sent you an pm

If you buy an AR for hunting and range fun then buy one with the proper caliber for hunting Texas big game like a 6.8SPC or 6.5 Grendel.

I would stay away from a 223 AR for hunting deer. Especially if you are not an expert shot.

Lots of good advice here for a beginner. I was a beginner 6 or 7 years ago so I understand the process you will go through. It will snowball on you. The first year or 2 will be a learning experience and the 2 most important factors for me were.

1. Time in the field
2. Time at the shooting range.

I would start with a bolt action rifle and scope in a caliber that you think is sexy. Then go shoot several hundred rounds until you feel confident and ready at several different yardages.

Camo clothing isnt that important but scent free clothing is. So buy a scent free bag wash your clothes in scent free detergent and you can buy other stuff little by little as you understand what you want and need.

Find a hog or deer hunt or whatever floats your boat in your budget and go see how you like it. If you love it you will just start to grow as a hunter from there with a never ending thirst for knowledge.

I have spent a lot of time and money just preparing myself as a hunter and it has paid off in the long run.

Now its like a damn drug I cant stop!

I don't think that scent free clothing was on the to do list not that long ago, my cousin would go out in plaid shirt and jeans sit down with his back to a tree, smoke a cigarette and never fail to shoot a deer.

Like I said it isnt the clothes you wear especially when blind hunting. You could go naked in a blind.

I wouldnt be happy if some one showed up to a blind or a hunt with me wearing cologne or stunk because they didnt shower or wash their clothes. So why not make an effort to mask as much of your scent as possible.

Wearing stinky clothing or cologne just doesnt make sense to me at all. Good luck to you if thats how you do it.

Scalebuster hit the nail on the hunt. Find you someone that is a seasoned hunter and pick their brain- most of us love to help new hunters. A lot of what was posted in my opinion is getting ahead of your headlights. Since you are new to hunting and didn't really say how familiar or comfortable you are handling a firearm, I would suggest taking a hunters safety course to get you started. Learn how to handle your gun safely...nobody likes to be with a newby in camp who is handling a firearm in an unsafe manner. Next get you a firearm that is more suited to deer hunting than an AR...a Savage in 30.06 or .308 would be a good beginners choice for a reasonably priced rifle. Also, those calibers are more common and you can find ammo almost anywhere. Practice with it until you are familiar with handling it and become proficient shooting it. After that it is a matter of finding a place to hunt- I would start off with a cheap hog hunt to get you used to the hunting experience. And from there you are on your way.

First thing you need to do is take the state hunter education course. Some of the basic question will be answered there. It is course that is needed for purchasing your hunting license.

Also put your location in your profile, there might be someone close to you that might be willing to help you get started. Next look at your bank balance, kiss a good chunk of it goodbye, hunting can be expensive. There is always something you think you will need, a good mentor can help keep you from making some bad purchases.

Thank you everyone for the posts, recommendations and advice.

I live in Houston and I have been busy preparing for Hurricane Harvey , so I will read the comments and reply Saturday and Sunday once I get myself and the family settled.

Thanks,

All great suggestions - I would agree with a poster earlier - find a friend who hunts. You'll learn a lot more vs doing it yourself. May want to consider borrowing their rifle and gear on the first hunt. Also - ask to go to the range - make sure to offer to buy the ammo and clean the rifle afterwards. Good luck - I was in your shoes 20+ years ago. I'm hooked and have my own lease and look forward to deer season 9 months out of the year.

By the way - hopefully you and your family are safe from the raging floods in Houston.

Probably mentioned before, but in addition to the Hunter's Education class, since you are not familiar with hunting rifles, I would suggest signing up for 2-3 classes from a firearms instructor. They will show you many things, SAFETY, mechanics of the weapon, how to sight a gun in at the range. Proper ammo, proper grip and trigger pull, scope eye relief and the list goes on. You will have much more fun and success when you and your gun are one!