Advise for a New Hunter?

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Vel454

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Snohomish County, WA
Well, I'll start by saying I'm in my mid 20's and live in Western WA. I grew up fishing a lot, but never did any hunting at all. My father was never into hunting and I wasn't "around" it much growing up, but it's something I would like to start getting into.

I know I need to do my hunter safety class and to buy my lisence(s)... But after that? Just throw on some gear and head out in the woods?

It might be a little weird - having grown up out in the rural hills, being a pretty passionate fisherman and gun enthusiast (shooting is one of my primary hobbies). But never been out hunting before. I know my primary interests are big/dangerous game and upland bird hunting, but I'm thinking going after a buck and some upland birds would be my first experiences.

Looking for advice on gear, tactics and skills, or just anything in general really. Like I said earlier, I never had that father/uncle figure showing me the hunting ropes growing up so looking for both specifics and general advice to help me get started on the right path, thanks!
 
Vel454 said:
It might be a little weird - having grown up out in the rural hills, being a pretty passionate fisherman and gun enthusiast (shooting is one of my primary hobbies). But never been out hunting before. I know my primary interests are big/dangerous game and upland bird hunting, but I'm thinking going after a buck and some upland birds would be my first experiences.
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lol. I'm in the exact same boat, in close to every possible way.

Grew up in western Washington. Dad took me and my brother fishing all the time. Lived in a very rural area (Arlington). Dad owned lots of guns and frequently took me and my brother target/clay shooting, but never went hunting with anyone (Dad said he didn't want to kill animals when he could buy meat in the store).

Now interesting in starting big game hunting, but have no clue how, aside from picking a tree and waiting. Have bought most of the equipment and a compound bow.

...now what? :p

(The plan is to teach myself to hunt via several expected-to-be-low-success seasons before gaining a solid grasp on what works and what doesn't.)
 
Haha, Good Lord, small world man... I live in Arlington! Well, about 10 minutes east of Arlington (Jim Creek Rd). That just blew my mind lol.
 
Crazy. I'll keep an eye on this thread, hopefully someone points both of us in a helpful direction lol.

Welcome to The High Road, from a one-classroom-per-grade schoolhouse. :)
 
The best advice I can give is to never hunt alone ( looks like yall got that covered ) and tell some one where you are and when you will be back.
My zone is much to far to the south so I cant be specific on tactics but scent controll is a must.
GOOD HUNTING and STAY SAFE
T
 
Waterfowl is most plentiful throughout all of WA but having a dog is practically mandatory. Upland Bird is almost exclusive to Eastern WA, pheasant are diminishing but Quail is still plentiful. Again, having a dog is just about mandatory.
Big Game is available, but locations are tricky unless you have connections and it helps having an experienced friend to help teach you cleaning and processing of game.
The best bet if you want to learn Big game is to just get into the mountains, hike around and learn some territory. You can hunt Grouse while you're at it, and that doesn't require a dog. Bring a camera or a video camera for fun.
 
Buck have great noses, dont let them smell you. Shower, use unsented Deodorant. Dont sweat. Do use a musk scent buck lure. Sit an wait on a well worn trail. Good Luck.
 
I live at the base of a logging road and I've seen a lot of game around just a couple minutes from my house on state land. (Truth be told, I've been within about 8-10 yards of them a few times just out hiking or driving by) but that seems pretty unsporting with their lack of fear of man. But I've seen some birds in the woods around the same area (I'm not good enough at identifying them yet, to say what they were, but I think grouse... obviously I would need to learn before pulling the trigger).

So scent is a big one. I knew it was a factor but seems of top importance. (Good advice on the scent control from 243, thank you!)

I'm an avid backpacker so I know a lot of the back-woods areas around me, but would have to change my mindset a bit obviously. And cleaning game would definitely be something I'd need to be shown how to do the first time.
 
There are hundreds of products to help mitigate the human scent. The best of which is just great cardiovascular conditioning. The better shape you're in, the less you'll sweat, and that has a compounding effect on the rest of the "scent" products out there.
 
For deer, silence is 90% of the skill you need to learn. A deer can hear the spoken voice at least 1/2 mile away, as well as any loose metal or plastic clicking on your gear, heavy footsteps, etc. If you're quiet, you'll find deer. If you're not, you won't.

The other 10% is to know where deer are in given weather. They feed at night and bed during the day. They want a comfortable bed. If it's cold and windy, they'll be on the lee side of hills. If it's cold, windy and sunny, they'll be in the lee in sunny spots. If it's raining, they'll be under firs or pines. Rainy and windy, in the lee of hills under firs and pines. See what I mean? Look around and decide where you'd be most comfortable on that day in that weather and that's where the deer will be.
 
Yep,be quiet and still.That's easy said but can be hard for several hours at a time.You can use one of the hunter stools or a cushion if you don't use a tree stand.If you can't sit still all day hunt 3 hours after daylight and 3 hours before dark.When you do have to move on stand,move slowly.Fast, jerky movements are a lot easier to spot.

Stand placement is another subject and you could write a book about it but basically,you need to be where animals use a trail or feed or water.Try to set a stand where you will be above and down wind to that area.Set your stand where you have your outline broken up.You don't want to be in the only tree outlined against a clear sky.
 
First off identify some local hunting grounds, big enough to "get lost" in,( just don't get lost.) Public Land, Family Land, Farm Land, etc... Finding the place to hunt may be the biggest challenge. Once that happens, then identify what type of game is avaialble to hunt there, then obtain the propert license, habitat stamp, wma permit, etc... make sure you are 100 percent legal and current with regulations. Make sure you have the right weapon/ ammo, then go after the game. This may be scouting before season, or actual hunting during season.

I hunt by myself often, but always leave a plan with friends, family, wife, etc, so someone knows where i am, and when to expect me back.

You need to know how to field dress & care for your game/ meat once it has been harvested, so that it makes excellent table fare.

It's a learning experience, and one day as you are getting that experience, you will be face to face with the furry or feathered quarry you are after, and the moment will almost seem easy as you take the quarry.
 
Hunting bear, deer coyotes, the wind is your biggest enemy and your greatest ally. No scent killing products will ever get rid of human scent, so you need to keep the wind in your face when facing your hutning grounds, and dont bother with expensive scent reducing technologies. For preditors you also need to worry about sight, coyotes are very visual, you need to cover everything, face, hands, equipment.

I enjoy hunting deer its a cat and mouse game, you need to plan well. But I probably enjoy hunting preditors just as much or maybe even more, instead of cat and mouse, its cat and cat.
 
And cleaning game would definitely be something I'd need to be shown how to do the first time.
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It's not a big deal. Just go slowly, read/watch vids to get an idea how it's done, have a good knife or two, get a small saw to cut through bone to make it easier. Field dressing a deer may seem intimidating, but do it a couple times and all the fear goes away. :)
 
The best advice I can give is to never hunt alone
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I think the best advice I can give you is that if you don't have somebody to hunt with, go out by yourself and learn for yourself. I have a couple guys I'm teaching but I' married with kids and I don't have time. They want to go out more than I can, but won't go by themselves. Why not?? It isn't rocket science, it's hunting. I learned all kinds of things by myself cause in college I was the only serious hunter I knew, it was go alone or don't go. Easy decision if you ask me. Go alone, watch and learn, don't get lost. Pretty simple if you ask me.
 
Most critters begin moving in the late afternoon toward sundown, and head for their bedding areas not long after daylight or sun-up. Going out at that time and sitting on a hillside and watching over a valley and the opposite hillside is a good way to learn how, when and where the action is happening. Do this on weekends during the summer and fall is a major "prep" for the season.

Learning how to walk softly and quietly takes practice. I've trained myself to glance ahead for the next three or four steps, looking for sticks or rolling rocks to avoid. I then take those steps, but I'm looking around "to see what I can see" while doing this sneaky-snaking. Walk sorta smoothly, sorta flowing, rather than marching like a soldier on parade.

I never carry much beyond gun and knife. Some toilet paper to flag the location of my deer, so I can find him later when I bring up the jeep or come back with hauling-help. Maybe a canteen in warmer weather. Any old comfortable earth-toned clothing.

If it's basically dry country, I like Russell Birdhunter boots, or RedWing Twenty-Mile. The flat crepe soles are quiet, and the boots are light in weight. Wet country? I plead ignorance.

Rifle? Most any brand with a .308-equivalent cartridge will work as well as any other. Arguments about "better" or "best" are mostly mental masturbation for the sake of arguing. Fun, of course, and there's a lot of good information gained from it, but it's not to be taken all that seriously.

Scope? A decent fixed 4X will work as well for Bambi as any other. That's family experience since the late 1940s, anyway. A 3x9 is nice, but most of the time it will be set on 3X while actually hunting, for the wider field of view.

Better a 4X scope and good binoculars. Folks really hate to be in someone's crosshairs because he doesn't have binoculars and is checking the countryside with his scope. Tends to create hostility, and hunting is supposed to be fun.

If you're hunting in vast expanses which are new to you, a USGS topo sheet and a compass (for cloudy days) can be important. Topo maps are commonly available from engineering/architect supply stores, as well as from some online websites.
 
I have hunted with rifle for about 44 years and it amazes me the amount of money people spend on buying specialized clothing and sprays to hide the human scent. My grandfather and father always gathered the local foilage from the surrounding area and placed his jeans and shirts inside a large plastic bag with mesquite, juniper and whatever was available. The clothing absorbed the odor of the area being hunted.

It is also good to scout the area about 2 to 3 weeks before hunting season. Follow trails, sit on top of the mountains check for deer movement and bedding sights. Match your rifle to the area being hunted. For example if hunting plains and mountains you might need to make longer shots so a 3 x 9 scope is nice to have. I normally have mine around 3x and on occasion 4x. Binoculars are a must and if glassing a determined area a spotting scope is a plus. If you are hunting a wooded area or heavily brush area a scope will not be much help unless it is a 1x or 2x power fixed scope. For this type of terrain I love my winchester 30-30 or my marlin 336 in 35 remington with open sights. Your shots will mainly be less than 100 yards and if you are a decent shooter you should be able to hit your target. If not practice. MOST IMPORTANT, NEVER HUNT ALONE.
 
Hey guys. I'm almost in my mid 20's, but I've been hunting for about 5 years now already. I am in basically the same boat as you two, having not grown up around it. My biggest advice is use whatever land you can (state forests, wildlife management areas, walk in areas) and you can find those by going to your dnr website and looking around for a little bit. I just did it in 1 minute. Another great tool I used to get started was "The Pocket Deer Hunting Guide" by Stephen D. Carpenteri. The author really breaks down all the steps to deer hunting and talks about the immense options out there in the world. He speaks from a rifle or shotgun standpoint, but it relates easily to bowhunting. Think about ways to hunt that don't blow the bank; stalking dear or using a ground blind, jump shooting for ducks, pheasant or grouse hunting, and even dove hunting. Just get out there. That's the biggest thing. If you think you're missing a piece of equipment that you need but just don't have the money for, you'll never get out there. You guys should definitely get together and hunt if you're close enough. It's always nice to have a hunting buddy. Good luck guys!
 
Either you hunt alone or with another. I would suggest carrying an unloaded gun through the woods the first time, get used to where the muzzle is pointed and manuvearing obstacles. Look for animal trails, try some stalking, scout out the territory where you will be hunting. KNow where the neighbor's property is, the roads are. After you are comfortable with carrying an unloaded gun, load it up.

Good luck, be safe! Jeff
 
There are two guys on THR you want to really pay attention to, H&Hhunter and Art Eatman. They have been there and done that enough to fill several trophy rooms. Both of them have written up a lifetime's worth of hunting info here on THR. Do a search for both of them, grab your favorite drink and enjoy.

Now book learning does not take the place of practical application, but it is a good place to start. Both H&Hhunter and Art have been invaluable to my growth as a beginning hunter.
 
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