The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The Hide > The Hunt

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old August 1, 2009, 08:25 PM   #1
Sriracha
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 9, 2005
Location: GA
Posts: 310
Advice for a newbie? What game would you recommend?

Hi everyone,

Over some beers last night, a friend and I started considering hunting. May I ask you folks for advice on what critter we could hunt, given our circumstances?

We're both gun owners, and we will of course seek proper instruction in hunting safety and etiquette. But for now, we're still just thinking about how practical/fun/affordable this sport will be.

So here's our background information:

We live in the Atlanta area, and would probably hunt in north and central Georgia. I have an urban studio apartment and a compact car; the other guy has a suburban house and a light truck. Neither of us has time or space for a dog. We both own shotguns, but would probably exploit an excuse for new guns. We've no friends with private land. Finally, neither of us want to spend too much money initially -- it is unlikely that we'll join a club for now.

Deer and hogs may be a lot of meat for single guys with no families. Perhaps we'd end up doing a lot of eating and not a lot of hunting. So I'm leaning toward small, tasty game -- maybe rabbits or birds. But I'm not sure how practical that would be without dogs.

So, what do you folks recommend?

Thanks for your patience and advice.
- Sriracha
Sriracha is offline  
Old August 1, 2009, 08:33 PM   #2
Doyle
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 20, 2007
Location: Rainbow City, Alabama
Posts: 7,167
I'll recommend to you the exact same thing I recommended to another fellow on this forum that asked about hunting in Ga. Join the Georgia Outdoor Network forums WWW.Forum.GON.com . They are a very experienced bunch of hunters and many are right in your area. I'm Doyle on that forum also.

The best way to learn hunting by far is to find an experienced mentor. Yes, you can learn some by reading and some more by trial and error. But, you'll learn more and quicker by hooking up with a mentor.
Doyle is offline  
Old August 1, 2009, 08:43 PM   #3
hogdogs
Staff In Memoriam
 
Join Date: October 31, 2007
Location: Western Florida panhandle
Posts: 11,069
I too, know the site doyle mentions. And it is decent.
Hogs are usually a target of opportunity when hunting other game. It takes alot of pre planning and scouting to expect much success.
Deer is far easier to gun hunt.
I also suggest some rounds of clay shooting to get that sing-bang shooting down pat.
Brent
hogdogs is offline  
Old August 1, 2009, 09:08 PM   #4
bswiv
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 4, 2006
Location: NE FL.......
Posts: 1,081
For what it is worth the fact that you've already displayed part of the ethics necessary to be a hunter rather than just someone who likes to shoot animals is a good mark for you. To be concerned for not wasting what you shoot and to also be interested in shooting something "tasty" speaks well.

With that in mind it's not a bad idea to do some research on the web for cooking instructions for various game.

While squirrel may sound like a lowly start and maybe not to good to eat fact is that they are VERY good. Better than rabbits IMHO..... The catch is that being very atletic little critters they can be tough unless you do the cooking part right so you need to research it first.

And the ones in the woods, the wild ones, are harder to take than you think.

And spending some time poking about hardwood bottoms will also start to aquaint you with the bigger game that is available.
bswiv is offline  
Old August 1, 2009, 10:13 PM   #5
gunn308
Member
 
Join Date: October 4, 2006
Location: Maine
Posts: 73
Try this link for squirrel recipes and info,
http://www.woodybobs.com/ as for a starting point take a hunter safety course you will probably meet some good people there, such as fathers or other relatives bringing their sons, daughters or whatever, that would be willing to help a neophyte. Hunting small game without dogs just means you have to work harder to find critters, it's a lot of fun to jump on brush piles so your buddy can shoot the rabbits that run away, birds are another story your success rate is much higher with a dog but I have shot a lot of partridge and woodcock without one. I have hunted for 50 of my 57 yrs. yeah I started at 7 with a 20 Ga. single shot J.C. Higgins and when my grandfather showed me how to prepare and make my first rabbit stew for supper was I ever proud. I still use that 20 Ga. when my hound and I are running cats it's old, beat up and light and I don't have to worry about scratches or laying it down in the snow. The main point to hunting is to have fun in the outdoors harvesting meat is just a bonus.
__________________
Oats that have already gone through the horse are always cheaper than oats that haven't !
gunn308 is offline  
Old August 1, 2009, 10:42 PM   #6
Buzzcook
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 29, 2007
Location: Everett, WA
Posts: 6,126
Your shotguns will work fine on deer pigs and squirrels. If you feel the need to get a bit more specialized, then a good .22 for squirrels, a medium caliber rifle for deer, the shotgun is still probably best for pigs.

+1 on squirrels and you can add crows and rabbits to that.
Buzzcook is offline  
Old August 1, 2009, 10:46 PM   #7
Skan21
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 29, 2009
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 463
Dall Sheep.
__________________
"An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life."- Robert Heinlein

Some of you guys need to trade in a few of those Safe Queens and see if you can get a good deal on a Sense of Humor.- Me
Skan21 is offline  
Old August 1, 2009, 11:11 PM   #8
jrothWA
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 11, 2006
Posts: 2,519
What you learn on squirrels,....

will apply for deer.
Have no experiece`with hogs.
Quail will overlap to pheasants & grouse in the GA mountains.

join or use the public hours of a trap/ skeet club for learning on flying targets, the members will likely be helpful in both hunting & shooting.

Good Luck ask questions. The only dumb questions are those never asked!
jrothWA is offline  
Old August 2, 2009, 09:17 AM   #9
Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
 
Join Date: November 13, 1998
Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA
Posts: 24,798
There are charitable organizations which accept game animals to feed homeless and suchlike. That of course means you need to learn proper field-dressing and safe handling in transit.
Art Eatman is offline  
Old August 2, 2009, 09:56 AM   #10
kyle1974
Junior member
 
Join Date: November 23, 2008
Location: Texas
Posts: 254
pigs.... go hunt pigs.

the young ones are fairly stupid and easy to hunt, and the older boars are smart...very smart. Probably smarter than most whitetails.

plus, it's relatively cheap to find hog hunts, especially in your area.
kyle1974 is offline  
Old August 2, 2009, 10:08 AM   #11
The Kid
Member
 
Join Date: August 1, 2009
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 65
I started hunting squirrel. That's what I'd recommend for you as well. You get a chance to be out in the woods and walk around a little bit more than you would with deer. If you feel like you have really good patience (can sit still for 3 + Hours) I'd go ahead and go for deer; otherwise, I'd use squirrels to get to learn about the woods. I can't remember if you said you had a rifle or not, but I'd definitely start out w/ squirrels if you don't have a rifle.
__________________
"When the lambs is lost in the mountain, he said. They is cry. Sometime come the mother. Sometime the wolf." -- Leader of a group of horsemen to the kid and Sproule in Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
The Kid is offline  
Old August 2, 2009, 10:14 AM   #12
Gunforall
Member
 
Join Date: July 29, 2009
Location: Lampasas,Texas
Posts: 35
Squirel is always a good start, and .22 are cheap. There are some great recipies out there for em. Cost is low and easy to skin n clean.
__________________
A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America' for an amount of 'up to and including my life.' That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.
Gunforall is offline  
Old August 2, 2009, 10:25 AM   #13
Sriracha
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 9, 2005
Location: GA
Posts: 310
Thanks for the good advice, folks.

Hmmm. From what you are saying, deer and (small) pigs can't be ruled out. But it sounds like the lowly squirrel or bunny with the guns we already have may be the easiest start.

I hadn't even thought of squirrels. I confess a prejudice against them, because when skinned, they look like they might have been sewer rats. But I suppose they are free-range, acorn-fed meat.

I'll also check out that Georgia Outdoors Network.

Thanks again,
Sr.
Sriracha is offline  
Old August 2, 2009, 02:49 PM   #14
L_Killkenny
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 2, 2007
Location: Iowa
Posts: 2,676
Squirrel hands down. It will teach you to be a hunter and the info you learn hunting them can then be applied to hunting other game like deer. Plus squirrel season runs long giving one ample time in the woods.
L_Killkenny is offline  
Old August 3, 2009, 12:19 AM   #15
Hunley
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 28, 2009
Location: Statesboro, GA
Posts: 241
I don't know if they still have it, but there should be a Hunters for the Hungry somewhere in that area. The DNR and a radio station in Albany had a program they publicized and had great success with it.

As far as easy: deer. Abundant, not too hard to find, and you can should be able find them (even in the "greater Atlanta area" that extends 100 miles from what actually is Atlanta).

You could always forget the gun and just drive around on back roads at night. You'll hit one eventually...
__________________
"The best caliber and round for self defense are the ones in the gun closest to you" - My Grandfather
Hunley is offline  
Old August 3, 2009, 05:37 PM   #16
JagFarlane
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 7, 2008
Posts: 282
Quote:
I don't know if they still have it, but there should be a Hunters for the Hungry somewhere in that area. The DNR and a radio station in Albany had a program they publicized and had great success with it.
Good organization, last year in GA 28,000lbs of venison was donated. The programs have become so popular that Congressman Phil Gringrey (GA) spearheaded a bill that recently passed the House to recognize HHH in the hopes of raising further revenue.
__________________
Too many to list...enjoy em all!
JagFarlane is offline  
Old August 3, 2009, 05:54 PM   #17
fisherman66
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 22, 2005
Location: The Woodlands TX
Posts: 4,679
Which season is next? Dove is coming up 'round here. That's a great one to cut yer teeth on. Hogs year around in TX, but I don't want to mess with them until the first hard freeze (ticks and such).

I suggest you start with birding. Find out if you need a hunter's safty class.
__________________
la plus belle des ruses du diable est de vous persuader qu'il n'existe pas!
fisherman66 is offline  
Old August 3, 2009, 06:06 PM   #18
shortwave
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 17, 2007
Location: SOUTHEAST, OHIO
Posts: 5,970
Another vote for squirrel. I use squirrel hunting every year to hone my stalking skills for upcoming deer season. Trying to sneak through a dry leaved woods is something you can`t get enough practice doing. Also rabbit hunting using your friend as the dog is fun too providing you can teach him to bark
shortwave is offline  
Old August 3, 2009, 06:09 PM   #19
rantingredneck
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 12, 2007
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 4,728
Squirrel is a good start to learn the skills that will translate into larger game such as deer, hogs, and turkey.

You'll also have the opportunity to just sit and watch animals move. If your area is anything like mine a good squirrel hunting trip will involve seeing a few deer and maybe a turkey or two while out and about.
__________________
NRA Member
NC Hunter's Education Instructor

PCCA Member (What's PCCA you ask? <- Check the link)
rantingredneck is offline  
Old August 3, 2009, 06:56 PM   #20
MLeake
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 15, 2007
Location: Outside KC, MO
Posts: 10,128
hogs and single guys

Hogs have a lot of meat, perhaps too much for a single guy.

Then again, some of us single (or formerly single) guys have friends and relatives who also like meat.

And when the friends and relatives have taken their fill, there are at least some homeless shelters that really appreciate a cooler full of ribs and cuts arriving at their kitchen door. (I've heard that some shelters won't, out of fear that the meat may not have been handled properly, but the one a couple miles from where I used to live was quite happy to take it off my hands)

If you want to hunt hogs, hunt hogs. Just because you personally won't use all that meat, doesn't mean you can't make good use of it.

As Hogdogs noted, though, hogs are a bit difficult to locate, unassisted. They like to hang out in really thick scrub, where it's hard for people to move - at least in the southeast, where such scrub is abundant. In central and southern FL, they really love thick palmetto groves. Getting one out in the open, without canine assistance, is a good trick.

Last edited by MLeake; August 3, 2009 at 07:55 PM. Reason: clarification: homeless shelter was NEAR where I lived
MLeake is offline  
Old August 3, 2009, 07:50 PM   #21
hogdogs
Staff In Memoriam
 
Join Date: October 31, 2007
Location: Western Florida panhandle
Posts: 11,069
A hog is the ideal single guy food. "Hey ya'll I am gonna have a cook out, I am supplying the maet, ya'll each bring a side and a case..."
A small freezer is under $200 bones and will hold 2 hogs and 2 deer fully processed.
that is about a year of meat for a bachelor who really likes fresh meat!
Brent
hogdogs is offline  
Old August 3, 2009, 09:28 PM   #22
lockedcj7
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 15, 2007
Posts: 1,215
I've got to agree with fisherman66 here.

You've already got shotguns so head out to skeet or sporting clays range and polish up. Contact GA DNR and find out if they have public dove shoots with locations, dates and times. Make a dry run and find the field you wish to hunt prior to opening day and how long it takes to get there.

Make sure you have the appropriate licenses and permits, a couple of boxes of #8 shot, lightweight camo, chairs, water and a copy of the GA hunting regulations.

Go have a ball. Dove hunting is awesome because you don't have to get up early, don't have to be quiet and only have to be still when you see a bird coming your way. Plus, you get to make fun of your friends when they miss.

If you manage to kill some, hit me up for cleaning and cooking tips.
__________________
To a much greater extent than most mechanical devices, firearms are terribly unforgiving of any overconfidence, complacency or negligence.
lockedcj7 is offline  
Old August 3, 2009, 11:00 PM   #23
sc928porsche
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 29, 2008
Location: now living in alabama
Posts: 2,433
There is a lot of game you can hunt out there. You can use public lands and hunt deer, dove, quail (bobwhite) turkey, and hogs. You might want to get a centerfire rifle (I recommend something 25 cal or larger) for deer and hogs, but rifled slugs will do. You should be able to locate areas and seasons from your local wildlife management agent. Hunting is a lot more enjoyable than punching holes in targets, but you must be proficient at that too. Good luck and enjoy.
__________________
No such thing as a stupid question. What is stupid is not asking it.
sc928porsche is offline  
Old August 4, 2009, 07:30 PM   #24
Doodlebugger45
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 15, 2009
Location: Wyoming
Posts: 1,717
Actually, rabbit hunting is tons of fun. Sure, you can do it with a .22 or a shotgun, but I get great fun out of using my deer or elk rifle and it gives me a lot of practice mounting the gun to my shoulder, finding the target in the scope, squeezing the trigger just right, etc. Things that come in handy when you see that special bull elk and only have a second to take the shot. Jack rabbits are tons of fun to shoot at all ranges, but not good to eat. Cotton tails are more short range shooting but they are great to eat.

We don't have hogs up here, but I got to shoot some in South Texas and it was loads of fun. A decent size hog will make a lot of fajitas.
Doodlebugger45 is offline  
Old August 5, 2009, 04:58 PM   #25
Dr. Strangelove
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 1, 2008
Location: Athens, GA
Posts: 1,436
Sign up for a hunter safety class and purchase a sportsman's license for $60.00, this includes all fresh and salt water fishing, small and big game hunting, and WMA (Wildlife Management Area) access.

Quote:
Actually, rabbit hunting is tons of fun. Sure, you can do it with a .22 or a shotgun, but I get great fun out of using my deer or elk rifle and it gives me a lot of practice mounting the gun to my shoulder, finding the target in the scope, squeezing the trigger just right, etc.
This isn't legal in Georgia, rimfire rifles .22 cal and smaller, shotguns, and any black powder firearm are allowed.
Squirrel season opens on the 15th of this month, and dove season isn't far away in September.

Do check out the Georgia Outdoor Network.
Dr. Strangelove is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:31 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.11556 seconds with 8 queries