Advice for new hunters

What would you tell your old self right before you went out on your first trip?

 

"Its called hunting, not shooting"

I get bored if I'm stand/blind hunting, which leads to me getting fidgety. Also reminds me you're very likely not gonna see anything, or be deprived of a good shot like 90+% of the time.

Also, if you're in whitetail country: "F squirrels."

What they lack in stature, they more than make up for in noise and enthusiasm. Also sound amazingly like deer, esp in your blind spots.

 

Get well insulated boots. Cold feet are the worst / main reason I leave the stand.

 

i can definitely see this happening haha

 

I tell myself not to,

Find a cheaper hobby

 

Make a list of what you want to bring, Check off everything on the list when you pack it. Make sure you have you license. If you are going from the house and alone make sure someone knows where you are going.

 

use the same round hunting as what you sighted in your rifle with. Had my Marlin 30AS 30-30 sighted in perfectly with 170gr Federal Powershoks, 2MOA with iron sights. I was proud of myself. Opening day, my first time to go hunting (several years ago), what do I grab to stuff in the rifle? 125gr hollow points. after 3+ hours sitting in the stand, a 4point walks out after a doe and I shoot it from about 40yds away. hit high through both shoulder blades, blowing what looked like a 2-3" hole on the exit side. buck went ballistic, flopping around and thrashing. I panicked, jumped out of the box-stand, jacked in another round and shot it in the muscley part of the neck. I was kinda surprised I even hit it the way it was flopping and thrashing around. It started "wheelbarrowing" across the field about 100yds just with its back legs pumping and me following behind wondering wtf is going on. It finally started to slow down at this oak mott when it jumped six feet in the air and cut a flip, landed on its gaping exit wound on a big flat rock, jumped up took off and we never saw another blood trace after that. Looked for it for hours. I didn't shoot another deer that season, and waited til the last weekend of the next season before I shot another one. THAT one I was using my dad's Remy 7400 in 30-06. No more low velocity crap for me.

 

Same thing I tell myself everytime before I hit the woods. It's the journey, not the destination.

 

Also good advice that any hunter needs to hear, is aim to kill. If you don’t have a good shot don’t take it.

 

Keep it simple, go out and enjoy yourself

 

Go for a hike or backpacking trip...just go...except have a rifle on your back and wear some orange.

 

If you use a tree stand, Use a fall harness.

Too many doze off to awake just 2 feet above the ground.

 

Something that many beginning hunters struggle with is the amount of time waiting involved.
Hunting requires patience and a lot of it. Even while you are walking through the woods, you should move extra slow and use caution because you never know what is around the corner.
Some people that elk hunt can go out every day for a week and still not get a shot. But when you least expect it, the perfect opportunity will present itself. So it better to have plate carrier like this

 

It's better than working

 

Something I wish someone would have told me early on would be to hunt with someone who has similar abilities and mindsets as you do.

I've hunted all my life, and tend to backpack hunt or day hike hunt. A friend of mine wanted to join me and I thought why not? I didn't particularly enjoy the hunt that year simply because I was in much better shape than he was so I didn't mind walking mile after mile if necessary. Since this has happened I have learned to tell people my expectations if they wish to join me in hunting, similarly I want people to tell me their expectations of me if they want my help on their hunts.