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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

BP-B2

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


Ping pong balls for the win.
Once you've wrestled everything else in life is easy. Dan Gable
I keep my circle small, I’d rather have 4 quarters than 100 pennies.

Ain’t easy havin pals.
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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.


Genesis 9:2-4 Ministries Lighthearted Confessions of a Cervid Serial Killer
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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.


"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die, I want to go where they went"
Will Rogers
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Originally Posted by Sasha_and_Abby
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!


I Learned a long time ago to Separate My Want's from My Needs!

A man's Gotta Do What a Man's Gotta Do!

Know Thy Self!

TRUMP DID WIN!!!
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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


LIFE NRA , we vote Red up here, Norseman
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Originally Posted by pointer
Get out there as much as possible

Persistence.

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



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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

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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.

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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.


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Originally Posted by Judman
The more Time in the woods, the more opportunities will be presented.👍😎
This. Go hunting as much as you can. The more time you spend in the woods and around deer the more you will learn.


Life can be rough on us dreamers.
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Originally Posted by Sasha_and_Abby
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.

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.

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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


Don't wish it were easier
Wish you were better

Stab them in the taint, you can't put a tourniquet on that.
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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

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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!

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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.


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Originally Posted by SC_Mark
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!

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.

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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)

Quote
All residents and nonresidents, born after June 30, 1979, must successfully complete a SCDNR approved hunter education course and present the certificate of completion before a hunting or combination license can be obtained.

A hunter education card alone is not a valid hunting license. For more information on hunter education, call 803-734-3995 or 1-800-277-4301.

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


Originally Posted by Brad
If Montana had a standing army, a 270 Win with Federal Blue Box 130's would be the standard issue.
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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.

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Originally Posted by T_Inman
Originally Posted by pointer
Get out there as much as possible

Persistence.

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


1000%

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

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