Hunting Newbies Ultimate Guide:All You Need To Know
If you are new to hunting, you are most probably filled with questions about what you need to get started, how much experience you need to gain and how, and also whether hunting is good sport or plain killing by another name.
We aim to set the record straight on these topics and get you prepped up, physically and emotionally, to enjoy the art of hunting.
The very first thing you need to start with is gear. There are plenty of suggestions out there but we collated a comprehensive ‘cannot hunt without’ list that is recommended by most hunting professionals.
Before The Hunt
Hands down, a hunter education course is imperative. If you know someone competent and they show you the ropes, fine, but if you don’t have a mentor, enroll yourself in a course.
- Gather important tools (read below for more on gear) and paperwork.
- A license is paramount. New or not, you can and will be thrown in jail if you are caught hunting without a license.
- Follow the ‘Be An Apprentice’ step. You merely need to tag along with an experienced hunter and see how it’s done. You can learn more in less time.
- Guns can backfire. Enter, gun safety rules. There are classes for this sort of thing; your hunter education course will cover them.
- Small game hunting is the way to go. You cannot handle anything bigger yet. Stay humble, be practical, and the wilderness will reward you for it.
- The area in which you hunt is invaluable. Know your targets and know the land. Simple as advice can get.
- Before purchasing a weapon, a newbie hunter is better of borrowing one. You can get the hang of things with a firearm that has been used; it’s been ‘broken in’, so to speak. Keep it safe and clean, and return it on time.
Practice is the best advice we can ever give a hunter-beginner. You need to hit those classes and courses, and work your b**t off if you want to become great at hunting.
This is a sport, an art form, not mindless killing (read below for more on this). Always remember:
‘Preparation is the key to a successful hunt. And practice is the best form of preparation.’
- Tubeless design with 33mm reflex lens aperture provides a wide field of view, suitable for rapid-firing or shooting of moving targets besides normal shooting
- Multi-Reticle (4 patterns) or variable Dot (4 different sizes) are installed
- Built-in mount for standard bases, no need to rezero when remounting the dismounted sight
- Parallax corrected & unlimited eye-relief; Allen head screw type windage and elevation click adjustments, with locking screw
- Ultralight, waterproof and shockproof - Powered one 3V lithium battery (included)
Last update on 2017-09-07 PST - Details
Get Your Gear
The right gear can go a long way to making you proficient on the field. Your starting days must be proper or you will get used to the wrong gear and grow into them; terrible scenario.
This is why we recommend a hunter education course before you even buy gear. Your entire future as a hunter is going to be determined by what kind of stuff you carry into the field and how efficiently you can use them.
1. Valuables
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | SnapSafe 75220 Keyed Lock Box For Handguns and Valuables (XX-Large 11.5 x 8.5 x 2.5-Inch) | 334 Reviews | $29.99 | Buy on Amazon |
Last update on 2017-09-07 PST - Details
It may be odd to talk about pee this early in a guide for beginners, but you are a hunter now. The field is not a clean and elegant place, it is dirty, tough, demanding, and will test your every sense and skill.
Pee will be the least of your problems but also one of the best tools in your kit.We are of course referring to fox or doe urine that you can drip onto selecting spots to lure others of the same species out in the open; get a clear shot.
Decoys, calls, attractants, and scents are supremely valuable.Another tool to carry is a flat-head screwdriver. Go for personal preference with this one, but be practical.
2. Guns & Ammo
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Simmons 511039 3 - 9 x 32mm .22 Mag(R) Matte Black Riflescope | 1074 Reviews | $39.15 | Buy on Amazon |
Last update on 2017-09-07 PST - Details
We’re getting to the interesting part about hunting, namely weapons. One gun does not fit all scenarios; this is not a computer game, and even they say the same things we do.
For instance, you’re off on a dove hunt with a .270, which is better for white tail ruts. A 20-gauge shotgun will serve you better and leave you an intact bird.
See what we mean? A hunter course will simplify these things.When you shop, after getting license proof, ask after rifle cartridges and shotgun shells; you’re a newbie but please don’t sound like one and ask for ‘bullets’.
Weapon choices for beginners include shotguns (measurement: gauges) and rifles (measurement: caliber). While a 50-06 is a common favorite, a .22 can help you shoot better.You can certainly opt for bows as well.
3. Camouflage
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Frogg Toggs Pro Action Jacket, Realtree AP Xtra Camouflage, 3X-Large | 336 Reviews | $40.67 | Buy on Amazon |
Last update on 2017-09-07 PST - Details
All the guns and ammo in the world will fail you if your game spots movement, sees you coming, and high- tails it out of there. What’s the point of hunting when you cannot even stay hidden? Different scenarios require different patterns. As long as the landscape and camo pattern match, you’re good.
4. Gun Cleaning Kit
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Hoppe's No. 9 Cleaning Kit with Aluminum Rod.38/.357 Caliber, 9mm Pistol | 937 Reviews | $11.99 | Buy on Amazon |
Last update on 2018-08-20 PST - Details
They come in the form of a neat kit, with everything you need inside. Keep your guns clean or forget about becoming a good hunter.
5. Boots
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Timberland Men's Chocorua Trail Mid Waterproof Boot,Brown/Green,8.5 M | 2578 Reviews | $109.95 | Buy on Amazon |
Last update on 2018-08-20 PST - Details
Be realistic. You are going to be on your feet, walking everywhere, stealthing about, and traversing rocky terrain not to forget slippery ones.
Your boots need to be reliable and waterproof or you are going to put a crimp in your own style. Where feet go, the hunter follows.
Imagine if your feet decide to take a nice long break.From comfort and knee-length protection to competency in varied zones (creeks, ponds, lakes, rocks, mountains, briar, mud, etc.), your boots need to keep you going and provide optimum durability and comfort.
Match them to the terrain and conditions, and get non-slip soles.
6. Knife & Stone
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | TAC Force TF-705BK-MC TF-705BK Assisted Opening Tactical Folding Knife, black Half-Serrated Blade,... | 6755 Reviews | $7.10 | Buy on Amazon |
Last update on 2018-08-20 PST - Details
With a honing stone, you get to maintain a sharp knife. With a sharp knife, you get to determine your survival in the wild and how well you can gut and clean your kills. Gerber blades are usually a smart investment for newbie hunters.
Hunting Is Not Killing – The Difference, Explained
“When the average modern citizen thinks of hunting, I'm not sure what they picture.
Thanks to Walt Disney, the ‘news’ media, and a lot of animal-rights nuts, many of them will probably imagine cruel, sloppy men trudging through the forest, murdering the happy woodland creatures easily and without remorse.
‘Poor little Bambi!’ they wail, hating us for the coldness of our hearts and the blood in our eyes.”
Worst portrayal ever! Hunting is manifold and pure. It has nothing to do with ruthless killing; a rumor gone bad.
- The true hunter has a great respect for life, especially the one they claim in the name of the hunt.
- They also respect other people’s property.
- It isn’t about landing a trophy.
- Armed first with respect for their prey, a true hunter shoots to land a clean kill; not a sloppy one.
Robert Ruark wrote it best in his book ‘The Old Man and The Boy’ where he called hunting a noble sport.
He teaches us how ancient hunting really is, from biblical times to before, and that it traces its rich origins back to our cave-dwelling days.Hunting to eat is a good thing; it’s about life and survival.
Enjoying the act by detailing your adventures is just as amazing. But imagine a ‘blood-crazy idiot that just goes around bam-bamming everything he sees’.
Ruark used the right words when he shared how a hunter is not worth being called one if he takes harsh pleasure in killing.
What about the hunting/trapping ban of mountain lions in California?
- A good hunter shoots to maintain the balance.
- There came a time when a slightly engorged population of mountain lions started to spread into society and mauled men, women, and children.
- The kill rate was high after the ban came into effect.
- Hunting can create a boundary between nature and civilization and help set a pattern where, for example, mountain lions will learn to go elsewhere in the vast wilderness that the nation and state have allotted and not trespass on human soil where they can find ‘easy prey’.
A hunter can put that natural fear in dangerous beasts and promote safety and good hunting without raising extinction concerns.
What To Avoid While Hunting
Here are simple ideas for any new hunter to follow when out in the field:
- Keep your gear simple. Do not overburden yourself with stuff that professional hunters use. You are only now learning the sport.
- Ambitions aside, keep from seeking out a large game just so you can say something cool at parties. Hunting is, as you must have figured out by now, an ancient and even sacred act. Stick to small game.
- You are part of nature, performing the dance of balance, from tracking to the kill-shot. Do not let your ego get in the way.
- Practice makes perfect.
Skim through this guide again to get a clearer perspective on your responsibilities as a hunter.
Final Shot
If you are merely looking for a ‘don’t care, just wanna be casual and use a gun’ time, hunting is NOT the sport for you. Hunting frees your soul, opens you to a world much bigger than you can ever fathom.
Nature, the woods, the wilderness, the land... These are grand and old things, and have been around long before humanity started to walk the earth. Respect should come as swiftly as the breeze.
A newbie hunter should learn to value life, and honor the ones he takes during a hunt.
‘You think you own whatever land you land on
The Earth is just a dead thing you can claim
But I know every rock and tree and creature
Has a life, has a spirit, has a name.’
– Colors Of The Wind; from Disney’s ‘Pocahontas’.
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