Help!!! New hunter this season -- haven't seen a deer yet

[Hank]

I am a new hunter this season -- never hunted before. I live in Tompkins County (Ithaca, NY). I have been out three days on public lands and private, but with no luck. I haven't even seen a deer. It is quite frustrating.

Is there someone nearby who can take me out and show me the ropes so to speak?! I would REALLY appreciate it. I really need some help. I am happy to just help you hunt (and carry it back to truck, do whatever I can to help), I don't need to hunt. I just want to see how you select locations and how to hunt.

Thank you so much!

Hank

[Al Bundy]

There is a ton of deer in your neck of the woods and public land as well. There used to be and maybe still is a special  late season for deer in that area. You are a not awful drive to King Ferry.  There looks to be a field to fork over near cortland.  Perhaps someone there could  hook you up?

https://www.qdma.com/new-york/

SEVEN VALLEYS BRANCH

3160 South Hill Rd.
McGraw, NY 13101
Phone: (607) 345-8595
Contact: Jesse Wildman
Email: [email protected]

Edited November 21, 2019 by Al Bundy

[Hank]

Thank you so much, Al! I will definitely check them out.

Hopefully, there is someone on this site who lives near me is willing to take me out as well.

[Enders]

Same boat as you. I live in NYC and have been driving up at 4am for the past 3 days to hunt at sterling forest and all I’ve seen is squirrels. Planning to just drive up to the adorandack mountains to try to luck for two days. 

[Hank]

Exactly! I feel your pain. I have been working hard -- walking 1 mile from the road through thick forest to avoid other hunters, sitting for hours, but saw nothing but squirrels. 

I have watched hours upon hours of youtube -- everything I can find where people are teaching how to hunt deer (deer hunting school, hunting public, randy newberg, ...). 

It is getting a bit frustrating.

Best of luck for you at adorandack!

[Robhuntandfish]

Patience my friend. I have 50 hunts in and haven't gotten a deer. Now I have seen deer and passed on deer but have had several days of 3+ strings of no deer.  It's a learning process. 

[Hunter007]

I have gone 7 days straight with out seeing a deer on public land it happens. 

And then i have seen them in less then a hour of hunting  on public.  You just never know. 

[Hank]

Thank you! I am just worried that I am in the wrong place at the wrong time -- truth be told, I don't know what I am looking for. I saw deer tracks (some rub) and droppings, I just set up camp there -- don't know if that's the best strategy. I will carry on.

[Robhuntandfish]

1 minute ago, Hank said:

Thank you! I am just worried that I am in the wrong place at the wrong time -- truth be told, I don't know what I am looking for. I saw deer tracks (some rub) and droppings, I just set up camp there -- don't know if that's the best strategy. I will carry on.

Sounds like your starting in a likely spot.  If private land grab yourself a trail cam to use, do more scouting in off season after this and before next season. Walk around and see if you jump deer. Not something you want to do while hunting a lot but will give you and idea where they are.  Keep the wind in your face and look for well used trails. 

[adkhunter71]

1 hour ago, Enders said:

Same boat as you. I live in NYC and have been driving up at 4am for the past 3 days to hunt at sterling forest and all I’ve seen is squirrels. Planning to just drive up to the adorandack mountains to try to luck for two days. 

Don't want to burst your bubble about potentially hunting the Adirondacks, but I would never recommend going there if you are a new hunter.  Deer numbers are always low, and this year seems worse than normal after last year's harsh winter.

I would suggest that if you are willing to travel the 4+ hours to go to the Adirondacks that maybe you try some public land in western NY.  Much better deer numbers out that way.

[Enders]

17 minutes ago, adkhunter71 said:

Don't want to burst your bubble about potentially hunting the Adirondacks, but I would never recommend going there if you are a new hunter.  Deer numbers are always low, and this year seems worse than normal after last year's harsh winter.

I would suggest that if you are willing to travel the 4+ hours to go to the Adirondacks that maybe you try some public land in western NY.  Much better deer numbers out that way.

I saw this message  late, I literally booked a airbnb cabin to hunt in the next few days. I’ll make the best of it I guess.

[goosifer]

1 hour ago, Robhuntandfish said:

Patience my friend. I have 50 hunts in and haven't gotten a deer. Now I have seen deer and passed on deer but have had several days of 3+ strings of no deer.  It's a learning process. 

Goodness, Rob, you are like the hunting equivalent of being a good Catholic boy in high school!

[grampy]

I really think it's awesome that you are so enthused about hunting!! And as you gain experience, and you will with each trip afield, you will have success. But deer hunting is not an instant gratification endeavor. I've known hunters that when years before their first deer kill. Patience, is the number one hunter virtue to learn. And I think it's among the hardest skill to acquire. Took me years to finally "get it". Take your time. See things. Don't just look at them. And the deer themselves will be the best teachers you will ever have.

If you ever get around the Albany area, give me a shout. I'll be happy to take you out.

[Hank]

Sounds like your starting in a likely spot.  If private land grab yourself a trail cam to use, do more scouting in off season after this and before next season. Walk around and see if you jump deer. Not something you want to do while hunting a lot but will give you and idea where they are.  Keep the wind in your face and look for well used trails. 

Thanks a lot, Rob!


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[Hank]

I really think it's awesome that you are so enthused about hunting!! And as you gain experience, and you will with each trip afield, you will have success. But deer hunting is not an instant gratification endeavor. I've known hunters that when years before their first deer kill. Patience, is the number one hunter virtue to learn. And I think it's among the hardest skill to acquire. Took me years to finally "get it". Take your time. See things. Don't just look at them. And the deer themselves will be the best teachers you will ever have.
If you ever get around the Albany area, give me a shout. I'll be happy to take you out.

Thanks a lot! If I ever go to Albany, I will take you up on the offer.


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[AuburnNYC]

2 hours ago, Enders said:

I saw this message  late, I literally booked a airbnb cabin to hunt in the next few days. I’ll make the best of it I guess.

Enders the Adirondacks are pretty notorious for being tough hunting.

If it snows - I'd consider looking for fresh tracks and trailing a deer, continuously glassing and keeping your head up. Walking the woods with snow on the ground is a huge learning experience and you'll see that deer ignore/hardly use a large portion of the woods.

If it doesn't snow, I'd focus around a few things:

(1) Openings in the woods i.e. fields or cutover (2) "edges" where thick woods open up to thinner woods, or pines break to hardwoods (3) walking ridges - moving very slowly - so that you can at least get a chance to see a deer and potentially have a shot at one

This book is very good for learning to hunt large tracts of woods, and identifying areas with higher probabilities of seeing deer. 

https://www.amazon.com/Bowhunting-Forests-Deep-Woods-Miller/dp/0972132120/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=bow+hunting+forest+and+deep+woods&qid=1574390075&sr=8-1

[wolc123]

Don't discount the "beginners luck" factor.   Some deer live thru many seasons by doing things that "expert" hunters would never predict.   Your lack of experience gives you an edge in that situation.     Here an easy tip for you: Lots of hunters like to follow deer tracks in the snow.   Deer can hide themselves, but they can not hide their tracks.   If you hunt near spots of heavy cover, where you have seen tracks, you stand a good chance of getting a shot at a deer that is being pushed by a "tracker".    There should be plenty of "trackers" on public land, especially on the weekends.  

Stalking to a shooting position on a deer takes a certain amount of experience and know-how.  Ambushing one that was pushed by another is the quickest way for a beginner to score.   

[Enders]

55 minutes ago, AuburnNYC said:

Enders the Adirondacks are pretty notorious for being tough hunting.

If it snows - I'd consider looking for fresh tracks and trailing a deer, continuously glassing and keeping your head up. Walking the woods with snow on the ground is a huge learning experience and you'll see that deer ignore/hardly use a large portion of the woods.

If it doesn't snow, I'd focus around a few things:

(1) Openings in the woods i.e. fields or cutover (2) "edges" where thick woods open up to thinner woods, or pines break to hardwoods (3) walking ridges - moving very slowly - so that you can at least get a chance to see a deer and potentially have a shot at one

This book is very good for learning to hunt large tracts of woods, and identifying areas with higher probabilities of seeing deer. 

https://www.amazon.com/Bowhunting-Forests-Deep-Woods-Miller/dp/0972132120/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=bow+hunting+forest+and+deep+woods&qid=1574390075&sr=8-1

Wow great tips man i would have sat in the snow haha

[Hock3y24]

Tompkins is an animal in itself, if you can get private do EVERYTHING you can to keep it.  But only being out 3 days and not seeing a deer is not bad yet. Keep at it and it will happen. 

[Swamp_bucks]

4 hours ago, Hock3y24 said:

Tompkins is an animal in itself, if you can get private do EVERYTHING you can to keep it.  But only being out 3 days and not seeing a deer is not bad yet. Keep at it and it will happen. 

In heading to tompkins couty next friday to hunt.  Why is it an animal in itself?  

Hank just stick with it stateland can be tough 3 days isnt all that bad ive gone a couple weeks before without seeing one.  

[Hock3y24]

31 minutes ago, Swamp_bucks said:

In heading to tompkins couty next friday to hunt.  Why is it an animal in itself?  

Hank just stick with it stateland can be tough 3 days isnt all that bad ive gone a couple weeks before without seeing one

 

I was more referring to the residents of that area. We knocked on 50 doors or so and got some yelled at, cursed at, you name it. 

[Hank]

Yes, they can be anti hunting. I don’t dare to just knock on doors.


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[Hank]

In heading to tompkins couty next friday to hunt.  Why is it an animal in itself?  
Hank just stick with it stateland can be tough 3 days isnt all that bad ive gone a couple weeks before without seeing one.  

Let me know if you want a helper and apprentice.


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[Hank]

Don't discount the "beginners luck" factor.   Some deer live thru many seasons by doing things that "expert" hunters would never predict.   Your lack of experience gives you an edge in that situation.     Here an easy tip for you: Lots of hunters like to follow deer tracks in the snow.   Deer can hide themselves, but they can not hide their tracks.   If you hunt near spots of heavy cover, where you have seen tracks, you stand a good chance of getting a shot at a deer that is being pushed by a "tracker".    There should be plenty of "trackers" on public land, especially on the weekends.  
Stalking to a shooting position on a deer takes a certain amount of experience and know-how.  Ambushing one that was pushed by another is the quickest way for a beginner to score.   

I am certainly counting on whatever luck I can have. But so far none. The most frustrating thing is that i have seen two roadkills this week. And seen deer just driving home. I was thinking hunt it down with my car (kidding).


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[Steve D]

1 hour ago, Hank said:

I am certainly counting on whatever luck I can have. But so far none. The most frustrating thing is that i have seen two roadkills this week. And seen deer just driving home.

Patience grasshopper.....In 2017 I gun hunted 28 times and put over 60 hrs. sitting in stands along with countless hrs. of scouting and exploring. I never saw a deer the entire season. Counting on road kills and deer feeding in fields is not going to do anything to contribute to you success and should not affect your frustration level whatsoever. Deer hunting especially gun hunting can be a world of frustration and is part of the game.

 There are a lot of experienced hunters on here that go through the frustrations of deer hunting every year. Read some of "Cabin Fever"s posts to get an example of someone putting their time in and not getting any reward for it.

It is not an easy sport and anyone leading you to believe it is nuts. Read what you can, spend time in the field, learn from your experiences, and eventually it will come together.