New Adult Hunter, go solo?

Jax

New Member
Hi All,

Looking for stories, tips, advice on solo hunting as a brand new adult hunter (32 years old).

Short story, my buddy and I have been getting ready for almost two years accumulating gear and getting comfortable at the range, last year we were going to do shotgun because we were not confident in making a clean kill with our bows yet, then he had a kid and backed out, so we cancelled our plans. This year, same buddy, we were planning on hunting on some of his families land, bows and all, and he got a new job, so he backed out again. Lesson learned, don't count on other people..., but I am limited in the people I know in my area that are interested in the sport.

So now I've spent the last year watching videos, getting range time, finishing my gear setup, and 3 weeks before the season my plans have fallen through.

I am nervous to go solo, but figure a lot of guys have done it and just wanted to get some inspirational tips. I am trying to decide where now as well, since I lost the luxury of private land and have to scramble to figure out my best bet for public land WI, IL, IN, OH. Even if I don't get to harvest I still just want to get out there and get some time in the woods, hopefully put some eyes on some animals.

I am so green, I am trying to figure out, if I harvest, what to do next. Quarter it and throw it in the back of my Subaru, throw it on the roof and bring to a butcher, but then what if I'm not local . .. .so many questions going through my mind it's frustrating.

Anywho, I'd love to hear stories of how people got started who didn't grow up with it in the family.

Thank you, and good luck this season to all!
 
Start with small game, that is how my generation got started. Then you can just scale up the game handling logistics to big game once you can skin a rabbit. More of my woodsmanship was learned on squirrels than deer.
 
First bowhunt was solo as a 14yr old. I was too young to drive to my hunting spot so my parents dropped me off and said "we'll be back at dark". I had a blast but was very apprehensive like you are talking about. Just make sure you have things planed out and go set in a tree. You will be fine and you will learn as you make mistakes. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, it's no big deal if you do as long as you don't get hurt.
 
First of all welcome to the forum Jax. Lots to learn here.
I had a guy from Chicago come down and hunt with me last year. He's in his 40's and had never hunted before. It really helped that he had guidance from three other guys who had hunted for years. He had lots of questions as you do. He shot a doe on opening morning and had a blast. Afterwards he shared some misconceptions that he had about his experienced but he is now hooked. He kept saying " she came out just where you said she would" as if it were magic. It's not.
You can certainly do this on your own. Many of us have, but If you have a mentor you're learning will come much quicker. Surely there are archery clubs, shooting clubs or something similar you could join and find some guys to hunt public land with. If you surround yourself with like minded people an opportunity should arise.
If not, no big deal. Go solo and enjoy the experience. Don't get hung up on success either just get out with the mindset of learning. My first hunt I was 10. My first kill I was 17.
One bit of advice. Slow down. Get comfortable and set still. You'll never see anything if they see you first or if your walking around the woods. If you're in woods with deer and you set long enough you'll see deer. Patience is your friend.
 
Hi Jeff,

Thank you very much for the reply. Thats exactly what I am trying to do, but its difficult int he city. When I go to ranges over here its mostly target shooting. I was even trying to trade work for mentor-ship to anyone that might have a farm etc etc. If you know of any clubs or mentors anywhere willing to teach, I would be unbelievably grateful. Even if its someone who might need help getting in, out, gut/clean and wouldn't mind if I tagged along just to watch and learn, I am just eager to get out there, I'm a patient guy, so don't need to shoot first time I'm out.

Thanks again for your post.


First of all welcome to the forum Jax. Lots to learn here.
I had a guy from Chicago come down and hunt with me last year. He's in his 40's and had never hunted before. It really helped that he had guidance from three other guys who had hunted for years. He had lots of questions as you do. He shot a doe on opening morning and had a blast. Afterwards he shared some misconceptions that he had about his experienced but he is now hooked. He kept saying " she came out just where you said she would" as if it were magic. It's not.
You can certainly do this on your own. Many of us have, but If you have a mentor you're learning will come much quicker. Surely there are archery clubs, shooting clubs or something similar you could join and find some guys to hunt public land with. If you surround yourself with like minded people an opportunity should arise.
If not, no big deal. Go solo and enjoy the experience. Don't get hung up on success either just get out with the mindset of learning. My first hunt I was 10. My first kill I was 17.
One bit of advice. Slow down. Get comfortable and set still. You'll never see anything if they see you first or if your walking around the woods. If you're in woods with deer and you set long enough you'll see deer. Patience is your friend.
 
I began bowhunting at the age of 13...quite the feat for me since nobody in my family or friends had ever bowhunted. I read every magazine I could get my hands on and bought a cheap "Indian" brand compound bow that had a continuous steel cable that also served as the string. My mother would drive me to the public hunting area and drop me off before daylight and I wouldmeet her at the drop off spot at dark. I had no treestand so I would climb trees and sit or stand on limbs. I got a couple shots but didn't connect. I finally got 1 on a neighbors land by still hunting in the rain. I got a small doe and it was awesome. She was standing in some brush watching me as I was easing along and I drew while walking and turned and released I a fluid motion. Spine hit but ended up with the deer. Dragged it to neighbors house and he helped me get it home...
 
Being in Chicago you're going to have a tough time getting permission to hunt private land. It's not impossible but not as easy as in more rural states. I lived in the suburbs and after years I got permission to hunt two private farms in Algonquin and Crystal Lake. I rode the train in to Chicago with the owner who had a business in the city. I worked on his farms for 2 years before he gave me the ok to hunt. It was worth it. I also hung out at Archer's Choice in Berwyn in all of my spare time. Met some good people, hunted with a few, learned a lot.
You're going to have to hunt public land or be willing to pay for a guided hunt which is a great way to go if you can afford it. One of our forum members Blizzard Ridge runs some hunts in Illinois. He may be full by now but you never know.
Nothing wrong with hunting public land, especially archery season. Gun season can get kinda scary.
 
Check with your state as some states have new hunter hunts and or new outdoorsman weekend where they help you learn.Read all the rules for that state and unit so you know what you can or must do if you do harvest an animal such as checking it in.Always follow all safety tip when using a tree stand and let someone know where you are.Check to see if your state has a state bowhunting organization.
 
Really cool Jax, and I'm excited for you. Be patient, some kid will shoot a trophy first time out and some adult may go 20+ yrs trying to get his first deer. I agree, small game is good training and you can do it almost anypublic land with good success. I would suggest first deer taken with rifle as is easier but not necessary, and there is something to learning to kill that first one. Once done, everything seems easier. Also go somewhere there are good population deer and doe seasons are awesome for first timers. Come to the western counties of WV and you can almost fall on a deer. Get hitch and carryall for your Suba, gut deer, throw on carrier, cover with cheese cloth, take to butcher. I think you will love the addiction and eventually find out that just the hunt is the fun, success is just a bonus.
Every one does it different. My dad walked me in to a God forsaken gorge when I was 11, said to hunt and he'd meet me at car at dark that was a few miles thru the woods away.. And he said don't get lost. I didn't take any animal that day, but been hooked ever since. Good luck.
 
I began bowhunting at the age of 13...quite the feat for me since nobody in my family or friends had ever bowhunted. I read every magazine I could get my hands on and bought a cheap "Indian" brand compound bow that had a continuous steel cable that also served as the string. My mother would drive me to the public hunting area and drop me off before daylight and I wouldmeet her at the drop off spot at dark. I had no treestand so I would climb trees and sit or stand on limbs. I got a couple shots but didn't connect. I finally got 1 on a neighbors land by still hunting in the rain. I got a small doe and it was awesome. She was standing in some brush watching me as I was easing along and I drew while walking and turned and released I a fluid motion. Spine hit but ended up with the deer. Dragged it to neighbors house and he helped me get it home...
That's a great story Okie. I started bow hunting at 14. Don't think I even drew my bow back the first two years.
 
That's a great story Okie. I started bow hunting at 14. Don't think I even drew my bow back the first two years.
Could you even imagine anyone driving their 13 year old to a spot 45 minutes from home and leaving them all day with pointy sticks, no communication device, and having no idea who is out there? My mother is a good woman and I begged her to do it...it was a different time that sadly very few will ever experience...
 
I can't imagine it nowadays! I could back then though. I was 10 on my first deer hunting experience. Dad set me down by a tree and said "don't move" and then he left. Half a day later he showed up to get me so we could go get lunch. I had no idea where I was, I just knew I was supposed to set still. I remember it like it was yesterday.
 
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I'm a self-taught deer hunter. I don;t claim to be good at it, but I seem to at least have a decent grasp of it on my place. My father was a small game hunter and I hunted squirrels on occasion as a kid. after college I moved to the farm where I live now and started hunting squirrels more and then decided to step up to deer. I had a buddy who was a deer hunter....he had gone deer hunting and had killed deer before. You will learn there is a difference. I also tried to read and watch everything I could to learn. That was a waste of time. We don't hunt the same places we see on TV or in magazines. My first year I hunted with a slug-gun.....just seeing a deer was exciting. My second year I bought a muzzleloader and doubled the length of my hunting season and still didn't bag a deer. Finally my 3rd year I bought a bow and started to put some thing together in my head. I first realized my buddy was not the hunting god he thought he was. He killed a deer and I helped him with it as he was not handling the gutting very well and I had never done it before, but I had done squirrels so - big deal. Turns out the "great white hunter" my buddy claimed to be - he was just doing what his dad told him to do. I finally connected on my first deer with a bow, from the ground, without a blind. I started hunting in places that where previously described as "dumb" by my buddy. It then slowly can together piece by piece. Post season scouting in the snow, learning deer habitat and habits and realizing there is a big difference between seeing deer and killing them. You are about to embark on a journey that will frustrate you and get you so excited you will shake uncontrollably and think your going to throw-up. Don't just focus on the deer, focus on how to identify different trees and plants as deer food and how to look at the landscape and have an idea of how the deer will use it and the like. If you can have a good mentor in the process it will shorten the learning curve, but it's going to test you. It's going to test your ability to adapt and face how you can respect and animal and kill it at the same time. You will put in countless hours of uneventful time passing and squirrels running thru the leaves and then BOOM - there, out of thin air it seems, will be a deer and you will almost question your own eye sight. You are about to have so many firsts, good and bad, that men write entire books about it. Good luck to you and please take us along on your journey by posting here. It's been a long time since many of us saw the deer woods as fresh as you will. We will provide any help we can. Also remember we do this for fun.
 
Amazing reply, I was smiling the whole time. Thank you!


I'm a self-taught deer hunter. I don;t claim to be good at it, but I seem to at least have a decent grasp of it on my place. My father was a small game hunter and I hunted squirrels on occasion as a kid. after college I moved to the farm where I live now and started hunting squirrels more and then decided to step up to deer. I had a buddy who was a deer hunter....he had gone deer hunting and had killed deer before. You will learn there is a difference. I also tried to read and watch everything I could to learn. That was a waste of time. We don't hunt the same places we see on TV or in magazines. My first year I hunted with a slug-gun.....just seeing a deer was exciting. My second year I bought a muzzleloader and doubled the length of my hunting season and still didn't bag a deer. Finally my 3rd year I bought a bow and started to put some thing together in my head. I first realized my buddy was not the hunting god he thought he was. He killed a deer and I helped him with it as he was not handling the gutting very well and I had never done it before, but I had done squirrels so - big deal. Turns out the "great white hunter" my buddy claimed to be - he was just doing what his dad told him to do. I finally connected on my first deer with a bow, from the ground, without a blind. I started hunting in places that where previously described as "dumb" by my buddy. It then slowly can together piece by piece. Post season scouting in the snow, learning deer habitat and habits and realizing there is a big difference between seeing deer and killing them. You are about to embark on a journey that will frustrate you and get you so excited you will shake uncontrollably and think your going to throw-up. Don't just focus on the deer, focus on how to identify different trees and plants as deer food and how to look at the landscape and have an idea of how the deer will use it and the like. If you can have a good mentor in the process it will shorten the learning curve, but it's going to test you. It's going to test your ability to adapt and face how you can respect and animal and kill it at the same time. You will put in countless hours of uneventful time passing and squirrels running thru the leaves and then BOOM - there, out of thin air it seems, will be a deer and you will almost question your own eye sight. You are about to have so many firsts, good and bad, that men write entire books about it. Good luck to you and please take us along on your journey by posting here. It's been a long time since many of us saw the deer woods as fresh as you will. We will provide any help we can. Also remember we do this for fun.
 
Thanks....I didn't realize I got a little long winded...sorry about that. Meant to write a post...not a novel!
 
Jax, get on the IDNR website, look under state parks and see if any are close to you. Some of these are archery only and can be good hunting.
 
Good novel, J bird. It brought back a lot of memories for me and I look forward to reading about jax journey. Keep posting gents!


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