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Need Some Help Getting Started Deer Hunting

carbinemike

carbinemike

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Ok, where to start? My boy is 12 and has been asking if we could start hunting deer and/or turkey. I'm middle aged and have never hunted. I have never been averse to it at all but grew up with a Dad that preferred spending his spare time wrenching on cars and I followed suit. We aren't going to be able to get out this year yet as I am out of vacation so we are planning for next year.
I have been doing some reading on the subject. As of now I have arranged for both of us to go through a hunter safety course early next year with a friend that is certified. A buddy at work said we could hunt with him from their cabin and he'd give us some help and a spot to hunt from. I'll buy the blaze orange garb we need for deer season when it goes on sale after the season ends.
I plan to make his year by giving him his first rifle for Christmas. I have been looking at the Savage Axis Youth in .243 with an as yet to be picked 3-9x scope. The .243 was recommended by a good friend and avid hunter as a good starter. Any thoughts? This will give him plenty of time next year to develop his accuracy with it. He's getting to be a good shot and we shoot regularly but he's more used to semi auto's with open or 1x red dot sights. Dad will have his .308 along. The landlord where I work is always looking for people to shoot the ground hogs on his farm so we might take him up on that next summer for some hands on practice.
I guess that's it for now. It's a long way off but I'd rather start now. Any information to help get started would be appreciated so thanks in advance!
 
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Good thing it's a year off, we've got a lot to cover.

Do you have any specific questions to begin with? One could write volumes on this topic. ;) I'm no great hunter but I've been at it since before I was old enough to buy a licence.
 
MikeD said:
Good thing it's a year off, we've got a lot to cover.

Do you have any specific questions to begin with? One could write volumes on this topic. ;) I'm no great hunter but I've been at it since before I was old enough to buy a licence.
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Thanks Mike, that's what I figured. At this age I don't expect to become any great hunter but do I hope to give him a good foundation by the time he's an adult. I guess one concern would be is the .243 an acceptable deer cartridge. I am not familiar with it but what I read indicates that it is ok. The other would be what else can I do now to help be prepared besides the hunter safety course and getting him used to shooting a scoped bolt action? I assume it will be like fishing in that each year I learned and got better.

Edit - Any recommended books, magazines or websites?
 
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Have you or him ever skinned anything? That's a certain subject that will need to be covered. Any joe can hunt, kill a deer. But what makes or breaksbthe experience is skinning and gutting it ( field dressing ).....if you can't hack blood n guts forget it....

Maybe start out on smaller game. Like you said , ground hogs...rabbits. squirrels. They both can be eaten...and I have a great recipe for em....
 
From my point of view, the most important thing has already happened, you have listened to your son and have decided to do something about it, the next important step has been that you have already done some considerable research on the matter. You are to be congratulated. I would suggest that you spend as much time as possible with a .22lr and bring up his skills both with the rifle and in target identification and suitability for taking the shot or not, practice helps so much. While you may just think that you are riding the place of pests respect for what you have shot is important and learning to dress out and cook what you have harvested is important if you and he are to become true hunters. Remember deciding not to take the shot is one of the hardest skills to nail down but is so important from so many aspects.

As for the 243, I do not know what or where you plan to hunt so I can not comment from a suitability point of view however I can say that it is one of many cartridges that your son should be able to handle but it requires good accuracy and hunting skills.

I hope that this is just the start of a long and rewarding relationship with your son.
 
carbinemike said:
Thanks Mike, that's what I figured. At this age I don't expect to become any great hunter but do I hope to give him a good foundation by the time he's an adult. I guess one concern would be is the .243 an acceptable deer cartridge. I am not familiar with it but what I read indicates that it is ok. The other would be what else can I do now to help be prepared besides the hunter safety course and getting him used to shooting a scoped bolt action? I assume it will be like fishing in that each year I learned and got better.

Edit - Any recommended books, magazines or websites?
Click to expand...

A .243 is OK for deer, A lot of people consider it perfect, others consider it marginal. If you can make a good shot any gun is good. If you son can hit a target he will be fine with it.

Check out these sites. They are the two I hit frequently.
www.growingdeer.tv Dr Grant Woods has a lot of good info here. I processed my own deer last year following one of his videos.
www.talkhuntin.com - Lot's of hunters here with a vast array of experience, and no bashing, very family oriented. (I'm MI_Bowhunter over there.)

I don't read a lot of the magazines as the same info is available free online. Hunting TV shows are entertaining but they are primarily manufacturers advertisements with little actual info for a beginning hunter (at least the ones I've see). But Tiffany Lakoski is easy on the eyes. ;-D
 
ripjack13 said:
Have you or him ever skinned anything? That's a certain subject that will need to be covered. Any joe can hunt, kill a deer. But what makes or breaksbthe experience is skinning and gutting it ( field dressing ).....if you can't hack blood n guts forget it....

Maybe start out on smaller game. Like you said , ground hogs...rabbits. squirrels. They both can be eaten...and I have a great recipe for em....
Click to expand...

Absolutely. That's a skill all by itself, getting the guts out without contaminating the meat for example. Need to have a way to hang the deer up if possible (portable game hoist/gambrel), very sharp skinner, etc.
 
All great info here so far. And I'm not sure who said that entire books and volumes could be written without reading back over it, but they were right.

243 is good for deer and good for a starter gun. But like any gun, shot placement is key and probably a little moreso with the smaller caliber.

They are just a step up from 223 and not a lot of recoil and pretty flat shooting too. At least out to a distance.

First thing I think you should do is get a hunting reg's book for your state because they're all slightly different so you know what you can and can't do.

Deer's have kind of poor vision but can see movement, they have really good hearing and sense of smell.

Turkeys have really good vision and it takes very little movement at all for them to bust you, but are usually more curious than deer. I have had turkeys look at me before and not be exactly sure what I am and turn around and walk the other way so they can look at me with their other eye LOL

Turkeys act a lot like chickens if you've ever been around them.

The deer in my area are really skiddish of scent, movement and sound, so you really have to be on top of your game to even get a good shot at a deer here.

If you will be hunting from a farm, there are usually more deer and turkeys there due to having plentiful food. Some people use feeders, while some states won't allow that. And if hunting on someone's property, regardless of what state laws says, the landowner has the final say in what you can't do there so ask them up front if there is any nearby houses or barns or places where you shouldn't shoot or be, etc. Google earth maps can help with that too.

Myself, I am allowed to use feeders and such because I don't hunt on public land, but I don't. I prefer to use a mineral block because they are less maintenance and the deer's can use the nutrients better than corn (which honestly is pretty low rating for a food source anyway). I will occasionally pour out a pitcher or bucket of corn or sweet feed at my mineral plot, but its' too expensive and time consuming for me to do it all of the time. Plus, I'm not going to carry a 50 pound bag of feed up that mountain every few weeks, and I also keep the feed to a minimum because of the bear issues that we have here.

A trail camera is invaluable for knowing in advance if there has been any travel and can also be used to pattern them so you know if there is a particular time of day they are moving there (morning, mid day, late evening, etc) so you don't sit there from daylight only to start getting action an hour before sunset for example.

And at different times of the year, and even different weather patterns, animals change their movement patterns so that is why I like to use camera's. There are many out there, but I tend to buy the more affordable ones due to not wanting to sink a small fortune into something that are often a target of vandalism and thieves.

If you have the opportunity to scout out the area where you are hunting in advance, look for trails, water/food sources and even concealment because all wild animals like to stay hidden and ask the landowners and employees where/when they see the deer or turkey at most of the time because turkey are generally creatures of habit and will travel the same routes more often than not.

My hands are tired, if you want to ask something in specific, just let us know.
 
Thanks guys...all good stuff. He's not to squeamish and can clean and gut a fish. Now I know a deer is an altogether different thing. I'll need to learn too as well as teach him. I have had some experience prepping a few pigs for bbq-ing so I don't think it will be a problem. I do like the idea of going after some squirrels and rabbits too for experience not just in hunting but in cleaning afterward.

MikeD, thanks for the links. I also find magazines to be as you describe tv shows...a bunch of commercials. I'll check the sites out.

John, thanks for the reminder. I did mean to get the state guide book. We should both read it before the hunter safety course. I also want to look if he falls into the mentored youth hunt which allows them to hunt for a weekend a few weeks before archery starts and a month before rifle season which in PA always falls on the first Monday after Thanksgiving (our schools close for it). It would be nice to get a jump on things if we can.

If anyone thinks of something else please feel free to throw it out there. I am open to any thoughts and ideas. I'll keep things updated as we progress. Who knows, this may be as enjoyable as catching rubber shifting into second with the tach redlined.
 
A couple things I might add. Although deer have large bodies the "kill" zone is rather small (and gets smaller depending on the angle of the shot). A .243 should work well but practice is essential. It is not enough to shoot at standard target faces. There are no dots or squats to aim at on an animal. Use a silhouette target of a deer to help him visualize shooting a real one. Hell, a 3D target is perfect if your range will allow it.

Have him shoot for all positions not just resting on a table or shooting station. Sitting, standing (supported) and kneeling. No sure if you're going to use ground blinds, tree stands or just walk/sit. Each has it's own pros/cons.

Not much you can do to combat "buck fever" or target panic in a 12 yr old. Hell, it still hits me when I see a big rack walking in the woods. I have to fight to focus on a small spot on the chest. Still, my heart rate goes up and I start moving quite a bit.

Bring something to entertain him that is quiet. Kids can't sit for 4-6 hours without getting bored, moving a lot, needing something to keep them occupied. I can't either so I bring my phone or a book to read. That pertains to you, too.
 
First off i would start scouting for deer now. I would not tromp through the woods during the gun seasons (even with orange on it can be scary depending on the number of other hunters around) but look and see where deer are. Where they feed, where they bed, etc. These places will be different in the spring then now and will change based on pressure, food sources and weather.

Next look at topo maps of the area. Think like a deer. How do I get from point A to point B without being seen. Deer like ridges, ravines etc that allow them to move about without drawing much attention and gives them a quick out if threatened. It will become even more useful as you start to learn more about their patterns etc.

Can/will you be hunting with bait? This makes a difference as well. When there are full crops nearby or acorns, apple trees etc, baiting is less effective unless it is something they desire more than surrounding food sources. Be aware, deer learn quick and will quickly learn to avoid bait piles when hunting pressure starts. Often baiting can actually be counterproductive during the heavy pressure of hunting season or they will only hit it at night.

Will you be hunting from the ground of elevated stand? Pop ups are effective but deer don't like to see them. Brushing them in and hiding them works good. Turkey on the other hand could careless as long as they can't see you move inside. If using a tree stand make sure you are not on the side of a hill where deer coming over thee top will be looking you in the eye, the goal is to be above them from all sides or make sure you are behind natural cover. I always try to place mine near a pine of some other dense backgrounds to break up my silhouette. Deer pick up really quickly on side to side movement but not so quickly on things approaching or going away from them. I've stalked pretty close to deer in a field by stepping only when the deer are looking down and freezing when they are looking up.

Regardless of the type of blind you use try to place it off the deer trail, you don't want to be too close but still within shooting distance (more of an issue when bow hunting). Also try to make sure the wind is in your face. Absolutely nothing will run a deer off faster than catching your scent. Regardless of the marketing hype, there is nothing that will completely eliminate your scent so use the wind to your advantage. Having multiple stand options to account for varying wind is a common practice. I know a lot of people that will only hunt a given stand when the wind is absolutely perfect. (I am not one of them, I used to be much more of a scent freak but not so much any more as it really started making hunting a chore rather than fun. I may miss opportunities as a result but oh well.)

That said, have fun. It's very easy to get bogged down in trying to do everything perfect. You won't. And just when you think you do, an old wise doe or buck will bust you. That's part of the fun of it. Just do the best you can and enjoy it. Some of my best hunts were ones where I screwed up but still got close etc. The more you do it the more you can pick and choose what is best for you as it varies a lot with the deer. The deer I hunt near my house are much less sensitive to human scent and noise then the deer I hunt at my cabin that rarely see humans.

I've rambled enough for now. More later.
 
A little late getting in on this but I've been out of the loop. All Ya'll. Don't beat me up on this, just my thoughts on the subject. Sir. Great that you are teaching your son to hunt and learning for yourself first is the best way to go. For your Son, I would start with a 22Lr and small game and work your way up. Let your son learn handling and the specifics of sighting, moving targets, skinning and the other elementary aspects of hunting.I thought I knew something about hunting until I was stationed in Germany (Soldier/Civ). When I wanted to hunt over here, I found out I knew very little. Firstly, there is a BIG difference between a Hunting Safety Course and a HUNTING Course. They go hand in hand but they are not the same. Not knocking anyone out there so don't take it personal but the best meaning Dads or neighbors or friends in the world aren't necessarily the best hunting teachers... no matter how long they've hunted. I would call them sources of knowledge. There is no substitute for an official school of training especially when you're young and impressionable (and the Cerificate looks great on your wall). My Grandfather who never had a car accident in his life taught me how to drive, that didn't make me NASCAR ready! Here in Germany I had to undergo a three month hunting course (2-3 evenings a week of 3 hrs per evening and 4 hrs of range on wkend)...takes a commitment. Subjects covered were hunting regulations (in your case it would be Federal and State laws), hunting weapons laws, all huntable game (to include tracking, skinning, etc), animal diseases, animal and nature protection, hunting dogs, hunting equipment and more. At the end of the course is range qualification with rifle and shotguns on still and moving targets, hands on handling of various weapons to ensure safety knowledge, and a 100 question written test. I have also attended training on Black Powder muzzle loaders, reloading and in the near future I will attend a trapping course. I have assistant hunting instructor status and am working towards full instructor certification. For some no big deal, for me a big deal because I get to pass on to others what I've learned, sort of an extention of my Army career. That is not to say that you or your son or anyone else out there needs training so in-depth, that depends on how into hunting you are (and for sure training should be scaled down for those under adult age). What I want to say is that for me there is no life more precious than that of children and every Dad wants to feel that he got it right whether he's teaching driving, swimming, fishing, golfing or HUNTING. My bottom line is much training means much knowledge and much knowledge means less possibility of incidents or even worse...accidents. I wish you years of good and safe hunting to both you and your son.

I know what I know... and what I don't know could bite me in the a--
Who knows ;)?
 
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If you ever want to come to NY I would be glad to help you guys out. My deer season is year round and my scouting has already begun. While I am predator hunting I am always doing scouting for deer.
 
So you have to be 12 to hunt deer in PA? Wow. Glad I live in Texas. All my buddies kids got their first kills around 5-7.

This year will be my son's first deer hunt. He's 7.

I guess the first thing you have to do is find a place to hunt.

Then, you need to get with an experienced deer hunter and go scout. He can show you a few things.

.243 is fine. Here in Texas, common small calibers for dee are 22-250, .22 hornet, .223, etc. Regardless on caliber, make sure your son gets plenty of range time.

Here's a trick I like to do:

I'll have my son run down to the target 100 yards away, touch it and run back, then take the shot. This mimics buck fever and teaches him to calm down and control his breathing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Blood_Trail said:
So you have to be 12 to hunt deer in PA? Wow. Glad I live in Texas. All my buddies kids got their first kills around 5-7.
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I edited my original post to remove the "age of 12 to pull a trigger". You can hunt in PA at just as young of an age...it's just that we didn't hunt yet.
I like the run to the target and back idea. We'll have to try that.

Thanks for the response.
 
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Kind of forget about this thread, we'll have to jump back in to help get you ready for fall.
 
Thanks Mike. I plan to update as things change. We have been scouting local places although so far I have ruled out more than I would put on the "A" list. The best place so far seems to be a heavily wooded area at the far back of the property that our church owns. It also borders an Amish owned farm. The boy spotted them while at his youth group. The deer come out and feed in the farm field in the later evening. I told him to watch where they are coming from and where they go. If I had it to do over he would have learned to shoot a scoped bolt action first before touching the 10/22 or the .22 lever gun. His groups though have been getting better. We now have enough brass to also test and optimize reloads. He's going to learn that too with Dad right beside him watching like a hawk.
 
First of all, how awesome is it that your son is showing interest in hunting?! I think that you supporting him is absolutely incredible. We hope that our 12 yo will take his first deer next year as well. We have been working with him a lot on his shooting skills on both the .223 caliber and .243...and of course the hunter safety course teaches them a lot as well. He is still most comfortable shooting the .223 (maybe because my .243 is muddy girl camo)! I do have to highly suggest the Mossberg .243 ATR super bantam for any youth, or small framed hunter though. I took my first deer with my Mossy .243 this year. With perfect shot placement at almost 200 yds the deer dropped instantly. My biggest concern was not making a good shot, and watching an animal suffer. Thanks to my .243, that didn't happen. Keep us posted on how things are going as you prepare for hunting season next year!
 
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