Any advice for a first time deer hunter?

[NewSuds]

New to Canada and hunting and went for the 'wing it' solo style for this season (see intro post here https://www.oodmag.com/community/sho...Sudbury-region!)

I got lucky with an antlerless tag in WMU42 though I'm starting to suspect it will be going unclaimed this year.

I put a stand up out the back of some public land near Sudbury, though the front half seems pretty well pressured with stands/trails/hanging post, which is why I kept walking back. Though now its in some thick bush that is tricky to get to. A trail cam nearby had fairly consistent doe/fawn traffic over the last couple of months but nothing to be seen now.

Some questions:
1- How the F do you keep warm in a deer stand for hours on end...... Struggled after just a couple of hours
2- What time should you be in your stand for the AM? If its a 45 minute walk, its hard to be there before sunrise with the legal hours. Do you just head out earlier anyway?
3- If I am loud tramping through the bushes to my stand in the AM, is there even a remote chance of a deer swinging back around that day?
4- If there was an old wooden stand halfway to yours that clearly has not been touched this season, and possibly for a few (no trail to it, half fallen down, untouched snow on it from 5 days ago), would you be tempted to set up shop in it for a morning?

I'll be giving it a few days to calm down out there this week and hopefully get back out there next weekend.

If anyone wants to teach/party hunt with a new hunter this coming Fri-Sun let me know and the hoofs are yours. Any advice appreciated!

[glen]

The little heat packs that you shake. Wool socks.
Head to stand when you can. Look a deer movement on trail cam to tell you when to be there.
If you’re loud you might spook what’s close but it’s not that bad and they can move in after you settle down.
I would use the old stand if safe and the trail camera shows deer moving in front of it.

[glen]

If you are hunting that far in are you going to be able to get a deer out???

[dean.f]

Make sure you don't sweat on the way in, I always strap outer layers to my backpack and before I make the last 50 yards to my stand I'll stop and cool down then put the jackets on and get in the stand. This was my first "real" gun season putting in about 50 hours on stand in the rain, snow, and high winds so I had some lessons to learn quickly. I also recommend wool socks and hand warmers in your pockets to revive your fingers, I'll also add - bring lots of snacks high in sugar or fat like pepperettes. They were a lifesaver for me. I also did a lot of ground setups so I was able to sit or stand in different positions after a couple of hours.

[newbiehunter]

If you like me and sweat no matter (ie this morning -3, I am in thin long sleeve shirt and still sweating [emoji28][emoji28] on 25min walk and climb)

Quick dry cloth (synthetic) might come to the rescue. It dries on you off your body heat

The drawback of such cloth is- it seems retain the BO much more

[sabmgb]

lots of good advise here. I'd want to be in the stand 30min before legal. Like mentioned noise will only spook those that are close, there will be more come by. Stay as long as you can before you leave. Maybe go for a walk to warm up then back to stand. If camera shows evening then get there hour before deer show up and wait. If evening hunting don't forget to bring lots of bright lights for tracking and field dressing. I like the lights with hangers so you can hang in a tree to free up your hands while doing the field dressing

[Sam Menard]

If I plan to sit on stand for very long I use a Heater Body Suit.
https://heaterbodysuit.com/
https://sportsugar.com/product/arcti...realtree-edge/

The alternative is to travel to your stand in light-weight clothing and pack in warm gear and put it on upon arrival.

Nothing wrong with taking a break from sitting and going for a short walk to warm up. You can also go away from your stand, build a campfire and heat up some lunch. The smoke from the fire is a good cover scent.

The longer that you remain undetected on stand the better. Stealth is the key.

[one shot scott]

Baffin -100 deg boots for the cold, (titan i think) gotta have warm feet and they are like walking in pillows. Get a really good warm coat. amazon sells heated gloves. I Would not recommend using someone's wooden stand that hasn't been maintained unless your really sure about it. If your not seeing deer now, gear up for the cold when human pressure dies down and hopefully you see more deer traffic.

[Marker]

As said above, pack in your outer layer. No cotton, at all, ever. A thermal layer or two of wool is best, if its below freezing add goose down to the mix.

Also, pack in some food, lots of carbs, a thermos with hot water will help, I started using a heated vest which seems to be worth the weight (battery).

[gbk]

As above many said about gear and techniques...........but,You have to try some,and figure out what will work for YOU.
I went thru all of the above,and eventually settled in where i am,because they work for me.

And as said-i would not recommend using old wooden stand.
Let us know how it pans out.