How to get started hunting?

[noobiechickenlady]

Handfeeding? These are the same people that try to feed the bears, eh? Yeah, wild animals that don't fear the smell of humans can be baaaad

There are a few other threads where more folks chimed in, I guess a lot of them are off the forum today. These discuss tags & such that may be needed, depending on your state.

http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=4014

http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=3477

Jump in, Abi! I haven't been in the woods at all this year, but gun season in MS is open through January 20ish, so I have time.

 

[Farmfresh]

Yes, hand feeding! I have a friend who just bought a house more in the burbs and their neighbors have been hand feeding a couple of does and now have their fawns so tamed that they were letting their small GRANDCHILDREN play with them!!!

People can be SO stupid.

At least I properly warned my friend. Now hopefully she will take my advice. We used to rehab wild animals when I was a kid and I know how dangerous they can become in an instant. I was even mauled one time by a young raccoon that I had bottle fed when it became frightened.

 

[Beekissed]

FF, I've been contemplating this myself, as my boys are all growing up and moving away. I would very much like to procure my own meat without depending upon the menfolk.

My mother has killed deer with gun and bow and we both have been around the woods and the stories enough to be sure what to look for and do....but the actual killing we know more about is bowhunting.

I want my own equipment....my boys laugh at me when I mention doing this. In our family, hunting is largely a man dominated sport and only my mother has been interested. I can't say she was really interested but where ever Dad went, she would have to go.

I haven't made up my mind whether I want to go all stealth with the bow or just use whatever old gun we have around.

It would be kind of cool to have a whole group of SS ladies showing their kills next fall!

I tell you what may help you ladies a little....rent some hunting movies. Some of them aren't really based on reality, as most of the hunting is done on game preserve-type acreage where the deer are carefully nurtured and culled for years to produce large specimens.

But, some of them can give you good visuals on scrapes, rubs, good bedding areas in the forest. How to position your tree stand or ground blind, how to de-scent, how to use a buck grunter(if you wish to do so), how to rattle a buck in, what time of day to hunt what kind of cover, food source or trail.

I feel pretty lucky to have heard all this repeated ad nauseum for many, many years in my life, so I pretty much have a handle on it. It's all a moot point for me at this point, as I have only one place to hunt...my orchard!

 

[Farmfresh]

We had a friend whose granny lived with in a few miles of us on an old century farm with about 30 acres left. This old gal would go out in her backyard sit in her old folding chair and knit with her rifle on the ground beside her. Before long a deer would saunter by the old gal and she would merely lay down the knitting, pick up the gun and POW. Then she would pick up her cell phone and call her grandson to come and process it. Pick up her knitting and relax until he got the job done. She got her deer every year in this way.

My kind of hunting!

 

[SKR8PN]

You don't have to go all stealth to deer hunt with a bow. I bow hunt out of a ground blind and have had pretty good luck. Also, please don't just use any old gun you have laying around. Get a gun suited to where and how you have to hunt, and have it fitted to YOU. I have shortened the stocks on every rifle or shotgun my wife owns, and that is even starting out with youth sized guns! You won't believe how much accuracy will improve when the gun FITS you, and it is only fair to the animals your hunting, to be able to get a clean quick kill.

I got into muzzle loaders a few years back, because the primitive season here in Ohio is a lot longer. The last 3 deer I have taken, were between 120 and 180 yards out. When I hit them, they dropped where they were standing. I love that old smoke pole!

 

[Farmfresh]

That is a great point about sizing the gun. I am a lucky one. I am 5'9" and wear a size 10 mens boot. Most things made for men fit me rather well.

My D1 is quite good with a bow. Her hubby bought her a custom made long bow several years back. She is good enough with it to kill coyotes that are raiding her goose pen! I have never been very good with a bow, but I don't think I have ever had a real good one to practice with.

If I could deer hunt around here I could probably go out with a boom box and wearing bells and shoot one! They are totally used to people. My D1 has deer that regularly dine with the ponies at the round bale and drink from the water tank. Unfortunately there is no shooting in the city limits, so the deer I would be after would likely be more wary.

 

[SKR8PN]

That is a great point about sizing the gun. I am a lucky one. I am 5'9" and wear a size 10 mens boot. Most things made for men fit me rather well.

My D1 is quite good with a bow. Her hubby bought her a custom made long bow several years back. She is good enough with it to kill coyotes that are raiding her goose pen! I have never been very good with a bow, but I don't think I have ever had a real good one to practice with.

If I could deer hunt around here I could probably go out with a boom box and wearing bells and shoot one! They are totally used to people. My D1 has deer that regularly dine with the ponies at the round bale and drink from the water tank. Unfortunately there is no shooting in the city limits, so the deer I would be after would likely be more wary.

My wife is only 5ft tall and 110 lbs when she is soaking wet! NOTHING fits her!

As for hunting deer in the city limits...........that's why God invented the crossbow. and home processing. (did I say that in my out loud voice? )
My very best friend , that has taught me everything I know about hunting, has told me some stories of his past hunting "endeavors". He plays by the rules now, for the most part, BUT, being a landowner with a LOT of acreage, gives him quite a bit of leeway when it comes to interpreting the regulations.

 

[Beekissed]

You don't have to go all stealth to deer hunt with a bow. I bow hunt out of a ground blind and have had pretty good luck. Also, please don't just use any old gun you have laying around. Get a gun suited to where and how you have to hunt, and have it fitted to YOU. I have shortened the stocks on every rifle or shotgun my wife owns, and that is even starting out with youth sized guns! You won't believe how much accuracy will improve when the gun FITS you, and it is only fair to the animals your hunting, to be able to get a clean quick kill.

I got into muzzle loaders a few years back, because the primitive season here in Ohio is a lot longer. The last 3 deer I have taken, were between 120 and 180 yards out. When I hit them, they dropped where they were standing. I love that old smoke pole!

Don't worry...the old guns we have laying around have killed plenty of deer quickly and cleanly! We don't hunt unless we can provide the deer with a quick and clean death. This year I wouldn't allow my youngest to go out hunting because he hadn't picked up his bow to practice more than once all year.

Actually, we have to more or less see them drop around here, as we hunt on an acre of ground and the neighbor to our left is very vindictive and would try to prevent us from recovering our deer if it ran to his side. Mostly they just drop right here or run a few yards and drop.

I don't allow the boys to take a bow shot more than 35-40 yards and we hunt with a shotgun and slugs if we use a gun, which isn't often.

 

[chrissum]

My take: The hunter safety program would be the first place to start, I got my first gun at 10 years old and dad spent that first year of hunting teaching me everything, but I hauled that 410 around empty! Than what ever gun you choose read the owners manual front to back several times. Keep the gun clean, and put A LOT of rounds down range. Study up on deer hunting, it is really an excellent adventure and every hunt will be different, by putting a lot of practice rounds down range will hopefully get you a clean quick kill of the deer. Good luck and enjoy! I am enjoying this christmas day, my birthday, understanding the reason for the season, eating summer sausage made with jalapenos and cheese made with a nice 9 pt I got this year! Next will be rabbit hunting.

 

[miss_thenorth]

Hi, I don't know whether this has been covered before, but my dh was a self taught hunter, and he learned alot from watching hunting shows on TV. Satellite or cabel has outdorrs channels where they hunting shows, specifically for deer or bear, or whatever, and antenna viewers, there is usually something on Sundays on a PBS or some channel like that. Hubby swears by watching the hunting shows to learn about deer characteristics, clues, where and how to set up etc. Definitely a good place to start. Also hunting magazines.

Another thing about hunters, usually they dont want anyone tagging along. they dont want to divulge their hunting spots etc. If you want to do it, you just got to pull up yer boots straps and get out there. It is all a learning experience and there will be a learning curve.