Want to start hunting

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danorocks17

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I am currenly mulling the idea of getting into deer hunting. I have shot guns in the past and I am a decent shot, but I know next to nothing about actually hunting game, butchering game, and gun ownership. I was wondering if any of you are avid hunters who would be willing to point me in the right direction. Thanks! :)
 
Definitely Hunter's Safety class. It teaches you more than just gun safety but how to safely hunt game.

Also there are tons of videos on youtube from Outdoor shows that go over various techniques for hunting various game animals.

Having a place to hunt is usually the biggest problem for people who don't own big land or have family with big land.
 
Agree with what others have said. I know nothing about the laws in your state, but here in MI we have sections of the state marked for Shotgun Only for deer and the laws regarding where to hunt go beyond that. In general you need to know where state land is located and make sure to NOT hunt on private property without landowner permission.

You might ask around of you know anyone with good sized acreage and see if they will let you hunt there.

Personally, I enjoy (or enjoyed, haven't done it much in many years) squirrel hunting. It's a nice autumn walk regardless of whether you get anything, and you don't have to prepare or know your prey's movements. You can just head out on a whim and have a nice morning/early evening.

Rabbits are fun if you run a dog, but that takes having a trained dog or someone with a trained dog. Nothing like heading out on a cold, crisp winter day along the cedar swamp and hearing the excited braying of your beagle as it circles a cottontail back around for the shot.
 
I started hunting deer when I was 16 and I knew nothing about it. That was 20 years ago now. It took a long time before I started to get it since I didn't really have anyone to show me and my brother how to do it. A guided hunt would be the fastest way to get thru the learning curve. If you have the money to do it that is. Now with YouTube and channels that have hunting shows on 24 hours a day you can learn a lot in the off season and prepare for next years hunt. Where do you live or plan to hunt?
 
Ohio def requires a hunters safety course to get a license. check IN for such laws. Then learn to track & tell dear sign from videos. And def nutralize your scent. they can smell you before they can see you. They're def smart critters. The tail hair is great for tying streamers & such. the hides make great mocosens.
 
I used to teach Hunter's Education classes in Montana--the class was required in order to buy a tag. You would be surprised just how much they teach, and how useful the information is. Start there. If you don't have a rifle, select one that you can shoot well and get some practice with it. Do you have a place to hunt locally, or would you be travelling to another state. Keep in mind that if you cross state lines you will pay non-resident tag fees and a couple western states even have requirements for non-residents to use a licensed guide for some kinds of hunting.
 
As others have said take the hunter safety course. It's a good resource to get started and learn about what weapons are legal in your area.

Check with your state's DNR and USFWS to find public land if you can't find private land to hunt.

Buy the best boots and gun you can afford.

Learn to play the wind and be willing to adapt to conditions to find deer.

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Hunter safety class and check with the state game commission. They may have guided hunt days a couple times a year for new hunters. They'll be glad to give you some recommendations regardless.

+1 on the small game hunting.
 
What the others have said.... plus.... when I started bow hunting about 30 years ago the one thing I found that helped me the most was reading the hunting magazines. There is a wealth of information in them.... just avoid the BS advertisements on the high tech expensive gear you "DO NOT NEED"! Additionally, if you have friends that hunt.... ask to join them. It is safer and far more enjoyable to share the experience with good friends. We have a hunting lease which SWMBO refers to as "Beer Camp" instead of "Deer Camp"! A lot of great times spent there with friends and family.

If I was just starting out, once I found a place where I could hunt I would get to know the area as much as possible. Plus, You can practice your skills year round with a camera as opposed to a gun. I enjoy the woods and nature more than the hunt anyway.

You can find lots of youtube vids to show you how to dress and process animals. Nothing to it really..... but it is work!
 
Thanks for all the info everyone! I will definitely look into some hunting safety courses. I think it might be a good idea if I decide I want to start hunting is to start with small game like squirrel. What type of gun would be best for small game like that?
 
.22 scoped rifle for small game will always put some meat on the table.
A trusty 30.06 (tons of them out there and plenty of different ammo choices) will handle almost any other big game.

Big game rifle may or may not need a scope depending on whether you are hunting in heavy woods and brush or if your targets are going to be in the 100 yard or longer range.

OMO

bosco
 
Find a mentor if you can. There are so many different ways you can go with deer hunting. Most of the media now is very centered on shooting GIANT bucks, and ONLY giant bucks. If your looking for the enjoyment of hunting and to put some meat on the table a mentor should be able to tailor his info to your needs. Good luck, some of my best times are hunting deer.
 
Thanks for all the info everyone! I will definitely look into some hunting safety courses. I think it might be a good idea if I decide I want to start hunting is to start with small game like squirrel. What type of gun would be best for small game like that?

For small game, I like a 20 gauge shotgun. I mostly hunt for grouse, though. For squirrel, a 410 shotgun or a 22 rifle would be appropriate.

In some areas, you can use a handgun to hunt deer, but in some you can't- and the regulations may vary quite a bit from one management area to another. So that's another reason it's important to take Hunter's Safety, as well as consult the DNR website in your state.
 
Personally, I enjoy (or enjoyed, haven't done it much in many years) squirrel hunting. It's a nice autumn walk regardless of whether you get anything, and you don't have to prepare or know your prey's movements. You can just head out on a whim and have a nice morning/early evening.

squirrel hunting is a great way to get the hang of hunting and processing game. a person can usually find conservation or public land to squirrel hunt on and it gives you an opportunity to get out in the woods with a much cheaper firearm and ammunition, as well as allowing for more than just one harvest per year.
 
It's definitely something I want to use for putting food on the table. The question is can I get the wife to eat it too hahaha. I think finding a mentor locally here in Indy would be awesome. I'll ask around. I'm sure I have a friend or friends dad/uncle/cousin that lives near by.
 
It's definitely something I want to use for putting food on the table. The question is can I get the wife to eat it too hahaha. I think finding a mentor locally here in Indy would be awesome. I'll ask around. I'm sure I have a friend or friends dad/uncle/cousin that lives near by.

This was a problem of mine when I lived in Montana, since we lived on an Indian Reservation and what I hunted was for food--Walmart was over two hours away. It took some getting used to by the wife, but she came to like many things that I made. The taste can be hidden in chili, stews or sausage. Tough cuts can be tenderized and chicken fried (my favorite breakfast is chicken-fried deer steaks with eggs). And almost anything becomes fine dining if wrapped in bacon. My wife loves sharp-tail grouse breasts wrapped in bacon and roasted.

Once she gains an appreciation for the taste you can then start making things that aren't hidden or covered up, like roasts and steaks. I had to do this with the rabbits I used to raise for meat and the deer and other game I hunted.

One point--respect her tastes and try to find a way to make it palatable for her. Since you are interested in being a meat hunter she needs to come to like it too.
 
I've even prepared squirrels cut up & fried like chicken. My kids loved'em that way when they were little. With pan gravy,mashed taters & biscuits. Yum!
 
If you're willing to shell out some coin, post hunt, look into finding a local game processor to process and customize your meat the way you want. You may even find a local farm that offers the service. I believe I paid $50-$60 last time I shot a deer to have it processed into ground, steaks and sausage.

A word of caution though, in almost all cases processors prefer you drop the deer off field dressed and others may even want it skinned and quartered. I've dropped a deer off when the processor was getting into it with someone trying to drop off a deer with a botched field dress. You have to learn the right cuts to make and know what the butcher prefers before dropping the deer off.

The initial investment of buying a meat grinder may be worth your while. You can save a ton of money doing it yourself. In this case you can process the meat the way you want it and you can even make jerky which is something my processor never offered.
 
If you want to have the experience of deer hunting without the cost:
Wait until a very cold morning, then go out around 4am and sit under a tree and don't move for about 4-5 hours. Wait until your feet and butt turn numb and stare at the trees until you are bored to tears.
Then when you've got the full experience, come back inside and have a beer.;)
 
If you want to have the experience of deer hunting without the cost:
Wait until a very cold morning, then go out around 4am and sit under a tree and don't move for about 4-5 hours. Wait until your feet and butt turn numb and stare at the trees until you are bored to tears.
Then when you've got the full experience, come back inside and have a beer.;)

Solid advice right here. You forgot to mention that he needs to do this about 30 times, then go buy a pack of burger from the store anyway and see if it was all worth it :D:mug:
 
And get about 200 pounds of sandbags to lug around with you to simulate a successful hunt.

just one more reason to do more small game hunting.

To me hunting is like golfing. It's more about getting outside is a mostly peaceful setting, than what you're actually doing. But that's my opinion anyways.
 
Turkey hunting is also a lot of fun. Nothing like being in the spring woods and having a gobbler work to your call.

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just one more reason to do more small game hunting.



To me hunting is like golfing. It's more about getting outside is a mostly peaceful setting, than what you're actually doing. But that's my opinion anyways.


Agreed. I've come up empty other than one squirrel this season. Still enjoyed it all.
 
One thing no-one has mentioned, probably due to the deer hunting reference in the beginning. Don't get started by going to a game farm, hunt club or shooting ranch. These places raise birds and release them to be hunted. It can be fun at times, but many times it teaches new hunters bad habits since the birds are not truly wild and the groomed trails just won't exist in a real hunting scenario. Where I hunt, mostly for grouse and woodcock, if you can see further than five yards or so, you won't find any birds.
 
It's definitely something I want to use for putting food on the table. The question is can I get the wife to eat it too hahaha. I think finding a mentor locally here in Indy would be awesome. I'll ask around. I'm sure I have a friend or friends dad/uncle/cousin that lives near by.

Post kill game care is of paramount importance for quality table fare!
When you hook up with hunting friends/mentors, learn the recipes they use to prepare game for their families, introduce your family a little bit at a time. Maybe ask them to invite you over for some wild foods potluck and sample a few things.

I have been hunting for nearly 47 years and small game makes excellent meals and big game fills a freezer for those long off seasons.
I have been fortunate to take Hunters Safety Courses in every state I have lived in from Michigan to Maine, South Carolina to Washington, Hawaii and of course my current home, Alaska. It makes it so much easier to get my license and it was a great way to obtain new hunting buddies each time the Navy moved me, often the instructors were a wealth of information before and after classes. The other thing I have a habit of doing is befriending the wardens in the areas I hunt/fish. You would be surprised at what they will share over a friendly burger and soda at lunch or a homebrew in the evening.
Good luck and Great hunting.
 
Squirrels & rabbits can make really good dinners. The tails I de-bone & save for fly tying,streamers,tails on my spinners,etc. Dear,rabbit & squirrel tails that is.
 
I was thinking about hunting some of the rabbits around my house, but now that it's cold, they seem to have completely vanished. I've not seen hyde nor hare of them. I'm sure as soon as the hunting season expires, they'll infest the yard again.
 
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