Newbie deer hunter with some questions

[don23]

I want to make sure I have all the right gear so I can have a successful season. I got permission to hunt on a farmers land (about 150acres) but he doesnt allow rifles so I bought a mossberg 500 w/ a rifled cantilever barrel. It came with this scope. I have practiced with it and zeroed it in to the best of my ability at 100yds. The farmer has a few treestands about and also told me a few good spots where he found some trees that a buck passed through rubbing on.

 

 

1) Is there a big difference from a 2 3/4" vs a 3" sabot slug? Do lightfield hybred EXPs have good knockdown power? I want a clean humane kill.

2) If I buy scent killer is it as effective as running clothes through with a scentless detergent?

3) How important is your scope and is mine "good enough"?

4) Im looking to buy a knife for mainly field dressing. Was considering this or this? I want to spend sub 70~

5) What is the best time of day to hunt for whitetails?

6) Last year I had a few opportunities to take a doe but my father in law said I shouldn't bother but should try for a buck. Is there something wrong with taking a doe? Does the meat taste any different between the two?

7) How important is camo? I have a camo jacket/headnet/gloves but was considering just wearing jeans out to the field? How well can deer see colors? Can they see orange?

Please give me any tips that would help me with markmanship/strategy/anything at all !! I am open to any advice

 

 

Thank you for reading, sorry for so many questions I know some of them probably sound so dumb!!

 

[josephmrtn]

I want to make sure I have all the right gear so I can have a successful season. I got permission to hunt on a farmers land (about 150acres) but he doesnt allow rifles so I bought a mossberg 500 w/ a rifled cantilever barrel. It came with this scope. I have practiced with it and zeroed it in to the best of my ability at 100yds. The farmer has a few treestands about and also told me a few good spots where he found some trees that a buck passed through rubbing on.

 

 

1) Is there a big difference from a 2 3/4" vs a 3" sabot slug? Do lightfield hybred EXPs have good knockdown power? I want a clean humane kill.

2) If I buy scent killer is it as effective as running clothes through with a scentless detergent?

3) How important is your scope and is mine "good enough"?

4) Im looking to buy a knife for mainly field dressing. Was considering this or this? I want to spend sub 70~

5) What is the best time of day to hunt for whitetails?

6) Last year I had a few opportunities to take a doe but my father in law said I shouldn't bother but should try for a buck. Is there something wrong with taking a doe? Does the meat taste any different between the two?

7) How important is camo? I have a camo jacket/headnet/gloves but was considering just wearing jeans out to the field? How well can deer see colors? Can they see orange?

Please give me any tips that would help me with markmanship/strategy/anything at all !! I am open to any advice

 

 

Thank you for reading, sorry for so many questions I know some of them probably sound so dumb!!

NOthing wrong with a doe for a first deer! thas what mine was, and yes they are good eating... i usually only wear blue jeans if hunting from a ground blind or somewhere else where it will break up the solid color... and i NEVER wear them while bowhunting  normaly i wear camo jeans during the early season but once it gets cold i switch to brown bib overalls and they work just fine...

[bluecoupe]

Congratulations!

 

>1) Is there a big difference from a 2 3/4" vs a 3" sabot slug? Do lightfield hybred EXPs have good knockdown power? I want a clean  humane kill.

 

I have a the same Mossy 500 only with a Leupold sitting on top. I shoot 2 3/4" Federal sabots. They drop.  Different shotguns like different slugs. You have an identical gun to mine and yours may spray the Federal Power Shoks all over the place where mine puts 'em in pretty much the same hole. You have to try different slugs to see which one your setup likes. As far as 2 3/4" vs 3"? I wouldn't even think twice about it. You're shooting about an ounce of lead out. It's a force to be reconed with.  Not much of anything going to stand up to it if you do your part.

 

> 2) If I buy scent killer is it as effective as running clothes through with a scentless detergent?

 

 This one I can't answer. I don't buy into all of that stuff. I do take old time precautions but stop there.

 

> 3) How important is your scope and is mine "good enough"?

 

  Yours is "good enough" if you can see clearly through it and it puts 'em in the same spot.  I always recommend putting  the best glass on that you can for various reasons. Clarity, paralax, fog, variable power, etc but as long as it's accurate, it's fine.

 

> 4) Im looking to buy a knife for mainly field dressing. Was considering this or this? I want to spend sub 70~

 

  I didn't look at the links prior to quoting so I can't see them but the main thing with a knife is that it's sharp and a sturdy blade.

 

> 5) What is the best time of day to hunt for whitetails?

 

  All day.   People will tell you "oh they won't move then...."  Lemme tell ya, deer don't have watches.  They move when the mood strikes       'em or something pushes 'em.  Hunt all day.   Now, that said; I don't hunt in the hard rain anymore. A nice soft drizzle though and I'm not moving.

 

> 6) Last year I had a few opportunities to take a doe but my father in law said I shouldn't bother but should try for a buck. Is there             > something wrong with taking a doe? Does the meat taste any different between the two?

 

  This one's a "can of worms".  MY personal preference is - give me a young doe any day.  More tender and milder flavor generally. I've tried cooking those horns every way you can think of and they ain't worth squat 'cept lookin' at, and that's not why I personally go. Everybody's different there.  My Father was adament that you did NOT shoot doe.  I'm not.

 

>7) How important is camo? I have a camo jacket/headnet/gloves but was considering just wearing jeans out to the field? How well can >deer see colors? Can they see orange?

 

    Movement is your biggest enemy when it comes to their sight and will probably bust you more often than most anything else.  I wear a full blaze orange camo suit and I've had them walk right past me (I hunt from the ground, I wasn't bred to be crawlin' in and out of trees).   Personally I'd stay away from jeans. I think they reflect a good amount of the ultraviolet spectrum and that'll bust you real quick.

 

 

These rambling are just what I think and only right for me.  Someone else will tell you that what I said is crazy, and for them it is.  It's all a personal thing and finding what works for you.   Just remember; deer have been killed for a LONG time and with various weapons long before anything we have available to us was even thought about. 

 

 

Good luck

Edited October 1, 2013 by SteveC

[bkln]

Forget about the scent and the colors, as long as you don't move you can sit there in white clothes with a polka dots on it, no one cares....relax, have a good time and bring some meat home, make sure you have a clear shot and pay attention what's behind it, that's all it matters.... good luck kid... and thanks for joining...

[NFA-ADK]

Great advice IMO.  Hunt all day, pack a lunch and enjoy. 

[don23]

NOthing wrong with a doe for a first deer! thas what mine was, and yes they are good eating... i usually only wear blue jeans if hunting from a ground blind or somewhere else where it will break up the solid color... and i NEVER wear them while bowhunting  normaly i wear camo jeans during the early season but once it gets cold i switch to brown bib overalls and they work just fine...

 

I think Im gonna pick up some more camo then.

 

Congratulations!

 

>1) Is there a big difference from a 2 3/4" vs a 3" sabot slug? Do lightfield hybred EXPs have good knockdown power? I want a clean  humane kill.

 

I have a the same Mossy 500 only with a Leupold sitting on top. I shoot 2 3/4" Federal sabots. They drop.  Different shotguns like different slugs. You have an identical gun to mine and yours may spray the Federal Power Shoks all over the place where mine puts 'em in pretty much the same hole. You have to try different slugs to see which one your setup likes. As far as 2 3/4" vs 3"? I wouldn't even think twice about it. You're shooting about an ounce of lead out. It's a force to be reconed with.  Not much of anything going to stand up to it if you do your part.

 

> 2) If I buy scent killer is it as effective as running clothes through with a scentless detergent?

 

 This one I can't answer. I don't buy into all of that stuff. I do take old time precautions but stop there.

 

> 3) How important is your scope and is mine "good enough"?

 

  Yours is "good enough" if you can see clearly through it and it puts 'em in the same spot.  I always recommend putting  the best glass on that you can for various reasons. Clarity, paralax, fog, variable power, etc but as long as it's accurate, it's fine.

 

> 4) Im looking to buy a knife for mainly field dressing. Was considering this or this? I want to spend sub 70~

 

  I didn't look at the links prior to quoting so I can't see them but the main thing with a knife is that it's sharp and a sturdy blade.

 

> 5) What is the best time of day to hunt for whitetails?

 

  All day.   People will tell you "oh they won't move then...."  Lemme tell ya, deer don't have watches.  They move when the mood strikes       'em or something pushes 'em.  Hunt all day.   Now, that said; I don't hunt in the hard rain anymore. A nice soft drizzle though and I'm not moving.

 

> 6) Last year I had a few opportunities to take a doe but my father in law said I shouldn't bother but should try for a buck. Is there             > something wrong with taking a doe? Does the meat taste any different between the two?

 

  This one's a "can of worms".  MY personal preference is - give me a young doe any day.  More tender and milder flavor generally. I've tried cooking those horns every way you can think of and they ain't worth squat 'cept lookin' at, and that's not why I personally go. Everybody's different there.  My Father was adament that you did NOT shoot doe.  I'm not.

 

>7) How important is camo? I have a camo jacket/headnet/gloves but was considering just wearing jeans out to the field? How well can >deer see colors? Can they see orange?

 

    Movement is your biggest enemy when it comes to their sight and will probably bust you more often than most anything else.  I wear a full blaze orange camo suit and I've had them walk right past me (I hunt from the ground, I wasn't bred to be crawlin' in and out of trees).   Personally I'd stay away from jeans. I think they reflect a good amount of the ultraviolet spectrum and that'll bust you real quick.

 

 

These rambling are just what I think and only right for me.  Someone else will tell you that what I said is crazy, and for them it is.  It's all a personal thing and finding what works for you.   Just remember; deer have been killed for a LONG time and with various weapons long before anything we have available to us was even thought about. 

 

 

Good luck

 

I didn't realize ammo varied that much from gun to gun. Thanks for the tip. I will pick up a box of em and see if they shoot better than the lightfields.

I thought the scent stuff was very gimmicky. The way I see it if the deer smells he is either smelling a human or a human with some wierd scent on him. I dont think anyone

is fooling the deer. Im interested though, what old time precautions do you take?

  How much is a leupold? Is it worth the price?

I was planning on startin at sunrise, takin my lunch and sittin in the same spot till I get one

I tend to agree with you about the doe. Its hard though because I dont want to wait for a buck and pass on a few does then the season is over.

thanks for the tips!

 

Forget about the scent and the colors, as long as you don't move you can sit there in white clothes with a polka dots on it, no one cares....relax, have a good time and bring some meat home, make sure you have a clear shot and pay attention what's behind it, that's all it matters.... good luck kid... and thanks for joining...

 

Sounds like a plan

 

Great advice IMO.  Hunt all day, pack a lunch and enjoy. 

 

I cant wait to do just that

Edited October 1, 2013 by don23

[vipertech]

1) Is there a big difference from a 2 3/4" vs a 3" sabot slug? Do lightfield hybred EXPs have good knockdown power? I want a clean humane kill.

A deer will not know the difference, I can assure you of that!  I have always used 2 3/4 inch in my shotgun and never found the need to go to the 3 inch slugs.  If your gun has been sighted in to 100 yards and you are happy with the groups you are getting then I would stick with the round that you used to sight your gun in.  

 

2) If I buy scent killer is it as effective as running clothes through with a scentless detergent?

I like to wash my hunting clothes once before the season using a scentless detergent.  Then, all of my hunting clothes and gear like my pack go into a large rubbermaid bin.  In the bin I put a bunch of leaves, branches, etc from the woods I hunt in.  This smell will permeate the clothing and helps contribute some cover scent.  Once at the woods, I will spray myself down with some scent killer.  Having said all of that, playing the wind is still the best way to ensure that a deer does not smell you.

 

3) How important is your scope and is mine "good enough"?

Well, plenty of people hunt deer with a shotgun and do not use a scope at all.  So if you are asking if a scope is an important piece of gear then I would say no.  I personally found that I like having a scope on my shotgun so to me, it is a key piece.  I wound up buying a fairly cheap scope years ago and it has worked quite well for me over the years.  Obviously one should sight their gun/scope in every year to ensure it is still on.  Furthermore, it's a good idea to sight it in after anytime there is a concern that the gun may have been dropped or otherwise banged around.  

 

 

4) Im looking to buy a knife for mainly field dressing. Was considering this or this? I want to spend sub 70~

A fixed or folding blade that is around 3" to maybe 5" is more than enough.  I even heard a story once where a guy's dad forgot his knife and field dressed the deer using a razor blade!  I do personally like to saw the pelvis bone which causes the back legs to open up wider and does seem to help make removal of the rectum a tad easier but this step is absolutely not necessary and more of a preference.  So, I also carry a small folding saw for this purpose.  

 

5) What is the best time of day to hunt for whitetails?

Seriously....any time that you can get out!!  But traditionally speaking, people tend to favor mornings or evenings.  Just search any hunting forum and you will find tons of discussion about this.  Obviously, if you can sit all day long then your odds of seeing deer go up dramatically.  It is tough to do and requires serious discipline.  For me, I like the whole experience and that includes meeting my buddies around lunchtime to enjoy talking about what we saw that morning and then plan where we will go for the afternoon.  If I am hunting alone then I still like to take the mid day lunch break and then go to a different spot for the afternoon.  However, I have spent all day on one stand on days where the action seems hot.  

 

6) Last year I had a few opportunities to take a doe but my father in law said I shouldn't bother but should try for a buck. Is there something wrong with taking a doe? Does the meat taste any different between the two?

Absolutely not and I think your FIL was a bit remiss to encourage you to hold out for a buck especially given that you are new to hunting.  To this day, I am still very proud to connect on ANY deer and you should be too. There has been some discussion around the subject of older bucks who are in the midst of the rut with their hormones and testosterone levels are high causing a change in the flavor of the meat.  I personally have no experience with this.  

 

7) How important is camo? I have a camo jacket/headnet/gloves but was considering just wearing jeans out to the field? How well can deer see colors? Can they see orange?

Eyes are made up of rods and cones.  Human eyes have more cones so we pick up colors very well. We are low on rods so our low light vision is poor.  Deer are basically just the opposite.  They have many rods so they have very good low light vision however, they are limited on cones therefore they do not perceive colors as good as us.  This does not mean they see in black and white.  They actually can see some colors.  Research has show that deer probably can see into the ultra-violet spectrum to a degree.  They can sense colors like yellows and blues.  But they seem to see greens, reds, and orange as shades of grey.  

 

So, they can probably pick out your blue-jeans but I wouldn't worry about it much.  Deer are really more programmed to react to movement.  If you stay perfectly still, you can probably wear a hawaiian shirt and blue-jeans and still not be picked off.

[blackradio]

you might as well get camo. I got camo pants at walmart for $5 on clearance and yeah they aren't warm or really nice but I wear them over more and more clothes as it gets colder. I got a camp sweatshirt for about $7 from there too.