For many, getting into hunting can be a tall task. So, let’s start at the beginning. For beginners, you should get all the legal requirements. This would be a hunter’s safety course, and then that would proceed to your licensing. The course can be taken at a local sportsmen’s club or even online. You can buy your license at most sporting goods stores.
Then, after all the legal requirements are handled, you’re going to want to get some camo, preferably something affordable, which would be New View Hunting’s products. They make quality camo for amazing prices. It doesn’t matter how much you spend on camo, as long as you have the right amount of layers on. After all, a lot of grandfathers used to wear red and black checkerboard patterned coats while hunting.
For weapons, you are going to want to have a gun, bow, or crossbow, and learn how to sight them in. After they are sighted in, quite possibly the biggest aspect is practice. Go out and shoot, whether it is a couple of arrows a night or a night out at the gun range. Just knowing your weapon is a major benefit, which many hunters don’t, and this leads to a variety of negative consequences—missing an animal or, even worse, wounding an animal.
The next item would be an appropriately sized backpack, probably one that was the same size as your school backpack as a kid. If you are going out West, then that is a whole different ball game. You would need enough to store camping supplies, food, water, and other materials. But back to the subject of backpacks, I would just make sure you have water and some snacks depending on the length of your sit. You can also put all of your licenses in your bag.
Depending on what you are hunting, I would get a grunt tube, rattle bag, knives, and wind indicators. Learning how to use these few items could be a true game changer for an individual. A tip I have learned is to not call too much or too loud. This could lead to a deer getting spooked, and I tend to see this a lot and I’ve done it myself. Now, if you were hunting turkeys, I would recommend getting a vest, as this is easier and better for that type of hunting.
Next, we have to decide on what stands to use. This is something near and dear to my heart. I hunt in a lock on or ladder stand about three to five times a year. My main treestand is a climber. The current trend is saddle hunting. Saddles are lightweight, and you are able to climb in any tree. The comfort for many of the saddles is lackluster. Whereas a climber is heavier, more comfortable, and easier to use in my opinion. For most hunters, getting a ladder stand is probably the best and safest option. I would definitely recommend getting a harness, as being as safe as possible is a necessity for all of us.
Finding land to hunt can be a tricky task for many people and a huge reason why people do not want to hunt. I typically will say, “If you need a hunter, I know a guy,” jokingly but not jokingly, if I am talking to someone about hunting and they have some property I would like to hunt.
Public lands can be tough to hunt, but some could be great spots. Just getting boots on the ground will teach you so much. Or maybe you are just lucky and have a cool uncle or cool neighbor that will let you hunt. Whatever the circumstances are, it never hurts to ask. I would recommend finding some property that no one hunts, as pressure is a driving reason as to why you aren’t seeing any animals.
The main suggestion I would give a new hunter is just to go out, learn the woods, what an animal likes to eat, where they bed or roost, and the trails they use. This could be a huge factor in your success. I wish you luck in your adventures, and be sure to stay level headed through the process, as it can have the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.
Author: Nate Mellott (Mellott Outdoors)
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