New Hunter

You should take him deer hunting!

squirrel or dove. something pretty easy that will help get him hooked

it depends on him... if he's patient and just likes to be out in the woods, deer is fine. If he is antsy and wants action constantly, how's dove or rabbit with dogs sound? I started with deer but I had neither a father who hunted nor friends like you. If some one was breaking me into hunting then something more active activity-based would have been better. He's already got a .22, so how does squirrels sound?

For someone who doesn't normally hunt, I would suggest bird hunting of some sort. I know it's sure fun to go dove hunting. You get to shoot a lot, and that'll probably go a long way in getting him hooked.

Hard to beat some good old rabbit/squirrel hunting.

Varmints and small edible game. Plenty of action and he can eat some too.

I wouldn't take him big game hunting for the first trip. It depends on your opportunity too though. Finding some squirrels is a lot less challenging than finding a 4 point where I hunt. Get him into some rabbits or squirrels and see his reaction. It will tell you everything.

gbran said:

Varmints and small edible game. Plenty of action and he can eat some too.

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Got to go with this. Hitting doves is rough enough on seasoned shooters. Let him get good on small game like squirrels and rabbits before you take him after deer. The last thing that I want in the deer woods with me is someone not familar with hunting or their firearm.

tcsnake said:

My question is(as an experienced hunter) what game should I take him out for for his first time? I would like to make it both safe and memorable.

Thank you.

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I don't think it matters what you hunt as long as he has success. You as his mentor should know what local game is most plentiful and accessible. Deer hunting with nuisance permits can be easy and not take much skill, but can be quite rewarding to a new hunter, regardless of the size or sex of the deer. I've found that for new hunters, the flush of a rooster from under their feet is very addictive. Buying a few released birds at a game farm ensures there will be success and to a new hunter, many times is as gratifying as a trip to South Dakota.

Can't go wrong with squirrel/rabbit hunting.

I say rabbit/squirrel hunting.

Captcurt, I didn't think of that when I suggested bird hunting. You're right though. We do want him to be able to hit what he's shooting at, and doves can be challenging.

Arkansas Paul said:

Captcurt, I didn't think of that when I suggested bird hunting. You're right though. We do want him to be able to hit what he's shooting at, and doves can be challenging.

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Don't get me wrong. I love to shoot birds but there isn't anything more frustrating than to burn a box of shotshells and not have a feather to show for it. Those little gray rockets will humble you in a hurry. I don't care how good you are.

What about Pheasants? I love pheasant hunting with a good dog That's how I was introduced to hunting, and I love it love it love it!

I'm with you Tritone. I love em too, but how many birds did you hit the first 3 or 4 times that you went? Newbies need something easy the first year or two. They can learn new cuss words later in their hunting careers.

Does anyone cook squirrel? Or do you just shoot them and leave them? (serious question from a newbie here....)

OHH YES squirell is delicious. You can BBq it, You can Fry it, Squirell Stew... Not to sound like Bubba from Forest Gump but there are a ton of different things you can do with squirells. (Dont forget to save your tails because MEPPS will trade you for fishing lures.)

I think woodchuck would be more fun to shoot, specially long shots. Not sure about their meat, I heard some people eat that, I limit my diet to rabbits from varmint menu. Squirrels never had one, not sure if there any meat, but my dog can play with them for hours.

docsleepy- It kinda depends on where you live, and what squirls you have to hunt. Here in Indiana, fox squirls are pretty abundant, and if you know where to hunt, they can be found the size of a medium sized house cat. Plenty of meat in a squirl to feed a person, usually takes two or three for the wife to make a meal for the family.

For a first time hunter, definatly something that they would be succesfull in their hunt, spending a day freezing your toes off and being miserably wet and tired is a little easier to forget if they actually bring home what they went after. Small game would be a good place to start. Something not too hard to bag, and edible, varmints are valid targets, but might present a poor examle of the overall hunting experience for a beginner.

docsleepy said:

Does anyone cook squirrel? Or do you just shoot them and leave them? (serious question from a newbie here....)

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Love em, fried! Even my wife likes em.

here is what a thing looks like when its fried, I think they got 12 of them on the sticks...
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SlHZ4pMSnn4/RoSjo2J8B4I/AAAAAAAAC84/wyVenSS9-Vc/DSCN1637.JPG

DIM said:

here is what a thing looks like when its fried, I think they got 12 of them on the sticks...
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SlHZ4pMSnn4/RoSjo2J8B4I/AAAAAAAAC84/wyVenSS9-Vc/DSCN1637.JPG

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Don't tease me big boy. I may have to go get a few this week.

I'd take him deer hunting. Then, look for small game as a second option.