From jackel235 over on kentuckyhunting.com:

Help WITH GETTING FIRST DEER

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Hi all i new to the forms Well my problem is i been hunting 2 years now and still have not got a deer I love to eat it and only way to eat it is to kill it well thats the problem i don’t know what i ‘m suppose to look for in woods for a good spot no clear spots all hills and woods. I don’t know when i am in a good spot for 5 days i hunted the same spot and no deer ever man what am i doing wrong well any way i would like ur alls advice please

An answer by steelslinger

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Sounds like you havn’t scouted well enough. Is there any sign where your hunting? Trails, rubs, scapes, bedding area’s, droppings, tracks? Have you seen deer using this area before? There might or might not be deer using the area you hunt, but more than likely there are and your not in the right place. 1st thing you need to do is establish a trail that the deer are using and using on a regular basis. Look for hoof prints in ditchs and draws, worn down trails. Some places the deer will use ditches and draws to travel for cover. Deer can be lazy and cross ditches, draws, downed trees, and fences where it is the easiest to cross while maintaining cover. Where is the closest food and water source? Even though there may not be open areas, if you identify the food and water source, you can usually find the trails leading to them. Lot of variables, help us out with alittle more info. Is there any places where the cover is thicker than the rest of the area? If so, this might be a bedding area. How big or small is the land your hunting?

My answer:

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I would go even further. I am not sure if you are actually in a place that holds deer. I feel that is one of the major failures with beginning hunters– hunting with no deer to hunt. It may be the wrong plot of land, or just the wrong part of the plot. Let’s start out by getting some clarification:

1) Let’s have your age, location, and general life story.

2) Let’s hear how you got into hunting.

3) What methods have you used (bow, gun, etc.) and are planning to use?

4) Do you have access to a place that you know has deer in it? A park, golf course?

5) Describe where you are hunting– size and general layout of the plot. Describe sources of water, and food. Fields? Forests? etc.

My reason for asking #4 is this: If you don’t know what you should be looking for, it will be hard to determine what you have. If there is a place where you can go see deer, I can direct you to places where various sign should be. We can cover the basics in a few field trips, but you need a place of known deer activity to start.

My warning to you is this: you have an uphill climb getting a deer this year without a rather massive change. You’re in your third year of hunting– most new hunters quit after their third unsuccessful year. It is a shame, because the average success rate is about 25%, meaning the average hunter takes a deer sometime in the first four years.

Feel free to PM me. I am currently working on a website for beginning deer hunters. See my signature below. It will take you to a bunch of articles I am putting together to give new guys a leg up.

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