Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Deer Hunting Advice for A Newbie

Hey y’all I’m new here and this will be my first deer season. I’ve hunted hogs on occasion but my family was never too big into hunting. I think it can be a bit daunting simply because I have no idea where to start and no one to show me the ropes. I will be hunting some mountainous terrain (public land) if that makes a difference. I have multiple rifles and I am a pretty good shot so that won’t be too much of a factor. Like should I use game cams, what to look for when picking out potential stands etc. Anything and everything is appreciated, thanks!

Find an outfitter and sign on.You will learn more in that one season,than 5 years of hiking around with a rifle in your hands

What state are you in?

I am in South Carolina but during the season I’ll be near the Georgia and NC borders.

I had not thought about that, thanks! Hopefully I can find one in upstate SC that would be willing to take someone with no experience I guess. I’ll start making phone calls!

Set your stands with the wind direction in mind.

Depends on what type of deer hunting you will do. Stand hunting overlooking a field or a woods hunter. Woods Hunting ---- read the book " The Still Hunter " TS Van Dyke--- Twice- Then spend hours and hours in the woods you plan on hunting.----- Find and pick the brain of older hunters that don't BS (????) --- More hours in the woods the more you learn

You probably will not find many outfitters in the upstate .
Do you have any friends that hunt or are you new to the area?
Stands are going to be the most prevalent type of hunting you are going to see. The terrain you hunt will generally give you some nice views and good chances of seeing deer.
Pick an area where you can see such as a gas line, meadow, logging road , or clear cut and put in time sitting and watching. Portable blinds are a big help. Be patient above all and it will happen.

GreggH

Likely going to be woods hunting since it’s public land. I’d like to hunt areas with longer shots but most of the public land around here seems to be pretty short line of sight. Yeah the older hunters part is hard because I have an uncle in Iowa that I don’t see very often who hunts, but other than that I don’t know anyone who does. Good tip on the book though I’ll look into it!

I am only up there during the school year (Clemson), so my scouting time is limited until I get up there a month or two before rifle season starts. I’ll make sure to get out multiple days a week though and learn the area and put in some seat time.

Download HuntStand. You can use it to become familiar with the land your going to hunt way before you get there.

GreggH

Find someone with experience, they can help a lot. Good luck to you!!!

Lots of country boys at Clemson. Shouldn't be hard to make some friends who hunt. Good luck and welcome to the best activity there is.

There are 1000's of acres of forest land that Clemson owns. They used to have some sections open to public hunting, especially south near the Fants Grove area, 18 Mile Creek drainage into Lake Hartwell and the shoreline of the lake. I'm not sure if they still do, but it would be a lot closer. There were quite a few nice deer killed there in early 80's...just not sure of the situation now. Clemson also has a Wildlife Biology Department as I have my MS from there. They would be a great local resource for you and could steer you in the right direction in location and people with knowledge of how to. Check them out as well.

Several of us would go deer, squirrel and duck hunting before classes when the seasons were open....but like I said, that was a long time ago. My guess is they still have some these areas. Definitely check out the Wildlife Biology Department.

I just Goggled SC Gamelands and the Fants Grove area is still there.

Since you’re hunting public land, I wouldn’t put any game cameras out. That’s just asking for idiots to damage them, or steal them. Check the state regs about treestands on public land as well, because it differs from state to state. If you can find a draw, or a bank near a creek, or follow some obvious deer trails and find where they intersect…use those spots. Any places you can find that have good bedding cover(thick stand of pine or hemlocks) or feeding areas(oak flats, lots of acorns) would be good places to watch as well.

Welcome to the forum SC_Mark, good luck, and happy hunting!

Doc_Holidude

Fants grove is still there and has a good deer population but it is quite pressured from what I hear…. It is also archery only like all the land clemson owns now. I do have a compound bow but i am not super confident with it and it obviously limits the range that I can hunt at. 18 mile creek drainage is something I’ll look into though. Thanks!

There definitely are a good number. Sadly most of them have never even hunted public land and just hunt over feeders on farms so they don’t have much knowledge to pass on haha. I guess I’ll just have to suck it up and go bowhunting since it seems all the serious hunters in clemson that I’ve met do the same.

Always keep the wind in mind.

In bigger woods settings, it's very helpful to be able to ID what the food sources are. Especially oaks/acorns.

Natural edges/funnels, be able to ID them from maps/aerial photos/on the ground. Some are more subtle than you think.

Get out there as much as possible. You'll figure out where deer like to be. I like to squirrel hunt new places I'm interested in deer hunting. It's like scouting, but with a purpose.

Have fun!! Too many let a lack of quick success get them down.

And good luck!!

It’s important to know what deer do all day. Where they bed and where they feed (outside their bedding areas). You cannot beat their nose and generally the advantage goes to whomever is not moving when the other is. When you move, remember you’re a predator not a mall walker.

Good luck 👍

JMHO- when you get to where you want to be,
watch watch watch watch watch watch watch
and listen listen listen listen listen listen listen.
Don't play with a phone. Don't read a book.
Don't play video games. Don't take a nap.
Stay quiet and still and move your eyes around
more than your head. I've been craning my head
to look to the side only to turn back around and
see a deer staring at me from the other side.
When you're in their living room, they'll know it
Like has already been said, you can't cheat the wind


Good Luck

The more Time in the woods, the more opportunities will be presented.👍😎

Sorry I did not chime in sooner. I've recently returned from stay in the hospital.

Our camp recently took on a new member, who had been hunting on his own for decade without having any luck. We got his cherry popped but good. Pursuant to that, I wrote a series of posts offering him advice.

If I were the New Guy at Camp

You're welcome to hunt around that site as much as you want. There will be a lot of good info on deer hunting you may find helpful.

I had a lot of encouragement getting started from friends, but they were all getting older and I ended up mostly hunting alone for a couple of decades. It was a hard way to go. The better way would have been hooking up with folks who hunted and leveraging their experience. Making those connections is hard. Learning via DIY is even harder.

Best of luck.

The BEST thing you can do is to make a friend or two and beg to go on a woods walk with them. Just LISTEN to what they say and take it all in.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^I Agreee!^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

You can learn so much, from the right Ethical Hunters!
Enjoy the outdoors, and Enjoy the Hunt!
It's called Hunting for a Reason, and not Killing.
No way can you come back with game every time out, if your Ethical!
Learning is the Key! I've Had so many great experiences hunting with my Boy's, and other Family members.
Good Luck!

you wanna learn deer hunting become a bowhunter, join a archery club, shoot archery leagues with your bow , read all the Wensel brothers books, read some archery magazines, in one or two years you will learn more than many rifle hunters have ever learned . good luck,be safe and do have fun deer hunting. >as a old great archer said to me : shoot to kill,Pete53

Persistence.

I honestly think I have killed more critters due to that, than skill.

The guys here have given great advice. Let me add one more. HAVE FUN! We are all still learning hunting regardless of how long we have been doing it. The enjoyment of it keeps us going and learning.

GreggH

https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/post/keys-to-consistent-success-hunting-mountain-bucks
Pretty good read there and there’s a good podcast to go along with it. Nathan has been featured on quite a few podcasts as of late and knows his stuff. Beau has some more articles on there and several podcasts that cover big timber. Another good resource is The hunting beast with Dan Infalt as he covers hill country settings. Understand how to read topo maps and you can pick terrain features by map to go scout opposed to just walking around blindly. Learning bedding up’s your chances greatly then identify the food sources that’s in the vicinity and figure out how to ambush them in between. Hunting big timber and mountainous ground is very intimidating but it’s very rewarding when you start to figure it out. And like others have said, have fun with it and if it were easy everyone would be hunting in that style.

SC Mark, looking at a map the terrain looks to be hilly or mountains. Deer will normally take the easiest route like we would. Low gaps in a ridge line or natural funnels are good places to set up. You'll need to scout the area(s) you intend to hunt and look for game trails. Some will be heavily used and others not so defined. If the rut is in the bucks will be following the does and if the rut isn't in the less defined trails may be the ones the bucks are using. Get a topo map of the area and use it to give an idea of the terrain.

This. Go hunting as much as you can. The more time you spend in the woods and around deer the more you will learn.

Clemson is a great place to be for a hunter. Make friends with hunters and I'm sure you'll find someone to hunt with soon.

After that, just sit still and be quiet.

E scouting will save you time and give you an appreciation of the terrain. On X maps are a game changer and are fun to use. I hunt Muledeer year round, spot and stalk and getting as close as you can is fun and does not require a tag...or a packout. Waiting for hunting season does not do much to prepare you for the real thing or get you into the hills or into condition.


mike r

U mention bowhunting. Find a local archery shop and talk (hang out ) and maybe meet somebody who will go for a walk with you. They mite be full of b#ll sh#t but u might meet somebody who would really be interested in helping you. (future best friend ?) Good luck, Neal

Thanks for the advice everyone! Seems to be a lot of good information being shared and I’ll take your advice and look into some of the resources mentioned. Thanks again!

Mark,

I don't have much in the way of experience in hunting mountainous terrain for deer but if I were to start (assuming there's some hunting pressure on the public ground), I'd assume most guys will be at the tops or bottoms - mainly because it's easier. If it gets a little crowded, look in between.

Man, okay, you say you're "a pretty good shot."

The deer woods are full of bucks missed by fellas who are "a pretty good shot."

I've taken many hunters on their first deer hunt who are hell on paper, but miss easy, chip shots really, on bucks.

The rest of this stuff is academic, yeah go to the woods, do some scouting, yada, yada, yada.

My advice is simple - go to the range and shoot, shoot, and shoot some more. Shoot 'til your muscle memory and reflexes are seared into your unconscious mind and brain.

You say, "that won’t be too much of a factor," it's the number #1 factor, by far.

When it comes down to it, shooting ability is king, nothing else matters.

Lots of good information here. Sports Afield and other magazines also run good articles. They've been rewriting the same ones since WWII, so even the old ones you find in barber shops are still relevant.

Also, make sure that you have a Hunter's Ed card. Per the SC regs (https://www.dnr.sc.gov/licenses/genlicense.html)


Classes fill quickly and it may already be too late to find one for this year, but you won't get a license without the card.


Okie John

Many first time hunters have exceptional "luck" because they don't know the rules and just do what comes natural. The most important thing is to spend time in the woods and observe wildlife and make sure you enjoy yourself. Most of us hunt to get grounded, feel a connection to the natural world when we are overwhelmed with people and technology. As much as we enjoy wild game, most of us don't "need" it to survive so make sure that your are enjoying the process and time outdoors. Aside from that, keep the wind in your face and the sun at your back.

1000%

Never give up. That’s the key. If you win the emotional game then you can kill anything anywhere.

Online courses are accepted by SC. Once completed you print out your card.

GreggH

I took the hunters Ed course a long time ago when I went hog hunting so luckily I don’t have to worry about that. Definitely important for anyone else out there getting into it though.

Get to know the land you want to hunt -- look at topo maps and aerial photos. Explore. Know the wind direction under various weather conditions and plan accordingly. Keep things simple -- skip the blind and the tree stand for now. Practice sitting very still on the ground with your back against a tree or rock. The squirrels should get almost close enough for you to touch. Good luck!

Stands (and blinds) are very effective, but you need to know where to put them, and that requires knowledge. The best way to acquire knowledge is by scouting in the off-season. Squirrel hunting with a .22, still-hunting combined with sitting over likely-looking spots will teach you tons about an area and its food sources, trails, and cover, and especially how to move around discreetly, plus how to really sit still and observe. In the process you’ll likely see plenty of deer as well since they often share the same food. You’ll get experience being in the presence of deer without the pressure you’d feel during the season, how to move without giving yourself away, even with several deer nearby. Bowhunting will do the same things, but requires a considerable investment in time and money, and puts you under the pressure you’ll avoid by hunting squirrels. If your time is limited, you might want to get into that later.

Studying the ground you’ll hunt ahead of time online and with maps will save you a lot of wasted energy. You can identify likely travel routes, bedding cover, spots that may have food and water, etc. Combine that with time spent on the ground, and you’ll be in good shape when the season opens.

You mentioned wanting to hunt where you can get long shots. I think you’ll find those opportunities are pretty scarce during the gun season on public land in the East. Except during the rut, when almost anything can happen, bucks stick to cover most of the time. Sitting over a chunk of wide-open spaces will probably be pretty fruitless. Better to find food, bedding, and travel routes, then place yourself downwind and wait. When the woods aren’t crowded, put some of that still-hunting ability you developed hunting squirrels to use. I’ve killed a few still-hunting my way to or from the area I was hunting. With a lot of hunters in the woods, still-hunting will be pretty useless, and maybe a little dangerous.

Relax and take your time. This is supposed to be fun.

^^^THIS^^^

I'm not sure about the SC regs, but around here you can only use climbing tree stands on public land. Set up looking over the crossroads of trails in a clear enough area to get some longer shots if possible (50 to 75 yards). If your woods are anything like mine, that's about all you'll get. If you're in a hot spot, long shots won't matter.

Play the wind. Set up with the wind in mind if you can, and don't let them get down wind of you.

See if you can get your parents to give you an early Christmas present. This is what I use.

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/api-outdoors-alumni-tech-magnum-climbing-treestand

Don't use the junky harness that comes with the stand. Get something like this.

https://www.basspro.com/r/shop/en/SearchDisplay#q=hunter%20safety%20system

^^^THIS^^^

Haa, wait until the monster buck comes up through there and your heart is pounding out of your chest.

Clemson, SC., (one daughter just graduated there back in May) Next to Keowee and Jocassee, God's country in this state. Tons of public land up there. Everyone has given great advice....patience and perseverance, you'll do fine! Good luck!

Yeah I’ll say that I don’t have tons of experience with my hunting rifles specifically due to the insane cost of ammo for them but I put a few thousand rounds through my AR per year. That being said there’s definitely something to me shooting the rifle I’ll be using this fall, it’s just painful when the barnes ttsx load I’ve sighted my 7-08 in for is 60 a box.

Thanks for the advice, I’ve been setting aside some of my summer job money to get a good climber like that. Haven’t done much research yet though.

Yeah i definitely need to get out in the woods, squirrel season here starts at the same time as deer season but runs until March. After this deer season I am definitely looking to get into squirrel hunting though, maybe even some grouse will help me learn the area. I definitely need to find some topographical maps of the area to study. Thanks for the wealth of other advice too!

Take your AR deer hunting. Anything from a 55 grain SP to a 77 grain TMK ought to do it.

Just me- If I ever get to the point that I don't get
the "rush " when I see deer in range that I
can easily shoot, I'll be giving up hunting for deer.

I'd rate this one as REAL GOOD INFO FOR A NEW ONE....

I learned to hunt in two different types of terrain, in my youth... I started hunting at 14, when our family came back stateside, after the old man's 3 year tour in Europe. He was stationed at Pope AFB, which is in the middle of Ft Bragg NC.

Learned to hunt on Ft Bragg.... and the deer there, sure love the swamps, since it is all so flat...
I've tripped on deer laying low and still a lot more than once, learning to hunt there. you get close they just stayed still and hunkered down.
so well you could trip on them... especially with other hunters nearby...

then the other two spots I learned at the same time, was South East TN east of Chattanooga, and in SE West Virginia, which is also really hilly terrain...

What I learned from all three exposures that I still use to this day.....think of it as if you were being the hunted...
I was in Scouts, with advisers at Ft Bragg who were young Green Berets, when Vietnam was going hot and heavy...
they talked to us in away a kid could understand ( as they weren't usually much older than us, in their early 20s, and most had been eagle scouts)

They would recommend we take trails and did our movements in a way, that someone was hunting us.... just like they did during movement in Vietnam as small groups....stay low, not high... use cover as much as possible... make your movements slow, and do what you can to be quiet...
learn to stop and just crouch down....or even lay down if someone got close enough...

now we'd know exactly what animals like deer will do... that is how they explained it to us....

I took it to heart and when out, I'd see deer. I didn't move much.. and stayed low and listened....I was told by them to do that.. use your sense of hearing first and foremost, and then sense of smell.. and finally verify what you heard and smelled by your sense of sight...I was told to close my eyes, and then listen... clear you mind.... It worked...

That was some of the basics I was taught by the advisors from our Explorer post...

and that was further reinforced by my dad, who as a young Marine in Korea, ended up in charge of a platoon of Marines in a Long Range Recon Capacity....he spent 2.5 years in straight combat, a lot of it behind enemy lines in a search and destroy capacity.. much of what he employed was what he had learned deer hunting with his older brothers.. each WW 2 vets....

what you are hunting is normally found where it can feel safe.. be it human enemy soldiers or plain old whitetail....

That is how I learned what I know, and it has worked out pretty darn well....

just some more thoughts, I've done when I have moved an am hunting a new environment.... like from Minnesota to Oregon...
total change of environment...

again, learned this from Special Forces guys who were our advisors for our Explorer Post on base...

Spend time in the environment, where your enemy or your game is possibly there....

go out and just spend the night in an area, but just lay down a sleeping bag, and ground cloth and then maybe another or poncho to cover yourself with.. no fire, no tent... your just observing and listening...

deer aren't so quiet when its dark... if they are in an area, at night you'll hear them real well...they feel safe and they know by instinct that people don't see well in the dark like they do...way before season, check out some area that you feel may have potential from signs you were seeing... scat, maybe if there are signs in a nearby corn field etc...

if there are bears in the area then have a flash light and a side arm....otherwise, you won't need it... don't use your flashlight.. just stay quiet and listen... fall asleep for a while and wake up and listen again....if any source of water is nearby, that is a good place to be not too far from...

deer run on a schedule of 3 to 4 hours up and then 3 to 4 hours down... on a 24 hour cycle as I understand it.. ( ain't no expert, but never seen it otherwise...)

be by yourself.. no one to talk to or get distracted...at night your ears are the sense you want to rely on...

if game is in the area, it won't be sneaking around in the dark as it will feel safe....

people might call me crazy.. but it has worked for me over many years in different environments... all that was taught to me by Special Forces guys, who were our advisors...and seconded by my dad from his Marine Corps days in Korea in Long Range Recon....

The biggest advice is to start early. Deer season success starts long before deer season. Get out in the woods in January-February and start looking for sheds and other sign of deer activity from the previous season. Start scouting areas you will be hunting in the summer months. Nothing can replace doing your homework before season.