Hunting Tips For The Beginner

[Campfire Girl]

I love to camp and hike and I would like to try my hand at hunting. But I have never hunted before. What are some tips you would have for a beginning hunter? Do you recommend a shotgun or bow? Is it better to target bigger game such as deer in the beginning? I'm really interested in getting some good tips here.

 

[ppine]

Find someone to learn from. Start with shooting skill and gun safety. Then try some bird hunting with a shotgun. If you like it, try small game. Then large game. Shooting a deer and putting you arm inside its warm chest cavity can be very emotional and overwhelming for people with no hunting experience.

 

[Grandpa]

1. Hunter safety course. Safety is number one and even us old people that were totin a .22 that was taller than we were need refreshers.

2. Actual hunting techniques vary widely from area to area. It requires a different mind set hunting the eastern hardwood forests from the sagebrush oceans of the west. So the suggestion is try to find a local mentor to get you started.

3. Hunting with a bow requires more skills than hunting with a long gun. Most hunters start with long guns then graduate to the bow. And of course, a shotgun is easier to use than a rifle. The shotgun is more versatile than any other tool. Great for birds such as grouse, pheasants and quail, not to mention waterfowl. Also can be used short range for deer and other mid sized animals.

4. The variations are endless. Again, a good local mentor makes the learning much easier.

 

[cabinfever]

Whether you use a bow or a gun is entirely dependent on which weapon you prefer and are most proficient at. I also second the recommendation of taking a hunter safety course.

 

[dinosaur]

Safety tip: If you walk out to your deer stand and see this, don't climb it.

 

[AK Hunter]

The first step is to take a Hunter Education Course, this is important to keep you safe in the woods. Check to see if your state offers one if not you could try our states on-line course here.(free to take the course)
Official Indiana Hunter Safety Course | IN Online Hunter Safety Course
As far as a shotgun or bow, the bow takes a lot of skill & practice but the shotgun is much more versatile, it can be used to hunt every thing from birds, squirrels, rabbit, to larger prey like turkey & deer. The only draw back is it can be rough on the young hunter because all shotguns have a good recoil or kick to them. This is to say when you pull the trigger & the shot charge going through the barrel will push the stock of the gun into your shoulder hard. The smaller or lighter the charge the less the kick. That is why a lot of young hunters start off with a .410 shotgun, but if you can handle a larger gauge shotgun it would be better to start on that from get go.
The game you start on depends on your skill level, most hunters will start with rabbit, squirrel, dove, to learn how to be quiet, & concealed, or stalk, & shoot. One of the most overlooked parts of hunting is the clean, safe processing of your harvest. We as hunters are not out just killing for sport we are taking of a nature made product, to use this harvest on our tables. This is another reason why hunter-ed is so important.

 

[CozInCowtown]

Your states Hunter Safety Education course for starters!!

 

[Stargazer]

If you have never handled a gun before go to a shooting range where you can be taught by qualified instructors on the proper use of your weapon and get experience handling it before you actually take it out to the woods.

 

[mamabear]

Absolutely take a hunting safety class first. I would also recommend a mentor on your first trip. There have been too many stupid accidents not to be totally safe in the woods.