way to get into hunting?

danb · Mar 30, 2014

protegeV said:
Maybe ill come around in the future, but I'm not down with ML or crossbow at the moment. I'd like to pick up a decent .308 rifle and 12ga with a total budget of about $1,500.

There is almost zero rifle hunting in central maryland. Public shotgun deer hunting is limited (the best shotgun hunting is the the managed hunts, those are hard to get into). Crossbow will phenomenally extend your deer season opportunity, from a few weeks to 5 months. I am not trying to talk you out of a decent .308, but mine has not been hunting in maybe 5 years - and then not in MD.

MeatGrinder · Mar 30, 2014

I see you mentioned friends from church not picking up the hints. Honestly, you might need to be a bit more direct. I get distracted with business and I'm sure I have goofed and missed other's hint dropping.

Ifdot · Mar 30, 2014

H&R Slug hunter as previously noted. Go with 20ga.
If you want to try your hand at waterfowl I'm always down to take out new hunters.

vinjet700 · Mar 30, 2014

Good luck with it OP. Last year was my first back into it in MANY years and had a blast. Already looking forward to next season ..... :thumbsup:

protegeV · Mar 30, 2014

danb said:
There is almost zero rifle hunting in central maryland. Public shotgun deer hunting is limited (the best shotgun hunting is the the managed hunts, those are hard to get into). Crossbow will phenomenally extend your deer season opportunity, from a few weeks to 5 months. I am not trying to talk you out of a decent .308, but mine has not been hunting in maybe 5 years - and then not in MD.

Rifle hunting would predominately be in SoMD.

protegeV · Mar 30, 2014

MeatGrinder said:
I see you mentioned friends from church not picking up the hints. Honestly, you might need to be a bit more direct. I get distracted with business and I'm sure I have goofed and missed other's hint dropping.

My "dropping hints" went something like this...

Me - "hey, you go hunting right?"
Other - yup, a few times a year
Me - "Man, it'd be great if someone would take me along to show the ropes. I've been wanting to go for years"
Other - Cool. What were we talking about before?

:rolleyes:

Kagetsu · Mar 30, 2014

I boat fished as a teen. Liked the boat part, liked the catch and release. Trout fishing,,, when I actually caught fish,,, I try not to admit it to her, my mother doesn't cook fish well. If I get up at 3 dark in the morning, manage to kill something, and have to watch it die and rip it's guts out.... I want it to taste exceptional. I want to find a way to cook what I kill well first. But people who kill, don't share. More accurately, I don't have friends that hunt.

protegeV · Mar 30, 2014

Ifdot said:
H&R Slug hunter as previously noted. Go with 20ga.
If you want to try your hand at waterfowl I'm always down to take out new hunters.

sweet, I sent you a PM

Franklin · Mar 30, 2014

protegeV said:
Rifle hunting would predominately be in SoMD.

Rifles are not allowed for deer in southern Maryland. You are limited to parts of the shore and western Maryland.

protegeV · Mar 31, 2014

Franklin said:
Rifles are not allowed for deer in southern Maryland. You are limited to parts of the shore and western Maryland.

My bad, I messed up my coordinates. Lol, I meant southern eastern shore. Like wicomico and Worcester counties.

Franklin · Mar 31, 2014

hurry up and get signed up for a hunters saftey course if you haven't done it already. I see signs at a few outddor stores saying they are taking apllications.

protegeV · Mar 31, 2014

Franklin said:
hurry up and get signed up for a hunters saftey course if you haven't done it already. I see signs at a few outddor stores saying they are taking apllications.

See post #31. My son and I both finished the hunters safety course last week.

wilcam47 · Mar 31, 2014

protegeV said:
My "dropping hints" went something like this...

Me - "hey, you go hunting right?"
Other - yup, a few times a year
Me - "Man, it'd be great if someone would take me along to show the ropes. I've been wanting to go for years"
Other - Cool. What were we talking about before?

then say did you hear what I said??

protegeV · Mar 31, 2014

wilcam47 said:
then say did you hear what I said??

Lol, they got their point across.

wilcam47 · Mar 31, 2014

they prob only heard the last part of your sentence...But PM "Marshmallow" hes offered to help people out before here. Im sure theres a few other folks that can help out too.

protegeV · Mar 31, 2014

I PMed a few people, he's one of them. I got various responses. I'll be honest, I'm a little intimidated by trying to go out by myself. Most offers have been advice, but I see how some can be hesitant to actually take a newbie out to hunt :shrug:

wilcam47 · Mar 31, 2014

protegeV said:
I PMed a few people, he's one of them. I got various responses. I'll be honest, I'm a little intimidated by trying to go out by myself. Most offers have been advice, but I see how some can be hesitant to actually take a newbie out to hunt

what part has you worried?

well I can say I jumped out there bow hunting by myself...First year I did get a shot on one and it wasnt a good one...tracked it around the woods for hours and finally gave up on it since I was trespassing all over. I lost her somewhere...unfortunately that can happen even to the best hunter. I wasnt as prepared as I thought, and I didnt have much time that year to hunt so needless to say I didnt get one that year. Next year I buckled down and got more time out in the woods. I ended up killing 4. Three with bow one with muzzle loader.

All Im saying is it can be intimidating but its really not as bad as one would think. If you have a place you can go...you can always do a practice run...

MeatGrinder · Mar 31, 2014

I hear ya. Doing something the first time can be a hump to get over. Finding a place to go to can be a barrier too. I'm sorely tempted to offer to take you, but I don't hunt MD anymore and I have learned to not make commitments that my family business will keep me from following through on. Good luck, though.

protegeV · Apr 1, 2014

MeatGrinder said:
I hear ya. Doing something the first time can be a hump to get over. Finding a place to go to can be a barrier too. I'm sorely tempted to offer to take you, but I don't hunt MD anymore and I have learned to not make commitments that my family business will keep me from following through on. Good luck, though.

Thanks.

danb · Apr 1, 2014

protegeV said:
I PMed a few people, he's one of them. I got various responses. I'll be honest, I'm a little intimidated by trying to go out by myself. Most offers have been advice, but I see how some can be hesitant to actually take a newbie out to hunt

Can be, thats true. Thats why I suggest people try xbow. The season is 5 months, giving you ample opportunity to make some mistakes and get experience before rifle season. If you are confident with a rifle you'll be confident with a xbow. Bows now are pretty accurate out of the box, even inexpensive ones. And, there are many places around here to bow hunt and get your game on. Pulling the trigger is 5% of hunting, the deer dont care what you kill them with. They are all tasty on the grill.

Your first several deer hunts will be more like scout, go out and sit in a blind/treestand, and observe. It may take you 5-6 hunts just to learn patterns and where the deer are moving. It will be simple shiate like finding the spot/tree you picked at 0-dark-thirty.

Xbow adds literally months of chances to (safely) screw up before rifle season. Which means, by then, much less chance the deer will escape.

way to get into hunting?

The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Northeast

Member Benefits:

dont be a dumbass

Ultimate Member

Ultimate Member

No one of significance

Ready to go

Ready to go

Active Member

Ready to go

Banned

Ready to go

Banned

Ready to go

Ultimate Member

Ready to go

Ultimate Member

Ready to go

Ultimate Member

Ultimate Member

Ready to go

dont be a dumbass

Users who are viewing this thread

Log in

Forum statistics