(SoCal) n00b Hunter Questions : Deer/Boar : Camo Gear

[TheGDog]

Turned 45yo this year and made the decision that either this year or next I intend to try to harvest either a Deer or a Boar for the first time. Always wanted to, but having my first child at 38yo kinda put a hamper on many of the outdoorsy sports I onced enjoyed frequently.

In the meantime I'll be practicing with my newly acquired Savage Trophy Hunter XP in .308 Win. I never really did any long-range shooting before, so I've been studying up on ballistics, etc. And the Nikon scope this sucker comes with has a nice BDC Reticle that will help with hold-over out to 500 yds.

The most likely location for me will be in zone D11. Younger brother has some property near Gorman/Hungry Valley OHV (but on the other side of the 5Fwy, up 138 a lil bit)

When I look at the Camo Gear they offer, that Mossy Oak pattern doesn't really look like anywhere I recognize in my small amount of outdoor travel in SoCal. And the other one that is like for more of a Brush area... which I think is a better idea for SoCal in that Gorman area... the print looks several shades too dark to be any good at camoflauging a person against all the very light-colored tall grass/weeds we've got.

I notice they also have short sleeve vs long sleeve. I would have thought if you need camo at all, you need long sleeve, no? Do you need the face-mask converings as well that I've seen Bow-Hunters sporting? I've also seen several pics and Vids with people using a lil facepaint to camo up their exposed faces a lil bit.

Also recommendations on scent control would be appreciated. Along those lines I was thinking it may be helpful to be carrying a nice chunk of maybe alfalfa along on my person perhaps in a cargo pocket? I was taught long ago for rabbit hunting you wanna rub a handful of that on ya especially in the stinky parts.

Since getting started initially in this sport is a bit pricey when you're beginning to build-up your collection of necessary/supporting gear/tools. I was hoping I could get recommendations... not only about gear, but also good public lands for a DIY attempt at hunts of Deer or Boar... but also real-world experience with camo gear and what works best (or at least tell us what you know for sure doesn't work and is a bad idea. Too hot, etc) and WHY!

Also such insights as which manufacturers rucksack you like and why. Would be much appreciated. As you can imagine... I'd just love to get my needed purchases right the first time to minimize initial cash outlay to ease the Wifey Acceptance Factor a bit.

Anyhoo I've been studying a ****-ton online with vids and articles ("The GoogleFu is strong with this one!"). However this is one of those topics where direct query can often get you better results with less wasted time.

-G

[TheGDog]

bump!

[mofugly13]

Camo is not really required. Any pattern that breaks up your outline will work. My grandpa and the hunters in his era all wore pendletons and jeans, and they killed a LOT of bucks. I wear camo BDU's because I find BDU trousers very comfortable and cool while hunting in 90 degree weather. I have a BDU blouse, but I only wear it if it's chilly, usually early morning. The patterns are Advantage camo for the blouse and multicam for the trousers. But I typically wear just the trousers and an earth tone tee shirt, with my woodland boonie hat. The key to being a successful hunter is the ability to be QUIET, and to move silently. Those big *** ears on a deer serve a purpose. Their noses are really good too, so it's important to stay downwind of the direction you are moving. There is a lot of spearmint where I hunt, and I'll usually pick a handful and crunch it up and stuff it under one of the loops in the boonie hat. Does it work? I donno, but I manage to kill deer every season. You also need to be in an area where there are deer/pigs. You can be silent, invisible and smell like alfalfa all day long, but if there are no deer where you are hunting, you are not going to see one. Scouting is key here.

Also, I believe that luck plays a huge role in a hunters success. Is there gonna be a buck in the area you decided to hunt today? Who knows? But you can increase your chances of getting lucky by being silent, like ninja silent. Staying downwind of your intended game increases your luck, too. Hunting an area where you know there are deer, particularly bucks, really increases your luck.

Being able to spot a deer through the brush is a really good skill to work on. You need to be able to recognize a 3" square patch of fur, an ear, a leg, tail or eye through a hole in the bushes/trees. Glass everything, even if it's just 50 yards away. Use the focus on your binos to focus through the different 'layers' of trees and brush to see as far into the thick as you can, and try to spot that little piece of deer, and then recognize it as such.

You need to be slow, silent and hyper aware. Investigate every sound with your eyes and ears. Learn to differentiate between how a squirrel or quail makes a racket in the leaves to how a deer casually feeding through the woods sounds.

Get out there and do it. It may take a few years, and a lot of missed oppurtunities. But as long as you continue to learn from mistakes and experiences, you'll increase your chances of getting lucky.

[SDCutter]

[MJB]

Sitka gear for me buy once cry once.......I still have the first year they came out and it still works flawlessly. But anything will do like was said before. Face mask is really for turkeys and bow hunting to give you that extra second when close.

Spend your money on good binos & boots to start.....from there you can make anything work then buy what you would use the most like a good flexible pack camo and other stuff to make your hunting more enjoyable.

As to places to hunt water water & water if there's water there's animals so use that as your guide and it never hurts to call the bio for deer in your area and ask for locations that hold deer and go after it lots of google earth scouting then boots on the ground.

And not that I disagree about taping your muzzle but if your sticking the barrel in the ground find a new spot or slow down. You should always know where your muzzles is at all times and don't let it hit the ground.

Good luck

[bigboarstopper]

+1 for the good boots and binoculars. Boots will save your feet making easier to hunt farther and longer and good binos will save you from getting a headache with cheap binos.

Don't over think it and keep it simple. Stay quiet, watch your wind, move slowly and look a few hundred yards further than you think you need to. The camo stuff, sent blockers and all the other gizmos are all backseat to good scouting and time in the field. I hunt quite a bit and for every hour I actually hunt I scout twice as much.

Go to the area you intend to hunt and learn it like the back of your hand. Learn the game trails, seeps and habits of everything that lives there. When you know what animals live in which canyons, what animals come into that field at sundown and when those other animals drink at that water source, you got it.

[WyattandDoc]

OP...I'm completely new to hunting as you are. I took all these guys advice and it has paid huge dividends. Boots Boots Boots in my opinion is absolutely vital.
I've been playing with what to carry in my pack (Badlands 2200) to stay as light as possible. I do however bring everything I could need in case I get caught out overnight. Probably run heavier than the guys on here with more experience.

So anyway I've been scouting, scouting and then scouting in AZ. Unless I get lucky, I won't even get a tag anytime soon. Gonna use that time to scout more.

Funny story. I went out with my buddy to predator hunt in Arizona. Didn't have the caliber or the tags for any big game. Sitting in a natural blind and what strolls past us at 150 yards? A really good size Prong Horned Antelope. He bladed no less than 8 times. All I could do was shoot him with my video camera. Made a ton of noise getting it out of my pack, and all he did was stare at me. I think he was laughing at me and knew I didn't have a tag and that my 30-06 was still at Bass Pro.

Once I get a tag and now that I have my rifle, I'll never have it so easy again..LOL

[cheesewabbit]

Try and go with a hunting partner. If you have to go solo like I did try and private land hunt to get your bearings. You will make alot of mistakes like I did. You will find out things like I did. My boots were not right. I did not eat very much in the morning which was affecting me 4 hours into it. That first kill gave me a huge confidence boost so that when I do a public land hunt I wont be over eager to make a kill. I will post more later

[cheesewabbit]

The best thing I can tell you though is do not let anyone discourage you to pursue your goals of becoming a safe and ethical hunter. People here will talk down to you. Your friends may talk down to you, but simply keep your head up and just get out there in the field.

[Tanner68]

Your camouflage comes in the form of the game not hearing you, smelling you, and not spotting you first on account of movement. What you are wearing matters very little in terms of camouflage.

As for scent control, don't stink like a street bum, and avoid super scented bath products. Watch the wind.

The ruck sack question is too hard to answer. It depends on the circumstances. I use everything from a possibles bag, small daypacks, lightweight internals, to a framed freighter pack.

[SDCutter]

The best thing I can tell you though is do not let anyone discourage you to pursue your goals of becoming a safe and ethical hunter. People here will talk down to you. Your friends may talk down to you, but simply keep your head up and just get out there in the field.

+1 :-)

[kielbasavw]

I got into hunting to just get out side and change of scenery. Also to help get me in shape. I have chronic sciatica@ age 25, and the hiking seems to relieve some pain, or atleast take my mind off of it.

While getting into the hobby, i spent quite a bit of money. But thats because i had 0. Not even camping gear. Collected bunch of different camo clothes. I dont worry about the brand or color much, just as long as it helps break up the shape.

I find stuff on amazon and ebay mostly. Picked up a almost new $100 jacket for $18 on ebay, best part? It was a 2x tall!

I agree, camel back is a must. I have a military m.u.l.e. has very limited storage space so i dont carry much. Toilet paper, gloves, bags, rope, lighter, and a protein bar. I added some straps to strap my jacket to if i bring it and get hot.

Have fun!

[lewdogg21]

You can use a camelback style watter bladder with nearly any backpack or fanny pack so don't limit yourself to their brand of packs which are way overpriced for what you get imo.

Good boots and good binos. For hellish hot weather a polyesther shirt is like sex when the slightest breeze comes up. I got a 2 pack for $15 or $20 a few years back and love them. Something like this but I got short sleeves.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Performance-Long-Sleeve-Tee-Shirt-Two-Pack/1379605.uts?productVariantId=3167084&srccode=cii_17588969&cpncode=34-244209479-2&WT.tsrc=CSE&WT.mc_id=GoogleProductAds&WT.z_mc_id1=03452329&rid=20

camo and facemask/facepaint is most important for archery, waterfowl and turkey. Deer not so much. Lots of good info already posted.

[TheGDog]

I am soo appreciative of "the love" you are all showing me here. I cannot thank you enough. You are all pretty much mostly just confirming all the observations I've deduced soo far from my massive "Google-Fu" of this topic.

RE: Gear - I bought a Savage Trophy Hunter XP Combo in .308 Win which comes with Nikon Prostaff 3-9x40mm scope with BDC Reticle. With the way the heat has been I got some Itasca Hiking shoes (not boots, figured too hot) that so far have been no problemo. I'm uber-picky with shoes and these seem like keepers and are comfortable when walking my energetic dog. There is a www.basicclothing.com store ridiculously close to my house and they had digitized camo BDU type pant and shirt and same for brimmed hat. Hat is very comfy. Haven't worn the other yet, figure they will be a lil too hot for summer trompin' around. Knives : First got a BUCK PakLite Skinner. Later picked-up a combo deal with Buck OmniHunter and Paklite caping knife for just $34! And I can freakin' shave my arm hair off with the OmniHunter! I bought a blaze orange + reflective work shirt that I'd drape over myself if I ever get lucky enough to bag something so I don't get shot by some dumb*****. Y'day I order the Cabela's Whitedail Day pack in ZONZ Woodlands (this camo color seemed lighter, more like what vegetation in SoCal would look like to my eyes). Figure I'll probably also pickup some Amber-type sunglasses for shooting. Have safety glasses in Amber for the Garage and noticed how much they helped with light. Also need to pickup the shoulder straps for carrying binoculars. I bought this amazing set of Leupold Yosemite 8 x 30 binos that I've been practicing using everyday. It's crazy what you can see with those things! No probs seeing things up to .7 miles in testing so far. The stereoscopic 3-D visual effect you see thru the binos is amazing! Also at same time ordered a Nikon Acculon RangeFinder ordered. They're supposed to be good up to 550yds. Doubt I'd ever attempt a shot that far though.

Regarding taking the shot... don't worry people... I figure it's taken me 45 years just to get to this point... I got the rest of my life to complete the task. And the off-hand aiming practice I've been doing with the rifle and it's scope on distant items around my neighborhood power-line poles has made it painfully clear how much you have to battle with calming down your breathing to help with the shaky reticle when not using external stabilizing help. I figure some shooting sticks are most likely in order. I originally picked-up a 6"-9" bipod... but from my research quickly realized I'll most likely need substantially more height in the field. Also it looks as though I've already missed my opportunity to even be considered for a tag this season for deer. I did the online hunter safety deal... but still have to do the follow-up class thing. Last time I had a huting license was early 80's as a kid. So my thinking is that it probably makes more sense that my first hunt be for wild boar since you can go after them year-round once you get the tag.

The younger brother has some property up by Gorman... east side of 5 Fwy south side of 138 off "Old Ridge Route". A bit up into those hills. So it has that typical Gorman rolling-hills grassland look to it. with a little bit of cover brush in the indentations of folds in the hillside. He's said he's seen deer and boar (though he says they are usually farther north) pass thru and seen tracks of Mountain Lion, though never actually seen one of them. So I'm figuring for starters I'd perhaps try to go up to his place maybe once a month, camp out the night so I can be up early enough to scout the next day. I've worked from my home far more years than should be considered healthy for a person so I figure no matter what I'm getting needed time outdoors so it's a total win-win.

Another concern I have about gear is being worried about my pack having enough room to haul out everything I can butcher-out from the animal. Depending on how damn far in I've managed to hike my silly self back in there, I may or may not try to cape-out the first kill. For sure if it's a rack I'll at least want the rack+skull intact for keepsake though. When hunting solo... what's the norm for getting the animal or its meat back outta there? I assume it's best to bone it out to conserve on weight, right?

[rabbit91476]

Walmart cammo is all Ive ever used.