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Hunting is a unique way to connect with nature and procure your own sustainable, organic meat. While putting food on your family’s plate is one of the sport’s most attractive draws, it’s also a way to learn essential conservation principles and outdoor skills.
Whether you’re interested in pursuing turkey, deer, or small game, here’s what you need to know about hunting as a beginner.
Hunting for Beginners: How To Get Started
Hunting isn’t a hobby you can just jump into. It requires the proper education, gear, paperwork, and understanding of what to expect. However, your time and energy investments pay off when you successfully hunt an animal and get to use its meat.
If hunting has piqued your interest and you want to take it up as a new pastime, here’s a detailed guide on how to do it.
1. Take a Hunter’s Safety Course
The first step every hunter should complete is taking a hunting safety course. You can usually find a state-approved option that covers essential topics like gun safety, hunting ethically, conserving wildlife, and local regulations to be aware of. Pay special attention to proper firearm handling, shot placement, and emergency protocols during your education.
Most states will require this to issue you a hunting license, so don’t try to get around it. Plan on spending at least some time in-person during the course, with some offering online learning in addition to hands-on instruction. Fully online options can’t provide the practical applications critical for hunting, so ensure your course isn’t digital only.
2. Choose an Animal and Hunting Season
It makes sense for beginners to start small with games such as birds or rabbits. These animals also have longer hunting seasons, providing you with enough time to get ample experience before moving on to pursue larger ones. The abundance of these species makes them easier to hunt with less time spent scouting.
When selecting your first animal to hunt and the season to pursue them, consider things like animal population density (the less dense the population, the harder it may be to find and hunt one), season length, and timing (what’s available now?), restrictions on weapons, hunting pressure in your area, local terrain, equipment requirements, processing/storage needs, and your availability.
3. Apply for the Correct Licensing and Tags
Navigating your state’s licensing system can be tricky, and permits may be hard to come by if you wait too long, so access it early to learn what requirements are in your area. Some permits require a basic hunting license, species-specific tags (especially for large game like elk), special area permits, conservation stamps, or additional certifications like federal duck stamps for waterfowl or archery endorsements, if applicable.
Other permit systems operate on a lottery, which can require applications to be submitted months before the season opens. The earlier you act, the better.
Ensure you have all the correct paperwork before you even think about hunting. You don’t want to lose your hunting privileges due to negligence before starting.
4. Invest in Essential Hunting and Safety Gear
The right hunting gear will make your experience safer and more successful. For safety, start with a blaze orange vest and hat to be visible to other hunters. Pack a hunting bag with other outdoor safety essentials like a first aid kit, emergency shelter supplies, emergency signal devices like a whistle or mirror, navigation tools like GPS, and communication devices like your cell phone.
For hunting equipment, you’ll need the appropriate weapon and ammunition, layered camouflage clothing, high-quality boots, binoculars, a field dressing kit, game bags to store the meat and carcass, and reliable power solutions to get you through long stake-outs.
For extended trips, you may consider investing in the EcoFlow RIVER 3 Series Portable Power Stations, which provide dependable power for your devices while you’re out. Models such as the EcoFlow RIVER 2 Pro and the EcoFlow RIVER 2 Max are powerful yet portable enough to carry with you to keep your GPS, phone, and other critical equipment charged even in remote and off-grid locations.
5. Start with a Mentor
An experienced hunting mentor can help you overcome the learning curve and avoid common beginners’ mistakes. By shadowing them, you’ll learn practical hunting techniques, local knowledge of the land or the animals, how to field dress an animal, identify animal signs and scout, and strategies to stay safe.
They can even help you pick out the right weapons and equipment, introduce you to local hunting communities, and share stories from their personal experiences that you can learn from.
Mentorship programs may exist in local hunting clubs or conservation organizations. You could also contact state wildlife agencies or online hunting communities to find a mentor connection. When in doubt, ask around. You may have a family member or friend who hunts and can show you the ropes.
A guided hunt service is also an excellent option for first-timers. Going on a guided hunt will eliminate any mystery and answer your questions as you go with an experienced guide leading your group. You may find private guided hunts for more advanced, one-on-one guidance.
6. Try Shooting Practice
Your first time shooting your weapon shouldn’t be when you’re aiming at an animal. Shooting practice at a range will help you become comfortable around the gun and practice how to use it safely and effectively.
Controlled shooting ranges allow you to practice shooting from various angles and even simulate hunting scenarios with animal-specific targets. You’ll understand how ballistics work and what techniques result in specific shot placements.
While this step might seem like an obstacle to hunting, it’s an investment in ethical hunting that will also ensure your accuracy and boost confidence before you pursue game animals in the real world. Your muscle memory will strengthen, and your body will know exactly what to do once you’re finally hunting and an animal comes into range.
7. Find a Place to Hunt
Research potential hunting locations nearby, including public wildlife management areas, national forests, state game lands, hunting leases, or even private land (when used with permission).
There are pros and cons to hunting on both public and private land. As a beginner, your primary goal should be finding somewhere that’s easy to get to, has a healthy game population that you’re targeting, and isn’t oversaturated with other hunters.
Private land is ideal for some, but public land is often much easier to come by, especially for those new to the hobby who are limited in their connection to private hunting land.
8. Don’t Forget to Scout
Scouting is another essential step, although it might not be as exciting as the hunting itself. Scouting, when done right, improves the odds of hunting success. It can come in various forms, including:
- Studying maps of the area (aerial and topographic)
- Looking for animal signs such as tracks, droppings, or bedding
- Identifying animal food sources
- Finding water sources or travel paths
- Track animal movement patterns
- Setting up and checking trail cameras
- Documenting weather patterns
- Mapping routes of entry and exit
- Identifying potential locations for the hunting stand
- Monitoring seasonal habitat changes
Do you need something to power your trail cameras? Connect them to the EcoFlow RIVER 2 Max + 160W Solar Panel, a solar generator that can use the sun’s energy to keep the camera on and recording for extended periods.
When placing your trail camera, find a spot that covers areas where animals have been or are likely to be. Use animal signs, food and water sources, or entry/exit points to determine the best location for your setup. Know how long your camera can run while connected to its power source, and remember weather conditions that may damage the camera.
9. Be Patient and Enjoy the Experience
Successful hunting isn’t all action. There’s quite a bit of patience required. Here are a few tips to ensure you’re comfortable in your hunting stand or observation setup area:
- Place hunting blinds strategically so you’re not visible to potential game
- Set up tree stands using proper safety harnessing
- Prepare for weather changes with extra layers, rain jackets, etc.
- Pack supplies such as food and water
- Bring any toiletries you may need to relieve yourself (toilet paper, wipes)
- Set up a communications system so you can talk with other hunters in your party or loved ones back home
- Keep your food and drink cool with the EcoFlow Glacier Portable Refrigerator – it can make ice, keep food fresh, and even freeze your animal meat at the end of your hunt.
Like fishing, hunting provides a unique experience surrounded by nature, being still, and staying present. Don’t get too comfortable, though, or you may miss your shot!
10. Take Your Shot
When the moment comes, be ready to aim and shoot with precision. Animals can move quickly, and any noises may signal a threat, so be still, steady, and prepared to pull the trigger when they’re in range.
Before you shoot, confirm the identity of the target and its sex, if possible. Ensure it’s clear to shoot with no one nearby or in the background who could get hurt. Only take ethical shots and follow through properly. Note the time of your shot and the animal’s reaction, especially if they get away.
Be prepared for the possibility that your first shot may not be successful. It’s a learning process; you’ll get better and more accurate with time.
11. Learn How to Field Dress and Process Meat
Once you successfully hunt an animal, you’ll field dress it to ensure quality meat. Use the right tools and remember the basic anatomy of the animal so you can work quickly as you dress it. Clean and dry the meat, then cool it promptly using your cooler or portable refrigerator, maintaining proper temperature control. Document the animal’s weight and measurements on your hunting tag and attach it to the carcass before removing it from the field.
You can take the meat home or bring it to a specialty butcher to process it for its intended use. They may use certain aging techniques or cutting methods for the best taste or the most accessible storage. A butcher can also tell you the best way to store your meat at home and provide recipe ideas.
12. Learn From Your Mistakes and Commit
Hunting success is built through experience, including failures. To learn from your mistakes and improve your hunting skills, keep a detailed journal of your hunting records to review occasionally.
Study hunting laws, regulations, and best practices, or join hunting communities in person or online to find others you can learn from. Practice as much as possible, and analyze your successful hunts for takeaways you can apply next time.
By methodically keeping track of the lessons learned and tips for success, you’ll learn from your own experience and become a better hunter for it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hunting has a learning curve and requires preparation and dedication, but it’s not difficult if you can commit to both. Focus on educating yourself on safety and techniques, developing your skills, and learning from experienced hunters, and you’ll become successful with time.
Before you can start hunting, you’ll need basic education, proper licensing, weapons and ammunition, safety gear, navigation tools, and an understanding of the land and animals in your area. Finding a mentor who can help you learn provides a quick path to success.
Final Thoughts
A hunting journey is an involved one, but it can be incredibly satisfying when all of your time, education, practice, scouting, waiting, and hard work culminate in a successful shot and meat to bring home. To get into the sport and hobby, start with safety and education. Then, invest in high-quality gear that will enhance your experience.
Find a mentor to guide you and take you to the shooting range before hunting. Once you’re out there, enjoy the experience and remember what you learned to hunt your target successfully.
Don’t get discouraged by what can be long days. Pack essential gear to keep you safe and comfortable, like EcoFlow’s River 3 Series Portable Power Stations, for reliable power no matter how long your stakeout is.