New Hunter

[Coomba]

The ranks of hunters are thinning, or so I hear, so I'm glad to be adding to them. Hunting's becoming taboo, I don't get it, but whatever. I'm looking to go on my first hunt this coming season. I want to bag deer, boar, and turkey for Thanksgiving minimum.

Amongst the other problems with being a beginner, first on my mind is where exactly am I supposed to do this hunting? I'm in Georgia, would like to stay in state, don't have many friends who hunt. In fact, I have NO friends who hunt. Only my best friend's old man, and I'm sure I can tag along with him on some hunts, but the rest of the time it'll be me by my lonesome. So, any recomendations on where to go?

[johnwilliamson062]

I have the same problem in Ohio... No one my age seems to hunt.

[Kreyzhorse]

Maybe contact the local gun clubs? Contact the fish and game department of Georgia. They may have contacts and suggestions and information on hunter's education. If you haven't taken a hunters ed course, I suggest it.

I'm 39 years old and had to take one a few years ago so I could hunt out west. It was well worth the time.

Just a few thoughts.

Good luck.

[hogdogs]

What quadrant of Ga. are you from? I think Ga has the same hog policy as we do. With written permission from land owner you can hunt them year around, IIRC, so that is a start. Good luck on the huntin'!
Brent

[Desertfox]

Just a few suggestions.
Take a weekend and trip to the country. Saturday is better than Sunday due to church services.
Stop at local feed stores and inquire about potential land owners who would let a person new to hunting try and rid them of some ferrel hogs. Also inform them that you are new to the sport and would appreciate any information as to who may help a new hunter get into deer hunting. Chances are you will luck into a lead or two. Hog hunting early can lead to you asking permission to take a whitetail in the fall. Build a good report with the land owner by picking up trash or fixing a fence while you are out. Always let them know ahead of time when you are coming and going. Offer some of your harvest to them also. Never bring anyone else with you without the landowner knowing ahead of time. They get nervous when you show up with strange faces carrying guns.
If this is unavailable to you, Try taking out a small personal add in a local paper. For about $20.00 you can say something like;
New to hunting and looking for someone to show me the ropes. and Phone number.
For your first choice and largest supply of information, Law Enforcement.Your local game warden's office can help. He will probably be based at the sheriff's office. He will keep you legal and put you in touch with law abiding assistance maybe. He can also tell you where to get a hunter's education course. Most are free to attend.
Any Archery shops or Gun shops around? They know everyone. They like 'new to the sport' hunters and can be a big help. Ask them where to go and what to expect.
Keep your hunting legal and safe and you will enjoy it for life.

[Art Eatman]

Quite a few of the Mom'n'Pop stores have "Woods & Water" on sale. Also some farm supply places, and possibly gunstores as well as newsstands.

Lots of ads for hunt clubs. You can check out some club near you, and go there now or soon and talk about hunting in general. You don't have to be signed up to ask questions.

Georgia's game department publishes a booklet with all the regulations, showing what public land areas are available, as well as the rules for use of them.

I think there's another Georgia-specific monthly hunting/fishing publication. At WalMart?

Art

[Scorch]

fact, I have NO friends who hunt. Only my best friend's old man, and I'm sure I can tag along with him on some hunts, but the rest of the time it'll be me by my lonesome.

So go talk to your friend's "old man" and see if you can persuade him to show you how and where to hunt. You can read all the books you want, take Hunters Ed classes, spend time shooting at the range, but until you spend some time learning from someone who knows how to hunt you aren't going to learn a thing about hunting.

[Pahoo]

I hunt Alabama so am familiar with the landscape and the game. As mentioned, take a Hunter Ed course and make some contacts that way. If you can afford it, go to a hunting preserve. Perhaps join a conservation group or shooting club. You have a very nice deer population and I mostly hunt them alone. Same for Turkey. Outstanding quail hunting and I prefer to hunt these with a dog. What about the guys you work with? I'm sure you will find one or two that go hunting. Might add that finding good hunting partners are rare and even treasured. I do not come from a hunting family and when I decided that I wanted to take this up, I asked around our schools as to who hunted. Threw in with a bunch of crazy River Rats and the rest is history.

You are right about dwindling numbers of hunters. Last year our state lost around 1,000 hunters. This is based on lower license sales.

Be Safe

[Coomba]

I'm pretty much following all the suggestions here. That's great to know. Taking the ed course online and the test in August. My bestfriend's family is the typical Southern family, lots of hunter's there. I'm sure I will learn loads from them.


I'm in Fulton county, 30 minutes north of Atlanta.

I got into hunting because I bought a handgun for self defense. I had an epiphany, if I'm defending MYSELF Is hould be able to do other things for myself and my family. Like put food on the table. So I plowed up a bunch of this Georgia red clay in my backyard and started one hell of a garden. Now all I need is some meat on the side to have a well balanced meal. DING! I want to a. get outdoors more, b. get in some exercise, c. be able to provide for myself, d. need to find a reason to buy more guns. One activity which meets all of these is hunting, and so a new hunter was born.

[T. O'Heir]

Join a shooting club. Aside from making a bunch of new, like-minded, friends, all kinds of doors will open. Such as being invited to hunt.

[Mainah]

You raise an interesting point Coomba. I've read several articles in various publications recently about people turning, or returning, to gardening in response to the economy. But I haven't read anything about a corresponding increase in hunting.

[lon371]

You will not here of hunting on the increase because of the PC crowd. Around here {Southern Indiana} There are new hunters every year. I know because I take a new child or 2 every year.

If you live in town or a city, find a freind in the country. Around here, you can hit a general store{yes we still have them} and make all kinds of hunting freinds. Check your area see if there is a farm supply type store. Go in and look for the red neck kid. Or ask about local farmers talking about deer and such damaging crops. Where we live most farmers will tell you where to go.

Glad to hear of another New hunter. Good luck on your new addiction

Lonny

[T-Ray]

don't go before learning how to clean what you're hunting. You'll end up with a stinking deer (or any other animal) and the smell only gets worse unless you clean it.

[simonkenton]

You won't get a turkey for Thanksgiving, because turkey season is in the spring.
But you certainly can get a deer and a hog, or two.

I have killed more than 70 deer, and a dozen hogs, in central Georgia.
I was hunting in Baldwin and Hancock counties. I did a lot of hunting in the Oconee River swamps, lots of hogs down there.
As a rookie, the best thing you can do for yourself is to get a scoped rifle. There are lots of rifles that are good for deer and hogs, a Marlin .30-30, or .35 Remington, a Savage or Remington bolt action 30-06, .270, or .308, and many others.
You will be hunting in brush mostly, unless you get on a power line or a field.
Most of the shots I made were less than 50 yards. I hunted with iron sights and with a scope and the scope was a big advantage.
Get a good scope and practice! Go to the range and practice at 100 yards.
When you are good at targets, get a life size silhouette of a deer and practice on that.
As a rookie, if your hunting buddies hear you take a couple shots, and you don't have a dead deer to show for yourself, you are going to become a very lonely hunter. Far better for you to take no shot at all than to take a bad one and miss, or, worst of all, to wound a deer and it gets away.
The single best thing you can do for yourself is to be a good shot. You should be able, from a rest, to hit a grapefruit five times in a row at 100 yards.

There are lots of wildlife management areas in the state, called WMAs.
Besides your deer license, you just have to buy a WMA stamp for ten or fifteen bucks and you can hunt in any WMA in the state.
Anybody can hunt there and anybody does. They are crowded and some real dumb ass trigger happy guys are found there. I don't like 'em.

Your best bet is to join a club.
If you could find a good club along the Oconee River, or the Ocmulgee River in central Georgia, you will find great deer and hog hunting, and lots of turkeys, too. You could find a club in these areas that is a 2 hour drive from north Fulton County.
Best to stay in state as I can assure you out of state tags are expensive, South Carolina is $245 for an out of state deer license.

Good luck, hunting is a lot of fun and the meat is good. I just love wild hog, it is the best meat on God's green earth.

As to how to find a club, google up "deer hunting club Ocmulgee River" or "Oconee River."
Here is one I found, good deer, hog and turkey hunting near Perry Georgia, $1250 a year.
They have camping so ideally you could go down on Friday at noon and beat rush hour, and hunt all day Saturday and Sunday.

http://www.oakywoodshuntingclub.com/index.html

Here is a club that looks really good in Butts County on the Ocmulgee River, looks like great deer hunting and turkey too. They don't say anything about hogs, you should ask 'em.
$1400 a year and they need 3 members!

http://www.qdmaforums.com/showthread.php?p=144672

Another resource is a magazine called Georgia Outdoor News. This is sold at convenience stores and all gun stores. I am pretty sure you could find a club to join in this magazine, plus lots of other good info. Here is their web site:

http://www.gon.com/page.php?id=54&cid=87

The best hunting is in the central and southern parts of the state, both for deer and hogs.

[SPUSCG]

i cant wait for a first hunt, im taking a hunters safety course this fall just in time for turkey season and some good eating

[Doyle]

SimonKenton gives you some good advise. Learn before you go. He mentioned the Georgia Outdoor Network. They also have a great forum. Go to WWW.forum.gon.com an join.

[BIGR]

Glad you decided to try hunting. Its an enjoyable hobby that serves many purposes. If you get into deer hunting you will find plenty in Georgia.

[djonathang]

I did a bit of speed reading through all the replies, so sorry if this is a repeat.

I would suggest you get a guide who is familiar (experienced and successful) with public lands. This guide will be found by reading posts on or about hunting in Georgia. Spend a few bucks with someone knowledgeable, then you'll be able to venture out on your own.

DG

[Coomba]

Just when I thought I had all the advice.

Thanks again. I will be checking on all of this.