TooOldtoLearn

I would love if there was a new hunter forum specifically for those of us who didn't grow up hunting and have a ton of questions. That way people might not feel as silly asking questions if the forum was dedicated to questions such as only new hunters have.

Berserker

I say just ask. Also sometimes when googling stuff I add the word forum. Such as best _____ or have you used _____ , opinion ____. I have bought books too. Which can be hit or miss. But unless they are to expensive, not the end of the world.

rogerstv

Agreed. Plenty of new hunters post in the forums. Most seem to receive helpful answers.

mrbb

if you had a forum for ALL new to hunting hunters, what would be the source of info being added or given, if, it was all new hunters with no experience??LOL
just saying
I think being on a FORUM that has a LOT of different level of hunters and experience, gets you the best advice(just take MOST of it with a grain of salt)
I grew up in a NON hunting family, and no friends even hunted, I learned ALL I did by reading books, LONG before there was the internet
the amount of desire one has to learn something will honestly be the different or level in which they learn and develop skills
I personally tend to answer treads/questions I feel I can HELP with, as I THINK most folks here do
over the yrs I have helped a LOT of new hunters learn and even taken many out myself to teach them and get them there first deer/turkey and other critters!
MOST GOOD seasoned hunters I feel are willing to help new guys
but NEW guys DO have to ask, and reach out and search for this the help, , which comes back to there desire or NOT to learn,
As in HOW Much desire one has to learn, its NOT like TV hunting shows for 90% of all hunters, skills come from earning them!?

and the only dumb question
as they say is,
the one you DON"T ask!

CalHunter

For the OP, nahhh, you're never "too old to learn." Hunting is a sport where you can always learn something new. Which makes it fun. I learn something new or figure something else out on just about every hunt I go on. I've been out maybe 10 times so far this deer season and have learned stuff from each hunt. That's part of what makes it fun.

So, read a lot. Research a lot (the internet can be very helpful, obviously). Ask a lot (what this forum is all about really). Think a lot. And then see how these things work in your specific area and style of hunting. Not everybody hunts in the same area or in the same way. Your profile doesn't say which state you live in. Knowing that would help other members who live in the same state to give you more specifics for that state. Asking about different types of hunting, different animals, different weapon systems (archery, rifle, black powder, etc.) can also get you more specific answers. When you get to the core reason for this website, it's a place where hunters can talk about hunting, share memories and things they've learned and help newer hunters learn more about hunting. In essence, we are all "passing it on" on a website where hunters new and old gather to share the wealth.

Berserker

The other thing I say, is do skip a year, just cause you don't think you are ready. Unless money is an issue. I say give it a whirl. Go walk in the woods with a shotgun, or sit on stop with a rifle.

CalHunter

Something else you might consider is to post what state you're going to hunt in, type of animal, type of terrain, style of hunting you're contemplating (there's more than 1), sign you're seeing, etc. and see if anybody has any suggestions or tips for you to increase your chances for success.

elkman30

I have to agree with mrbb. Having a new hunters only forum means you're asking other newbies for help instead of reaching experienced hunters who will have answers to your questions. If your car or truck wasn't running, you wouldn't ask neighbors what they thought. You would ask a mechanic. Same thing for learning the ropes on hunting. There are a fair # of new hunters who ask questions in different forums. For the most part, other guys tend to post something helpful. Occasionally there's a jerk in the mix but those guys tend to shut up after a while or get poofed by one of the mods. As someone else said, the only dumb question is the one you don't ask.