Getting Started Hunting...Where to Start?

You've decided to give hunting a try maybe you are going to ease your way into it and hunt the opening weekend of deer hunting or a pheasant hunt or maybe you decide that this will be your new personality and you are going to go all in.

Step 1. Complete Your Hunter's Safety

In Wisconsin anyone born on or after January 1, 1973, must complete a hunter education course and have a hunter education safety certificate to purchase a hunting license. Most states have similar requirements with most allowing for you to complete an online course to get certified, some may require a field day or in-person certification. Don't wait until the eve before opening day to start! Give yourself plenty of time and even if aren't positive you are going to use it, once you have it your set for life so why not? Take your time on the course, everyone feels more comfortable knowing their hunting partner is educated and has safety sense.

Step 2. What and Where?

Determining what you are hunting for will determine the gear you need, the season, location and what you need to prepare.

Image from Wisconsin Hunting Regulations

When planning a hunt it is important to review the state's hunting regulations. They are easily found online but note that each state may have variations so if you plan to hunt in different states review each guide book independently.

Wisconsin Hunting Regulations

The "Regs" book will define dates of the season, legal shooting hours, define whether high visibility (blaze orange) is required, legal methods of take (archery,

rifle, muzzleloader, etc.), legal animals and how to identify them (ex: in Alaska a legal Bull Moose may require a 50" wide rack or have 3 brow tines), what are the required steps when you harvest an animal (how to report, proof of sex, cleaning requirements), define game management zones, along with other important details.

The state regulations are generally meant to be easy to understand but if you are unclear on a rule or have a question that is not in the "Regs", you can call contact the state agency via phone, email or a chat feature on their website.

Determining where to hunt can be a stressful task. Maybe you have family or friends who have offered you permission to hunt on their property, you may seek permission from landowners or find public land opportunities. When using other's property it is important to be transparent on what you intend to hunt, ask clarifying questions on any rules they may ask you to follow and be a gracious guest. Don't assume it's ok to hunt turkeys if they pass your deer stand if you haven't talked to the landowner about it. Also understanding if you are hunting public or private property may determine the license/tag you will need to purchase along with the county or game management unit you intend to hunt in.

After reading through the regulations and determining where you intend to hunt. You can buy a license on the state agency website, some sporting good stores or a state agency office. For the most common game like deer, duck, geese, and small game state residents can generally get a tag over-the-counter (OTC) meaning you do not have to apply or accrue points for it and could potentially buy it the day before you hunt. For more limited pursuits like Elk, Moose, bear or some turkey seasons you may need to apply ahead of the season and be awarded a license, some may require accruing preference points over multiple years. Applications are much more common in Western states and can become a complex topic likely worth their article.

Step 3. Gear

If you are dipping your toes into hunting look to borrow as much as you can, most seasoned hunters will have 2-3 of everything you might need so ask a friend/family member who may be able to help you out.

If you plan to buy your own gear, I would look for versatility where possible. If you plan to bow hunt a full season maybe start with some mid-season gear generally it will accommodate some of the early season temps and if you make it to December/January you can add more layers or decide that you want to invest more into winter gear. Generally if you get some good versatile gear you can make edits to your layering using things you may already own.

Quality should be a foremost consideration for your gear, if you try to get away with something cheaper you will likely end up buying the more expensive option later on. Its a delicate dance of easing into and avoiding buying it twice. I have bought a lot things twice...

Weapons of take. If you are going gun or shotgun hunting those are things you may be able to borrow and use without needing to modify and with limited practice. It is a lot more difficult and I would not recommend grabbing a friends bow and hopping in the truck to go deer hunting. With compound bows modifications are needed to set yourself up to be an efficient hunter: draw length, peep/sight adjustment, poundage are all variables along with the need to practice and shoot a bow consistently to make sure you are confident in the field. Probably worth a follow up article on buying your first bow but not as universal as borrowing someone's shotgun or rifle.

Step 4. Practice/Prep

Getting comfortable with your weapon is important. If you do not have experience or limited experiences with firearms learn from someone who does whether it is a friend or the guy at the gun shop. You want to understand how to handle your weapon safely and effectively. Practice loading and unloading, understand how the safety works on the gun (not all are the same), practice shouldering and looking through the sights, understand how the scope works if applicable and try to get to a range a couple times to practice. If you aren't comfortable handling your weapon at the range, its going to get even more stressful when a deer appears in front of you in a realistic setting.

Archery/bowhunting getting confident shooting is paramount to be being an ethical and efficient hunter. Understanding the nuances and ranges of your bow are needed. Every distance you might shoot in the field you should have practiced and be confident at the range because the steady hands you may be use to may be shaking when you come across your quarry in the field.

Scouting will significantly increase your chances of a successful hunt. A lot of scouting can be done from the comfort of home via E-scouting using apps like On-X or Google Maps. You can review property boundaries look for features and areas in which you believe game may be in or passing through and put together a game plan for. If you can scout on foot ahead of the season that is even better, this will allow you to understand the terrain even better than topography maps online, see game sign to validate that they are using the area and if you stationary hunting pick the ideal tree or blind location to hunt from.

Step 6. Get out there and enjoy!

I like to work back from when I want to be in the tree if I want to be in the tree by 6:00am, I factor in 20 minutes to get my saddle setup, 30 minutes to walk-in, 15 minutes to get my gear on and sorted, and an hour to drive to the parking spot, 20 minutes to eat something and make a coffee and set my alarm for 4:35 or 4:15 to be safe. You never regret giving yourself more time to walk through the dark woods and get setup or more time incase their is traffic on the drive. When you feel rushed you tend to make more mistakes; forget gear, move more loudly through the woods and compromise your strategies for settling for closer spots or cutting through areas you are more likely to scare game. Give your self more time or choose locations/setups that better accommodate your timeframe.

On-X is a great tool for scouting but even more helpful navigating in the field to get you to your stand or spot (tree's look pretty similar in the dark) and avoiding potentially trespassing on tighter properties.

Being in woods is where you will do the majority of your learning, it is where you will begin to appreciate being present sitting in nature, admiring your pursuit and fine tuning your craft. Watch, listen and learn...soon enough you'll have the opportunity to fill that tag.

Bonus Step

Find a hunting partner. Having someone you can share your experiences with is a part of the enjoyment, will help expedite the learning curve, get you in the woods more often and when it comes to track or drag an animal out its great to have someone to call.

My friend Andrew with his buck after a long drag out

I hope you enjoyed the article! Would appreciate any feedback you have to improve future articles by completing the two minute survey below!

Survey