[wisconsinshotty]

I need your help fellas. In November i am going to kick off my hunting career by going deer hunting.....i am going with my newly purchased 12 gauge Mossberg. It is in wooded area by numerous farm feilds. I am hunting on a budget and i need all the help i can to have a successful hunt. which method of hunting should i use? should i bait? what type of ammo?
im confused....please help me out fellas

 

[critter gitter]

if you are hunting in the souther portion of WI you can not use bait

 

[rockman57]

If possoble get in there and do some scouting.There should be gametrails going to and from the fields.Also look for any oak trees which could yeild acorns during hunting season.Look for rub lines on the sides of the trees.Deer usually like to rub on smaller trees with soft wood.Don't know if you have them in your area but holly trees are great places to find scrapes under lowhanging limbs.Know the prevailing wind and use it to your advantage.Either set up a few stands or get a pop-up or climbing stand to carry in with you.You will know the right spot when you find it.Carry a compass and know how to read it.Realize that hunting is like anything else ,the more you do it the better you will get.Sneak in and sneak out.I have taken plenty of deer sneaking in and out of the stand area.
Good Luck,
Rock

 

[wisconsinshotty]

thanks a lot!

 

[wisconsinshotty]

is there anything to keep in mind gun wise? i have a 12 gauge mossberg and should i add anything to help me shoot better? what ammo should be used.....do i need to use scent killers and every thing like that.....should i invest in some calls or something?
thanks and keep the tips coming .....
wisconsin shotty

 

[buckfever]

i cant help you on what type of ammo cause ive never hunted deer with a shotgun. cover scent or scent killers is important i do think. they sell little packages of this stuff that will have soap, deo, and a scent cover spray to put on your clothing and boots and stuff. hunt when your downwind and try to cover your scent. that would be my 2 pieces of advice. scouting is also great. if there is a way your able to maybe go sit up on the edge of one of those fields and just look thru binoculars and watch how the deer act. you may be able to find out the area they come into the fields and about what times they start to feed. if you can find out where there coming in at maybe you can try to set up your stand or blind so you can ambush them coming to eat supper. good luck

 

[wisconsinshotty]

thank you... so maybe invest in it....my scouting is pretty much done and i already cleared shooting lanes with my dad. i think that the deer will be around a lot.........
im getting excited and nervous at the same time for the season!

 

[joel the signman]

try some slugs.do you have the rifled slug barel?or the smoth bore.buy a couple boxes.dont go crazy.breneke ,lightfield,rem,winchester.all make a quality slug .everygun shoots differently even the same brand gun.get the ammo go to the range get it to hit the paper at 25 yrds.dont mater where just hit the paper.then you can adust your windage(side to side) and elevation(up down)once your hitting the center of the paper move out to 50 do the same thing.you should not have to go past 100 yrds .actually i would set it for 75 if the deer is further than 75 you can always hold high.Go get out to the range now and often you should have been doing this already.you owe it to the deer to shoot cleanly and accuratetly so you kill it quick.Good luck let me know how you make out

 

[buckfever]

yes i would invest in covering my scent. alot of hunters may not agree with that. but for me personally when i started concentrating on covering my scent i very rarely get busted anymore. last year the only deer that caught me was prob at least 4 and half years old and was definitly a big old buck. looked like a cow. he was 40 yds away and directly upwind from me so thats the only reason i got caught. joel also made a good point with practicing shooting alot. i understand you being nervous. even us hunters that have been doing this for awhile still get a nervous rush every time we see deer. thats what makes it so fun. dont be surprised if you get "buckfever" when you see your first few deer. your knees will be shaking and you will feel like your going crazy trying to be still and not spook the deer. we have all done it. after i shot my first deer with a bow i shook for what seemed like 20 mins. and i was about 25 yrs old at the time. its a rush thats why there is a ton of hunters out there doing this every year. man i love hunting!!!!ickle:

 

[joel the signman]

the fact that you are out there in the woods,deer no deer ,kill no kill dont matter.to me just being out there is the thrill.I had to do it myself no dad no mom no internet friends.Remember after you pull the trigger get ready to work.I wish you nothing but the best.........go get em

 

[wisconsinshotty]

thanks a lot fellas....and by the way joel on the subject of slugs, i have a smoothbore but i was thinking because i use sabot slugs i should get a rifled barrel

 

[wisconsinshotty]

i under stand that some slugs are made for both barrels....coul you explain which one like those are, and what is the best for a smoothbore?

 

[joel the signman]

lichfield hybrid slugs.give em a try

 

[BruceBruce1959]

I totally agree with all the advice you've been given, I'd like to add one thing about the nervousness subject. EVERYONE gets nervous especially at shooting time BUT I PROMISE you, you're going to love that feeling of PRIDE when you harvest your first Deer...
Just imagine you come dragging a deer behind ya and maybe your Dad see's you first, he comes running to greet you and he's smiling bigger then ever that's not just a happy smile son, that's a Proud Smile too, then you see your Mom and she's wearing a bigger smile than your Dad had, it's not just a happy smile that's a proud smile as well,, your brothers, sisters, friends, neighbors, all with that same smile, people you don't even know are going to congratulate you and even they will have that same smile.
Now please REMEMBER,,, we LOVE seeing pics and I can't wait to see yours.

Good luck :biggrin:

 

[AJHunter]

Hi Friend,

If you are going to hunt with a shotgun, the best advice I can give you is know your guns limitations, and don't ever shoot at anything that you aren't sure that you can hit where you aim.

Test you gun by target practicing with it at different ranges. Each shotgun shoots differently. I can't stress this enough.

A 12 guage will bring down a grizzly with slugs, but they lose there shocking power the futher out the slug travels.

My advice is only shoot slugs no buckshot, and only shoot at an animal that is 50 yards or closer.

If you follow these rules you will bring home the venison.

AJHunter

Ps. Check out my blog below.

Whitetail Hunters Challenge

 

[DKA]

If you see a Buck and get the feeling that you want to count the points, remember, get him first, then you can count the points anytime that you want.

 

[AJHunter]

Slugs that are made for a smooth bore shotgun, has the rifling made on the slug. Check out this page on google.
rifled slug - Google Image Search

 

[burgerking]

yea if you have a smooth bore barrel dont shoot sabots, you might as well use a ball and musket. Sabot slugs are made specificaly for rifled barrels.. The slugs with the rifling made on the slug are also known as foster style slugs, you do want to use those with a smooth bore, but not with rifled bc it will cause leading and throw ur aim off. So smooth bore use foster style and rifled use sabots. Rifled and sabots have much better acuracy and ballistics. As far as brand, shoot around and see what ur gun likes.

 

[burgerking]

foster style slugs will actually work against the rifling in the barrel, which is why it causes the leading. Also i forgot to mention, dont shoot slugs out of ur smooth bore with a full choke. It will be fine, but using a more open choke is a bit better, the slug will basically slam into the full choke and slow it down, probly not too noticable though.

 

[midwestmonsters]

I use the Hornady SST slugs. a little more pricy but the only drop 6 inches from 100yrds to 200yrds. I shot a really nice 8point last year at 175 yrds so iim definitly going back to those.