Questions from a beginner... Lots of questions.

[Harve Curry]

Take the Hunters Safety Course. Here in New Mexico the course is 2-3 days and there are adults in it. I've been shot at, aimed at, and near missed 3 times by rifles fired by hunters from 15 years old to 70 years old. None of them took the Hunters Saftey Course. One owned a sporting goods store A good course will teach ethics, saftey, firearms handing, identifying wildlife, hunting laws/reg's, care of the meat & mount,and many other things. Plus you'll meet other hunters.

 

['Card]

I've been shot at, aimed at, and near missed 3 times...

Geez... I'm thinking you may want to stop wearing that deer hide and those antlers when you hunt.

 

[Cousin Mike]

Damn! There went my costume idea...



'Card: Didn't have the books at the library I went to (of course) so I was able to get online, and reserve The Ultimate Guide to Deer Hunting. They didn't have the other books you recommended - but I saw a little something called The Advanced Deer Hunter's Bible. I know I'm not advanced, but maybe this would be a good read nonetheless? Anyways, I get to pick them up tomorrow. We're going to another library too, so maybe they'll have more of the books you recommended. And then there's always Amazon

I can't seem to get ahold of my friend though... I'll give it a few more tries before I worry about it too much.

By the way, you ruined my keyboard with that story! lol! I can only imagine the look on your buddy's face - I don't know how your uncle managed to keep a straight face, but that must've been priceless

wolfe28: Great minds think alike! That's the exact shotgun I was looking at! Not sure how good of a scope I can get for it this year though - my budget is seriously limited... moreso than usual. I found some for around $50... maybe they'll work okay for this year - if I can't find a decent scope though, I might have to settle on a model with sights.

FrogClan: Tomorrow, right after the library I'm headed to Wal-Mart... Need some more .357 ammo and gun cleaning patches anyways. I try not to go to Wal-Mart if I dont have to... That place is a zoo I'll be sure to let you know if I find anything good!

Originally posted by: MNgoldenbear:
Question -- were you thinking of the CCW for backup while bowhunting or firearms (shotgun)? If a bear or any other large creature that could be a threat were to become an issue during a deer hunt, I think I'd rather take a poke at it with a 12-gauge loaded with slugs than anything I normally CCW

Hmmm.. good point. I'd been planning on getting a single-shot, so I guess it'd be for incase I missed the bear with the 12ga....

Of course if I find an 870 for a good price, that's no longer a factor I s'pose.
Well, anything can happen I guess... That's kinda why I wanted to take it along.

Maybe putting down a wounded deer? Say I get buck fever real bad and make a bad shot? I dunno, I just like to be prepared I guess...

With how rare they are, I probably wouldn't need it for bears. Seems like most people have a hunting sidearm - and my Taurus would be perfect for something like that. I don't think there's much on the North American continent I couldn't put down with 8 shots of .357 magnum if I had to, but I could be very wrong about that.

Harve Curry: and MNgoldenbear as well - some pretty wild experiences there! I really hope I don't get shot at - out in the field or in my hunter's safety class!

But seriously, both of you guys made me look forward to taking the hunter's safety course, and I appreciate that... I just don't know if I want to go hunting in New Mexico anymore

jus' kiddin.. Thanks again everyone!

 

[Harve Curry]

C.Mike,
Hope you really don't think that's the norm for New Mexico.
The 1st was in Arizona, 3 kids shooting at a rabbit with 22's, the rabbit ran right at me and they never stopped shooting while I took cover behind my truck.
2nd was a older gentleman Californian handing me his ported model 70 while he pulled the trigger to make it "safe". The bullet went within 3" of my left ear. Everything sounded like I was inside of one of those Barbado's steel drums for 2 days.
3rd was a Texas elk hunter I was guiding. We were glassing about 100 yards apart. When a herd came running up the steep hill below us and came between us, the hunter opened up on em. Bullets were hitting the grass on both sides of me and I hit the dirt, good thing the bull kept running away taking the fire off of me.
Twice I have seen hunters look at me in their rifle scopes. One middleaged dring a beer at 10 AM in November. The other a 13 year old with his 22 on a 4 wheeler while we were in a elk blind. How many have done that and I didn't catch is anyones guess. That is a practice quite a few do and don't admit to. I'm sure every hunter has had someone look at them in a scope and didn't know it.
The thing that strikes me is that all of the folks were surprised at my getting angry. They didn't think their actions warranted my reaction.:banghead:
I hear stories of eastern hunters taking "sound shots", we don't have that in the southwest because game are usually plain to see.
I'm a big proponent of hunter safety because many parents don't know or already have bad judgement themselves.
I think Jeff Cooper's Condition White, Yellow, Orange, Red should be applied in teaching. You are always never lower then condition yellow, aware of yourself and surroundings.

 

[gila_dog]

Lot's of good advice so far. The only things I would add are:

1. Don't get carried away with too much equipment. The old timers and Indians kept it pretty simple and were very successful. The advice you've gotten so far on this thread should tell you what kind of gun(s) and ammo to buy. Beyond that all you need is good boots, a good knife, binoculars (maybe), a compass and map, a 1 qt. Gatorade bottle full of fresh water, 1st aid kit (bandaids, antiseptic, ace bandage, aspirin, and not much more), fire starter kit (35mm fim can stuffed with cotton balls that are greased up with vaseline and a dozen or so wooden matches), 50 ft of nylon parachute cord, snacks (granola bars, raisins, stuff that will keep for a while), a small AA flashlight and extra batteries, and a good nylon rain poncho. Put it all in a simple day pack.

2. Get your body in shape. The best way to do that is to get out in the woods as often as you can and walk. The better shape you are in the more enjoyable the whole thing is going to be.

3. A good way to develop good hunting techniques and instincts is to hunt cottontail rabbits with a .22 rifle or a bow (or your shotgun). Don't just stomp around trying to spook them and then shoot at them as they run. Hunt slowly and quietly, trying to see them before they run. Hunting deer, especially in your woods back east, is a lot like that. You will get your shots at rabbits at 15-30 yards, while your shots at deer could be be 15-150 yards. Rabbits are good to eat, too.

4. Don't buy junk, thinking you will buy better stuff later "when you can afford it". If you do that, the gear you actually use will just wind up costing you more, and you will have a lot of junk cluttering up your garage.

 

[swampdog]

I'll think you'll be happy with an 870. MNgoldenbear brought up a good point about rifled vs. smoothbore slug barrels. Not only are the foster style slugs cheaper, but the smoothbore slug barrel with rifled sights can also double as an SD barrel. Rifled barrels shoot donut shaped patterns with buckshot. Rifled slugs have more range, but I do pretty well with my smooth bore, out to 100 yards. I had problems with the sabot not coming off the slug with my rifled barrel, leading to some accuracy problems. I understand that this is not as big of a problem, any more.

Smoothbore slug barrels also kick less than rifled. I hunt mostly very thick cover when using a slug gun so the shorter range doesn't bother me. If I lived in a state where I couldn't use a rifle, I'd probably go with the rifled type barrel. Barrels are cheap. A scoped shotgun will also do a better job in low light conditions, when most deer are shot. I have rifle sights on mine, but there again, if I lived in a state where I couldn't use a rifle, I'd probably scope it. B-square makes a mount that goes on the receiver, so you can scope an 870 with rifled sights, btw.

I wouldn't worry too much about cleaning your deer. If you watch your buddy a couple of times, you shouldn't have any problems. Someone who's good at it makes it look easy. I can gut, skin, joint and have one in the cooler in about 20 minutes, with nothing but a 4" blade. All it takes is practice.

Good Luck

 

[Browns Fan]

Quote:
"I'm 26 years old, and a little embarassed that it has taken me this long to pursue hunting - but I figure you're never too old to learn."

I killed my first deer at the "tender age" of 42, after a fishing buddy offered to teach me. It was just a button buck, but, I couldnt have been happier, even if it was a trophy, or if I was a young kid.

 

[1911 guy]

Welcome to hunting camp!

Always happy to hear of a new hunter! Here's my suggestions on the basics.

1) shotgun. I'd recomend a repeater or single shot. O/U's and SxS's don't tend to do well with slugs for some reason. Find one that fits, but remember you'll be shooting it wearing heavy clothes. Mine (Mossberg 500) has a youth stock on it.

2) Check out surplus stores and online sellers for orienteering books. Learn to use a map and compass. Getting lost for half a day or worse will sour you on hunting. Buy a good compass. I use one I got from my Uncle Sam.

3) If you've got a .22 or shotgun already, do some squirrel hunting. Seasons open right now, daily bag limit of six. Sneak up on tree rats on a regular basis and you've got deer hunting in the bag. It's fun, too.

4) Buy waterproof boots. Ohio is notoriously soggy in the winter. My family calls me the Ice Man every deer season. I come home with clothing frozen stiff every year. As long as my feet stay warm, I'm good. Most folks are this way. Wool socks. If you're alergic to wool, either buy the synthetic equivalent or wear thin dress socks under them.

5) Play with choke tube and slug brand combos until you find what your shotgun likes. Every gun is different.

6) Books and magazine articles have pictures of where to shoot a deer. When the time comes, aim at that spot. Aiming at the whole deer will send you home with no venison.

7) Spend as much time in the woods you intend to hunt as possible. Carry a notebook and pencil. Notes and sketches, no matter how crudely drawn, help you put together a picture of your area and what's in it. Probably be easy for you since you like looking at the neat stuff anyway. Keep that fascination. It keeps me from going crazy, just hit the woods and soak it in.

8) Pay attention to what food sources are around. Areas with several and a source of cover and water will be likely spots to start your search. Search before season. 99% of other hunters won't and you'll have the edge.

 

[JohnKSa]

Looks like I’ll need to start stocking AA batteries. My digital camera is a real battery killer, but since it’s been brought up I’ve found myself daydreaming about it constantly.

If you plan to shoot a lot of pictures at once, look into the rechargeable high maH NimH batteries--they will last MUCH longer than a typical alkaline in a high-use situation. They do self-discharge which means that if you charge them and leave them sitting on the shelf, they'll be dead when you come back to them in a month or two. If you shoot a batch of pictures at once, but only once in awhile, the E2 Energizers will work better than either the rechargeables since they don't self-discharge while sitting on the shelf or a standard alkaline because they have a lot more capacity.

I don't get to hunt much these days, and only small varmints when I do get a chance. But I would echo the comments about not buying a bunch of stuff. Get some basic and simple (but good quality) equipment. You'll probably still buy more stuff than you need, but not as much extra this way.