How would you get started?

[Rainsford]

I’ve been shooting most my life, but never hunted. Looking to get into it, but I’m not sure how to get started. Permits, locations, seasons, etc are all fairly overwhelming. Any tips on where you would start? Which type of game/season?

[Garufa]

If it where me I’d start by studying this inside and out (and subsequently keeping up to date with the latest version). https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/twra/documents/guide/TN-Hunting-Guide.pdf

Edited April 25 by Garufa

[Slappy]

Garufa is right.  Start with the TWRA guides as they will explain seasons, permitting, bag limits and such.  They also have an App you can download on your phone which is helpful for reporting game.  Depending on your age, you will likely be required to take a Hunters Safety Course and even still, it would be a good idea to take the class anyways.  It been a long time since I had mine, but if I'm not mistaking, you can do this online or in person.  You can also buy whatever permit you need online from the TWRA, or in a lot of local stores.  I know BassPro will sell them, maybe Academy as well.  Public land is available to hunt and maybe someone will chime in on the ins/outs of that.  I've never hunted public land since I have access to private.  Definitely ask around about land and even volunteer to help maintain any property you have been given access to.  There is a sticky on top of this board that I created to help new hunters.  I keep meaning to update/polish it up some but it'll definitely help. 

Lastly, I'd encourage you to introduce hunting to someone else.  Even if you feel like you have no idea what you are doing, that would be a memory of a lifetime for whoever tags along with you.  

[10-Ring]

That's a very broad question. Akin to someone that may ask you "I want to buy a gun, what should I get?" There are countless ways to answer that. Personally, I'll hunt about anything, I just want to be in the woods.  I've been interested in hunting for as long as I can remember and could about recite the annual regulations book put out but TWRA when I was a little kid. (Probably not as knowledgeable now). In 30+ years of hunting I've learned more about hunting from other people that I've hunted with than anything else. In these times I'm sure YouTube is a great resource that I didn't have. I'd pester any friends who hunt and see if you can go with them.  

[Alleycat72]

1. Get permission on private land for you and one other person.

2. Ask if anyone wants to deer hunt with you next year.

LOL

3. Prepare to change your number due to the amount of incoming calls. 

[NoBanStan]

I'm with you @Rainsford. I've had my safety education completed since 1996 and I've never been. I don't have close friends that hunt or own land. I don't own land and asking random folks if i can go shoot wildlife on their property seems unlikely. Plus i don't feel like getting shot by a moron on public land.

[monkeylizard]

1. Decide what you want to hunt. This will dictate a lot of things from clothing needs (like blaze orange for deer, but not for turkeys), licenses to purchases, weapons to use (rifle vs. shotgun vs bow vs black powder rifle), seasons, bag limits, identifying a processor if needed, etc. It's also important to know what to do with the animal once you've bagged and tagged it. You're going to need to know how to at least field dress a deer if you're hunting deer, but that's not useful information if you're hunting ducks or turkeys.

2. Make a realistic assessment of your access to huntable land. Do you have friends or family with large tracts you can access? If the land is hours away, will you really make the trip often enough to be worth the effort? If no easy access to  private land, do you have the money to join a hunting club or to lease land? Depending on size and location, a lease will run from about $1000 to $5000 annually. Very large tracts with a wide variety of ecosystems (deer, turkey, upland game bird fields, wetlands for ducks, etc.) may go for $15000+. If none of the above, that means TWRA public land.

2.b - Stands. This is a combination of 1 and 2. If you're going to be hunting from a stand, you can't leave them up on TWRA land. That means a climbing stand or carrying in a ladder and setting up a stand. Ask yourself if you're physically fit enough to use a climbing stand or to carry in and out the ladder you need. Private land is easier because you can usually leave tree stands in place there or perhaps even build an enclosed stand.

If after working your brain through those 2 you still want to go for it:

3. Take the TWRA Hunter Safety Education course. If you're over the age limit (born on or after January 1, 1969) you don't have to have it, but it's very good information and a first-time hunter really should know the stuff in the course.

4. Read and understand the TWRA Hunting Guide, especially all licenses needed for what you want to hunt.

5. Buy your licenses and permits

6. Go do it.

 

If you have the money then an easy way to get into hunting of some kind is to go to a hunting lodge. It's basically a hotel where you go out each day hunting. You bring your clothing, guns, and ammo, and they do the rest. Some specialize in larger game like deer, elk, boar. Others focus on birds. Prices will vary with the luxury-level of the lodge.

 

 

[Rainsford]

On 5/4/2024 at 9:56 PM, monkeylizard said:

1. Decide what you want to hunt. This will dictate a lot of things from clothing needs (like blaze orange for deer, but not for turkeys), licenses to purchases, weapons to use (rifle vs. shotgun vs bow vs black powder rifle), seasons, bag limits, identifying a processor if needed, etc. It's also important to know what to do with the animal once you've bagged and tagged it. You're going to need to know how to at least field dress a deer if you're hunting deer, but that's not useful information if you're hunting ducks or turkeys.

2. Make a realistic assessment of your access to huntable land. Do you have friends or family with large tracts you can access? If the land is hours away, will you really make the trip often enough to be worth the effort? If no easy access to  private land, do you have the money to join a hunting club or to lease land? Depending on size and location, a lease will run from about $1000 to $5000 annually. Very large tracts with a wide variety of ecosystems (deer, turkey, upland game bird fields, wetlands for ducks, etc.) may go for $15000+. If none of the above, that means TWRA public land.

2.b - Stands. This is a combination of 1 and 2. If you're going to be hunting from a stand, you can't leave them up on TWRA land. That means a climbing stand or carrying in a ladder and setting up a stand. Ask yourself if you're physically fit enough to use a climbing stand or to carry in and out the ladder you need. Private land is easier because you can usually leave tree stands in place there or perhaps even build an enclosed stand.

If after working your brain through those 2 you still want to go for it:

3. Take the TWRA Hunter Safety Education course. If you're over the age limit (born on or after January 1, 1969) you don't have to have it, but it's very good information and a first-time hunter really should know the stuff in the course.

4. Read and understand the TWRA Hunting Guide, especially all licenses needed for what you want to hunt.

5. Buy your licenses and permits

6. Go do it.

 

If you have the money then an easy way to get into hunting of some kind is to go to a hunting lodge. It's basically a hotel where you go out each day hunting. You bring your clothing, guns, and ammo, and they do the rest. Some specialize in larger game like deer, elk, boar. Others focus on birds. Prices will vary with the luxury-level of the lodge.

 

 

Thanks!! I appreciate it. I’ve got a friend who has some land and I think might want to also get into hunting. I may hit him up and see if we want to learn together. We shoot all the time at the range together.