Some good advice on here already. Try looking up some of the past threads of people in the same position as you. Others have touched on a .22 and a centerfire rifle, with those two plus your shotgun you'll be able to chase anything you want.

I'm in FTW too if you want to go shooting sometime PM me.

First thing you need to get behind you is your hunter safety course- never had to take it (I'm an old geezer) but I have been told you can take it on line. Next, decide what game you are interested in hunting, which will then determine what weapon you will need to purchase. If you aren't that familiar with handling firearms then what you don't learn from the HSC then find someone or someplace that has a training program. Nobody want to have a rookie around them if they don't know how to safely handle a firearm. Now it is time to start learning the art of hunting and the best thing for that is hunting something that is plentiful that give you plenty of shot opportunities where you can learn and gain confidence. I realize that going to college may limit the finances, but do what you can when you can. Once we get past the frenzy of COVID-19 and you want a chance at something bigger than a squirrel you let me know and you can come down to one of my leases and I will see if we can't put you on a pig. I have been where you are- dad didn't hunt so I had to kind of learn on my own. I did have a lot of friends, starting mainly when I hit my 30's, that hunted so I got a chance to learn a lot from them. I have no children so pass down some of this "wisdom" so when you are ready you let me know and come see me. Remember, there are no stupid questions and if someone makes you feel dumb by how they answer then you are talking to the wrong person.

Real good stuff from Russ79 as well as many others on here. I echo what many have said on getting a 22 and shooting a lot. Easy and cheap to shoot. Guns generally hold their value very well so get a cheap one at first and you can always sell it later and upgrade if you want. I suggest a bolt action. You could even get a bb gun, air rifle. As I said before and others have said, you need to know how to shoot before you hunt. Especially if you are around others. Gun safety is huge. I figured you would get offers to mentor you, lots of good guys on here. I may do the same but ill wait till the smoke clears a little.

Wow thank y'all so much! This blew up like I couldn't believe. I really appreciate everyone taking the time to give me all this advice and even offers of mentoring me! From what I've gathered, I'm going to finish my hunters safety course and go to a range (probably this weekend if weather allows), and shoot some trap. I used to do that when I was younger, it's been a few years though.

Also, has anyone been to Alpine Shooting Range in Fort Worth? Thought about going there with my 20 gauge and renting a .22LR to shoot as well. If that place sucks and there's a better range, let me know!!!

Again, y'all are awesome and such a welcoming community. I'm real happy that my first experience in the hunting world has been in Texas!

I'm originally from Tulsa, moved down to Fort Worth to go to TCU.

I don't think this is true with regards to squirrels. Check the regulations for this county. I believe there is a set season. Yes on rabbit for year round hunting. Dove will open the first day of September.

never heard of squirrel season ... but evidently some counties or areas actually do have a squirrel season, learned something new today.

TPWD Squirrel

...

At least in my county squirrel season generally opens up around the beginning of bow season. I remember some years ago trying to bow hunt some TP&W Type II land and had folks in the same woods squirrel hunting with .22's. Kind of scary being up in a tree during that time. Got to where I would keep my orange cap on my head and hang my orange vest on a limb on the other side of the tree.

Think May tis squirrel season.

While never hunted LBJ, OSBWMA has squirrel/hog & think rabbit in May...
i used a .410 .. Not vfc sure if distance, thars White Oak, Kawakami, Lake copper...
Check out the Public Hunting section.. $48.00 permit...
With smooth bore shotgun, effective range varries, used slug...
Did the archery deer/hog hunts, some co-ensided with the squirrel/hog hunts..
Hunter orange tis for safety... Squirrel hunters got things moving...
Like some one mentioned, had a climbing stand, alway went up a bit higher, put my safety orange around tree, then went down a tad, orange would let other hunters know possission from distance...
Majority respected it...
Stay Safe, enjoy the time spent..
& Dont preassure ones self, just enjoy..
Best wish's...

edit : the cooler months have always been more enjoyable for me, less moskeetoes, knats, chiggers & such, & born raised in MN, like the cool weather, each tis differant..

So is there a better place to go other than LBJ? The reason it attracted me is because of the isolation and overall freedom. I liked the idea of going out there to hunt/fish during the day, and then camping/campfire at night.
Are there other places better suited to this?
Thank you all for answering my questions and remaining active in this thread. I feel very motivated.

Welcome to the THF. The public hunting forum would be a good resource for you. https://texashuntingforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/348583/

I would not worry too much about the .22 yet as it sounds like most of your hunting is limited to public hunting right now. Not all, but most of the public hunting areas near you do not allow .22s. LBJ being so close to Ft Worth gets a lot of recreation traffic in the warm months. You will likely see more rabbits than squirrels. I recommend the Caddo Grasslands area up around Honey Grove as one place for what your wanting to do. Squirrels are cyclical, so it can be hit or miss, but there are some good years up there for the spring season. Fishing in the two lakes at Caddo will be much better than LBJ. You would need to check on the camping part in advance as a lot of areas are closed to camping due to the china virus. A lot of the Corps lakes around you have hunting, but since none are managed for hunting, the non migratory small game hunting is generally pretty bad and hard to access, but you can find some pockets of good small game and some decent migratory game hunting if you put the time and miles in scouting for it. My single best public hunting weapon is a canoe or kayak to access places both land and water that is not getting hammered with hunting pressure because it is difficult for other's to access those parts of hunting areas by foot, vehicle, or motored boats.

Agree with Sniper John
Have used my canoe on several of the WMA's
Can put out throw lines...

Or YoYos if your in Oklahoma. I have dropped out jugline noodles or put out a short trotline on my way out dove and duck hunting more than a few times for a fish and feather hunt with great success.

BTW Andrew, I was SPL with Troop 121 way back in the day. Was in Order of the Arrow. Went to the 1978 National Scout Jamboree, used to teach orienteering at a scoutmasters camp, and more.

Hey, my name is Blake and I am also a college student in a similar situation. Although I am not an Eagle scout, I fish all the time and have taken some outdoor education classes. I already have my hunters education completed, so what would be the advice for the next step. I live in North Dallas in the collin county area.

What would yall recommend be a good starter animal to hunt?

I appreciate all of the advice that you guys have gave already, it has helped me a lot and put me in the right direction.

If you guys have any specific advice just PM me.

Welcome Blake. My advice would be to become an Eagle Scout. Just kidding-lots of that on here and hard to discern sometimes. I would think you could piggy back on the rest of the advice on this thread except where your situation differs.

Dove and Squirrel would be good, practice shooting at moving targets (always remember what's beyond the target)
Dove season generally doesn't start until September 1st.
Squirrel, Year-round Season - No bag limit
General Season
Sept. 1, 2019 - Aug. 31, 2020
Rabbits ,,Statewide
Regular Season
No closed season

Bag Limit None
---

Whitetail season doesn't start until November.

If you have enough property and local authority allows for it, go predator hunting, call in Fox and Coyotes.
Keep in mind you do need a huntin license.

What kind of firearms do you have?

Know that several Counties in Texas have a Fall and Spring Squirrel season. Not a year round season. Most of those Counties are in far East Texas, but for example the part of Caddo Grasslands I mentioned is one of them. Only open Oct 1 to sometime in Feb and the month of May.

For you guys new to hunting with no private access, you should be looking at the TPWD drawn hunts when they get posted for next season. https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/hunt/public/public_hunt_drawing/hunt-categories.phtml
Some real great opportunities there. The first ones open up for applications in July.

For right now, I would focus a lot more on learning skills than on getting a new gun, like many have suggested. You happen to have one of the most versatile guns ever made. Many public lands only allow shotguns with slugs for deer and hogs (buckshot might be allowed for hogs, but slugs work much better). I would go buy some slugs and head to the range to see how they shoot out of your shotgun. For a beginner with a smooth bore (not rifled) barrel, 50-60 yards is a good limit to set for yourself. Ideally, you would buy several boxes of different shells and see what shoots the best, but I remember what a college budget is like, so I would start with a middle of the road variety and hope they shoot accurately, only buying others if you can't get a decent group out of the first box. For your smooth bore, you want to buy rifled slugs, not sabot slugs, which are designed for a rifled barrel.

My advice, which is probably worth about what you are paying for it, would be spend a ton of time hunting squirrels while getting to know one area. Squirrel hunting teaches you the same skills you need to be a successful big game hunter, but with a much faster learning curve. You need to learn how to move through the woods quietly, spot game quickly before it spots you, identify food sources, learn animal habits in your local area, sit still, move when the game isn't looking, use the terrain to your advantage, and I'm sure a ton of other skills I am forgetting. The benefit to squirrels is, if you blow a "stalk" on one, its not like your trip is ruined. You simply walk another 50 yards and start again. You can have as many encounters with your target animal in a weekend as most casual deer hunters get in several years.

I've been to Alpine several times. It's a fine shooting range, with a variety of options for shotguns skeet, trap, sporting clays. Other ones near you are Defender Outdoors they have one near downtown and a shotgun range further west.

some solid info on this thread. Y'all doing a nice job steering him in the right direction.

Andrew, how is your search for hunting knowledge going? Im always curious about our up and coming hunters and i hope you will stay plugged in.

It's going pretty great! I completed my hunter safety and I've learned some things. Only thing left is finding somewhere to actually go hunting. Since it's summer and I'm out of school, I've been looking to go somewhere sometime. Only thing in season it looks like is squirrels. I'd really like to be able to camp and fish wherever I do go hunting, so that's where I've hit a brick wall in terms of progressing my hunting knowledge.

Ill send you a pm, maybe I can help you out.

what about Hagerman? never been there but have been around it