How to get started with hunting?

[Helter]

For a few years now I've been interested in trying my hand at hunting. I don't really know anyone who hunts though, so for multiple years in a row I've gotten a license then never made it out.
The big trouble is that every time I think to myself "I should try to get out there", I start trying to plan a trip and get overwhelmed with all of the things that I don't know. Simple things like "where should I go", "what equipment should I get", and "what the hell will I do if I actually bag anything" turn into hours of searching online, and answers that seem much more complicated then they probably are.
So yeah, any advice for how to get started?

[TXDMERC73]

July 13th is when you can apply for your doe license, better get one while ya can cuz they will be sold out fast , ther eis only limited numbers of doe license they give out, i hope i get a doe license this year i didn tget one last year cuz they were sold out .

[soup]

I said the same thing last year. After going out once with a guy from huntingpa.com I started going out alone for small game. He had showed me the ropes as far as procedures etc, what to look for. I had the pleasure of hunting with his dog Molly, she got me my first pheasant ever. I had gotten more and more comfortable as time went by. I think I ended up going out 1-2 days a week for the duration of the season (a lot for me, working full time m-f) I got one Pheasant, took a few shots at a rabbit and a couple other birds and missed. I still had a great time. I ended up going with my boss twice for deer. He bagged his buck on a day I had to stay late to get a project out the door ... go figure right? The next day I had a shot at a doe I should have taken but was new/unsure so I didn't. No matter how little I saw or how much I saw I still I had a great time just getting out there.

Not that I'm remotely closed to a seasoned hunter but if you are interested I'd be happy to meet up with you sometime and talk about getting out. What were you looking to hunt? I hunt a lot of the public land for small game in Chester/Montgomery County. It can get pretty busy sometimes but it is still a good time.

Also if you get your doe tag for 5c you can hunt until mid-late Jan

[Chazman321]

Depend on what you're hunting for to what you need. Small game is the best and perhaps the easiest. I sum it up to taking my gun for a walk in the woods. All you need is a orange vest and hat, and a good pair of shoes. I have a tradition, I use my .410 shotgun for squirrels, and my .22 for rabbits. Still never got a rabbit... lol I'm not into upland birds like phesants, but I did have a pitbull named Precious once that tracked and flushed them... lol Squirrels are easy to clean. Pick the hair off between their tail and bunghole, then right there make a cut between and go through th tailbone, but not the skin. Step on the tail and grab the back legs, and pull up. Skin comes off like a zipper and there is no hair. Oh, and dip them in a bucket of water first...

Deer hunting is a whole other animal. While many critters won't care what you smell like, a deer will. And you don't want your hunt busted by that bacon cheeseburger you had for lunch. Rifle deer hunting is best for new hunters. Archery is much harder, and much closer. The closer you get to a deer, the more likely something bad will happen if you aren't on top of your game. A deer isn't a hard kill. If you have a .220 swift or a .444 Marlin, a good shot will make it just as dead as the other. Deer skin is thinner than a bear, and thicker than a humans, but anything you have handy will work. The popular calibers for deer around here are .257, .243, .270, and of course the .30-30 and .30.06 take the lead by far...

Decide what you want to hunt, and go from there. Visit your library and read a few books on hunting. And if you ever find yourself in the western half of the state, give me a holler...

-Chaz

[keystoneman 85]

Feel free to ask any further questions. I've been hunting since I was 12 and it by far is my favorite hobby. Were here to help! I'm also from HuntingPa.com and am a moderator over there.

[pirateron]

Originally Posted by Chazman321

Depend on what you're hunting for to what you need. Small game is the best and perhaps the easiest. I sum it up to taking my gun for a walk in the woods. All you need is a orange vest and hat, and a good pair of shoes. I have a tradition, I use my .410 shotgun for squirrels, and my .22 for rabbits. Still never got a rabbit... lol I'm not into upland birds like phesants, but I did have a pitbull named Precious once that tracked and flushed them... lol Squirrels are easy to clean. Pick the hair off between their tail and bunghole, then right there make a cut between and go through th tailbone, but not the skin. Step on the tail and grab the back legs, and pull up. Skin comes off like a zipper and there is no hair. Oh, and dip them in a bucket of water first...

Deer hunting is a whole other animal. While many critters won't care what you smell like, a deer will. And you don't want your hunt busted by that bacon cheeseburger you had for lunch. Rifle deer hunting is best for new hunters. Archery is much harder, and much closer. The closer you get to a deer, the more likely something bad will happen if you aren't on top of your game. A deer isn't a hard kill. If you have a .220 swift or a .444 Marlin, a good shot will make it just as dead as the other. Deer skin is thinner than a bear, and thicker than a humans, but anything you have handy will work. The popular calibers for deer around here are .257, .243, .270, and of course the .30-30 and .30.06 take the lead by far...

Decide what you want to hunt, and go from there. Visit your library and read a few books on hunting. And if you ever find yourself in the western half of the state, give me a holler...

-Chaz

Where do you go hunting??
I hate the gamelands and don't know anyone with a lot of land. I got a buddy that has a place in Youngsville, but that's a haul for a quick wabbit hunt. I see trucks parked on the side of the interstate all the time (I79, I279) during buck season, can anyone just pull off the road and hunt?

[mrnyman]

I just signed up on huntingpa.com, great site and great folks.

Maybe this is a good time to ask- Will Pennsylvania recognize my new york state hunter safety tag?

I remember when i took the class in new york the instructor said that all the other states will recognize the new york hunter education safety tag.

Thanks, Nyman

[keystoneman 85]

If your over the age of 16 I doubt the clerk will even ask for your ID card. I've never been asked. Just be sure to read the regulations book that comes with it.

Keep the questions coming - ask a specific question and I will do my best to answer.

[markheck1]

Originally Posted by Chazman321

Depend on what you're hunting for to what you need. Small game is the best and perhaps the easiest. I sum it up to taking my gun for a walk in the woods. All you need is a orange vest and hat, and a good pair of shoes. I have a tradition, I use my .410 shotgun for squirrels, and my .22 for rabbits. Still never got a rabbit... lol I'm not into upland birds like phesants, but I did have a pitbull named Precious once that tracked and flushed them... lol Squirrels are easy to clean. Pick the hair off between their tail and bunghole, then right there make a cut between and go through th tailbone, but not the skin. Step on the tail and grab the back legs, and pull up. Skin comes off like a zipper and there is no hair. Oh, and dip them in a bucket of water first...

Deer hunting is a whole other animal. While many critters won't care what you smell like, a deer will. And you don't want your hunt busted by that bacon cheeseburger you had for lunch. Rifle deer hunting is best for new hunters. Archery is much harder, and much closer. The closer you get to a deer, the more likely something bad will happen if you aren't on top of your game. A deer isn't a hard kill. If you have a .220 swift or a .444 Marlin, a good shot will make it just as dead as the other. Deer skin is thinner than a bear, and thicker than a humans, but anything you have handy will work. The popular calibers for deer around here are .257, .243, .270, and of course the .30-30 and .30.06 take the lead by far...

Decide what you want to hunt, and go from there. Visit your library and read a few books on hunting. And if you ever find yourself in the western half of the state, give me a holler...

-Chaz

DITTO!
8 9 10

[RandomTask]

Step 1. Buy a manually-opertated center-fire rifle.

Step 2. Obtain a house on 100 acres.

Step 3. Get hunting license and wait for deer season.

Step 4. On opening day, sit in your dinette in your Sponge Bog pajamas, eating Cheerios, while watching The Today Show, rifle at your side.

Step 5. When deer pops into view, slide open the dinette window and BLAM!

Step 6. Send kid out to tag & dress deer. Don't let your Cheerios get soggy.