Learn How to Hunt in 5 Easy Steps

White Tail season is right around the corner, and since we are Hunting Evangelists here - we figured it might be the time to drop some useful tips for a first-time hunter. If you know someone who’s interested in hunting, send this to them - or share this with an experienced hunter you might want to learn from.

Oh and since we already asked you to share it we'll also ask you to go ahead and follow us on X, Facebook, and Instagram too. 

You don't have to take any of these in order - while we recommend finding a hunter in your circle and maybe ordering some game to try before you set out, you can start these steps in any order you want, or even all at once. 

1. Find a Mentor - Learning from an experienced hunter is transformative for a novice. Do you have a friend who likes to hunt? Tell them you’re interested and see if they’d be open to hunting with you. Just know, this is a bit of an ask - most hunters barely have enough time to hunt for themselves so taking on a mentee is a real sign of friendship. If you don’t have anyone who fits the bill - look for mentorship programs or local hunting groups where you can connect with seasoned hunters who can guide you through your first experiences.
   
   
2. Eat some Game - Wild game tastes… Gamey. It’s great if you understand that not everything tastes like beef.* Figure out what’s in your area and try some.
   1. Tell that hunting friend that you’re interested in trying some game meat - they might offer you some from their stores, or recommend some things that are in the area.
   2. Restaurants like Dai Due in Austin serve game (and make it taste amazing) or you can order game from services like Maui Nui Venison.
   3. Speaking of eating - it helps if you know how to prepare game. I can’t recommend Jesse Griffiths’ books enough. Afield, The Hog Book, and The Turkey Book are all amazing.
      
      
      
3. Get a gun and practice with it - This is the fun part, but it's also very important. When you eat meat (even from the store) you're taking a life, making an ethical shot is important. Being comfortable behind your gun is a requirement.
   
   You don’t have to spend a ton on a gun, shotguns and hunting rifles (like the Remington 700) can be had for as little as $500. If buying a rifle, be sure to invest in the optic (roughly as much or more as the rifle.) Oh did I mention that we also have a great selection of hunting scopes? Maybe check those out.
   
   
4. Watch some videos of hunts - Check out Youtube and look for hunting videos. My wife and I put MeatEater on loop starting in early September getting us excited for hunting - but you can find other great channels of people putting out content that is very close to what it’s like to hunt. 
   
   
   
5. Figure out how to hunt legally in your area - Your state will have a Game and Fish office that will have information on requirements like hunter education, season dates, and more. Look it up so you’re not worried if a game warden pulls up next to you.
   
   
6. Bonus Step! Do something on this list NOW - Get over the fear of something new and just do something on this list. Text that friend who always starts smelling of deer musk in November - go to Maui Nui Venison and place an order. If I were you, I'd go splurge on a new gun and an optic from Constellation Response, but that's just me. But pick one of these things and just DO it. That first hunt will never happen if you don't start now. 

*a lot of things do taste like chicken surprisingly. Especially alligator and other reptiles. Guess Mouse was right.

 

 

Thank you for reading, if you found this helpful - please share it and follow us on  X, Facebook, and Instagram - it really helps us continue putting out great content like this. And don't forget to check out our store with tons of great products from radios to optics and pretty awesome merch.