Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Getting into hunting as an adult

AAAOA,

It is a journey- you will not be good at it at first, but every year you will get better.

You are welcome to come to S.C. and hunt deer with me a few days if you like. The season is out for this yea but starts next August 15, though I don’t recommend August or September as it is so hot it’s not fun. October is the best. I try to take a new hunter every year till they get their first deer.


First, there are a lot of deer in Northern VA. Do you have access to private land you can hunt? There is a good amount of public ground to hunt up there including Fort Belvoir and the Andrews Air Force Base Communication site. Both places were bow hunting only but had lots of deer. There are some state game lands available to hunt in both Virginia and Maryland. The Patuxent Naval Air Station has a lot of deer. There is also good deer hunting on the Quantico Marine base.

Do you know how to shoot, or mount a scope to a rifle- no shame if you don’t as everyone has to start somewhere. If not, you can YouTube those things but better yet would be to find someone to show you those basics. I have a good friend that I was in the Marines with that lives up there- he is an excellent shot and hunter. I will see what he is up to.

Take this spring to get your rifle up and running. When using the 30-06 virtually any Remington, Winchester or Federal ammunition will suffice. You will probably be best with bullets that weigh 150 or 165 grains and it will give you the weight on the box. You probably don’t want to mix and match those two bullet weights because they may not shoot to the same point of impact on your target.

Get a decent scope. You don’t have to spend a lot - you can get something that will work well for under $200 if you shop around. For an inexpensive brand you might try Burris, Vortex, Weaver or even Bushnell. There are many more good ones those are just a few. Do not but a cheap scope as I can promise you it will not serve you well.

Make sure you wear hearing protection when you shoot and shoot from a solid rest to get your rifle sighted in.

I will send you a Private Message to give you some more ideas.

Think back to other things you started from scratch and how you didn’t know much at first, but persisted. Deer hunting is the same- you will feel awkward at first, but after a while it will become much easier.

The best part is that deer hunting can be be very relaxing. I find I really relax while I am hunting and notice that my breathing and pulse slows down. It’s really a good way to recharge your batteries and put perspective on life.

Dan

And some hunters’ safety courses can be mostly done online, some states have even dropped the show up and shoot session.

Show up and shoot?? That wasn't even a part of it when I got my certification back in the 1980s. Just hours of classes and a multiple choice test.

Shooting was part of it for me in 81.

Varies by state, I assume.

I did it in Florida

What kind of 30-06 single shot and what do you mean by "on the way"?

You said you have no idea where to start, what made you choose the 30-06 and why a single shot?

Hunter Ed: We shoot 10-22's, 223's, 20 gauges, and 50 cal muzzle loaders. Location specific though as some kids in the urban areas do a pellet gun or even a laser shot system. We do targets, clays, and blow up water jugs.

No adult requirement in Oregon, but kids <18 must do either an online or hands on course and every kid must attend a shooting session.

A kid can hunt/shoot on a mentor's tag without the course. If one can scratch up a few mentors, he might bag several animals in a season.

Kids fill out a post-test evaluation card at the end of our course. One of my favorite comments from last season was, "I'm really glad my parents made me take this course."

I actually didn't even have to take the course in the 1980s if I didn't want to. I was grandfathered in. I had gotten a small game hunting license in the 1970s (either before the course was required for a hunting license, or small game didn't require a certification at that time ... not sure which), and at that time if you could show an old license, that served the same function as a hunter safety certification for all future licenses, big or small game. I took the course in the 1980s just because I was curious what it was like, and then I decided to go ahead and take the test and get a proper certification card.

New York for me. But earlier, I got my first small game license in the 1970s to go squirrel hunting with my cousin in North Carolina. No certification was required at that time for that.

The guy asks legitimate questions and some of you asses respond like that? When we should encourage everyone who wants to hunt?

OP, you will have to complete a Hunter ed/safety course before purchasing a licence. Ask if there is a first time Hunter mentor program. Watch youtube videos, lots of good info readily available that wasnt there when I started in the early 80s. Read magazines relating to hunting.

As Pugs suggested, buy a 22LR rifle lots of cheap practice and you can hunt small game. Do not over scope your rifles. A 2-7 or 3-9×40 is plenty. 30-06 is a good choice. Would have went a bolt action myself, but that is what I am used to.

You likely learned as an Eagle Scout that layered clothing is the way to go. You don't need to break the bank. I'd spend more on the baselayers and save elsewhere. Good boots, hats, and gloves also deserve more attention.

Join a local fish and game club, maybe you can find a hunting part there. Also, check a state hunting forum. I know Alberta Outdoorsmen forum has a thread where people try to find mentors/partners.

Don't over knife. 4" is max in my books. 3" better.

Study what your game needs to survive, then find land that has those necessities. Knock on doors and obtain permission.

Just get out there and do it.

82 for me, we shot on the Babe Ruth field lol

The coach made the hunter’s safety course a six weeks alternative to volleyball.

In the simplest advice “cut off anything that looks like you don’t want to eat it” will get him there. Without a mentor though, a video will improve the learning curve.

He said he was going to pursue a degree in biology; try and keep up.

We will all die, some much sooner than others. For some reason that I can't explain, God chooses a few to heal and postpone the inevitable. Maybe that person has more of God's work to do. Maybe he will convince someone of God's love because of it. We just can't know but God has his reasons. It's not our job to criticize him, just to praise him.
My 1st wife died of cancer at 55. She was an accomplished teacher in area Christian schools and was regarded as one of the best around. Parents tried to get their kids in her classes. If she could have taught another 10 years until she retired, that would have been another 250 kids she could have reached. But, God chose to take her home. I can't explain it but my job was to praise him for his ultimate wisdom.

Thanks for all the responses, definitely wasn't expecting so many so fast but I greatly appreciate it. Answering a few questions,

I have shot before, from .22lr to 12 gauge to 8mm Mauser, and while I am certainly not the best shot I am getting better. I also don't really know how to mount a scope, I've really only shot iron sights.

I have a little 10/22 at my dad's place and a little .177 pellet gun that I've popped a few house sparrows and chipmunks with off the back porch.

I hadn't really thought of squirrel hunting before, but it definitely makes a lot of sense. Squirrel season is until the end of February here, so that gives me time to knock the rest out.

I picked .30-06 because it seemed to be a good middle ground of a caliber. I'm halfway through college and have no idea where I'll end up next. 30-06 seems like it'll be able to work just as well on east coast white tails as it would west coast elk or Alaskan bear. Just wanted to have a versatile caliber.

It is "on the way" as in I am in the middle of an FFL transfer for the rifle and it should hopefully be in my hands within a couple more days.

The single shot over a bolt gun is a combination of becoming really interested in these weird european "kipplauf rifles" and most people saying that they almost always fire just one shot when hunting. At the least I'll be more inclined to pick a good shot.

Thanks so much for all the advice and the warm welcome. I really appreciate it and hopefully I've got something to show for it over the next year.

Squirrel hunting is also a great teacher.

You learn patience, how to listen, observe, move, read sign, and not only of squirrels but that of other animals, their habits and habitats, as well.

Some of the most productive hunting lessons result from things you see and sign you learn to recognize and mistakes made while squirrel hunting.

A good hunter should eat what he shoots. That being said, if you have never done it before, start with squirrel hunting, possibly rabbit. Learn to skin out and process the animals for food. Learn the anatomy of a deer. Go with a friend or group and watch them field gut the deer. You can even skin out and process the meat yourself if you want. Doing it by yourself will take a lot of time learning before you get good meat to eat.

Get the Hunter's Bible if they still print them and read through it. If you don't know what you are doing, you can spoil the meat.

Welcome, In addition to safety and learning the fieldcraft of finding game, I hope you become a "trophy meat hunter". It would likely be easier to learn how to skin a squirrel without getting hair all over the meat or field dress and cool a deer with first hand instruction..... but there are abundant books and online resources if you are unable to find a local mentor.

In general wild game is very lean and easy to over cook, let us know what you plan to hunt and we can make better suggestions about producing delicious wild game meals.

Clark Brothers gun shop and shooting range is near you in Warrenton. Been awhile, but it used to be a damn good shop. Guys there could help you out a lot if you go in with the right attitude. Bull run in Manassas has trap and skeet. I know it's not hunting but some good shooting and probably meet some hunters there.
You still serious next fall, send me a PM and I'll take you with me and my son. Were 2 hours max from you, and can show you a lot of National Forest/State wildlife management areas open to the public and with good game. If we luck into some game I can show you how to care for and process the game afterwards too.