I do realize that this blog entry is going on a web page for the gun community, and that many of the readers are already hunters, but I’m going to take a slightly different approach with this article. I wanted to write something that would help people take that proverbial first jump into the world of hunting, because not everyone who shoots is necessarily a hunter. While it is a very involved and complicated sport, that requires a lot of time, effort and a substantial financial commitment, it can also be a very easy hobby to start out with. I think what intimidates most people when considering trying hunting, is the amount of gear, research, and opportunity there is. I understand that a lot of people may disagree with me here. Some might say that the only thing worth doing, is doing it 100%, and while i don’t disagree with that , i do believe that 100% doesn’t have to be all from the immediate moment you decide to try something. There is nothing wrong with dipping your toes in the water before jumping in. There is also a considerable amount of peer and advertising pressure to buy only the latest and greatest gear, and while i do subscribe to the “buy once, cry once” theory, i also believe there is nothing wrong with being cautious and frugal when starting out. Having said all that, I wanted to just give a glimpse into my experience and perspective for those thinking of trying out a new sport.
I have been hunting for the better part of 20 years now. I didn’t really begin hunting until my late 20’s, and some would consider that an extremely late start. A while back, I moved to Minnesota, and lived in a more rural area, which afforded me the opportunity to hunt wild pheasants and deer on some private farm land. I had no experience hunting, and so i was taken under the wing of some good friends and they taught what to do. My first hunting gun was a Remington 870 Express Super Mag Combo. It was a 12ga pump action shotgun that had the extra large chamber that could handle 2-3/4′, 3′, and 3-1/2′ shot shells. It came with a 28′ bird barrel, with a basic cylinder choke, and it came with a 24′, rifled slug barrel with a cantilever scope mount. All told, i paid around $500 for the combo, and i added in a cheap Tasco 1x red dot for the slug barrel since it did not have iron sights and required a scope of some sort. Truth be told, when i bought that combo, I didn’t really know what i was buying except to say that i was told to buy a 12ga shotgun. The salesman i worked with sold me on the combo setup instead of going with a basic 870 Express. That was my first hunting gun. It was kind of a do-all setup, and even that was more than i really needed to just get going. I could have done just as well with a regular pump action 12ga shotgun, with just a bird barrel.
I know, i can hear from here, all of the hunting enthusiasts cringing at that last statement, but its true, to an extent. In southern Minnesota farmland, where we were hunting for mostly pheasants, and deer, and the occasional waterfowl, the basic 870 with only a bird barrel would’ve sufficed. In 12ga, there is plenty of ammo available for upland hunting, waterfowl hunting, and plenty of options even for deer hunting. For deer, if you have a 12ga shotgun with a bird barrel, you can buy rifled slugs, and for rifled slug barrels on 12ga shotguns, you can buy sabot slugs. So, beyond the gun, the ammo, other necessary items are clothing. For many, especially during the firearms portion of the season, blaze orange clothing is a requirement. A good pair of warm, waterproof boots are also a necessity, as are other items to keep you warm and dry, but again, i want to stress that the need for the latest and greatest, such as gear from Sitka and others like them, are not necessities to get started, or to even be successful when hunting. I’m constantly reminded by old magazine articles of the days past when people’s grandpas used to go out hunting in blue jeans and a red plaid flannel jacket and come back every season, having filled all of their tags.
Here in New Hampshire, we’re lucky that hunting is allowed on UNPOSTED private property, as well as on huge swaths of public land available to all. Finding these spots isn’t terribly difficult, an hour or two on Google Maps, along with a virtual directory of available public lands listed on the New Hampshire Fish and Game website, and you will be fast on your way to scouting spots in the woods looking for signs of deer. As for upland/[pheasant hunting, Fish and Game list the properties for the public where pheasants are stocked, since those birds are not available in the wild in this region. Otherwise, i suggest getting out there and just talking to people, meeting other hunters, ask if you can tag along. Networking with other hunters is one of the most intimidating undertakings, but also one of the most underrated. I have met several people that i have become close friends with by doing just that, by talking to hunters, out in the field. In fact I met Alex from ANR Design LLC in just that manner, i knew he was into hunting, we lived relatively close and i invited him on a hunt.
While i know that I could write volumes on tactics and hints, and tips and tricks, I just wanted to bring attention to the fact that taking that first step outdoors and being a beginner hunter doesn’t have to be the monumental task that it seems to be. All that other technology, gear and knowledge will come the with the more time you spend in the field learning about what you need and what works for you. The main thing is that you get up and try it out. So, to all of you, I wish you a productive, and successful, but most importantly, a safe season.
Gil Walsh
@rooftopoutdoors