First time hunter for gun season. Southern zone 3A any tips?

[Dorsilfin]

So I am going to be hunting the state land behind some family property in the Catskills, it will be in the 3A zone and Ive hiked most of the land nearby and its quite steep with a couple clearings here and there. I don't plan on lugging a tree stand in on state land, so my strategy is going to be this. Sat the 17th, before the suns up hike up the mountain to a clearing about 1.5 miles and 1500 feet of elevation later up the mountain, find a large tree and sit in front of it facing the field and basically just wait there all day and hope something walks by.

ill have a backpack with me, with a few items should I get lucky.

6x8 tarp to wrap the deer up after field dressing to help drag it down the mountain.

2 sharp knives, 1 for doing the butt area, then 1 for doing the rest as to avoid contamination of the meat

50ft paracord, to wrap up the tarp and make a pull rope

some latex gloves

ziplock bags, 1 for the heart 1 for the liver and my uncle said put them on a cool rock nearby to start cooling them down, 1 for my trash/gloves

couple zipties

and looking into some sort of deer pull to make things easy on the way out if I manage to score one.

Thats my plan in a nutshell, This is my first time "hunting" and Im looking forward to it, I just figured id post my idea of what I want to try and see if any more experienced folks could chime in to say if im on the right track or maybe some advice on things to do

Thanks!

-Dors

[BrianNY]

I dont have any specific tips for ya, but, scouting is what its all about. You cant just walk in opening day, pick a tree, and say "oh, well this looks good", and plan on getting/seeing anything. You may get lucky, but chances are you wont. If possible, put up some trail cameras, look for scrapes/rubs, deer runs, etc, etc. Find out where the deer are feeding and bedding, and the various paths they travel each day. Have a plan ahead of time. Know excactly what tree you'll be sitting at. Make sure to play the wind as well, especially beause you'll be on the ground. Every chance you get between now and opening day, I would be walking that property, looking for sign. You've already lost the hole summer/early fall, so, dont let anymore opertunities get lost. Deer hunting is just as much about the preseason/season scouting, than it is about the hunt itself.

That being said, good luck, have fun, and be safe.

Brian

[Dorsilfin]

Well I did some scouting yesterday in the area I might hunt. There was a ton of blow down from the hurricane it seems, and getting in is difficult, but if i get lucky dragging a deer out will really suck. Might take a handsaw with me next weekend and try and spend a few hours cutting trees out of the way. but a little work now might make the hunt more enjoyable. Shame you cant ATV/chainsaw on state land. Oh well.

Here are 2 pics, First Is a Deer rub, and 2nd I think is a bear scratch? I cant be certain but they were both near each other. Could be an active area.

[mark3885]

I would not go in there and start cutting and changing the landscape. Deer will notice the change and avoid the area. Scouting is done in stealth mode, don't change things and don't leave your scent. Find a place to sit , get it on GPS and get in there early on opening morning. I'll bet your not the only hunter on that hill. I find the easiest way to drag a deer out is with a harness or straps that go over each shoulder , so that you pull with your body walking square to your direction of travel. Stop frequently to pick your best route .A GPS fix on where you enter the woods is good to have so you can pick the most direct route out.

[NYBuckHunter27]

Wear orange. lol

[hunterman7956]

if your in shape look at the area you plan to hunt on google earth, then look for dips in the mountaintop .if it looks like its easier to cross the mountain at the dip or [sADDLE ] then set up in that area .State land hunters usually drive deer to flee up and over mountaintops the first couple of days of gun season.Away from the lazy or not in shape hunters. Leave maybe 330 to 400 AM take your time if its steep and your heart beats hard slow down . you can try to leave a trail with light reflecting tacks to make it easier traveling in the dark.BRING WATER youll need to hydrate while climbing up and a good flashlight to show the way . Opening morning is a great time to be above other hunters and most important !! Only load your gun after you have arrived at your spot ! Deer can come from any direction so be ready and stay focused. TRY TO KEEP MOVEMENT SLOW LOOK AROUND SLOWLY AND most of all be sure of your target and enjoy yourself. Hope this helps ....TONY

[Dorsilfin]

I would not go in there and start cutting and changing the landscape. Deer will notice the change and avoid the area. Scouting is done in stealth mode, don't change things and don't leave your scent. Find a place to sit , get it on GPS and get in there early on opening morning. I'll bet your not the only hunter on that hill. I find the easiest way to drag a deer out is with a harness or straps that go over each shoulder , so that you pull with your body walking square to your direction of travel. Stop frequently to pick your best route .A GPS fix on where you enter the woods is good to have so you can pick the most direct route out.

It wouldnt really be much of changing the landscape, more so just clearing some old logging roads that go all over the mountain. Hiking around the blow down was quite difficult as its very steep terrain and following the old logging roads is the easiest way up and down the trails.

My uncle said the earlier I get up there the better because any hunters coming in after me will push them into the area I was since there's so much blowdown as they like to hide there. If im in a good spot they will show up with everyone pushing, that is. if other hunters plan on hunting this area. There is no "easy" access to the land because its all land locked and im going in through my families property, so theres a good chance it will be just me up there opening day. He said that hasnt stopped hunters before, so I might get people coming in from the other side of the mountain pushing them over to my side. Its really quite exciting just thinking about what will happen