Deer
Hunting
4 Ways to Increase the Chances of Success for Your First Deer Hunting Season
Preparing for Your First Deer Hunting Season? Optimize Your Success with These 4 Tips
You have your long gun or bow of choice, you’re stocking up on all the other gear, and you’ve made the choice—you’re going to take up deer hunting. Congratulations on your exciting new hobby! The question is, how do you optimize your chances of success as a first-timer? From finding truly effective hunting camo clothing to joining forces with the right people, the answers can be straightforward with the right advice. Here are four ways to increase your chances of success for your first deer hunting season.
Ask Some Important Questions and Do Some Prep
Fun, safe, and successful hunting begins with some important questions. For instance, do you plan to walk and track whitetail, set up in a ground blind, or perch in a tree stand? Are you using a firearm or a bow? If it’s the latter, are you confident you can reliably harvest a deer at distance with an arrow? If you are successful, do you know how you plan to haul the deer out, dress it, and so on? Consider what you want your hunting experience to be like. Then, you can conduct some research on your local area, complete the paperwork you need, and so on. It’s also a good idea for every hunter to have a hunter’s education course under their belt.
Get the Right Gear and Get Familiar with It
Undoubtedly, you know there’s more to hunting gear than your rifle and camo duds. However, some gear can be easy to overlook. Be sure you have the following supplies:
- A Good Pack: A high-quality, comfortable hunting bag or pack is essential.
- A Trusty Knife: A hunting knife you trust will serve you in many ways.
- Effective Hunting Gloves: Find gloves that protect you from the elements while maintaining as much dexterity as possible.
- High-Quality Hunting Clothes: Choose gear made by a well-respected hunting brand. Your gear should prepare you for the most extreme conditions, including a quality hat. That means warm, comfortable base layers and mid layers, with a top-tier puffy jacket and a water-resistant outer layer for the coldest days of the season.
- A Reliable Headlamp: It’s always helpful to have light when you need to see.
- A Well-Stocked First Aid Kit: Heading into the woods during the fall and winter calls for safety and preparation.
Reach Out to Potential Hunting Buddies
For many first-time hunters, the most valuable resource they can tap into is insight and advice from more experienced hunters. If you have friends or family members that have been hunting for years, reach out to them. Beyond being able to provide you with invaluable tips and information, it’s always nice to have a hunting buddy you can turn to for more advice down the road.
Practice and Perspective
Make a point of practicing with your long gun or bow until it feels like a comfortable extension of your hands. Practice beyond the range you plan to hunt at and under various conditions, including shooting down from a tree stand if you’re using one. Finally, keep your experience in perspective. Hunting success shouldn’t be measured solely by the number or size of the bucks you bag. If you were able to spend a quiet day out in nature, hopefully a day with good friends, then your hunting trip was a success.
