Lots of new Guys on here new to hunting.

[Ski]

I may or may not have put a naked foot in my boot after sacrificing a sock to the bubblegut troll

Now I keep a pack of flushable wipes in my pack.

 

[EastTNHunter]

Tip #3... If you forget TP...shirt sleeves are your new best friend...

Or sock tops

 

[Apostolic Outdoors]

You only get so many opening days! Take advantage of them. Make them count.

 

[backyardtndeer]

OR..... the other side of the coin, shoot the first buck you see because you may not see another one for the rest of the season. And that is a truthful statement.

That was why I said IF.... and don't consistently shoot the first deer you see.

 

[Whitetaillane8]

Just hunt. Don't get caught up in the lingo of hit list, cull buck. When you kill one say you killed not harvested it. Harvesting is for ag crops. Kill what suits you and don't worry about impressing others. Good luck.

 

[Apostolic Outdoors]

TN public land turkey hunting is awful. Don't waste your time. Stick to deer hunting. Use the spring time for fishing.










I keed! I keed!!

 

[Buzzard Breath]

1. scout, scout, and scout some more.

^^^^ This^^^^ with 2 more scouts added.

And, too add to this, don't forget about squirrel hunting. It can be a great way to learn animal behavior and add to the time scouting. Every minute in the woods is an additional minute of hunter education.

 

[Apostolic Outdoors]

Woodmanship. Learn it. Use apps, I do, but know how to navigate the woods without them.

 

[Laserman1]

Warm camo hunting clothes were around before Sitka came out.

 

[Ski]

And, too add to this, don't forget about squirrel hunting. It can be a great way to learn animal behavior and add to the time scouting. Every minute in the woods is an additional minute of hunter education.

That's a very good point. If you can kill a skillet full of truly wild squirrels, not the tree rats at the park, then deer should be no problem. Hunting wild squirrels is HARD!

 

[DTM]

If you are trophy hunting, you need to be where the big deer are located. Don't hold out all season on a buck of a lifetime if the place you're hunting doesn't have the potential to produce big deer. Kill what makes you happy and treat every deer interaction as if you're going to shoot it (if bow hunting - stand up coming to full draw with deer in range, if gun hunting - practice getting your gun into position and settling nerves while finding the deer in your scope/sights). Most of all hunt how you want to hunt and kill what makes you happy.

 

[backyardtndeer]

Relax and take it all in, don't put pressure on yourself to kill something. Listen and pay close attention to other animals in the area, birds often give away predators in an area, but will also often give away deer.

If you have deer in a field especially this time of year, watch their body language, if they go to alert there is a good chance a buck is coming. Deer can be the best teachers on deer behavior if you watch them.

Don't assume when a deer blows that they are blowing at you and don't get discouraged. Sometimes does will blow at other deer.

If you bust deer out walking in to your stand, don't give up.

 

[DayDay]

That's a very good point. If you can kill a skillet full of truly wild squirrels, not the tree rats at the park, then deer should be no problem. Hunting wild squirrels is HARD!

Seek One has left the chat room.

 

[philsanchez76]

Id tell myself dont waste any time watching hunting videos, use that same time and go walk through the woods and scout. And im talking walk through the woods without a weapon. Your job is not to kill deer, just to find them. The more time in the woods will eventually = more dead deer.

 

[Tenntrapper]

Modern cars have lots of gizmos to make driving easier....how many young people these days can drive without them? They are a crutch....or more accurately..a baby walker.
Hunting is the same way...too many crutches these days. To much emphasis is put on all these modern "gizmos". Learn to drive/hunt without them, and they will only make you better. Rely on them...and you're lost without them.

 

[CliffordN]

Whoever moves first gets seen first... Sit still and keep your eyes and ears open....

 

[dogmatik]

Hunt where the deer want to be, not where you want them to be.

 

[reloadxx]

Don't be afraid to move stands if you are not seeing anything. I still no adults that has hunted there whole life that will hunt one or 2 stands all season.

 

[tn24]

Remember this. If hunting ain't fun you're doing something wrong.

 

[kaizen leader]

1. Don't move, not even your eyes when the deer is still. When it moves you move. 2. Hunt the wind.