Your hunting skills have drastically improved over the years, and other people are starting to take notice. It’s not like you became an expert hunter overnight, either. Years of practice, patience, and harvesting trophy game has gotten you to where you are today. Although your novice hunting days are long gone, not everyone strikes the same fortune as you.
You’ve probably had other future hunters ask you for advice, but you’re not sure where to begin. Here is a step-by-step guide to teach aspiring hunters how to hunt.
Getting Started
First, help your friend attain a hunter’s safety certificate. By qualifying for a safety certificate, many of your friend’s initial hunting questions will be answered. This is the first step any new hunter should take because they will learn how to conduct a legal and ethical hunt. In most cases, new hunters aren’t aware that there are seasons and restrictions on when and where a person can hunt. Game laws might be confusing for your friend at first, so be sure to break down any nuanced rules.
Go into the Field
Take your friend out into the field and let them observe animals in their natural habitat. Books and videos can only teach you so much, and the best way to learn is from the first-hand experience. Don’t take your friend into a legal hunting area just yet. State parks and wildlife refuges are the best way for people to become familiar with an animal’s patterns. A person can’t hunt for deer if they aren’t familiar with deer anatomy.
Let Your Friend Shadow You
Allow your friend to shadow you when you go on your next hunt. This will be the fastest way for your friend to learn to hunt, and they’ll be able to pick up little tips and tricks that you use. Teach your friend about hunting do’s and don’ts.
Hunting Do’s
Tell your friend to hunt where the animals are. It may sound simple, but beginners usually make the rookie mistake of going to the bigger area rather than the area that has the most animals. For example, if you and your friend have the option to go to a small farm where there’s a large population of deer, take advantage. While it’s tempting to go out into a large field that isn’t being trafficked much by people, this means that animals are more spread out. Your friend is better off going to a place where deer are densely packed because they’ll have an easier time hunting.
Remind your friend always to go slow and safe. The wrong move can result in lethal injuries, especially for beginners. An excellent tip to give your friend is to tell them to leave for their hunt early in the morning.
Hunting Don’ts
At this point, your friend will be eager to take on the big game—don’t let them get their hopes up just yet. As a beginner, your friend should start by going after mature deer, and their main priority should be having a good time.
A beginner will significantly benefit from going out into the field with a hunting guide. R & K Hunting is here to help both beginner and expert hunters improve their hunting abilities. Contact us today to book your next big hunt.