Hunting Forum

I am a new hunter and just went out for my first day today (Nov 26) and unfortunately I didn't find anything besides maybe an old footprint. I did hear shots so I think some people did have better luck than I did.

Welcome to the boards, and most of all, welcome to the wonderful world of Whitetails! You definetly came to the right place for advice as there are hundreds of thousands of knowledgeable people on here that can help you out. But before you get many answers, people are going to want more info like Where are you located, what time of day are you going, what kind of land your hunting, etc. But stay on here, read, watch, and listen to everything you can, and never give up. You have taken up a hobby that will never get old. Good luck and happy hunting!!

CelticRaven, first, YOU have to be in an area where the deer are located, then narrow down your location to where they are most likely to be found. The rest of it is scouting, planning, and using the wind along with being in the right place at the right time. Like Leslie said, help us help you by providing some details.

Okay, I was in the Leominster State Forest (in Leominster, MA) and I stayed in the town of Leominster portion of the forest. I walked in forests of all kinds and headed into marshy type of land. The place that I found the footprints were near a small stream. Later this week I will try in the same general area, there are many places to stop along a road and walk into the forest. My first location that I stopped and waited was near pine and white birch trees. The only animal that I heard and saw was a single gray squirrel. I started very early in the morning around 7 am, my first location I wasn't in the state forest and did not know if I could hunt there so I moved into the second location.

Wednesday I will be in the Clinton/Lancaster area where I have been told white tail are known to be in the area. I will be hopefully meeting a friend there and he will be able to help me out. I have scouted that location and know where there are some good spots. I hope that this helps you and hopefully I can at least bag one deer before the end of the week.

CR, I may not be remembering this right, but I hunted with a guy here in Minnesota back in the late 80's, I believe that he was from Maine, tho it may have been Maryland. He told me that you guys aren't allowed to build, or use stands. Is that correct?

Without knowing your area the best advise I can give is what RT4 told you about the wind. The wind can be your best friend, or your worst enemy when it comes too whitetails. Most of my daily hunting activity's are based on the wind direction.

Also the moon phase isn't in your favor, if you have calm clear days/nights your going to want to get out as early as you can, and stay as late as you can. Not that you won't see midday deer with this moon phase, but the odds of it are lessened. The caveat to that will be the temperatures. Here in Minnesota when it gets down to 10 degrees or colder (tree popping cold) the deer will actually adapt a midday feeding cycle.

I hope this helps, and that your friend can help you be successful. Once you've had a successful hunt you'll be hooked for life

I know absolutely nothing about Maine, except that it's big woods country and the deer population isn't very dense per acre. I recently watched two episodes of Mike Handley deer hunting in Maine, and even he didn't see a single deer, and he's probably one of the best in the country at scouting, animal knowledge, and all of the nuances of deer hunting. I would say that if you have found tracks near a stream, then hunting the water is probably the best way to go. If you can locate a spot where the tracks appear to be on an actual trail crossing the stream, then that would be a prime spot to set up and wait to ambush a deer.

Well if I ever go to Maine, or Minnesota I will keep those in mind. But here in Massachusetts, today wasn't that cold and I actually got really warm. If I go back to that spot I will set up early in the morning and wait until about mid-morning and find a different spot. There are some marshy areas nearby that I can try to ambush them for when they come back. The tracks were either leading to low hanging pine tree branches with some dirt and mud turned up, or they were walking back into the forest.

We can use stands to set up, but I think I will have to wait a few months before getting one of my own. Wednesday I will be going out with a friend and borrow his while he helps chase them towards my field of fire. He has one near a marshy area and the other area he told me about was in an area people used to log out of, so there are lots of shrubs and low bushes.

MA = Massachusetts; MD = Maryland; ME = Maine; MN = Minnesota; MO = Missouri; MS = Mississippi; I am not being rude or anything, but I just needed to point this out.

"MA = Massachusetts; MD = Maryland; ME = Maine; MN = Minnesota; MO = Missouri; MS = Mississippi; I am not being rude or anything, but I just needed to point this out."

LOL... Fair enough CR... And to think that your the one who came here looking for info

BTW, I had the MN. part figured out, and you forgot MI = Michigan

Walk those streams.
The first deer I shot was at a stream crossing . The woods I was hunting bordered a golf course. There was a small stream seperating the two . I found a place with numerous tracks crossing the stream. The woods was home and the golf course was food. I went in with a climber in the early afternoon and that evening I arrowed my first deer that was heading for the stream. It was a small doe but a trophy neverless. I also took a compass in with me and figured out the wind direction. Had the wind to my back and the deer travel was also from my back. I cn still see the golfers on the course looking into the woods to hear me hollaring with happiness. That was 27 years ago.
Joe Termite

Hell, I was following Lunker's lead with the Maine part. It's all yankee land to me, and it doesn't seem to make a whole hell of a lot of difference as to where the state lines end and begin!!!!!! For us down South, the world ends at the Mason-Dixon line!!!!!!!!   Besides, I didn't think there was much in Mass., except for Kennedy's, lobster and great white sharks!!!!!!!!

I don't know when your season started...nor much about your pre-hunt tactics...so it's difficult to answer other than...

1.) Know the area well in advance...which means good scouting in late winter and then mid summer
Those 2 times because you can track foot prints in the snow ...easily find bedding areas and just travel routes and mid summer because travel routes and patterns change and in both cases the deer have time to recover from the intrusion

2.) know your winds before entering the woods...direction...you want the wind in your face if stalking...when stalking go slow...slow...slow...few steps stop and listen...keep along brush and trees to break up your movement....watch the other animals...where there are turkey ...you'll find deer...crows...at least here ....more times than not...crows alert me to moving deer...but will also alert the deer to me...same with squirrels...

3.) Your scent routine...try to eliminate as much of your smell as humanly possible...also watch your back trail...more than once I thought I was well on to a deers trail and with tunnel vision ...to look to my side or behind ...to find a deer trailing me!

4.) food sources...get familiar with what is the best food sources in that area...it's winter...temps are lower and they need to be on their feet feeding...waters great...but I find that here they prefer to drink from a more non moving water source over a running stream...look to small "pools"and the swamps

5.) sounds...try not to sound human we have a distinct gate and they know....also try using calls over scent attractants...though food scents work well...occational bleats or grunts or..turkey calls...hen feeding type calls

Good Luck and have fun...be safe

Thanks guys. I will have to remember this while hunting later this week. I had everything ready to go the other day and low and behold I forgot my compass and at times I was lost, though I backtracked along hiking trails and everything was good. I will have to try some those grunts and other calls. There was some slow moving water and stagnate pools of water. With all of these tips I will most definitely head back to that area and hunt it, with my compass of course.

How could I forget Michigan... I have been below the Mason-Dixon line before and even I was confused at times. Don't forget the drunken Irish mob up here in MA.

I thought I mentioned the Kennedy clan!?