Tips for a new hunter?

Steven Roos

Steven Roos

Joined
Jun 29, 2002
Messages
4,131
Sorry if this isn't the right place for this, it seemed the most appropriate.

My 18th birthday is about to roll around (Sept 18th) and I've always been interested in hunting.

I live in Southern California, but we have a cabin in south west Utah. I figure I would like to hunt some deer.

First question would be what rifle should I buy? I have been considering the Remington 700 ADL in a 30.06. Does that sound good? I don't have a fortune to spend.

Second, what kind of clothing should I look into? Camoflage?

Finally, any other tips anyone can offer?
 
If you've never hunted before, you might start off with small game hunting. Get an inexpensive shotgun (remington 870 Express) and develop your stalking skills with the wiley squirrel and rabbit. I'm not kidding. See how close you can get and how long you can watch them before taking the shot. After shotgunning becomes easy, move up to a 22lr. Develop your skills on small game first.

Chris
 
Camo clothing might make hunters feel better about themselves, but it isn't necessary. Especially at 100+ yards. Anything that will break up your human shape will do just fine. I bowhunt with a longbow, am successful and wear a plaid shirt and O.D. twill pants.

Practice your hunting skills and get good with your weapon. If you can't afford buying a bunch of weapons, I'd suggest taking a camera into the woods and stalking up on small game, birds and whatever so that you can get a closeup picture of them. Nothing better to make a good stalker out of you. Learn to read maps and use a compass. Learn what to carry with you in the event that you have to stay out overnight unexpectedly. Learn how to field dress the animal after you've shot it. Find someone who is a hunter and can help you with some of this stuff. It's possible that the local gun store (not wallyworld) will have a hunter behind the counter and he can point you in the right direction. Know every possible shot situation and what you have to do to make a clean kill. You'll also need to learn how to track in case that deer doesn't drop in his tracks. Know the laws of the different states you'll be hunting and take a good Hunters Safety course.

The Remington is a good rifle. Lots of good rifles on the market that will do what you need it to do. I owned, but never hunted with a Savage 110 and it'd put 3 in a one inch group for me at 100 yards. That's the kind of accuracy you should expect with the rifle/ammo combo that you use. Which is another thing you'll want to do. Buy ammo from several manufacturers in different loads and bullet designs to see which ammo shoots best from your weapon.
 
Some of the best preparation I know of for deer hunting is to hunt squirrels with a .22 rifle. I usually carry a small camera also.
As far as clothing is concerned, make sure you follow the hunting regulations in the area you are located. Here in Pennsylvania, we have minimum requirements for blaze orange on your back, chest and head during rifle season for deer. Camo clothing is OK for archery and turkey hunting. Make sure you follow the rules! A hunter's safety course is also required here for new hunters. If necessary, make sure you take it early enough to be able to hunt during the upcoming season.
Good luck.
Jim
 
Alright, I should brush up on stalking skills before I go after deer. Sounds good.

BTW, I'm an Eagle Scout, so the outdoors skills won't be a problem. However, I've never shot a deer before, so I don't know how to dress one...any guides or links I could look at?
 
A cabin in Southwest Utah - man am I jealous! Southern Utah has some of the most incredible scenery in the U.S.

Make sure you have a gun suitable for defense against mountain lions. I saw a sign in Zion National Park saying there were some in the area.

If you haven't already, be sure to check out the national and state parks in southern Utah. All of them are fantastic.
 
hI ..

Welcome to the wonderful world of hunting..

If you want to have a lot of fun,, get yourself a Wrist Rocket Slingshot, a Big honking bag of marbels,, and go hunt some Tree Rats...

It sometimes hard to do,, but it will give you a chance to be outdoors and learn some skills...

Have fun..

ttyle

Eric...
 
Originally posted by W.T. Beck
A cabin in Southwest Utah - man am I jealous! Southern Utah has some of the most incredible scenery in the U.S.

If you haven't already, be sure to check out the national and state parks in southern Utah. All of them are fantastic.
Click to expand...

It sure does! The cabin is right next to Cedar Breaks! Plus, on the edges of our land there are signs all around saying "Now Entering Dixie National Forest"! :D

I would figure a 30.06 would be a good all around rifle, correct? It seems like it would be sutable for self defense. However, the rifle I am looking into is only a single shot (I don't have a fourtune to spend). However, once I'm legally allowed (21 in CA) I plan to purchase a handgun. Would you carry a handgun along for self defense in the wilderness?
 
Originally posted by Normark
If you want to have a lot of fun,, get yourself a Wrist Rocket Slingshot, a Big honking bag of marbels,, and go hunt some Tree Rats...

It sometimes hard to do,, but it will give you a chance to be outdoors and learn some skills...
Click to expand...

Sounds like it would be a challenge, but if I could sneak up on a rat with a slingshot, I shouldn't have any trouble getting a deer with a rifle!
 
I am not a hunter, but I have heard the 30-06 is a popular choice in the West for a versatile hunting caliber. In the Eastern US, 30-30's are often used for deer hunting because shots are usually taken at relatively close range. In the wide open spaces of the West, a rifle capable of long range shots is prefered.
 
Well i will try to Advise First on the Gun issue a 30 -06 is a Good Gun if you Learn to use it Correctly!! you can Buy several different Bullet's off the Shelf for a Variety of Hunting, Very Light weight Bullet's for Varmint's / Medium Weight Bullet's for Deer sized Animal's / Heavy Bullet's For Big Animal's Including Elk Bear !! Learning the ''Wood's is Completely another Game!! Start Sneaking Around in the Forest Every Chance You Get!! You Will Learn Alot about Bird's Scolding You Most Important Go Slow The Forest and Nature DO NOT Use a CLOCK all Day Mean's Nothing in ''The WOOD"S Good Luck!! Enjoy
 
Originally posted by im2smrt4u
Sounds like it would be a challenge, but if I could sneak up on a rat with a slingshot, I shouldn't have any trouble getting a deer with a rifle!
Click to expand...

You would think, but you could also be wrong. Deer seem to be in tune with hunting seasons. At least they are here. Two days before the open of blackpowder season, I got within 15ft of the same deer two days in a row (twice on the second day). On the opener, he was nowhere to be seen.

Squirrels are less sensitive. You can walk into an area you know has some tree-rats, sit down, and within 20minutes, they'll start coming out again. I shoot most of mine from a seated position. Heck, you can even call them out sometimes.

Chris
 
Others are giving good advice.

The 30-06 will be a fine rifle for deer and allow you to hunt larger game as well.

Some other things to consider are a good packboard, a bone saw, and a set of old bedsheets to wrap up your animal in after your done feild dressing.
A reliable compass, a map of the area, noiseless water supply.

If you can swing it, an old codger to frown dissapprovingly until you figure it out. Then he smiles.

Good luck, be safe.
email me about feild dressing.
edthorn@bentonrea.com
 
Great advice! Thanks!

How about the Remington 700 specifically. Anyone here own one? Do you like it? Is there something better in the same price range?

Also, what should I use for a scope? I don't have a fortune, so it needs to be cheap...
 
im2smrt4u,

It has been awhile since I investigated the qualities of various hunting rifles, but as best I can recall the Remington 700 is a good one.

You mentioned getting a handgun for defense against wild animals. I'll suggest another option. Get a semi-auto or pump hunting rifle, provided you can still buy one in the People's Republic of California.
I think I would rather have a rifle for protection against a wild animal, for two reasons. A rifle is much more accurate and has much more stopping power than a handgun. A hit from a 30-06 ought to put a charging mountian lion down alot quicker than a hit from any handgun.

I remember reading about hunters in the mountains of North Carolina using M1As (civilian M14s) to hunt wild boar, just in case one those ferocious animals charged them. Of course, the politicians in California would rather the boar win the fight, so you can't have an M1A there.
 
Well, I'd think a .45 would stop most anything, but alright...

Any suggestions on a semi-auto 30.06 rifle that won't break the bank?
 
I use a Remington model 7400 in 30-06 with a weaver 4x scope when I hunt with modern rifle.
Should be reasonable priced.

Please check your game laws to find out if the pistol you intend to carry while hunting is legal. For example, if you carry a handgun while hunting in WA it must be of legal caliber to hunt with. .357, .45, .38 don't cut it. .41 mag or bigger or you may be cited. There is a rule about how much energy the round must generate to qualify.


Keep it simple, get a .54 cal muzzelloader! :D
 
Originally posted by Ed T
Keep it simple, get a .54 cal muzzelloader! :D
Click to expand...

How "muzzelloader" and "simple" can be in the same sentence boggles the mind! :eek:

That seems like a nice repeating rifle, I'll look into it. What scope do you have on it? I'll also check the laws on handguns, but it will be a while before I can purchase one anyway, so for now it isn't an option.
 
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