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First year hunting!

J

jobtown

New Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2021
Messages
1
Location
Rutherford
Hello, I'm 22yrs old and have always had friends and family who have hunted deer, I've always wanted to start but haven't had a guide or chance. Im out on my own now and free to start my adventure, I've lived in Rutherford County my whole life and have never gone deer hunting. I've watched countless videos and done extensive research and have started to get into hunting. Last season I acquired a compound bow and a rifle but have not been able to go on any hunts.I'm proficient with both and now ready to try my luck at a hunt! I looking for opinions on WMAs or other land available to hunt in middle Tennessee. What would be the best shot at seeing deer being early December, kinda late in the season? Any certain wmas, land, or other pointers?

Any advice about hunting in general would be appreciated thanks!
 
No help for middle Tn from me.
get out there and enjoy watching the world awaken in the mornings, watch it calm in the evenings.
Be patient, listen, use your eyes and keep movement to a minimum.
Welcome to the club.
 
I wish you the best of luck.
I can't help you with hunting areas in middle Tenasi. I live and hunt in the east. It would be best if you could find a mentor, but even without one, after you find a place to hunt you will need to do some scouting. That means get out there, walk the dirt forest roads and trails. Also, walk the ridges, on top and on the sides. Go slowly and observe everything. Look for faint trails that animals use. Check muddy and sandy spots for tracks. Look for scrapes and rubs. (I'm sure you can find out what they are and what they look like, if you don't already know.) You could set a trail camera, but they get stolen if not hidden well. An old method of checking trails for tracks is to simply brush out or rake out all the debris from the trail, scratch up the dirt making it soft so that it will easily show tracks. Look for deer food. White oak acorns are one of the best, but there are many others. Deer like "edges", where different types of vegetation come together, such as the edge of a swamp, or the edge of a pine forest where it abruptly changes to hardwoods, even the brush line at the edge of a field.
Once you find a spot with good deer sign you could either go up a tree with one of the modern climbing stands, or a ladder stand, or you could simply make a ground blind by piling up some brush to hide behind. Try to use a tree that is wider than your shoulders to sit down beside and you can lean back on it. Sit quietly and try not to move, but if you must move do it in very, very slow motion. Think of the wind direction - always. You want your blind to be down wind from where you expect a deer to appear.
Another method is "still hunting", also known as stalking. Here you move very very slowly through the forest. Again, be mindful of the wind direction. Hunt into or parallel to the wind. Take a step, or two or three, then stop. Stand still. Look and listen. Do it again. If you move a quarter mile in an hour you are going too fast. This works best on damp days. Dry leaves under foot are like walking in corn flakes.
I could go on and on. There are books about all this stuff. Hunting and the outdoors in general are a whole wonderful world in itself. Get out there the whole year around and enjoy it.
Again, good luck.
 
I'm not sure what non-quota hunts are still left this year, but AEDC is close to Rutherford Co. That would be a good option for next year. Prentice Cooper WMA near Chattanooga is big, rugged and offers a great challenge for mountain deer. It has several non-quota hunts. Welcome to the greatest lifestyle on earth. Always keep your eyes open for new friends and opportunities to hunt. Enjoy the adventure and don't worry about big antlers. Most hunters kill a lot more average deer than they do really big ones. YouTube and hunting shows are rarely representative of real hunting.
 
Welcome to the campfire and welcome to hunting.

You are getting some very good pointers here. I will add a couple of things that will hopefully get you off to a good start.

It appears that you have never hunted at all. What you will need to do is gain experience at just being in the woods observing and enjoying the pleasure of learning about about wildlife as well as habitat. That means that hunting is best enjoyed by making it a year-round activity, not just during the seasons when you are allowed to shoot something (even though there are things to shoot pretty much year-round).

Spend time in state parks and similar areas hiking or just walking and learn to identify animal signs and spoor. When you see wildlife watch their behavior and reactions to you.

Especially since you have no experience at hunting in general, hunt squirrels. The season is nice and long and their is even a spring season. This accomplishes several things. First of all it gives you a specific reason to be in the woods practicing the same skills used in deer (and other) hunting - being still, being quiet, observing, PATIENCE! Kill a few squirrels and clean them. It will give you practice on a small scale of having an idea of what it will be like to field dress a deer.

I suppose that I should also add that by going into the field every time that you can you will get comfortable being there and learn how to navigate in the woods. You will learn to pay attention to where you are and how you got there; all the trees will look the same if you haven't been paying attention, start home, and realize you don't know what direction to go. In this modern day I would suggest that you get a pocket GPS and learn to use it. That gives you another excuse/activity to get you into the woods.

I got a little long-winded. It short, spend time outside. :)
 
I was just on here due to the fall Creek Falls thread.

ArcGIS Web Application

www.arcgis.com www.arcgis.com

Follow the link it will show you the local WMAs (public land) pick one or two and start learning the areas. If you find an area don't tell people where it is. Due to this do not expect people to give you spots to hunt, as those are learned over years of looking and hunting and are usually held close to the vest.

There are plenty of Critters to shoot on all of them as we have a healthy deer herd in Mid TN. It may not happen this year, but if you put in the time and effort it will happen (you will get a shot at a deer).

***Edit*** Pay attention to specific WMA regulations they are in there if you click on the WMA. Some only allow certain methods of take and some may be closed on certain days.
 
Bone Collector said:
I was just on here due to the fall Creek Falls thread.

ArcGIS Web Application

www.arcgis.com www.arcgis.com

Follow the link it will show you the local WMAs (public land) pick one or two and start learning the areas. If you find an area don't tell people where it is. Due to this do not expect people to give you spots to hunt, as those are learned over years of looking and hunting and are usually held close to the vest.

There are plenty of Critters to shoot on all of them as we have a healthy deer herd in Mid TN. It may not happen this year, but if you put in the time and effort it will happen (you will get a shot at a deer).

***Edit*** Pay attention to specific WMA regulations they are in there if you click on the WMA. Some only allow certain methods of take and some may be closed on certain days.
Click to expand...

Good advice above, and welcome to deer hunting.

Public land hunting can be an adventure, and you'll run into all types of hunters there. Most will exercise good hunting etiquette, but quite a few probably won't. Not trying to discourage, just prepare you. Being friendly and courteous to other hunters is always a good thing, but if you find honey holes, be very careful about sharing, or even talking about them. You'll have company if you do.

Do a lot of off season scouting and legwork. and be careful about posting pics, especially of kills in the area. There are folks who will mine data from them and consider that "scouting" on their part, and you'll have company.

Don't be afraid to take whatever legal deer suits you, as you'll learn a lot from the experience.

Best of luck!
 
Last edited:
If you ever get any snow, get in the woods. If you have a big rain, get in the woods. use those conditions to start learning about tracks and sign.

February March April is a good time to scout for next year, not to mention turkey season.
 
Best advice I can give, go in with the mindset of a biologist instead of a hunter. In other words, learn as much as you can about your prey. Their food/bedding locations, habits, patterns, etc. Once you know your prey inside and out, you can easily develop a plan for harvest.
 
jobtown said:
Hello, I'm 22yrs old and have always had friends and family who have hunted deer, I've always wanted to start but haven't had a guide or chance. Im out on my own now and free to start my adventure, I've lived in Rutherford County my whole life and have never gone deer hunting. I've watched countless videos and done extensive research and have started to get into hunting. Last season I acquired a compound bow and a rifle but have not been able to go on any hunts.I'm proficient with both and now ready to try my luck at a hunt! I looking for opinions on WMAs or other land available to hunt in middle Tennessee. What would be the best shot at seeing deer being early December, kinda late in the season? Any certain wmas, land, or other pointers?

Any advice about hunting in general would be appreciated thanks!
Click to expand...
Only WMA that I'm familiar with is the Old Hickory WMA off N. Denny Rd (I think that's the road atleast) it's not bad but I've only hunted it during muzzle loader and there was a good handful of people on the weekend. Best bet would be to try middle of the week to try to get as few people out there as possible so you can have it to yourself. Main thing is wear your orange, be safe, and enjoy God's creation. I feel like if you go expecting to see deer every time or expecting to see a herd walk through you'll be disappointed, just enjoy the nature around you and if you see a deer then great. Good luck and welcome to hunting.

Oh and also if you go to public next year during archery season, not that there won't be any people there, but there will be a lot less than during muzzleloader or rifle, that's been my experience atleast.
 
Rancocas said:
I wish you the best of luck.
I can't help you with hunting areas in middle Tenasi. I live and hunt in the east. It would be best if you could find a mentor, but even without one, after you find a place to hunt you will need to do some scouting. That means get out there, walk the dirt forest roads and trails. Also, walk the ridges, on top and on the sides. Go slowly and observe everything. Look for faint trails that animals use. Check muddy and sandy spots for tracks. Look for scrapes and rubs. (I'm sure you can find out what they are and what they look like, if you don't already know.) You could set a trail camera, but they get stolen if not hidden well. An old method of checking trails for tracks is to simply brush out or rake out all the debris from the trail, scratch up the dirt making it soft so that it will easily show tracks. Look for deer food. White oak acorns are one of the best, but there are many others. Deer like "edges", where different types of vegetation come together, such as the edge of a swamp, or the edge of a pine forest where it abruptly changes to hardwoods, even the brush line at the edge of a field.
Once you find a spot with good deer sign you could either go up a tree with one of the modern climbing stands, or a ladder stand, or you could simply make a ground blind by piling up some brush to hide behind. Try to use a tree that is wider than your shoulders to sit down beside and you can lean back on it. Sit quietly and try not to move, but if you must move do it in very, very slow motion. Think of the wind direction - always. You want your blind to be down wind from where you expect a deer to appear.
Another method is "still hunting", also known as stalking. Here you move very very slowly through the forest. Again, be mindful of the wind direction. Hunt into or parallel to the wind. Take a step, or two or three, then stop. Stand still. Look and listen. Do it again. If you move a quarter mile in an hour you are going too fast. This works best on damp days. Dry leaves under foot are like walking in corn flakes.
I could go on and on. There are books about all this stuff. Hunting and the outdoors in general are a whole wonderful world in itself. Get out there the whole year around and enjoy it.
Again, good luck.
Click to expand...
Great advice I have hunted for years and learned something from this!
 
There's a lot of good land within an hours drive or less of Rutherford county. If it's a WMA, be sure to check the regulations for that WMA in the hunting guide. Percy priest for example is shotgun/ML/archery only, no centerfire rifles. Some WMAs are open to statewide seasons though. And there's TVA and Corps land too.

Just remember this rule of thumb, always scout for new spots when you have the time. Some of the public can get real crowded at times, so you'll want backup if you pull up to hunt and there's 2 trucks already parked there. To avoid some of the crowd, try to avoid the bigger chunks of land with easy road access. The spots that just look good at first glance are usually the ones that look good to everyone. But you won't know where the good hidey hole spots are until you get out there and start hunting. You could find a good spot anywhere, whether it's 2 miles from the truck, or right off the side of the highway.

Just remember, try to hunt where the deer are, not where you want them to be. Stay close to thick cover where deer like to bed, and stay on the downwind side of that cover. Keep an eye out for acorns, green plants that have had the tops eaten off, etc. and of course, always look for fresh deer sign.

Multiple piles of deer droppings in one area are a good sign that you're in a spot where deer have been spending a lot of time recently. But deer movement and feeding patterns will change, so be ready to move on if a good spot quits producing. Deer will also learn if you keep hunting the same spot too often, so rotate where you go from one day to the next based on the wind. Good luck
 
You're young and strong . You should get a climbing stand and find a place to practice using it. Always wear a safety belt.A stand slips 20' up in the air hunting by yourself you could be having a real bad day. Most public land WMAs the majority of the pressure is no more than 1/2 mile easy walking. Hike in a mile or so and you'll get away from the crowds.
If you have a boat there are places on OLD Hickory that are hard to access by foot.
I was 22 when I started pretty much teaching myself. Lived in Nashville and hunted public lands. You have a lot of work a head of you. Most likely more than a few mistakes to make and learn from. I didn't have much for a budget and camped most of the time. A lot of 3 day weekends . Take some time and go to the main TWRA office in Nashville and get some WMA maps. Put in for early season draw hunts.
Natchez State Park has lots of land and some good primitive cabins.
 

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