My first season bowhunting (or ever hunting)

[jimboslock]

So I'm one of the unusual men who grew up in Oklahoma and has never hunted. In fact, I've never shot a gun of any kind. Go figure. My dad wasn't into it, so consequently I never was either.

Enter my father-in-law, who is an avid hunter. I expressed some genuine interest in bowhunting and next thing I know, I have a Christmas present of a compound bow!

Well I've since learned how to shoot the bow. But that's the easy part, right? I mean, I can hit the target. But isn't there so much more to it?

Okay, so here are my questions:

• I was thinking of hunting Ft Gibson just because I live in Broken Arrow and it is the closest place with a decent amount of land. Does anybody have any experience hunting Ft Gibson? I have seen a lot of people on here say "I don't want the secrets". Well I personally DO want the secrets. I went out scouting last weekend and realized I don't know what the heck I'm doing. What am I looking for? Where should I be? Near water? Food? Help?
• Is it possible to be a successful bowhunter for whitetail without being in a tree stand?
• What is the best way to learn how to hunt, given I don't have someone to take me out and show me? Any BA locals willing to teach me and I'll buy you lunch?

Any advice you can give a totally green hunter would be great. At this point I'm pretty overwhelmed with all the crap I need to buy and all the things I need to learn!

Thanks!

 

[RedTape]

Well you've chosen a pretty addicting sport. There's nothing quite like getting within bow range of an animal.

First of all, you can shoot deer on public land, and you can shoot them on the ground, despite what some people will tell you. Tree stands help for a number of reasons, but ground blinds have been working for thousands of years.

You can hunt food or water, but my favorite ambush site is in a funnel. Anything that forces the deer to move through an area is a great place to set up a blind. A ridge, small finger of woods, creek crossing etc. can all be funnels. Look for tracks and droppings. Hunt the area and see if spot anything. Be flexible and move where the deer are.

Keep the wind in your face!

 

[Lithiumokc]

Welcome to the addiction......

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

But isn't there so much more to it?

Hee hee, yes. Being able to decisively, quickly, stealthily, and accurately shoot when the time comes is absolutely indispensable. But it's less than 5% of hunting, seems to me.

--95% of hunting "success" (if you want to call harvesting "success")** comes from being at the right spot at the right time, to get a clean clear shot (which in turn involves woodsmanship above all else with all that that entails (scouting, etc.), but also luck and a few other things like scouting-support gear, location/land, having well-trained dogs in some cases, how much time you have to hunt, etc.).

--Then about 4% is stealthily and accurately making the shot (which is about 95% you, and 5% your rig of weapon/ammo). [Edited here to add that another big part of hunting is knowning when NOT to take a shot - to PASS on the shot if it's too far, wrong angle, illegal gender or species, or otherwise unethical to do so. In that case, you simply watch and enjoy, learning habits; maybe trying to snap a pic.]

--The other 1% is 'everything else' - tracking & recovery, surviving, comfort, gear, licensing, etc., etc.


Good luck!


**But really, "success" is really not defined by a kill/harvest. "Success" is just the entire hunting experience from start to finish, and enjoying said process/experience. Yes, the goal of the conscious mind all along is the harvest, but the enjoyment comes from the process of trying to achieve that goal, and just being with nature, not with the destination or culmination of that goal, necessarily.

You can hunt food or water, but my favorite ambush site is in a funnel. Anything that forces the deer to move through an area is a great place to set up a blind. A ridge, small finger of woods, creek crossing etc. can all be funnels. Look for tracks and droppings. Hunt the area and see if spot anything. Be flexible and move where the deer are.

Keep the wind in your face!

Wise words.

 

[dlbleak]

just be sure to check in regs for the area you intend to hunt. sometimes they are closed for a controlled hunt, special youth hunt etc. Good luck!

 

[dennishoddy]

I know where your coming from when you went to the woods and did not have a clue about what your supposed to be looking for.
Here are a couple of things I always look for when scouting:
#1 is a creek crossing. Typically several trails will come together at some point for a creek crossing. Creeks normally have large mature trees that are good for tree stands.

#2 food sources. Are the trails heading to a grove of acorn trees, or somebodies wheat/corn/milo etc field?

#3 Deer are edge dwellers. Most of the time they will stay within 25 yds of the tree line. Look there for a trail. Depending on the density of the deer in the area your scouting, it may be a well used trail beat into dirt, or just an area where the grass is walked down.

 

[WacosSon]

[*]What is the best way to learn how to hunt, given I don't have someone to take me out and show me? Any BA locals willing to teach me and I'll buy you lunch?

Not a BA Local - new to the area actually, but I've been hunting for a while. Mostly rifle where I'm from, but I need to invest in a bow and shake the dust off those skills - been a long time. Wouldn't mind headin out to Ft. Gibson with ya and scoutin around. I can show you a bit of what to look for, plus I need to checkout the area anyway. PM me if you're interested.

-Nick

 

[RedTape]

I would also recommend getting the book "Come November." The Wensel brothers have spent their lives bowhunting and studying whitetails. Its full of great information on whitetail habits and hunting tactics.