New to hunting

May 2013
39
0
South Sound
Hey guys. So this is my first thread that isn`t the "Hey I`m new here", so bear with me here.
I`m likely to go Deer hunting next season, But this will be my first time. I just wanted to ask about Basic hunting, uhm, things(?). So my main thing is, I have these two knives, they`d be perfect for skinning, but how do I determine which is the better for skinning? One is my Gerber Profile, and the other a cheap $10 Walmart fixed-blade. My next issue is what to wear? I`m thinking my Green Eddie Bauer, Orange T-shirt, Jeans and my Everyday Green hat. If anyone ahs anything to say, please do.
 
May 2013
39
0
South Sound
-What do you want to hunt?

-Where do you want to hunt?

-What is your budget?

1) Deer, this is likely to be in October
2) Near where I live, Western Washington
3)Not much at all. I`m probably going to using a borrowed Rifle, and wearing my everyday Clothes, with an Orange T-Shirt. If it`s really cold out, probably a shirt under that.
 
Last edited:
Jan 2010
371
0
Sherwood, OR
The guy said he was new to hunting, give him the benefit of the doubt.

Mister, I would say you should plan on something warmer than just a T-shirt. Assuming you are planning on hunting early morning and into dusk, you will want a jacket, and be ready for rain.

As for which knife, bring both. And a sharpening stone. Either might be better for different parts, and you won't know which you like better until you try them both.
 
Jan 2009
870
0
Lynnwood, WA
get a real knife--your gerber is ****. (yes. yes it is. absolute ****. didn't come with, can't take, won't hold an edge). This, above all things, is what you need to hunt. Find a good knife. Kershaw and Buck are on the low end of GOOD knives. A nice curve to the blade really helps in skinning. a good knife is more important than your rifle. splurge on a GOOD knife (spend $50). fixed is good, SOLID LOCK like the Buck 110 works too. Liner lock knives are NOT hunting knives.

don't wear cotton if you can afford not to. including, and especially, your underwear. it soaks up moisture and makes you cold. you've been outside in the fall/winter, right? It's cold for at least part of the day. Wool or synthetics.

if you can borrow a functioning rifle, you'll be good to go there, sight it in and make sure you can shoot it passably. doesn't need to be anything fancy. I've used a very nice rifle, and also an old mil-surp rifle.

if you don't have a BIG knife, take a saw or hatchet so you can 1) make blinds 2) cut rib cages and pelvises. also, don't get a big knife, you'll just hack your critter up.

take a compass -- your GPS will fail you, but only when you need it most.

take fire starting stuff -- cotton balls soaked in vaseline and a cigarette lighter

most importantly: unless you're going to woods that you KNOW, take a buddy. find someone who's hunted, preferably where you're going, and offer to drive and buy lunch.
 
Dec 2009
240
0
Graham, Wa
1) Deer, this is likely to be in October
2) Near where I live, Western Washington
3)Not much at all. I`m probably going to using a borrowed Rifle, and wearing my everyday Clothes, with an Orange T-Shirt. If it`s really cold out, probably a shirt under that.

Ok, this will be the basics only, because every hunting situation is different. The way you hunt will determine what you need. Are you going to be in a stand exclusively, or will you be doing any walking/stalking? If you know that you will be in a dry, covered deer stand, you don't need to worry too much about being waterproof, just warm. But if you are going to be out walking around, you really want waterproof.

Deer hunting in W Wa is going to require a little more than an orange t-shirt. I hate to be the first to tell you, but unless you like being miserable, you're going to need to spend a bit of money on your gear. The good thing is that if you take care of it, your gear will last for years. Nothing will make you hate hunting more than being cold and wet, so spend the money on good gear. Once you're in your stand, any time spent not thinking about your gear is time spent looking for deer. IMHO, this is a bare minimum..

-You will want a quality pair of waterproof, over the ankle boots. I settled on a pair of Columbia waterproof boots with 200 grams of thinsulate. Just enough insulation so I don't get sweaty on days that aren't frigid, but with a pair of thick socks, i've been good down to single digits. They wear like a pair of tennis shoes, so they're great for stalking and walking quietly. I also wore them duck hunting, so I know they stay waterproof unless I submerge them over the top of the boot. Not cheap, but $100(ish) is money well spent if you don't have waterlogged feet 10 seconds after you walk out the door.

-Something waterproof on your legs. If you're just walking down a road to a deer stand, blue jeans will be fine. On a cold day, fleece long johns will really keep you warm. If you have to walk through the woods, or will be setting up in a ground blind or something, you absolutely want something waterproof. If you're going to be stalking, you don't want noisy synthetic materials. Stuff like ski pants will be unbelievably loud every time you move, or scrape against something, even sitting in a stand. I like Filson chaps for days when it isn't too wet. The material is damn near impervious to blackberry thorns (very important!), and is reasonably waterproof. If you'll be hunting late season, rain is going to be an issue. Count on it. If it's really wet, I wear a pair of Columbia bib overalls that were made for duck hunting. They're a bit noisier and bulkier than I like, but nothing works better for keeping me warm and dry. On a dry day, I wear a pair of 511 pants. Quiet, light, and pretty rip resistant.

-Waterproof jacket. Are you seeing a pattern with the waterproof gear? lol.. The key to staying warm is layering. If you wear a super heavy jacket and have to walk around, you're going to start sweating. Then you stop moving, and you freeze. Layering will allow you to tailor how warm you stay. I tried a lot of different combinations when it comes to jackets, and I settled on a lighter, waterproof fleece jacket one size too big. On warmer days, I wear just the jacket. As it gets colder, i'll layer long johns, and even a hoody under it. I like the fleece material because it's very quiet. Just a thought.. There is no such thing as "cheap, waterproof and durable". You're going to spend at least $1-150 on a decent jacket, maybe more. Buy it now, or during warmer months, and get it on sale. Notice the label on your gear. Water "resistant" is NOT water "proof". Look for gear that advertises "hurricane seams" and waterproof zippers. It also pays to buy gear that has waterproof ventilation zippers under the arms. When it's warm and raining, waterproof is incredibly hot. Think about wearing a trash bag on a hot day. Sauna...

-Blaze orange. Deer hunting basically requires that you have your chest and back covered by blaze orange. Don't **** around with this. Remember the 2 hunting teenagers that shot the lady a few years ago, thinking she was a bear? She was jogging, and bent over to tie her shoes, and was killed. Be visible. Deer eyes aren't capable of seeing the part of the color spectrum that blaze orange is in, so there's no excuse for not wearing it. Don't buy one of those cheap plasticky vests from big 5. They fall apart very quickly, and then you have to spend time dealing with shitty gear and not hunting. Cabelas has a nice blaze orange hunting vest for about $30. Durable, lots of handy pockets, and well designed. Get one big enough to fit over any layers you might wear, but not so big that it's falling off of you or snagging on stuff. I also wear a blaze orange ball cap on days when it's not too cold.

-Gloves aren't a bad idea, even if you're just stuffing them in a pocket. Cold hands will end a day of hunting, and stiff fingers are a bad idea if you're trying to make a precise shot. I've been through a lot of gloves trying to find some that work. Sportsmans Warehouse carries a brand called Manzella, and they are great. Thin enough where you can manipulate a rifle action or trigger, but still very warm and reasonably water resistant. I wore them duck hunting all year, and I stayed dry unless I was repeatedly submerging them grabbing birds out of the water.

-Cleaning a deer requires a few specific tools. You're going to want a good, heavy knife made out of quality metal. You want something short (about 3 inches long) with a rounded point. Fighting or tactical knives will work, but the long slender point will make getting around the organs in the belly and chest a bit of a pain in the ass. I've got a Gerber Gator ($30) that I absolutely love. The rubberized handle is perfect when your hands are bloody, and the swept tip is just right for cleaning deer. I also use a skinning knife that uses a box cutter blade for opening the skin of the belly. Cost about $10 at walmart, and is so much easier for opening the belly (without popping the guts) than a knife. If you're going further than just field cleaning (gutting), a bone saw is helpful for cutting open the chest, but not required. I have processed a few deer in my life, and anymore, I just pay a butcher to do it. I gut and skin my deer, but the rest just goes straight to the butcher. Whatever you use, make sure the blade is sharp enough to shave with. Seriously, I can shave with my hunting knives. Cleaning a large animal is not the most pleasant thing to do, and a shitty dull knife makes an unpleasant task flat out miserable. As far as how to clean a deer, I assume you'll have people around who know how to help you the first time?

-Misc. Camelbak with about 1.5L of water. Good granola bars like Cliff Bars, not cheap crap (remove them from the foil wrappers, too noisy in the woods). A quality pair of small, pocket sized binoculars. Even better is a range-finder monocular. I picked up a Redfield 6x rangefinder on sale for about $110. You'd be surprised how wrong you can be about how far away things are, and there is a huge difference between 80 yards and 180 yards. Carry some emergency gear. I always carry a foil emergency blanket and a rape whistle. If i'm out in the boonies, I also carry a hatchet, wire saw and waterproof matches. You just never know.. I like to keep a package of cough drops and toilet paper/baby wipes, sealed in ziplock baggies.

More important than your gear, is learning how to hunt. This is not something that you can just spend some money and go out and do. Woodcraft is an art, and it requires years of patience and practice to get good at. Get a .22 rifle, and go out squirrel hunting. Learn to move quietly. Learn how your prey lives, eats, sleeps, shits and moves. Pick the brains of experienced hunters. Find an old, experienced hunter and spend time in the woods with them. Watch hunting videos, read hunting books. Spend a lot of time in the woods. Learn to be silent. The woods will tell you everything you need to know. Go camping, go hiking. Learn to be ok in the boonies. Learn to stalk your prey, learn to read tracks, learn to move quietly, learn to read the wind.

Spend a lot of time shooting. You can buy a Ruger American Rifle for about 350. Don't just zero your rifle and think you can put it in the safe, and whip it out once a year and make that one shot. You owe it to the animals you hunt to be able to make clean, quick kills at whatever range you will be shooting at.

There is a lot more than this. I know it seems like a lot, but if you get started on this, you can spend the rest of your life doing this, and still be learning things. Did I miss anything..?
 
May 2013
39
0
South Sound
Thanks a million guys. I suppose I should have stated what I was doing a bit better, thanks for lending a hand! I am of course taking a hunting safety course. I`ll be sure to wear warmer clothing, and A new situation has arisen-The Rifle I was to borrow, is likely to enter my possession. I`ve been reading a ton on hunting etiquette, and Shoot all the time. I`m not new to shooting, just to hunting. Thanks again for all the assistance, guys, you guys are lifesavers.
 
Dec 2009
240
0
Graham, Wa
Can you describe your hunting situation a bit better? Are you going to be on public land, or private?
 
May 2013
39
0
South Sound
Can you describe your hunting situation a bit better? Are you going to be on public land, or private?

Sorry, I wasn`t thinking when I started the thread. I`m going on Private land, with a friend. He is friends with the owner, so everything is fine. I intend to take the safety course, and will wear some warmer clothing then what I had in mind from the start. The Rifle I am to use is soon to be in my possession very soon.
 
Jan 2009
1,684
0
s. greenlake *****
the most important think I can tell you about hunting is practice.


Shoot your gun.

Shoot it a lot.

Shoot at different ranges (25 yrds, 50 yrds, 100 yrds, 150 yrds, 200 yrds)
Understand what your target looks like at each of these ranges as you will likely not have time to use a range finder.


Shoot a lot

Shoot different loads through your gun to see where they hit in relationship to distance.

Shoot animal silhouettes. Learn the distance from the head to heart/lungs area. You may see a deer head in the bushes and have to guess where the kill area is for heart/lungs


Shoot a lot

When I was a kid I used to shoot a hundred rounds a day before deer season.


Shoot from different positions/
Standing
Sitting
Laying across a log
Laying in the brush
With a shooting stick

Get a rubber cover for your scope (it will rain and your scope will get bushes and water all over the lense)

Practice shooting while removing the cover (they have rubber ones that flip off with just a flick of your thumb)


So.. the reason I say shoot you gun is:

Wounding an animal sucks
Wounding an animal and chasing it for 4-6 hrs sucks
Wounding an animal and chasing it for 4-6 hrs while its getting dark sucks
Wounding an animal and chasing it for 4-6 hrs then walking out without it and returning the next day sucks

Loosing your kill REALLY REALLY SUCKS.

Kill what you shoot.

Also (this part is self explanitory) dont go hunting in boxer shorts.. wear real clothes. lol
 
Jan 2009
1,684
0
s. greenlake *****
ALSO all this times eleventy billion:


More important than your gear, is learning how to hunt. This is not something that you can just spend some money and go out and do. Woodcraft is an art, and it requires years of patience and practice to get good at. Get a .22 rifle, and go out squirrel hunting. Learn to move quietly. Learn how your prey lives, eats, sleeps, shits and moves. Pick the brains of experienced hunters. Find an old, experienced hunter and spend time in the woods with them. Watch hunting videos, read hunting books. Spend a lot of time in the woods. Learn to be silent. The woods will tell you everything you need to know. Go camping, go hiking. Learn to be ok in the boonies. Learn to stalk your prey, learn to read tracks, learn to move quietly, learn to read the wind.

Spend a lot of time shooting. You can buy a Ruger American Rifle for about 350. Don't just zero your rifle and think you can put it in the safe, and whip it out once a year and make that one shot. You owe it to the animals you hunt to be able to make clean, quick kills at whatever range you will be shooting at.

There is a lot more than this. I know it seems like a lot, but if you get started on this, you can spend the rest of your life doing this, and still be learning things. Did I miss anything..?
 
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