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Looking for a mentor

Hey everyone as you can tell from my handle im new to deer hunting and im struggling to find places with deer. Long story short I have a brother and hes a disabled marine with 6 kids to feed and hes struggling for money. When it comes to money I cant help him but I did buy a hunting license this year and have been doing my best to try and find a deer to surprise him with. Thats the hard part though haha. Ive spent quite a few hours in the woods on public land with lots of sign but no deer ever showed. I dont have the best equipment and am currently using a very small blind because I dont have a tree stand. Im not sure if its me picking bad areas or having the wrong setup or even maybe to much scent? Im not sure what help to exactly ask for since I dont know the specific area im struggling and my hope is to have 1 or 2 or more people give me some tips and tricks here that I can use to hopefully get a deer before christmas. Thank you all so much in advance.

Forgot to mention im a bowhunter*

I have a extra ladder stand if that helps.

Keep at it, what part of state are you in?

Plenty of state land. Pick a spot and sit

Disclosing the general location where you live will help narrow down the options for those who are willing to help in your area. I am willing to work with you provided you live within 1 hour of my location.

regarding your scent please understand that no matter what you do you will not be able to completely eliminate it but it helps to minimize it. For example 2 years ago I initiated a friend of mine to bow hunting and introduced into some good productive state land spots. After 2 months he had no deer to show for his efforts. When we met for a one-on-one help session I was able to smell his perfume from 10 yards away. We saw nothing that day but next week per my advice he washed his clothes wood scent free detergent few times and he washed himself with scent Free Soap and that day he got a deer 30 yards with a bow.

Yeah im in the woods as we speak actually not seeing much of anything and I live in the Cromwell area.

Which public lands in your area are you hunting? Are you on private property?

This is a good time to be in the woods. At this time you could move slowly through the area looking for deer hoof pints, deer droppings, visible deer trails.

Do not move fast. Take Three four steps as silently as possible and then stop 5 minutes or longer if you can hold. Look around carefully they blend in with ease.

I’m trying not to be insensitive but as a young man struggling to make ends meet I worked 7 days a week. Hour for hour venison is the most expensive meat you around. Wouldn’t you be better off to put I some overtime and give your brother a check?putting venison in the freezer is never a sure thing. Especially for a first timer. That being said it sure is delicious.

If you are on a small property then find a good view location and sit still and observe paying attention to the wind is also important.

John how about I shoot a deer and donate to your cause? I have plenty of does in my spots and frankly speaking I could use the target practice. If that works for you PM me and we can work out the details

Thanks for the advice guys. Im actually trying the cockaponset state forest in Madison this morning on the bow hunting only side. I havent been able to find any private land. Ive asked a few people and they have all said no. As for the overtime issue, I do work as much as I can but I too am struggling due to school/medical bills so I cant find much to spare. Scent wise I did buy some dead down wind shampoo and deodorant as well as some spray for everything else. Ive seen plenty of deer sign but they seem to only be taking the main trails people are walking through themselves.

Deer sleep, eat and fool around. You want to position yourself in a location that is a path to or from those activities. Preferably a funnel, that is, a geographical natural feature which narrows that trail between those activities. Like a strip of solid land between a pond or thick impassable swampy area, a shallow area in a stream or river where the deer cross. Sign is an indication that a deer was there. The hunt is for you to determine why and when and then get there ahead of the deer.

As a bow hunter, your choice of stand/blind location is the most important choice you make.

Longboard gave you a home run I have the last week of dec off and would give you one too if I score we are in Fairfield county Steve

I have this coming thursday, friday, saturday off and the week after as well so ill be out and about too. I sincerely appreciate all the help from you guys, honestly its refreshing and means alot

I met longbeard at the bowsite gathering last year. I expected to see the long lost brother of a zz top member, you know, a guy with a long beard. Happened to find out that I wasn't to far off, he's the long lost brother of the drummer from zz top.....Frank beard. No beard, but a heck of a good guy with a passion for whitetail with a bow. Hmmmmm maybe he's related to Ted. Anyways, a stand up guy. On a side note, I met not me also..... enough said lolol

Oh yeah, if myself or kids are fortunate to get another. We would gladly share the wealth. Not as good as getting on yourself I understand. A lot of great advice here. We can give you the pieces of the puzzle, you still have to put them all together. Keep seeking knowledge. I found that hunting shows are mostly for entertainment

Thanks for the kind words Soap and right back at you, but just trying to help a hunting brother out. I will be in doe kill mode this week for sure. And just so you know Longbeard = turkey hunting fool.

I'll be touching base in the spring for sure. My youngest wants to bag a turkey. I believe that he learned from you, rainy days produce

Anytime soap. We’ll talk at the dinner in a couple of months

Yeppers

Firsttimerrr, I have a new x-stand climber, think it's called the escape, I'll let ya have it cheap, $65 I bought it because it is light wieght, prefer my summit tho. Pm if interested. Near Bristol.

Welcome to the insanity bud!!.

First off loose the undo pressure on yourself.it'll kill ya..have fun, look at every time out as an adventure. You'll see things in nature that most people have never seen and consider yourself blessed to have seen them..New girl asked me last night on why I have deer all around me why I haven't shot one yet.My response was why.If the shot doesn't feel right I'm not taking it and I'm still having fun.it would be nice but its not always the kill.

Equipment: eh don't sweat it.like anything else in time you'll build up a collection of stuff you think you need but will always go back to the ones you know you need.like having a surf bag full of lures but always use your favorite 2 or 3 plugs. I have a couple of cheap hang ons from dicks and a 15 yr old Mathews sb ld..I can't afford to drop a quid on the latest and greatest. Blinds.find a good spot and buildem out of stuff in the woods.they'll be there for years and why lug around more crap.

Like mentioned above, this is all a big puzzle.its not a sport of instant gratification.but when you do connect.....

Don't pay attention to facef#@k rah rah look at me hunting sites, maybe for tracking deer movement.they're like the hunting shows, takem with a grain of salt..learn from sites like bowsite, not just the ct forum but as a whole.there's a crap load of knowledge here!!.

As far as the Ct forum.I've met a bunch of them , all top shelf people even the ones I've met thru thumb mashing keyboards.Ya we bicker and squabble but isn't that what a dysfunctional family does..

All good points guys. Notme I’m so happy and proud to be part of your dysfunctional family!!??

Yeah thanka for the advice. I was out in a new spot today looking for sign. Theres a spot I found with tall grass, with two swamps on either side forming like a U shape and the inner part of the U is forrest that would act like a funnel. Not alot of sign but im going to hunt it next chance I get

My contribution to Firsttimerrr

What a fatty

Nice bud Congrats!!!

Nice congratulations and very kind of you longbeard.

Much respect longbeard. You're the kind of Hunter that offset the bad ones.

Thats awesome longbeard. Nothing like passing it on and paying it forward. It feels just as good or better when helping someone achieve a goal, as if you were doing for yourself. Now it's up to Firstimerrrr to find the fortitude to become a hunter on his own and one day eventually pay it forward

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