New Hunter : Just do It!

So You Want to Hunt? New Hunter or Not?

How many of you are out there who would really like to try hunting, but are intimidated by starting? It seems a very complex undertaking. Think about it…want to start up tennis, yoga, racquetball, or hiking? All of those are pretty darned simple and straightforward. The investment is generally small, and you can usually use clothing you already own. What about new hunters, who need guns, camo, boots, packs, knives, decoys, calls, 4WD vehicles, etc. etc? It may seem daunting, but it can be far simpler than you imagine. Most of all, I hope you choose to simply go for it.

I met a nice middle-aged fellow last week who told me he was excited to try big-game hunting. As a new hunter he was going to put in for bull elk to start. I commended him on his decision to start hunting, but then I asked him a question: “Since you live in Arizona, what would you think about hunting javelina to start out?” He considered this and his eyes lit up. Instead of taking off after elk, after applying for five to 10 years, he could immediately start hunting a more accessible species in his home state. In fact, I’m so looking forward to traveling to Arizona someday to chase those little javelinas myself, but I digress…

Why Hunt?

I became a hunter because it was exciting to be in the field and pursue game animals. Now I hunt for many reasons, but key among those is the incredibly healthy food I’m putting in the freezer every year. My hunting seasons are also spent with my wife and lifelong hunting partner. I love to explore new areas and I’m happiest when I’m doing that, typically. This is a personal decision. As an aside, it I do not believe it is wrong to trophy hunt. Those fees have paid for animal conservation and habitat for over 100 years now and it removes age-class animals for herd management.

Why do you want to hunt? It is a very satisfying thing to plan and execute a hunt on your own. It is peaceful exploring the outdoors and searching for game animals. You will find that you forget life’s worries when you are hunting. You know for sure that you are putting a non-GMO protein source on the table for your family that has no antibiotic residues. Wild game is comparable to wild-caught salmon when it comes to Omega 3 fatty acid content, so there really are few better protein sources for your table .

Who Can Hunt?

Everyone can hunt wild game, and it is not a cliche’ to say it is truly never too late to start. There are opportunities for youths, middle-aged, and older people including both men and women. Handicapped or special-needs people hunt every day, and there are many programs to help them enjoy time afield. Hunting knows no racial, ethnic, or religious boundaries unless they are self-imposed. If you live in the inner city, you may have more challenges as a new hunter to get out to hunt, but you can still do it. Hunting is available to us all, with very few exceptions .

Hunting costs some money, to be sure; however, all you need is your own or a borrowed weapon, some training, access to a hunting location, a knife, and a place to store your meat once harvested. The sport is not without hurdles, but you can wipe away many of the perceived hurdles in one swipe. You do not need a 4WD or ATV, camouflage, game calls, backpacks, fancy clothing of any sort, a tree stand or blind, or even a mentor to get you started. Let’s walk through the steps in this and subsequent articles!

Step 1 : Hunter’s Safety Course

You must first take a hunter’s safety course in nearly every state in the United States, so just please start there. Even if you live in a state without this requirement (if such exists), please take this course and make it your first step. It is critical that you understand how to hunt safely and ethically. In this course, you will learn how to safely handle firearms and archery equipment. Hunter’s safety courses provide you a solid overview of your state’s hunting laws and will dig into hunter ethics. It is foundational to learn to ethically harvest if you are going to hunt.

Beyond that, you will get an introduction to hunting course that may include how to access hunting safely and legally. Most courses will give you what you need to learn to dress animals in the field. Traditionally, hunter’s safety courses are the realm of 12-year-olds, but over the past 10 to 20 years, an increasing number of adults are attending courses so they can hunt. These courses are ground-zero for starting down the path as a hunter, so before you buy a rifle or a stitch of camo, hit up your local hunter’s safety course and get through it.

Where to Start as a New Hunter?

Have you considered the species you want to hunt? Are you going to stick to small game, waterfowl, or upland birds? Many would like to harvest a deer, elk, antelope, or maybe a feral hog. Think about the species that provide you with the most experience and enjoyment. Small game and birds can be hunted in generous seasons, with less focus on time of day, and generally at a smaller expense. Packing birds out of the field and dressing them is a cakewalk compared to a bull elk!

New hunters often dream of big bucks and bull elk, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Big game animals typically provide the greatest challenge and the most meat for the table in one harvest. While I would recommend harvesting birds or small game initially, there is no reason you cannot start with a deer, pronghorn, hog, or elk hunt right out of the gate. In some states you may have to wait a few years to hunt big game, so consider that. Choosing a single first species will help you plan your hunt and acquire the minimal gear for the endeavor. Remember, this is just the start…you can add more opportunities as you gain experience. As you are choosing gear, consider also other species you may wish to hunt…much gear is multi-purpose, including your weapon.

Where to Hunt?

Now that you’ve homed in on a species you wish to hunt, you must develop a plan for accessing hunting areas that give you a chance to harvest or at least see the animals you pursue. Will you need to call farmers or ranchers to gain access to hunt? In the Midwest and eastern states, private land hunting is common, while out west, public land hunting is very accessible and core. Will you need a four-wheel-drive vehicle or ATV to access the lands you want to hunt? If you are very careful, you should be able to find hunts that you can access more easily.

In my home state of Nevada, a 4WD vehicle is undoubtedly a huge help; however, there are dozens of places I can hunt by hiking or biking away from a paved road. I can harvest elk, pronghorn, and mule deer from within ½ mile of a paved highway in most units I hunt, so your existing vehicle doesn’t have to prevent you from accessing hunting opportunities. I anticipate that most private-land hunters can similarly access hunting areas from their Honda Accords if need be! Be creative and thoughtful, and you might even find an older buck or bull that has learned that highways offer some protection from hunters.

Rifle, Bow, Shotgun, Muzzleloader, or Pistol?

My advice would be to harvest your first big-game animal with a centerfire rifle. Now, if you dream only of hunting with a bow, muzzleloader, pistol, or shotgun, be realistic in your expectations. Archers may take five or even ten seasons to make their first harvest. If your dream is to hunt with the bow, then just make sure you are following an ethical path and learn to live with the frustration and patience required to take an animal. For the rest of us starting out, a bolt-action centerfire rifle will be the weapon of choice. You should always seek to achieve a one-shot and very quick kill on the animal you take, and this is most easily accomplished with the modern centerfire rifle.

In some locations, especially dense woods, the pistol, shotgun, or muzzleloader will be nearly on par with a rifle, as the woods cause close-range hunting and even things out a bit. In some areas, restrictions keep you from using a centerfire rifle due to proximity of homes and humans. A subsequent article will be posted here to discuss some simple options for centerfire rifle selection, but a new scoped rifle should not set you back more than $400 to $500 to get started. That may seem a lot, but the rifle is something that does not age much with normal use and can be passed down for generations. As an option, you may be able to borrow a rifle from a friend or family, but carefully check your state’s gun laws before you do.

What Next for the New Hunter?

Considerations abound when it comes to starting out as a hunter. Congratulations on passing hunter’s safety! Hopefully you’ve considered which animals you’d like to pursue and how you will want to harvest them. Really, boiling it down, you have:

1. Hunter’s safety
2. Species of focus
3. Acquiring the proper weapon
4. Location of hunting opportunities
5. Purchasing a minimal amount of necessary gear
6. Executing the hunt
7. Field dressing and game care

We will post articles that deal with items two through seven above in greater detail. For the most part, we’ll assume you will be after big game, but at least one article will discuss the joys of small game and bird hunting. If time in the woods and meat in the pot are two of your desired outcomes, it is hard to beat these little critters for opportunity and abundance. Most of all, take some simple steps now to get you down the path of becoming a hunter!