Hunting dreams... kind of stalled

[Uncle Duke]

Been wanting to learn to hunt for years and made the first overt strides last year when I purchased my first gun(s), took the hunter safety course, bought my license and then attended a DNR sponsored women's hunt.

It's getting to the time of year where I feel like I ought to be doing something to further my hunting dreams... but I am kind of stalled. What's my next step? I ultimately want to hunt deer. I love venison (I am basically hunting for food, because I love eating wild game and no one I know since leaving college hunts!)

I live in SE Baltimore County... and currently own two different shotguns, neither of which has a rifled barrel-- but my 20 ga shoots rifled slugs pretty accurately even without a scope! I have been shooting it a bit at Free State, which is the closest range to my house, but Free State is indoors and has limited range, and no outdoor stuff.

So what do I do next? Some options that have occurred to me...

#1: Buy a bow. And learn to use it. But where do I shoot it? I live in a townhouse. No one will put up with that in my tiny backyard. Need someplace close to learn to use it.

#2: I need a tree stand... I think. A climber? Seems like everyone uses tree stands to bow hunt deer around here. So this is a necessity?

#3: Buy a rifled barrel shotgun... but use it to hunt... where?

I really enjoyed hunting geese... but it seems like a rich persons sport these days, sadly.... and I am far from rich. I have a very limited amount of extra money to play with in a given year and last year I spent it all on three guns, the DNR hunt and an indoor range membership.

Now what??

Well, the first thng I'd suggest you do is to unlearn what you might think is gospel, and re-learn a couple of things.

Is a tree stand an advantage in deer hunting? Yep.....can be for sure, but you're FAR from done without one! Is a rifled slug barrel an advantage in deer hunting? Yep....but you can do just fine with a smoothbore. Take the time to learn about your gun, about yourself, and about the capabilities and the limitations inherent to both. Then spend as much quiet time as you can in the woods. You do these things, and do them often and well? You'll have your opportunities to put venison in the freezer.

 

[DoormanTNT]

I dont usually hunt from treestand. I own 2 climbers, a chain on, and a ladder stand, and spend 95% of the time on the ground. Usually in a "doghouse" blind. There are a couple spots that I do use a climber wih the bow. Mainly cause close quarters and I want arrows in the ground, not traveling after shot.

Hunts are FAR from over cause you dont have a stand, rifled barrel, or private land.

Just get out there with what ya got, you will be fine.

Some of my best hunts were those that consisted of 45 min or hour after work, in work clothes, on the ground.

Good luck, and happy huntin. Just stay safe.

 

[jtb81100]

So what do I do next? Some options that have occurred to me...

#1: Buy a bow. And learn to use it. But where do I shoot it? I live in a townhouse. No one will put up with that in my tiny backyard. Need someplace close to learn to use it.

#2: I need a tree stand... I think. A climber? Seems like everyone uses tree stands to bow hunt deer around here. So this is a necessity?

#3: Buy a rifled barrel shotgun... but use it to hunt... where?

1: A bow is a good idea. If you have little or no experience with a compound (or other type of upright) go with a crossbow, especially if you plan to hunt with it next month. It is much easier to learn to shoot a crossbow then it is to shoot an upright bow. After hours of practice, I still struggled to get the arrows to hit the target block with my compound bow. Within 30 minutes of getting home with my crossbow, I could put a bolt in each of the 4 different 1" target zones on the block.

2: Depends on what you're comfortable with. The 4 years I hunted in stands I had no luck. Last year I hunted on the ground and had more deer come in to me then the other 4 years combined. Unless you're hunting in a VERY secluded area, our deer are used to smelling humans to an extent. If you do good with your scent control and cover scents the little bit that comes through won't spook them very much.

3: Most shots are going to be under 30 yards so as long as you can consistently hit a pie plate you're fine. If you really want something that will reach out more, get a ML. You can use it during firearms season and you also get to hunt the ML seasons (with the stamp).

 

[Americus]

make sure you take a friend with you that is armed just in case....

This comes to mind...
In the state of Marylandistan, this would be illegal. how exactly would you plan on being armed legally on someone else's property? an illegally concealed handgun?

An open carried long gun? That's a sure plan to get shot.

 

[Biggfoot44]

If you want to do archery on purpose , that's fine. But it's a seperate hobby in itself. The last time I looked crossbows were legal in all seasons , in the *Suburban Deer Management Zone* . But if that old injury makes it difficult to use a conventional bow , then a note from your Dr so stating to the DNR will get you permission to use crossbow statewide in all seasons.

Treestands are popular , but not a nesessity.

I can't hit squat with bow , so while nominaly squirel hunting I will put at least as much effort into scouting for deer season.

Practice your woodsmanship. Practice being still and quiet. Practice moving very slowly , and as near to silently.

If your smoothbore can shoot slugs reasonably that will suffice for most shots in wooded cover, and take care to set up for shots within range in open or transitional areas.

 

[HiballHiside]

I'm in the same situation. I have my Hunting Field day on the 24th. I was thinking about bow's but I know very little (other than what I got from my archery Merit Badge and from watching the Outdoor Channel).

 

[87Theworld]

Hyp81 I'm in the same boat but I bought a bow last year so I could hunt. I passed the shooting qualification with the paper plate after owning my bow for two months. I don't have a tree stand but I want to hunting from the ground even though its my first season.

 

[Hyp81]

Gunpowder Park Hammerman Area (Dundee Creek Marina) has an archery range where practice can be had in the SE Baltimore County region.

That is AWESOME info, thank. One of the things that frustrates me about MD, versus VA is the lack of free shooting ranges. When I was at school in VA, we had a walk up, free shooting range in the Nat'l Forest less than 20 minutes away. It had a rifle range and a handgun range, along with a place to shoot bows.

Willing to take a walk squirrel season if interested. Great way to get out into the woods to learn more about them.

That would be great. I have a friend that I keep trying to arrange a squirrel hunting trip with, but his schedule is crazy.

 

[wilcam47]

This comes to mind...
In the state of Marylandistan, this would be illegal. how exactly would you plan on being armed legally on someone else's property? an illegally concealed handgun?

An open carried long gun? That's a sure plan to get shot.

...SSS...

 

[rseymorejr]

Head on out to the AGC on Saturday, September 28th, it's National Hunting and Fishing day and there will be all sorts of displays and demonstrations. From 10-4 and it's free.

 

[jr88]

Well, the first thng I'd suggest you do is to unlearn what you might think is gospel, and re-learn a couple of things.

Is a tree stand an advantage in deer hunting? Yep.....can be for sure, but you're FAR from done without one! Is a rifled slug barrel an advantage in deer hunting? Yep....but you can do just fine with a smoothbore. Take the time to learn about your gun, about yourself, and about the capabilities and the limitations inherent to both. Then spend as much quiet time as you can in the woods. You do these things, and do them often and well? You'll have your opportunities to put venison in the freezer.

I agree completely! Well stated.

 

[foxtrapper]

I am in the same situation now, but I have some hunting experience already under my belt. My shy nervous nature makes it very hard to do new things, esp now that I am in a new area and know very little about even the roads here.

As to going to farms and knocking on doors- cmon the farmer might shoot you or do other things ( what, feed you to his hogs?)? I used to ask farmers for trapping permissions and the most negative thing that happened was being told "no". Of course I got most of my permissions via a 3rd person vouching for me ahead of time, someone the farmers/land owners already had known for years. Things aren't always peachy despite that, as you have to deal with poachers and trespassers, and even ******* DNR officers who couldn't catch the poachers, got bored, and decided to harass the high functioning autistic female fur trapper ( that happened in 2009 and I am still messed up by it). Private land isn't always private.

On my parent's old property ( now sold) I trapped fox and hunted deer. I learned a good bit about deer hunting by hunting there 3 seasons. I have to pee a lot so I opted for a ground blind facing an area with a good backstop. It works if the wind works in your favor. There is too much to offer and I can't do it in writing. You are welcome to make a time to come by my shop in Havre de Grace to discuss deer and deer hunting, as well as various other wild critter behaviors ( if you want to learn to trap for fur, I am the gal!).

 

[hvymax]

That is AWESOME info, thank. One of the things that frustrates me about MD, versus VA is the lack of free shooting ranges. When I was at school in VA, we had a walk up, free shooting range in the Nat'l Forest less than 20 minutes away. It had a rifle range and a handgun range, along with a place to shoot bows.



That would be great. I have a friend that I keep trying to arrange a squirrel hunting trip with, but his schedule is crazy.

Myrtle Grove is a lot like that but $20 a year.(well Aug1st-July 31st)

 

[LONGSHOT]

GUNPOWDER PARK IN CHASE HAS A BOW COURSE YOU WALK THRU AND SHOOT AT TARGETS AT DIFF, DISTANCES.

 

[nedsurf]

This is your first time hunting and you want to hunt deer? Apply for the lotteries for the managed hunts. There are quite a few in central MD. They will do most of the work for you and get you out in the field in a safe manner. You will have to qualify with your shotgun. You pay the extra $35 for the managed hunt permit but it gets you a lot of service. Caveat: If you only want to shoot a buck, this is not a good option.
Also, think about muzzleloaders. They are so good these days if you want to use the modern type ones. Way longer season than regular firearms and I have found more accurate than my rifled shotgun. You can also use them in areas close to central MD that are closed to rifle hunting.

 

[Hyp81]

This is your first time hunting and you want to hunt deer?

I want to work up to deer, yes. I went on a goose hunt last winter.

Apply for the lotteries for the managed hunts. There are quite a few in central MD. They will do most of the work for you and get you out in the field in a safe manner. You will have to qualify with your shotgun. You pay the extra $35 for the managed hunt permit but it gets you a lot of service. Caveat: If you only want to shoot a buck, this is not a good option.

Also, think about muzzleloaders. They are so good these days if you want to use the modern type ones. Way longer season than regular firearms and I have found more accurate than my rifled shotgun. You can also use them in areas close to central MD that are closed to rifle hunting.

Thanks for the additional advice.

 

[44man]

You could always "cold knock" on farmers doors around where you live...many farmers would love to have deer killed to protect their crops..make sure you take a friend with you that is armed just in case...not saying farmers are bad but you never know what will happen. Most farmers are decent folks.

speaking as a farmer who knows MANY other farmers, there is no reason to go armed. that would actually have the opposite effect you are looking for.

we dont need anyone to just stop by and shoot deer or ground hogs. what most farmers do need is some help some of the time.

offer to work for permission to hunt once with the farmers option to let you go again. always clean up after yourself, even pick up trash some other inconsiderate sombitch left. dont fool with fences or animals or go traipsing around in crop fields or anywhere you dont have permission to go.dress nice when you ask but not fancied up and be polite. dont take rejection badly, some people have large families that hunt or others already helping. ask if they know anyone who would be willing to trade work for hunting.

 

[Hyp81]

offer to work for permission to hunt once with the farmers option to let you go again. always clean up after yourself, even pick up trash some other inconsiderate sombitch left. dont fool with fences or animals or go traipsing around in crop fields or anywhere you dont have permission to go.dress nice when you ask but not fancied up and be polite. dont take rejection badly, some people have large families that hunt or others already helping. ask if they know anyone who would be willing to trade work for hunting.

That sounds like a good idea. I actually LIKE doing farm work, and hope to own my own land and farm it someday. So I may try that!

 

[foxtrapper]

That sounds like a good idea. I actually LIKE doing farm work, and hope to own my own land and farm it someday. So I may try that!

That's even better than me. I can't do much to help around a farm, but I think my trapping is helpful regardless. No one wants raccoons to get to the point they are all over barns messing with feed and pooping on hay, and many farmers have a hobby flock of free range chickens and really like a foxtrapper. Anyway when I asked for trapping farms, no one asked me to help with hay baling or anything. Old fashioned folks aren't going to ask a woman to do stuff like that, but had I offered and started talking heavy farming talk, I'd have been more than welcome to help.

But having someone who is already good buddies with a landowner is a good way to find a way in with niche stuff like trapping or predator hunting. Deer hunting is ALOT harder to find a way in regardless, as it seems every landowner in the region already has a dozen people or so already deer hunting, OR they only allow a select few due to having too many slobs in the past. Some landowners will only lease and they want good money for it.

My best advice is to have a hunting mentor to get you started. As I said earlier, if you want to pick my brains, you are welcome to come by some time.

 

[sxs]

You could always "cold knock" on farmers doors around where you live...many farmers would love to have deer killed to protect their crops..make sure you take a friend with you that is armed just in case...not saying farmers are bad but you never know what will happen. Most farmers are decent folks.

+1 - but I'll have to add: DO IT NOW!!! Most farmers have fairly stringent limits on how many hunters they'll allow on their land...plus you want to develop a rapport with them and it takes some time.


Also, tree stands are helpful but not necessary in some areas, particularly hilly areas or in the mountains. When I hunted ravines and mountains, I never used tree stands. Now I'm on the shore (Wicomico County) where it's much flatter and thicker brush and a stand is very very useful. I personally use a ladder stand. However, I am in a club with a private lease that allows us to put a stand up and leave it for the season. I do chain and lock it to the tree after it's in place. While I think it unlikely where I hunt that someone would trespass and walk off with it, one never knows. If you get a tree stand of any kind, make sure to use the fall arrest system that comes with it and, if necessary practice getting into it and out of it and using it BEFORE you go hunting. Nothing like fumbling around with those things in the early morning darkness to give you an irritating start to your day.