Posted: 8/17/2008 10:44:36 PM EDT
I will be going on my first elk hunt this year and possibly a deer hunt as well. I drew both tags but now might not be able to make the deer hunt. Anyway, I'm new to hunting and although I will be going with very experienced hunters I want to learn as much as I can now so I have less catching up to do while hunting. Does anybody have any tips for a newbie or links to good resources for new hunters. I'm really looking for something like "hunting for dummies" so talk to me like I'm a six year old. Thanks! |
|
Safety! Safety! Safety! This is the most important thing you will need to learn. You can find a lot of material by searching on Google. You can also take a hunters safety course. Oregon Hunters Education As long as your smart about safety you'll be ok; you can learn everything else as you go along. Also, read up on Survival gear (just in case), proper clothing(water proof clothing, wear more than you need, you can always take clothes off, hunters orange: so somebody doesn't mistake you for a deer). These are a few basic things you'll need to know. Golden Rule "Treat every firearm as if it were loaded, even if you know beyond all reasonable doubt that its not" Follow this rule, for your sake and those around you. Hope this gets you on the right track. And welcome to the greatest sport on mother earth  |
|
I asked the same question when I started on this board. I am not a hunter (yet) and have a long way to go myself. 1. ENDURANCE! Make sure you are good for a looong day on your feet. Start building your wind right now. 2. BOOTS. Get some good hiking boots NOW and start breaking them in. 3. WEAPON. Make sure you know where your weapon is shooting. Especially know its "point blank range." PBR is the distance where the bullet starts from the muzzle, rises to a zero on the target, rises above that zero to an area within an acceptable "kill zone (appx. 6" diameter), and then goes back to the zero on the target. In other words, know the max distance that you can hit a 6" target with your rifle. These 3 things stand out from all the advice I got then. Hopefully, you will also have a 'mentor' or a guide to go with you. |
By "track" are you refering to after you shoot the elk? |
|
Safety is paramount and already stated. I'll offer something up that I think far too many people overlook. Hunting is not about the kill, it's about enjoyment. Don't get so wrapped up in being new to it or wanting to "not do something wrong" that you forget to have a good time! Listen to your experienced friends, but have fun. Take in the sunrise/sunsets, scenery and watching whatever critters you may see. Hunt for the sport and enjoyment and don't forget that you're out there to have fun. That's the best I can offer. The rest comes with experience as you make this sport what you want it to be. |
|
Don't forget about scent control or monitoring where your scent is going. Animals only have eyes, ears, and a nose. So keep quiet, blend in to your surroundings, and don't let them smell you. New4John makes some great points. Enjoy it while your there, before you know it, it's just a memory. Take a camera too, even if you don't bring home a trophy, you'll want share your trip with others. Good luck. |
No expert here by no means but,,,, Do a Google for 'Still Hunting' or 'Deer hunting tips', interesting reading. Lot of good info. out there that would take me forever to type. One thing that a varmint hunter told me years ago while we were calling. Look with your eyes. Instead of looking with my eyes, I was 'craning' my head to and fro.  Study a cat when he is sneaking up on a bird, that is how you need to move in the woods. As others have said, look at it as a great opportunity to spend time with Mother Nature, if you happen to tag out, all the better. Wind in your face, your in the right place! Here's a link to get you started. www.cabelas.com/community-inthefield-fieldguides-v02-detail-wt-stillhunt-detail.shtml Menu to the left also has some good info. |
Come on out to Colorado this year and we'll give you some tips on how to hunt mule deer and elk. We might even let you pack out the meat for us! But seriously, Mike Eastman has written some excellent books on hunting Mule Deer and Elk that you should take a look at. Check out his website: Eastman's I've found his books and his approach to big game hunting to be very helpful. |
This is what hunting IS to me. I often say "I'm taken the gun out for a walk". Don't get me wrong, I LIKE to fill my tag as much as the next guy, but for me, that's not what it's ALL about.
Not gonna preach, but this here will get you in trouble. I'm pretty sure your not hunting on a target range. You see the big one come up over the ridge, did you see the other hunter come over a minute later? Where is that bullet going to stop when you miss that easy shot because you got so excited about your first whatever or that twig that deflects your sleek bullet because it wasn't visible in your scope? Hunting is dynamic (that's part of why it's so fun), the safety part includes all the same rules as a range... but adds some more. You need to know who's around you for their sake and yours. Just because your "safe" doesn't mean they are. I usually hunt private land, so the variables are a little less. When I've hunted public land (sometimes still do), how do I say this... it can be rather invigorating!! 
|
|
here are a few different looks for you on gutting one. It can be pretty easy if you have done it a few times. If you shoot him and see him go down, give him tenminutes, if you see him run off, give him 30. If you see where he has laid down, then run off from that spot, give him three hours. Patience can only be learned through years of screwing up. Try this, get your backpack on and sprint around the shooting range for ten minutes, then load your rifle and try to get a good clean shot off while you are sweaty and out of breath. If you can do that ten times with accuracy you may be ready for the hunt. Good luck. www.angelfire.com/bc/canuck2/gutting.html www.ski-epic.com/hunting2003/field_dress_elk/index.html www.ehow.com/how_2065178_field-dress-elk.html |
Oh.... SHIT!!!  Did it really still have the saddle on it?
|
|
See if you can find someone who is experienced that you can go with. tell that person you will gut the animal he kills and help drag it out and do whjat ever he tells you to do and most guys are willing to have guys tag along.. I love taking new guys out and teaching them how to hunt just as my dad and grandad did. I have taken several guys out on a" first huntand " they ended up getting their first deer and even a elk. its funnuy I have taken out a couple new hunters out over the last 4 years and 3 of those years I ended up shooting my deer behind the truck or near the roads. it amazes them. I just tell them be patient, dont just shoot it as soon as ya sdee it. wait till ya know where its going and maybe you'll save your self some work by shooting it close to the road or behind the truck even if you are 400 yds away from the truck. but my advice is 1. to ask questions from whoever you can and you'll know the good stuff from the bullshit 2. be patient and watch and listen 3. always know where you are and your rifle is pointing and know your target, be proffecient with your weapon. 4. be prepared for anything ,, have a nice little survival kit jst in case you need to spend the night on the mtn 5. good gear... rifle , optics, boots, sweater, coat, ect 6. dont worry about having to shoot something , enjoy the hunt and it will just happen its more about the HUNT not the kill.. even though ya sometimes come home empty handed 7. always take someone with you. never go alone.. share the fun 8. be careful come back in one pc 9. and remember the worst day hunting is better than the best day workin |
Hell, I've heard of it happening with the guy still in the saddle  .....fricken newbs shootin at noise.eta: here in MT a couple of years ago a guy shot a llama and didn't know it wasn't a deer until he got it to the meat processor
|
|
Lol, tonight there was a turkey trying to get into a grocery store when I was filling up with gas. The guy at the next pump says "Is that a pheasant?". "No, that's a turkey, a pheasant would only come up to that things butt." "Huh, I always thought turkey's were bigger" Anyway, on being new to hunting. My advice would be to first know where your rifle is hitting, then second know everywhere it's hitting. What's your point of impact at 100, 200, 300, 400 yards? What's your comfortable range? You say you've shot quite a bit. From a bench? There are no benches in the wild. Other main point would be to have comfortable, waterproof/breathable boots and clothes. Read my story on antelope to see why. Oh, and don't cut yourself, or otherwise injure yourself, you could be a long way from help.
|
|
Everyone is mentioning safety - and that is the first priority.
I'll just offer a couple tips on gear. As was mentioned - break in your boots well in advance of the trip. My BIL joined me on my trip to Montana a couple weeks ago. He had broken in his boots "walking around his house". He now has an appreciation for mole skin. Don't depend on new gear. BIL bought some high-dollar stuff and donned it for the first time on the mountain. Zipper failures, failed clips for binocular chest rig, etc. There are a lot of low weight items that may come in handy. Of the four of us on the hunt, I was the only one that had safety pins, emergency ponchos, electrical tape, rope, multiple headlamps and handhelds, signal mirror, fire starter, spare batteries, etc. Over the course of a week, we dug into my pack often. Not sure how remote you will be hunting, but google a few "survival checklists" to get ideas on low weight additions to your pack. If you've never hunted, have someone else help confirm your range. Elk are big critters. Elevation/angles can play tricks. You may be a fine shooter, but its easy to mistake range if you're new to it. Shoot with a gloved hand before the trip. May seem obvious, but many don't. Shoot from a variety of positions - off your pack prone, use a tree as a rest, etc. Good supported setups in the field are the exception, not the rule. I don't care for them, but some like shooting sticks. Offhand with your heart hammering after running up a mountain does not lend itself to accurate shooting, buck fever or not. and Safety, Safety, Safety. |