Very new to Hunting

Hello all.

Great website.

So my cousin and I have decided we wanted to deer hunt, or atleast try it to see if its something we will enjoy as a hobby and good eating going forward.

We have never hunt before (besides watching lots of hunting shows allll day and night). I always for sorry for the deer, when I see other killing it. But now after getting the hunting stations and working with many people that hunt, I have become very interested.

I live in Houston Texas, and do not own a hunting gun, no gear, never did any type of hunting. I have ate deer sausage before, and it tastes good.

I don't wanna get to overwhelmed and not enjoy myself.

Any low budget advice for us. We don't want over spend on the hobby this earlier and found out we don't like it.

Can I hunt deer with an AR-15?

Thank you kindly.

Why not pay to go on a cull hunt on a private ranch. This way you will see a little of what it is about without buying a lease or dealing with public hunting areas.

Yes you can hunt with an AR. If it is a .223 that is a very minimal round for white tail so you need to know and shoot it well and know shot placement.

Good luck!

Thank you Greg,

What is the meaning of cull hunt ?

I thought all hunts was private

Unfortunately, like most hobbies, hunting is not cheap. Even budget hunters put several thousand dollars per year into the sport. However, I can tell you that once you get the bug it's over. You'll spend whatever it takes to pursue you passion.

Like Greg Z suggested. I'd go on a few paid hunts before you jump in the pool. Be sure to do some research on the ranch you choose to hunt. There are many very reputable ranches out there that offer fair chase hunts.

But be warned! Once you get the fever, it never goes away!

Cull hunting is typically going for something specific the owner of the property wants gone. Bucks with odd racks are common, doe hunts, etc. Cull hunting is pretty exclusive to hunting on private property. Public land hunting you will follow season rules for what's in at that time.

If you're on a budget, you can pick up a used bolt-action .308/30.06 rifle with a decent scope for far less than an AR. I deer hunt with a bolt, hog hunt with the AR. Just a personal choice.

Good luck!

Thanks Charlie,

Do you eat the hogs after hunting them?

Also, can you recommend good sites to buy cull hunt?

Hello and welcome. I agree with the comments above but when you say you don't own a hunting gun, what exactly do you mean by that? Do you own a 223 but don't own anything that is typically used for deer hunting or do you not own a rifle all together? There is a lot of information on this in past threads but hunting with an AR platformed in a 223 is very frowned upon to a lot of people and is not a good round for deer. My suggestion is that if you are thinking about buying a first rifle that you can use for shooting and the possibility of hunting, then go for something else. There are a lot of other rifles that are cheap that make great fun on the range and in the deer stand. Lastly deer hunting is anything but cheap. You might think of starting with a few guided hog hunts or something along that line.

Oh boy, here we go...

.223 is fine, especially for the size deer you have down in that part of Tx. I would recommend going up to a 64 gr bullet though.

Poke around on the 'Outfitters& Guides' section down under 'Additional Topics', I'm sure you could find someone to accomodate you and your cousin. Also, day hunts are all over Craigslist.

Like Sparta said, hunting in general is not cheap. I wouldnt worry about going out and getting a bunch of fancy equipment until you know what you are getting yourself into. Warm clothes, a good set of binos, and a rifle is all you need starting out.

I'm fortunate in that I have a lease to hunt on, I don't have any references for you on paid hunts.

On hogs, they are tasty, but coyotes and buzzards have to eat too. I'll eat under 100lbers, but tend to target the larger ones as they hold more bullets.

Thanks Charlie,

What do you mean when you say you have a lease to hunt on? I'm sure the question is easy to answer, but I don't know what that means.

Lease is a piece of property that you pay an annual sum of money to hunt on. It is privately owned by an individual who is kind enough to allow strangers to hunt his/her property. Some places have 2 hunters on the property and some have up to 50 people. There are also public hunting grounds and lottery drawn hunts you can enter.

You said you work with people who hunt, getting one of them to take you under thier wing would be the best thing for you to learn. And lots of time on the internet. Just ask questions and you will get answers on forums such as this.

Welcome to the THF! Now say goodbye to every penny you own, hunting isnt cheap!

Thanks ,

Yes, I don't mind spending up to $2k to $3k for some fun if I like it. It's a hobby and fun. Fun cost. I do not mind at all.

You are right. Warm clothes and a gun is all I need and let someone guide me for starters.

Yes, nearly every man work here has hunt before , except me. Lol.

One guy owns about 700 acers and needs hunters. He charging 600 dollars to hunt. But I would have to actually hunt my own deer, meaning by camera and hunting stand and feeder. Lol, he want show me where the deer is.

Thanks,

I don't own any rifle guns nor never shot any. I was planning on buying one and go to the shoot in range for target practice.

Guided hunts sounds good for starters.

I'm afraid some of these answers might scare you away from a great time learning to deer hunt. You can buy a Savage 30.06 with a scope already mounted for under $375 and buy a pop-up blind for under $50. That way all you need is black clothes. Buy some scent control for less than $15. Then all you need to find is a place to hunt. Learn to see deer tracks and rubs and set up your blind.

Use to be Savage had a good inexpensive 270 bolt with scope that was a great deal for a starter

$300.00 new at Academy and I am sure you could get one for less if you looked around!

The Savage Axis XP .270 Winchester Bolt-Action Rifle comes with a 3 - 9 x 40 Weaver scope and a detachable box magazine. The rifle features a synthetic stock and a matte blued barrel. Made in USA.

So for your lease, do someone show you where the deer is located or do you have to setup feeder and stand anD locate deer yourself?

Most leases you find are already well established. Meaning a group of hunters have been hunting the area for quite some time and one or more of the members decide to leave. In this case, you will most likely be assigned an area or you will be shown where the other stands/feeders are located and be asked to stay x distance away.

Some are community lease. In this case, any hunter can hunt any stand. You will most likely be required to provide at least one stand and feeder. In most community leases a fund is setup at the beginning of each year to cover the cost of corn and maintenance.

If you have some cash (and luck) you can find a lease that is either not being hunted or the entire group is coming off. In this case, you can lease the place and find the extra guns to cover the max gun number set by the land owner. Then you have free reign to decide how you want to setup the lease (as long as you follow land owner and state/county rules).

If you work with other hunters, I would be shocked if none of them would let you tag along at least once. Start talking to friends or people you see regularly at work and you will probably find someone with land you can hunt

ta HF...
if ya wanna lurn bout hunting, pick up a bow, can look on line for a used one, talk ta friends at work, target & practice... some have vital areas on them, if bow is tuned in, half a day will get ya familiarized... Its for short range, good cheap climbing stand, check puplic hunting sección for area close to ya...

Bye limiting your range, youll learn more, teaches ya patiants, from stand can observe wildife... Then theirs the prosessing of meat... If rifle SavagUe did make great rifles... Son & i got one in the .270cal. & got one in.243 for wife... at walmart, back then rifle & scope, less than $200.00 just got ti learn your range, most deer taken under 100yrds, & leases were on under 50yrds... Hogs are good intro for hunting... plenty options, can do a
do it yourself hunt on public or guided, or day hunt, & ya wont have ta learn ta judge the age nor letten em grow... Lots of info around... Best wishes, i got cheap posts...

If you do not own a gun, you can get a scope equipped, bolt action rifle for a lot less cash than an AR-15. Carters Country advertises them weekly.
Much easier to get a rifle in a caliber more suited to deer hunting than an AR and save some money to boot.
Take it to a gun range and ask for help until you can shoot accurately. If you find that hunting is not for you, you can sell the rifle with minimal loss at a gun show.

It sounds like you need to get a mentor to teach you and the cousin how to hunt and what to do. Talk to your buddies at work and ask for help. You can't learn much from the internet. Most people who hunt have done it since they were children and had an adult to tell them right from wrong in no uncertain terms. I wouldn't let a grown first year hunter on a lease of mine without knowing they had someone to teach and vouch for them. I would trust a seasoned hunter with a fifth of whiskey in him before I'd trust a first timer.

It's simple, keep it simple. And the wind and sky and all of that too. It aint a big new truck slash big shinny rim and lift kit contest. AKA ego. Keep it real and enjoy real life nature and soak up the cool air.

I would suggest getting a .22 and starting out with small game, after you get your hunter safety course out of the way. You can hunt up in the Sam Houston National Forest right up the road from you. Small game like squirrel and rabbit provide a lot more action and you develop hunting skills a lot faster. It's more fun than a barrel of monkeys too!

You are taking does or bucks they wish to remove from the property. It will cost less than paying thousands for a trophy hunt. Check the outfitter and guide section of this forum.

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!