How does an adult learn to hunt?

[100%TtId]

Lotta good advise on this thread. Just start small (hogs are great to learn on) stay focused, learn something every time you step in the woods. Be patient, even the best hunters fail far more often than they succeed. Don't get too carried away with tools or gadgetry. Respect the basics: learn the habits of your quarry, control your scent, learn to sit still and move like a predator. Soak up all the info you can from books, websites, tbh,.etc. And when in doubt, post another thread just like this one, you'll get more advice than you can imagine. The search function on this site is great also.

Good luck and when you shoot something, a LDP is mandatory.

[bowhuntertex]

Nothing like OJT, see you next weekend?

You taking him on his first hunt Gary? Poor guy

[wizardofhaws]

Great thread here. I am in the very same situation as HighHandicap. I have been interested in hunting for years but never had any friends that hunted. My Dad hunted a few times when I was very very young but only found that out later when looking at the guns we never even knew he had.

Moved here from California back in December and figure if I don't start now I will just be 43 next year and not a hunter or I can be 43 and a hunter . Really appreciate the tips on this thread. Right now I am saving the cash for my first Bow and watching the threads on the Public Land hunts to keep my first year costs down. Also looking at those cheaper day hunts. Not looking for a trophy buck right now but the experience and some good meat in the freezer.

Any suggestions on good videos that cover how to field dress hogs and deer? Don't want to get lucky and take an animal and then stand there looking at it saying "now what".

Where are some good places to practice around Round Rock? I have been out to both Double G and Archery Country. Are there other good places to get that practice in that is needed?

[Leonhogboy]

You taking him on his first hunt Gary? Poor guy

He could have it worse I tink.

Have to get him some blood on his bow before he's a Pope and Young.

[HighHandicap]

Wow! Thanks for all the advice. This thread has been educational for me in a lot of ways and has given me many good ideas. Hopefully I'll be getting some OJT from Hogboy next weekend.

Thanks again fellas. You really know how to make a guy feel welcome.

[100%TtId]

Welcome to the fire, Wizard. There are plenty of TBH'ers in RR and Austin, you might keep an eye on the threads about happy hours and just show up an introduce yourself. Someone will probably even buy the first round. Don't be shy.

Another tip for the newbies: if you have access to hunting ground, spend plenty of time scouting the area preseason. Get familiar with the area, where the travel routes are, where the bedding and feeding areas are, the ways to access your stand locations with the least noise, disruption, etc.

There are numerous books, articles, and websites that show various techniques for field dressing and proper care of your meat. You'll need to prepare in advance (knowledge and tools, knives, coolers, how to get a deer out of the field and to your truck when its dark, cold, and heavy.)

This thread has one of the best step by step instructions on processing, however, you can always take your deer to a processor:

http://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56251

Make a trip to Cabela's in Buda and hit their book section, they usually have several good how-to books on beginning hunting, field dressing, and related topics. The Complete Hunter series is pretty good for first timers.

And lastly, when you get your bow set up, spend some quality time with a Pro who can give you form lessons and other tips on shooting and setup. It will save you time and money versus learning by trial and error. Archery can sometimes be mysterious and frustrating if you run into trouble. You might want to start bow shopping now because October opening day is less than 90 days away and you have a lot to prepare before you will be ready.

Good luck!

[xman59]

I apologize for the rambling, incoherent post that you're about to read. It's late and I can't sleep and this has been bouncing around my head for a while.

How many of you folks learned how to hunt from your parents, siblings, or other family member? I bet it is most of the people here.

I'm 33 and I've never learned how to hunt, stalk, bait, track, or even clean a kill. Even though I'm originally from South Dakota, we moved around a lot and usually to mid sized cities where there weren't a lot of hunting opportunities. My parents made a decent living but there wasn't money to get a lease, or even buy hunting gear. The closest we'd get to hunting was driving back to South Dakota to shoot prairie dogs on my Aunt's modest dairy farm. Those were some great times!

Fast forward a couple of decades and here I am, a grown man with a family of his own and I have no idea how to hunt. I'm no stranger to guns, hunting safety, camping, etc. but I just haven't gotten any real hunting experience. At my last job, one on my coworkers was kind enough to invite me on a hug hunt (rifles) and that was a good experience. That was over two years ago and we've both changed jobs.

Like most guys, I don't have a lot of friends, and the few that I do have aren't hunters. Admittedly, I'm a computer nerd, not overly social, and my sense of humor is probably an acquired taste. I'm also extremely attached to my wife and 2 year old daughter which means I feel guilty going to play golf for four hours; so it is hard for me to go on a weekend hunt. I just have so much fun with both of them that I have a hard time doing things that take me away from them. My wife now has a bow and enjoys shooting, but she won't be hunting. Maybe my daughter will as she grows up, and I'd love to be able to teach her.

So, how does someone like me learn to hunt?

I'm sure I'll read this in the morning and wonder what the heck I was babbling about, I can't imagine how y'all must feel after reading it.





Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

in simple, become an animal... watch cats as they stalk, watch dogs play, watch birds... from everyone one of them you can learn tiny bits... the watch the woods, become a tree move only when the wind moves, sit in the woods an remain motionless for long periods of time,, and learn to listen intently... use the five senses God gave you,,, touch taste hearing sight and smell,,, because that is pretty much what the animals we hunt have to use against you,, accept there senses are more accute than a person,, and they dont have the sense of touch, but their ability to smell see and hear are much better.... and they can not reason,, some say they do not ambush but all cats do,,, wolfs and coyotes work in teams, so there may even be some ability to reason....
it may sound a little weird put this way, but it is what have all learned to do in one way or another,,, tracking is done by people mostly with the eyes, but the hearing can aid as well as smell,,,, a blood trail will indicate which way an animal is moving,, and can even tell a lot about the hit,, some of this can be found in print,, a drop points with a tiny tail which way an animal moves, it is not perfectly round unless they stand still,,

its great to have a teacher, but not always possible, so becoming more like an animal will make you a better hunter,, killing is a different matter

[QuackAddict]

I apologize for the rambling, incoherent post that you're about to read. It's late and I can't sleep and this has been bouncing around my head for a while.

How many of you folks learned how to hunt from your parents, siblings, or other family member? I bet it is most of the people here.

I'm 33 and I've never learned how to hunt, stalk, bait, track, or even clean a kill. Even though I'm originally from South Dakota, we moved around a lot and usually to mid sized cities where there weren't a lot of hunting opportunities. My parents made a decent living but there wasn't money to get a lease, or even buy hunting gear. The closest we'd get to hunting was driving back to South Dakota to shoot prairie dogs on my Aunt's modest dairy farm. Those were some great times!

Fast forward a couple of decades and here I am, a grown man with a family of his own and I have no idea how to hunt. I'm no stranger to guns, hunting safety, camping, etc. but I just haven't gotten any real hunting experience. At my last job, one on my coworkers was kind enough to invite me on a hug hunt (rifles) and that was a good experience. That was over two years ago and we've both changed jobs.

Like most guys, I don't have a lot of friends, and the few that I do have aren't hunters. Admittedly, I'm a computer nerd, not overly social, and my sense of humor is probably an acquired taste. I'm also extremely attached to my wife and 2 year old daughter which means I feel guilty going to play golf for four hours; so it is hard for me to go on a weekend hunt. I just have so much fun with both of them that I have a hard time doing things that take me away from them. My wife now has a bow and enjoys shooting, but she won't be hunting. Maybe my daughter will as she grows up, and I'd love to be able to teach her.

So, how does someone like me learn to hunt?

I'm sure I'll read this in the morning and wonder what the heck I was babbling about, I can't imagine how y'all must feel after reading it.





Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

Man your fingers must be ready to fall off typing all that on a cellphone.

Good of you to want to seek out hunting opportunities, hopefully you will learn much and be able to pass your knowledge down to your children. You can never learn all there is to know about hunting, being able to grasp some basic hunting fundamentals will get you started on the right track. I've learned so much during my time here and i'm sure you will to, there are a lot of good folks with advice and experience to share.

[Razorback01]

Find a Texas Parks and Wildlife Bowhunter Education class (IBEP) in your area. On the TXPW there is an August class listed in San Antonio.

August 20, 2011 San Antonio 8:00 a.m. (210) 295-7529

[Bill]

x2 in the IBEP course.

I got into hunting when I was 40- and now it's an addiction. Besides a hunting license you need 3 things.

- Equipment/ shooting skills
- Knowledge of hunting
- Land with animals on it to hunt

You can get #1 from a good archery shop plus on TBH.
If you have #3, you can find guys to teach you #2. That's what I did. Once I got access to private land with deer and pigs, finding guys who were willing to come hunt and show me how to do it was 'easy'.

My son then started with me, and he's a hunting machine now at 25.

[Greywolf in Hawaii]

Rb hit the nail on the head, take a hunter education course, sign up for the advanced course for hunting/bowhunting what ever.

Talk to a few guys there, bowhunters like to help.
Just ask plenty of questions, find a hunting club become a member.

[Kdog]

I started hunting at 30 years old. The best thing I found is the TBH forum. I found my bow lease here and that is by far where I have gained most of my knowledge. There is always someone willing to help and teach there. The biggest thing you need to do is jump in and start doing it. If you have a family, find a family friendly lease, you won't regret it.

[Wudstix]

There are alot of good books and magazines out there. Just watch out for the hype. Also, latch on to someone who has been there are soak up all you can. Also. read here and filter through it.

[bowenarra]

He could have it worse I tink.

Have to get him some blood on his bow before he's a Pope and Young.

I see what you did there.

Some great advice on this thread. It is never too late to learn to hunt! Although I've been hunting most of my life, I learn something new every time I'm in the brush. That's what makes it a challenge and what keeps most of us coming back!

In addition to reading all you can and asking questions, try to find an experienced hunter to go with you. Most hunters are quick to teach wha they've learned, and live hunting with an experienced hunter has been priceless for me. Good luck!

[HighHandicap]

He could have it worse I tink.

Have to get him some blood on his bow before he's a Pope and Young.

Thanks to Hogboy for hosting me this weekend! It was nice to meet you and great to get the lay of the land as well as my first stay in a tree stand.

Sad to say that we didn't get any kills, but saw plenty of does, a few fawns, and I certainly could hear the hogs out there in the thick stuff. I think we would have gotten some action if we'd have had some lights to hunt after dark. I look forward to doing it again soon.

For the time being, I'm still carrying a virgin bow... next time, I'm not passing up that rabbit that stopped in my kill zone. Got to get that first blood somehow.