Originally Posted by
Shotgunny
From what I understand, shotguns have far shorter ranges than rifles, right? Which would mean that shotgun hunting would be significantly more difficult than rifle hunting?
Also, in addition to a weapon, ammunition, winter clothing & boots, a stand, orange vest, a knife for dressing, what other gear will I need?
And lastly:
1. How easy/hard is it to learn how to dress a deer? I am not squeamish; the thought of opening up the body of a dead deer does not freak me out at all.
2. How easy/hard is it to "fillet" a deer's meat, after the outer skin & fur and organs have been disposed of?
3. As a beginner, should I expect a few outings where I will have no kills?
Generally speaking, shotguns do have shorter ranges than rifles. Some shotgun slug setups are capable of 200+ yard shots and are effective on deer to that range. But if you throw rifled slugs in your bird gun, you'll probably be staying inside 100yds.
There are way too many options for additional gear. But I'll throw up binoculars as a good one.
1) Not hard. Cut deer open, pull guts out. Hardest part will be the A-hole
It's best to watch videos on it if you won't have help.
2) I'm not a master butcher, so I think it's easy. Maybe if I did a neater looking job, I'd say it was harder...
3) I STILL expect to go out and not get anything most of the time
As far as whitetails, I usually see some when I'm after them...so much easier than mule deer.
What you should consider doing, is making good use of the search function. You can find more answers to all the questions you've just asked. There was even a 'new hunter' thread a couple links down. The more you read, the more you will realize things you don't know, and you will be able to learn about them.