Prepping for first potential season

As to stop clogging up the thread about grown men and their love for sausage, I'll start a new one. I want to go hunting for the first time this season. I have the hunters ed cert already, and I can get the license at any point in the next two weeks or so. Anything i should know going into this about regulations and actually getting out in the woods without doing something wrong. Never hunted before in my life so this will all be new to me.
I'll be hunting deer and turkey most likely. Two things I'm most interested in right now. Might do some small game or waterfowl but that's not a priority to me.

 

Where you going to hunt?

This is my second "real" hunting season. Went out for (deer) rifle season in Michigan last year, didn't see anything worth shooting.

This year my father in law and I are going to hunt my backyard, 3-4 days of the crossbow season and probably opening weekend/thanksgiving week with shotgun.

So I got nothin to add to the conversation but glad I'm not the only rookie.

 

orange county probably. State park in the northeast that i can't remember the name of right now.

 

When you purchase your license make sure you get the syllabus which is published every year and contains the latest laws, regulations, and when seasons open and close.
Robin

 

I would recommend going with someone experienced once or twice. A lot of key knowledge can be passed down on a short amount of time. This isn't essential but it does make the learning curve easier.

I would say they biggest mistakes for someone new to is what to do after you shoot a deer.
1. They weigh a lot more than you think. Along with this dragging dead weight is harder than most people realize.

So my recommendation is buy/have a drag rope. If possible field dress where the animal fell. Lastly dont hunt too far back in the woods if you aren't prepared to drag an animal that far.

2. Field dressing. Some people dont have the stomach for it. I have a cousin that gags through the whole process, but he still finishes what he did. Whatch as many videos as you can, but an experienced person guiding you will go a long ways.

3. Have a processing place lined up. We cut our own up and have guided many people on how to do it, but it can be very daunting for the new hunter.

Lastly have fun, after a little but in the woods you will learn killing is secondary to just being out in the wilderness.

 

Dont get bored deer hunting,,,if you drink coffee make sure you bring a Yeti full and snacks. Make sure you pick a spot before season starts and if you can build a tree stand, build it,,,if you cant bring a climbing tree stand with you on opening day. Hunting for starters is more about gun safety,,,then you can research ways how to do it better.

Turkey hunting to me is a blast. Ive never shot one but the fact I can get all camouflage and go and sit in the bushes and try to call them in excites me. Ive called in Hens everytime Ive gone out,,,problem is you cant shoot hens in the spring only fall. Ive never hunted turkeys in the fall because Im hunting Goose, crow etc.

 

Deer aren't orange and neither are all hunters. Always assume the noises you hear in the woods are other hunters. Use your binoculars to scout, not your scope. Get in the woods well before daylight, climb to the top 1/3 of a hill and hunker down near some deer trails you would have already found well before season. pack some snacks & don't shoot anybody. Never mind going out of the woods for breakfast, lunch or dinner until you get that damn deer.

 

State parks get packed. Keep your head down and show up early.

 

Avoid opening day at a state park.

 

3rd season for me. All good advice and points above. I think the most important thing to concentrate on is to not forget basic safety points, recently learned or old news. Last thing you need is an injury to yourself or others. Keep a cool head, identify your target and check your background.

 

I've been hunting basically all my life and live in orange county. If timing works out and you really want to give it a go I could probably spare a day and bring you.

 

get your tags before OCT 1st .. or you wont get any DMP .. doe permits ..

and don't tick off the tree rats or they will make you think you hear a deer every 5 minutes ..

find some video's on how to field dress a deer and small game .. watch a few from different people

if you see one in range .. take the time to see whats behind it .. even do that while not seeing anything .. ok if i see one here i have a good backstop or there too or over there .. if i see one there no go have to wait ..

 

The woods are more fun during bow season.
my .02

 

I thought of a couple things. Again, I am new to this myself but....

Get comfortable, proficient, and confident with your weapon of choice. Don't take a shot you aren't confident of.

Like mentioned, keep the safety stuff in mind.

Learn, read all you can. I am fortunate that even starting out in big game later in life, I have a very experienced hunting partner in my father in law. Also, don't neglect your basic field craft skills, particularly if you're going off the beaten path.

Handling your game well from the moment you take it is critical to how that meat is going to taste on the table.

Enjoy it. I am terrible at the idea of "relaxing." I got 15 minutes or so of the best sleep I've had in... a long time, last year in the blind.

 

Depending on the zone that you hunt, beware of the antler restriction zones.
Be sure to wear blaze orange during rifle season. be mindful that orange is not mandatory in NYS, so don't be surprised to see other hunters moving around w/o wearing orange. Know your target- if you can't identify it, let it pass.
If you're hunting alone, keep in mind that the further you walk the longer it's going to be to drag the animal out if you get something (plus you're carrying your gun, backpack, treestand?, etc.)
It's easy to get turned around in the woods if your not observant.
Don't be surprised if you loose cellphone service in the woods (depending you where you hunt.)
Hunting on State land will undoubtedly get packed on opening day. Everyone & anyone that hunts will try to be out there on opening day.
Keep your safety on until you're ready to pull the trigger. It's easy to trip on a log or slip off a rock.
imo, you learn the basic in a classroom (cerf). But you learn how to hunt in the field. There's a lot to learn.
I've been doing it for over 30 yrs.

 

Honestly, classroom didn't teach me shit. It was an ethics and firearm safety course. Both of which I'd like to think I have high standards of. Everything I've learned about hunting so far has been through research and questions.

 

Yep, the classroom doesn't care if you get a animal or not. They're more concern about safety. They don't want a bunch of trigger happy hunters shooting into the bushes at anything that moves (Every year you hear about an accident. Last hunting season a son shot into the bushes and killed his father.)
Over the years, I have stopped hunting with some guys because they got bored and started shooting at trees or squirrels just because they were bored.

 

Lol they were bored cause they were scaring away all the deer.

 

Don't know where you will hunt . If in a strange place it is easy to get lost ...If only for a little while . Some state lands can go on for miles . have a compass and a map of the area . One can get a cheap plastic poncho for a few bucks and throw it in your pocket . Have a way to make a small fire if the weather turns bad and you need to spend a night in the woods . Keep a few protein bars in your jacket in case this happens . Where I have hunted in the past I could always find a road ... However it depends on where you are ... Tale a little medical kit with you if you are way in . Having a way to bandage up a scrape can mean the difference of going home and continuing the hunt. We all can trip on a root or slide down a gully and get banged up.

 

All things I plan on doing whenever I go somewhere I'm not familiar. Thanks.

 

Got a dumb question I think I know the answer to, and I'll check the regs during lunch today, but does anyone know offhand-

I have a bow/muzzle (either sex) tag so I can hunt the xbow season, in addition to my regular (buck only, shotgun) tag.

Can I use a muzzle loader to fill that either sex tag during regular firearm season (if I get shut out in xbow)? I would imagine yes?

 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...r/28605.html&usg=AOvVaw1QgnqrYauqb6BnUJ-aPRvD

 

Thanks @mak00. I'll dig into the regs today for details but seems like it is more a restriction on the sex than on the weapon?

 

Nice, my first year too.

Hope I can harvest enough to get a reserve going in the freezer. Zero sport in this for me.

 

...and that sucks. Ah well. December it is, I guess, if I get skunked in xbow season. We have no early muzzle season in the Southern Zone so I guess we will do xbow the week before Thanksgiving and then shotgun from opening day thru whenever my inlaws go back home after the holiday.

Q: May I use my Bow/Muzzleloading tags (either-sex and antlerless tags) during the Regular Season?
A: No. Bow/Muzzleloading tags are only valid during the special bowhunting and muzzleloading seasons depending on which privileges you purchased. Bow/Muzzleloading tags are not valid during the Regular Seasons, except in Westchester and Suffolk Counties or by junior archers hunting with a bow during the regular seasons.