Hi, I have not shot my 1st White-tail and have hunted for 3 years. Haven't got a shot off and I'm 13. Everyone keeps saying, "Oh, you have plenty of time to get a White-tail."

   I am not dissing anyone! But, don't get me wrong, I love the outdoors and hunting. Hunting brings family closer, I think. I have shot squirrels, cottontail, bowfished carp, and Eastern Turkey.

This year, I got plain out serious. I live in Southeastern Ohio and I am done being patient. I got a food plot and treestand, ready to go. All out of my pocket. Bought new rattling antlers and buck grunt, also. 

Please, need tips! I will even shoot a doe for crying out loud! Tips on bow or gun? Doesn't matter! Please help!!

You don't want to hear this but be patient. I shot my first buck ( a nice 7) at age 15 after missing a bigger one the year before. My son shot his first buck at age 15 after 3 years of hunting, it was a 10 point. You just need to be in the right place at the right time and be ready to take advantage of any opportunity that presents itself. After all, it's called hunting, not shooting.

I try to keep the accessories to a minimum. If you are screwing around with the latest geewhiz gadget, you ain't paying attention to your surroundings.

Dale

Dale has some sound advice there and I'd like to add to the " right place " of it . Find the doe and follow their pattern through the summer and don't settle on a post till fall as the pattern will change on comings and goings , routs and time . From your post I assume you live near to where you hunt so the leg work won't be hard . You'll see buck if you're patient if you have the does nailed .
As far as gun and bow tips go that's easy , shoot as much as you can until they feel like an old friend in your hand ; then shoot some more . That part is a never ending cycle to keep on the 10 ring .
GOOD LUCK !

Dont feel bad I shot my first deer at the age of 22, a nice 7 point non-typical, granted it was also my first year hunting as well =) But I was in the right place at the right time. I spent every moment I could (3 Times a week) out scouting the area looking for signs of deer, (scrapes, rubs, tracks, ex.) Trail cams are a great tool to use to pattern the deer movement as well. It also helps to get as much information from people who have hunted the area in the past like I also did. Nothing wrong with shooting a doe either, If you get the chance and have a tag...DO IT! Its meat in the freezer the way I look at it. What ever your weapon of choice is the best thing to do to increase your chances of putting a whitetail on the ground is to practice, practice, practice. Then once you feel that you are comfortable with your shot placement then practice some more. Practice from different angles and with all you gear that you will be wearing while out hunting too. Cover scents while out scouting will help eliminate the human odor in your hunting area also. Now I am no pro by any means at all but I do as much research as possible as often as possible when it comes to hunting. So take all the information you get from people for what its worth cause it will pay off sooner than you may think. This will be my second season hunting and I still do everything that I just explained here to you. Obviously there is no guarantees but its sure will increase your chances. Hope this helps.

Good advice given so far. learn to play the wind ,be still and quiet. noise and movement and your smell are the things that keep deer away. NEVER hunt your blind if the wind is blowing your scent toward the deer.

Welcome to the board jmcnerney.
All good advice so far. About the only other advice I can come up with at the moment is to get off the beaten path. Most urban hunters will hunt within a mile or so from the road or where they park their truck. Get up early and get in the woods deeper and the incoming hunters will push the deer towards you. The primary activity times are usually within a couple hours each side of sunrise and sunset. So get out there well before sunrise and plan to stay till after sunset. Although not as active during the day, deer will usually change their bedding location several times throughout the day.
Be patient, your time will come.

Just to add a little, if your hunting an area that has alot of pressure the deer will start to pattern the activity around them, and move during midday after hunters have left. I have seen plentt of deer between 10am and 2pm when hunters head for lunch, so if there are hunters hunting same property or adjacent ones be sure to stay in at least an hr. longer then the rest, sometimes they will kick deer coming and going back in, if deer are not moving around after activity dies down during the midmorning to midafternoon break most hunters take for lunch and story tellin'. Deer can move at any time their whole life is based on eating, drinking, breeding and avoiding predators, so spend as much time as you can observing during tge off season and take notes draw maps, you'll start seeing the changing patterns through the year and have a leg up on 99% of the other hunters, patience, concealment, and wind is the key. Sounds like your on your way to getting that first deer, just keep at it, it'll come. Remember the more effort put into domething the greater the appreciation of the accomplishment, buck or do it will be a trophy you will remember because you worked for it. Good luck

Like gopheer said,I've always had better luck after 10:30am after the first weekend of gun season.They seem to know when gun season comes in and change their habits.Just my 2 cents.

It took me several years to take a deer...but now averagwe4-6 every year....so just enjoy the learning process and it will happen...all excellent advise...wind..times...does and don't forget your scent routine...I find that is the most important thing I do to connect with any animal I go for...descent your clothes...shoes...body..and weapons...trying to use just wind direction can be futile if hunting hills.... for the direction can change and swirl constantly......hone your scouting skills...what deer in your area eat...how they travel...where they prefer to bed....All the articles and videos in the world can only give you a base line of info...for there are subtle difference in how any given deer herd acts in their particular surroundings...not every thing you see or read is set in stone...over 35yrs of hunting taught me that 

GO HAVE FUN!!

Young man I commend you on asking and not giving up..don't be discourgaed...it will happen...proof of that is right here in this thread...but with all that has been said and all the advice given let me add this..don't expect to kill a critter evey outing..but expect to just enjoy what you are doing...a lot of time folks go out and just try to danged hard..they let peer pressure and their own expectations get in the way of the hunt...when ya leave for the woods on opening day say to yourself "I going out to hunt deer today"..not "I going out to kill a deer today" hunting is about fullfilling an inner need..(with subsistance hunting the exception)...a drive/need that is almost primevile in nature...but to get to that point one must put himself into nature as if they belonged there...become a studier of what is around you...learn to notice even the smallest things in nature...why did that bird suddenly fly off or what is making the squirrle bark...I know some of this was said before..but that first part was told to me so many years ago. it was true then and it's true today...relax and enjoy..there should never be a rush...nor should you be influanced to hurry up...

It appears you have the tools, the one thing, probably the most important thing, you have to invest in is time.  Spend as much time as you can in the woods hunting.  As for the antlers and the grunt, unless you know what you are doing with them, you are just out there making noise and probably doing more harm than good.  Having a good food plot is great, use some attractant, Tinks, Golden Estrus, etc., then plop yourself in your stand and wait.  One thing you might want to invest in though is a game camera.  See what is poking around your plot and when.  Good luck to you and be safe.  Anytime you are in that stand, make sure you wear your safety harness!

If your not seeing deer in season it is possible that the deer are using the food plot at night. Try getting to the stand 1 1/2 hours before sunrise. Approach from an down wind direction. When in the stand keep quite and only make slowwww movements.

As a youngster I lost to many arrows because I was not patient enough to let the deer come into range.

-MD

i dont know what part of south east Ohio you hunt but i have hunted there for years. its a really great area to hunt. the advice above is great. but i want to ad a little to it. i have found out over the years that keeping it simple maybe the best way to hunt. depending on the size of the area you hunt you can do it like i did when i started hunting in that area. hunt your spot till 10-11 and then get up and walk hunt slowly covering new areas. you may see deer just feeding on a ridge or in the bottom and then can stalk them. but even if you dont you will learn new things about the area you cant see just spending a few hours scouting a few days a week. and you will find new spots that you may like better then the ones you have already been hunting.

i dont know what part of south east Ohio you hunt but i have hunted there for years. its a really great area to hunt. the advice above is great. but i want to ad a little to it. i have found out over the years that keeping it simple maybe the best way to hunt. depending on the size of the area you hunt you can do it like i did when i started hunting in that area. hunt your spot till 10-11 and then get up and walk hunt slowly covering new areas. you may see deer just feeding on a ridge or in the bottom and then can stalk them. but even if you dont you will learn new things about the area you cant see just spending a few hours scouting a few days a week. and you will find new spots that you may like better then the ones you have already been hunting.

Not much more can be said, here, except for one thing. Make sure that your food plot and stand aren't in an area that deer don't frequent very much. If there aren't any deer in your particular area, all of the food plots in the world can't bring them from a location where their needs are already being met. Trail cameras are one of the best methods available to not only identify and scout deer, but also for seeing if there is actually any deer activity.

Good luck, and hang in there!!!!!

If you are bowhunting---laeve all the extra do dads home-! especially if a nice Doe will be in your plans--be quiet, No rattling, Grunting , Bleating. Just be quiet and still, This would be the way to go on the food plot------------If you are gun hunting---Get away from the food plot, During gun season it would be rare to see deer in open !    Find the thickest nastiest place on the land you hunt, get in there, sit still and be quiet !!!!!!!!   Your chance will come......from 45 years experience !!!!!!! Oh and Good Luck !

Posted By hatfield hunter on 27 Jun 2012 03:05 PM
If you are bowhunting---laeve all the extra do dads home-! especially if a nice Doe will be in your plans--be quiet, No rattling, Grunting , Bleating. Just be quiet and still, This would be the way to go on the food plot------------If you are gun hunting---Get away from the food plot, During gun season it would be rare to see deer in open !    Find the thickest nastiest place on the land you hunt, get in there, sit still and be quiet !!!!!!!!   Your chance will come......from 45 years experience !!!!!!! Oh and Good Luck !

Very sound advice.  A common issue I see with younger hunters I take out is wanting to call to much.  We were all young and impatient once and only time and experience have caused us to calm down.  My suggestion is leave everything that makes any kind of noise at home and hunt based on your scouting reports.  Like others, I'm no expert, but I've had a lot of luck when I find a deer trail and can set up in a location that gives me a clear shot at that trail.  If they are using this route enough to make a visable trail, you don't need to worry about calling them in or having food or water for them.  Just be still/quiet and enjoy the show.  Best of luck.

P.S. It took me 4 years to take my first deer, and there have been plenty since, so hang in there.

Patience, Persistence and Perseverance ...... out wait the animal, don't give up and you gotta be there ....... always be ready. Typically, your shot will come when you don't expect it.