| As a deer hunting beginner, you will want to plan | | | | plan to hunt. Scout during different seasons, wear |
| for your hunt about a year in advance. This will | | | | blaze orange if hunting season is on. Mark any |
| give you plenty of time to locate your hunting | | | | deer sign you find, water and food sources, and |
| area, learn some woodcraft, get to know your | | | | deer routes you notice on your map. Scout as |
| weapon and learn how to deer hunt. | | | | often as you can, this will put you ahead of the |
| Step 1: Find a Place to Hunt | | | | crowd when your season rolls around. |
| If you already live in the country and have your | | | | Step 3: Decide on a Weapon |
| own piece of hunting land, then this will be an | | | | You need to decide whether you will be hunting |
| easy step for you If you don't own any land, the | | | | with a rifle or a bow. In either case, you will need |
| second best thing is befriending someone who | | | | to visit a hunting outfitter or gun shop to be fitted |
| does. | | | | for your weapon. Get to know it well and always |
| If you have any farming friends or co-workers | | | | follow safety procedures. Do not go into the |
| that have access to private land, you can | | | | woods with your weapon until you have |
| probably talk them into letting you hunt on their | | | | mastered an adequate level of accuracy, for your |
| property. It might take some work to wrangle | | | | sake and that of everything else in the forest. |
| access to private land, but learning how to hunt | | | | You may want to purchase some camouflage |
| deer will be easier and probably more enjoyable | | | | clothing and comfortable boots. I would |
| on private land. | | | | recommend a blaze orange based pattern, |
| If access to private land eludes you, you can still | | | | especially if you will be hunting public land. |
| find a good place to hunt by researching public | | | | Step 4: Get all Your Paperwork in Order |
| hunting land. Call your local office of the U.S. Fish | | | | Take your hunter education class. Purchase your |
| and Wildlife Service, and let them know you're a | | | | hunting license and tags. Learn the rules and |
| beginner looking for a good deer hunting areas in | | | | regulations in your area and stay on the right side |
| your county. They will let you know what public | | | | of the law. |
| land is available and point you to the correct | | | | Step 5: Go Hunting |
| resources. | | | | As a beginner, the best strategy for you is to |
| Step 2: Get some Good Maps | | | | learn to sit quietly and observe. Set yourself up in |
| Go to your local outdoor store and get some | | | | a tree stand or on the ground with your back |
| topographic quadrangle maps of the areas you | | | | against a tree. Make sure the wind is in your face, |
| choose to hunt. Buy a compass and learn to use | | | | and that you can oversee an promising area from |
| both of them. Don't go very far into the woods | | | | your earlier scouting. |
| until you are comfortable reading and using your | | | | The more you learn, the more fun you have. |
| map and compass. | | | | Happy hunting! |
| When you feel ready, go scout the areas you | | | | |