservoir, and it was like world war 3 had broken loose. heard slugs hitting trees and all the like. bunch of FREAKS up there that enjoy shooting at shadows before sunrise. well.. at least before the half hour prior to sunrise.

this is why you learn to hunt BEFORE the Orange Army hits the woods

 

[42769vette]

id love to say i will never hunt public land, but i dont know that for sure. im forchanate to have a farm to hunt that i cant see any way of loosing (its my fathers and eventually mine) but if somthing happened and i lost all my hunting spots i would defintally go on public land.

as far as preping, ive hunted the same farm for 15 years so i dont need to scout much any more. every year the patterns change a little but over the past few years ive built and hung stands for nearly every pattern so its more of a chance stands, trip lanes than having to scout a area.

 

[mm5de88]

I put my camera out for the first time this year been shooting my bow &faster looking for a 450 Bushmaster upper for gun season.

 

[benjaminlee06]

What about resources for field dressing a deer? That is the other part that concerns me. I don't want to botch it. Also, good tip on listening, scanning and practicing holding your shot for a couple of minutes.

And also, any good thoughts on public lands, i.e. once not as badly covered by the oarnge army, especially near central in or south of Indianapolis?

 

[knoxace]

check youtube , for dressing a deer. also pick up a good knife set . walmart has a decent 3 piece knife set . look in the hunting section .

 

[AmericanBob]

I finally got permission from my aunt and uncle up north to hunt their farm. Now I have to get in there and find some spots. I'm trying archery for the first time this season and that's where I'm gonna give it a go unless I can land a spot closer.

 

[2008blackwrx]

I hate deer season. Why do I hate deer season you ask? Because I never see any deer during deer season. However, 2 nights ago, at 12am, I went out back to get int he stand to coyote hunt. I walked up onto a large doe. Yes! Walked up to. I could have shot it in the head with my pistol! I pulled my pistol because it scared the shiit out of me, and hit the tactical light. Sure as ****, a damn deer. BUT NOOO... cant see anything during "DEER SEASON"

 

[NDhunter]

Scout 365 for the big guys!!!

Some guys go this route. I say if you find where the does will be during the rut, leave that area alone until it is absolutely ready, then hit it sunrise to sunset until you get what you're looking for, you can save about 280 days of scouting! If the herd is managed right and there is competition among mature bucks for does, this is a sure bet.

Outside of the rut, those big guys are just pretty dang smart, if not completely nocturnal around here.

 

[hammer24]

Here is a decent field dressing video, pretty similar to how I do it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGOqsGmaHMw&feature=related

 

[Black Star]

Bushmaster 450 for deer in 2012

The Indiana DNR has given the go ahead on the Hornady Bushmaster 450 cartridge for this coming 2012 deer gun season. We have these upper receivers that will allow you to accurately place a shot with a 250 Grain FTX Bullet out to 200 yards. These fit all MIL SPEC AR Lowers and come with a 5 round magazine. Here the specs off the box...

Muzzle velocity: 2220 fps.
Velocity at 100 yards: 1840fps.
Velocity at 200 yards: 1524 fps.
Muzzle energy: 2686 ft/lbs.
Energy at 100 yards: 1879 ft/lbs.
Energy at 200 yards: 1289 ft/lbs.
Uses: Deer, Medium Game.

 

[Tydeeh22]

458 sounds fun to knock deer over. open sight 5 tags in a single magazine? possible... indeed.

 

[djl02]

There arent any big bucks where I hunt,I stay out of the woods until I get ready to hunt,Its state land so I hate to put my stand out early. Though I did last year,only to run into another hunter 30 t0 40 yards from where I set my stand 2 weeks earlier opener of archery. He left before daylight,probibly because of the C'mere Deer he dumped on the trail,by the creek.
I know where they usually travel,only thing that usually changes it is hunter pressure,so scouting is useless for me.

 

[Mark 1911]

I bought a new bow which I can't wait to hunt with. It's a Bowtech Insanity, and it is sweet! It's lighter and lower draw weight than my old bow, shoots the exact same arrows, even same arrow length, and it is much more accurate. I can shoot 4 inch groups at 30 yards all day long, and most of the shots are tighter than that. Not sure how fast it is, but I compared the 2 bows at the range, and the new one is noticeably faster!

Also bought a new ladder stand and scouted 2 potential new stand locations.

 

[benjaminlee06]

Here is a decent field dressing video, pretty similar to how I do it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGOqsGmaHMw&feature=related

excellent video for anyone who hasn't watched it. thanks hammer24.

 

[bwframe]

Hunting public ground is just different. You have to hunt when and where others aren't or use them as your dogs.

 

[trailrider]

I set out a trail cam at a new stand location I found at the end of last season. I've been shooting my bow a BUNCH. Can't wait til Oct.

 

[DEC]

I pretty much never stop scouting. I run trail cams 365 days a year, though there are periods that I don't check them for several weeks at a time, like the middle of the winter or June/July. I've gone away from mineral sites, as I don't like dealing with the contaminated dirt prior to hunting seasons. Anymore I stick to giant community scrapes that deer tend to work all year, winter alfalfa supplements, high protein feed in the winter through early summer, and food plots. This year I did not do any spring food plots and am going to do fall plantings. I got caught up on extended turkey seasons in other states which was followed up by intense drought, so I didn't even bother turning the dirt.

Yesterday, I did bush hog some trails on one property. I'll hit another one in the next week. I like to keep certain trails open as the deer tend to use them as highways. Over 15 years of hunting one property in particular, you learn where the deer want to walk and bush hogging those paths just re-enforces the patterns in some areas. Other areas you just monitor known paths and keep obstacles clear or put obstacles in areas to re-direct traffic as needed.

Beyond that ... shoot the bow to keep sharp and patiently wait for October One.

 

[PKendall317]

I'm also interested in taking up hunting. I'd love to bag a deer at least once in my life, but I kind want to start with smaller game first. Any experienced hunters have any suggestions on what I should do to get ready for deer season?

 

[Hookeye]

If wanting to bowhunt deer, a fun way to sharpen stalking skills is to go after groundhogs.
Don't take field shots though, as the farmers don't like arrows in tires.
Stick to the woods, or creekbanks......or shoot chucks on hills in fields that offer a good backstop for arrow retrieval.
One of my best spots as a kid was a beef farm with a woods. Great cow trails, lots of dens in the hills.........but I always seemed to find a fresh pie while stalking LOL.