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MartyZ

New hunter, very confused

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So I just got my hunting license and am very confused on all the regulations and tags. I got the all around sportsman's license which came with a 6-day Firearm Buck Tag, a Fall Bow Buck Tag, and a Fall Bow Antlerless Tag.

Reading thru what all the tags are for I am utterly confused. So just to start I want to hunt dear with my bow at the start of the fall season, which is October from what I understand. I don't care at this point whether it's a buck or not, i'll settle for anything my first time out. So do I need any additional Tags?

Also, my plan was to hunt at my wife's cousin's property but there has been a family falling out so that plan is out the window. So where would be a good hunting spot in the Monmouth area? And are there any hunting clubs I can join? I don't really want to go out on my own the first time.

 

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2 hours ago, MartyZ said:

So I just got my hunting license and am very confused on all the regulations and tags. I got the all around sportsman's license which came with a 6-day Firearm Buck Tag, a Fall Bow Buck Tag, and a Fall Bow Antlerless Tag.

Reading thru what all the tags are for I am utterly confused. So just to start I want to hunt dear with my bow at the start of the fall season, which is October from what I understand. I don't care at this point whether it's a buck or not, i'll settle for anything my first time out. So do I need any additional Tags?

Also, my plan was to hunt at my wife's cousin's property but there has been a family falling out so that plan is out the window. So where would be a good hunting spot in the Monmouth area? And are there any hunting clubs I can join? I don't really want to go out on my own the first time.

 

 

 

PM me. Ill messsage you my cell number...  Been hunting NJ for 33 years. Gun, bow, etc etc..  I can answer most of your questions and give you some good guidance...

 

 

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13 minutes ago, eyeinstine said:

 

 

PM me. Ill messsage you my cell number...  Been hunting NJ for 33 years. Gun, bow, etc etc..  I can answer most of your questions and give you some good guidance...

 

 

@MartyZ Take him up on this - 

 

Ok some tips for BOW Hunting:

Practice

Practice

Practice

....  learn to judge distances - 

.... Ensure you know your distances and holds

....  DO NOT take a shot unless you are sure you can cleanly kill the animal

....  DO NOT take a shot unless you are sure you can cleanly kill the animal

....  DO NOT take a shot unless you are sure you can cleanly kill the animal

....  DO NOT take a shot unless you are sure you can cleanly kill the animal

 

... Wear your harness if you are climbing, my friends son fell a few years ago - he is paralyzed - wear your harness

... Practice drawing your bow in a confined space - when you are on your stand, you will not have a lot of room to move and you will have a tree behind you - take that into account.  

... If you are cold and sitting - that draw is not going to be easy - practice

.... Make sure you can draw, comfortable weight, you will not have gorilla strength up in a tree

.... DO NOT get 'buck fever' - do NOT take the shot if it is not within your comfortable solid hit ranges....ranges in the woods look much different than a target range

....  when you get a spot setup - make sure you recce the area so you know the ways in and out silently and mark objects at known ranges in your arc of fire, write it all down.

 

-------------there is probably a lot more - @eyeinstine will advise. 

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10 hours ago, Mr.Stu said:

If you're using a tree stand, be aware that your point of POI will not be the same as when shooting horizontally. How high it will hit above your usual POI will depend on angle and distance.

This is so true.  Years ago I missed the biggest buck I ever saw 20 yards away.  I could see the hair move on the top of his back as the arrow went 3/4" high.  He grunted and ran 5 yrds right behind a big bush and stopped.  I was able to get another arrow cocked and when he stepped out from behind that bush I shot again.  WHOOSH!  Right over the top of his back again!  He didn't hang around this time.  I have never had a shot like that since.  I was about 10 ft off the ground. That was 40 years ago.:D

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Nothing wrong with ground blinds.  I feel like you have to be even more dedicated to use a ground blind.  

Last deer I took came with in 10-15 feet of my ground blind.  I was hardly breathing.  Moving VERY slowly to bring my rifle up.  I actually had to wait for the deer to move further away so I would see it properly through my scope to take a good clean shot.

Each have their advantages and disadvantages.  At the end of the day, even if you didn't get anything, if you still enjoyed yourself then you are doing something right.

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While I realize my terrain is different from yours, I prefer stalk hunting, and ground blinds. 
Makes me feel more in tune with the hunt, instead of watching the deer, or hogs, walk by at a long distance. It requires scouting, and knowing the area, and movements of the animal. 
It also requires more skill, and stealth on your part.

When my dad and I used to hunt a lot, we would set up some improvised ground blinds and move between them. 
They don’t have to be fancy, just a place to sit quietly, have some breakup of your outline, and have a rifle rest. We usually use a chair or a bucket to sit on. 
 

Here is one of my improvised ground blinds I used recently. Ain’t fancy. Used this one a few weeks back when I was at the ranch, sat for awhile waiting for some hogs. 

22BCC68F-7E96-4734-B2BE-31AB7B96691E.jpeg

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Some more advice on one of the biggest mistakes I see a new archer making on game animals. If you get busted (animal is aware of your presence or very jittery), do not force a shot. "Jumping the string" is real and results in many fatally injured animals never being recovered.

 

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