Deer Hunting at 23

[liveoutdoors]

I've loved the outdoors all my life. Fishing, camping, hiking, cycling, you name it. One thing I have never done was hunt even though most of my 30 something cousins go all over the country to take game. Now, at 23, I want to learn. Any comments on the learning curve for a 23 year old new to the hunting world? I'm starting off with a shotgun hunting whitetail and eventually want to continue on to a bow and turkey hunting as just a start. My cousins are well willing teach, but due to them being 6 hours away I get lessons only about 4 times a year.

[nchawkeye]

Not sure what part of the country you live in, but I feel that the best training for hunting is squirrel hunting with a scoped .22 rifle...You learn marksmanship (head shots only)...How to set up a rifle and scope, how important it is to try different ammo to get to the most accurate one, how to quickly find game in a scope and if you try shooting with the open sights on a .22 why a scope is more accurate than open sights, stalking, the use of camo and identifying the different oaks that squirrels prefer...Usually you get plenty of shot opportunities and can scout for deer and turkeys as you hunt...

When you get to where you can kill 5-6 squirrels in a 2-3 hour hunt, using only one shot per squirrel then you are more than half way to becoming a good hunter.

Good Luck...and Welcome!!!

[bobcat07]

Stick around here and you will learn some stuff. Talk to hunters you know that are successful will help, and just be out in the woods. Look, listen and patience and most of all just have fun

Welcome to the Site.

[130woodman]

I learned more about deer hunting from bow hunting. It is a longer season the deer are more relaxed (in most cases early season.)You can set up stands where you can see long distances to help pattern deer. But before you go out and start hunting take a hunter safety course. They also teach hunting techniques in those classes.Then spend some time practising with the weapon of choice.Then have a great and safe time in the woods.

[Paul L Mohr]

I started in my 30's, no big deal. I had a coworker that decided to teach me. I started out just wanting to get into archery, no real desire to hunt. I had nothing against it, just wasn't something I wanted to do. I love to shoot and have always owned guns though.

I got into archery and loved it, just went crazy with it. He saw how much I liked it and how well I was doing and asked if I wanted to learn to bow hunt. I figured I would give it a shot if he was willing, but let him know I many not like it after doing it. I figured I would shoot one and see how I felt afterwards.

Well now I own 2 shotguns, one a dedicated slug gun and another smoothbore with fiber optic sights, an inline muzzle loader and between my girlfriend and I we own 5 bows. I own other guns as well for small game and varmints. I like to turkey hunt as well.

I average a deer a year since I started, and to be honest I really don't hunt that hard. I only really want one a year to eat and don't trophy hunt, so when I get one for the season I usually stop since it takes up so much time.

My point is it is never too late to take up hunting. Even if you can't get into deer hunting try going for birds, bunnies or squirrel. It's all fun. I actually like small game hunting more I think because you can move around more, and bunnies are easier to drag out of the woods.

Paul

[KoBear]

I would definitely reccomend finding someone that hunts and learn from them. a good hunting buddy is the best thing a hunter can have.

where ya from? maybe someone on these boards will take ya under their wing.

[liveoutdoors]

I'm from New Jersey. All great replies and give me much more confidence about starting what I consider late. Well a couple responses...for one, no rifles in NJ. We only have shotgun, bow, and muzzleloader seasons. On top of that, we have totakehunters education courses for each of the three that we choose to get a license in. As I said before, my cousins who have been hunting big game all their life are teaching me to shoot and are comingup for a couple weeks next season to show me the crash courseto different things. I'm working on getting a buddy to show me the ropes in the meantime. Like ya'll said though. It's all about having a good time with it. I have no problem being up in a stand for a couple hours and just walking away with a morning in the woods.

[Ol JohnnyBoy]

23's not old at all to start. I'd read all the magazines I could get my hands on and hang out at some sporting goods stores (you'd be surprised at the amount of info and people you can meet there. Most importantly you need to spend some time in the field learning what to listen too, learning how to "read" the woods. It's all fun. Good Luck...

[Mike Hill]

Even though I came from a hunting family I never deer hunted until I was in my early 20's. there were no deer in my area at that time in the 60's. I was not the brightest kid in my class at school so I wasn't allowed to miss any school for deer hunting. I enlisted in the Navy right out of high school and was always deployed over seas during the hunting season. In 1976 I had my first shore duty and wanted to hunt deer. So I was kind of in your same boat. First I would suggest you take a hunters safety course there is a welth of information givin out there. Second read and watch hunting dvd's. Then spend a lot of time in the woods scouting you will learn more spending time in the woods then anyone can ever teach you. Then just do it and have a ball. And remember the most important rule in any outdoor activity is to have fun doing it.

[nchawkeye]

I have some more excellent advice for you.....


Get the #ell out of New Jersey....

Come on down South, where you can hunt 4-5 months out of the year....
More time in the woods will make you a better hunter......

Good Luck....

PS....Dang, I wish I was 23 again....I have kids older....