Discouraged First Year Hunter

I hunt Wedington and Madison. Don't feel bad. I didn't even see a deer while I was hunting Wedington this year. I have a few friends that killed nice bucks out there but it is hard hunting.

Madison county is my favorite. The north side seems to hold more deer but I have seen the biggest rubs I have ever seen anywhere on the south side. This time of year my experience is that the deer don't move much in the am. I see them mid morning once the frost burns off, if we actually get cold enough for frost. Then I see them again in the evenings coming into the food plots. By this time they have made it through two gun permit hunts and a decent amount of bow pressure. They won't just come strolling into the food plots unaware. My best luck is finding a heavy trail leading up a draw into the plots. Set up on it in the timber 30 or so yards before the plot. The bucks and leary does will come in on those trails and basically wait for shooting light to fade then slip into the plots. Setting up a ways out gives you the chance of catching them.

I am by no means a pro, heck I didn't even put anything on the ground yet this year, but this is what I have experienced over there historically. Maybe it will help you out, maybe it won't. Good luck either way.

Discouraged

It's easy to get discouraged and want to be successful in a fast way; there lies your problem; learning patience is a top concern; there are lots and lots of books on this subject but NOTHING beats firsthand experience; learn to be quiet, no matter what; while most of the deer are killed while climbing a tree, some of the BEST lessons are done while still hunting, moving along in the woods at a very, slow,slow pace; while using this method, keep wind in your face; only move after an intense look around you; it may take you an hour only to move a few yards; make sure you carry bino's as well; also go to your local pro shop and just sit around and listen to the "old-timers" who kill deer; find out names in your area of guys who are successful at killing deer and drive by and ask questions; they won't take you to their spots but wil give out some good pointers;

If you don't kill a deer this year or even in a couple of years, don't get discouraged and sell your equiptment; be in the woods at every given chance and learn good woodsmanship; learn to be stealthy, learn the up-most patience, and by all means learn to be still and quiet; you will never learn until you get out there; ALWAYS keep the wind in your favor; also remember that squirrel season runs all summer long now in Arkansas; what a GREAT way to learn how to deer hunt; if you become a GOOD and I mean GOOD squirrel hunter, then you won't have no problems in killing deer; the squirrels use the same food source as do deer; if you can kill your limit in squirrels on a consistent basis, then you can also fill your deer tags as well;

Remember, PATIENCE, PATIENCE AND THEN MORE PATIENCE; it will come the more you are out there; remember as well, squirrell season opens in middle may and runs all summer long; the smae trails that deer makes now, will be there in the summer as well; find your major food sources and hunt, hunt, hunt; if you make mistakes, learn from them; good lucl and if you need any more help, you can find me here; just pm me................rem

I saw a ton of deer out at Wedington this year, saw a a little buck and a few does while squirrel hunting just yesterday! So, they are out there, its just a patience issue. Also the woods are big, so I don't think its a location issue, there are deer everywhere. Scout A LOT and when you think you have found a good area they are traveling in, set up and wait. Many times I walk up on deer and spook them off, so there's my first sign deer are in the area, I watch them run away to see where they go for safety, then find deer paths which are easy to spot, so I already have a good idea of an area and set up according to wind/situation.

As far as hiking into a bedding area, good luck, there are way too many leaves and its too loud. Just look for rubs, scrapes, deer paths, and know that deer bed down in all the thick stuff (usually* in low areas) and move to eat on the acorns in the open woods(usually*on the hillsides/ridge tops). When you see trails leading from these areas this is a sign there may be deer there, but you have to just wait and hope. I haven't been out to Madison yet, but I imagine the terrain and tactics would be the same.

It's getting very tough right now because a lot of the food is covered up, it's kinda magical that they survive to me as I don't know what they are eating out there, and I don't waste time hunting one little honey suckle or something. These kinds of food sources can be happening one day and stripped clean the next, focus on established beat down trails. Doe's will always use them, and once bucks get back into routine, they will use them also. I also have a theory that the public land deer are smarter, I seem to have my best luck the first day I hunt an area. Once they get spooked they quickly look for new ground and avoid that area for a few days, so I move around locations quite a bit. Also for the record I never shot a deer out there this year, I saw/let a few walk (including a monster) so there should be a couple nice bucks out there for us all next year !