Buck for a Buck

Anyone remotely interested in hunting should start. It’s not as hard as one may think to pick it up. 

Assuming you just want to get in the woods without spending more than you need, you could probably start hunting for a lot less than you may think.

The major expense is buying a rifle, which will last you a lifetime and will not decrease in value. If you have legal access to a rifle, then your only expenses would be ammo, the hunting license and big game permit ($40), and the required hunter’s safety course, which can be done online for around $20. 

You need to approach hunting gear purchases with the same skepticism you would a car dealership. Go into any outdoors store and they will part you from your money in an instant.

There’s 1,000,000 pieces of gear you could buy, and if you’re just hoping to get into the woods for the first time, there’s 999,999 pieces of gear you shouldn’t. 

Here’s what you have to have:

• A license & and big game permit ($40 total in Georgia) 

• Hunter’s safety course (around $20, done online) 

• A rifle (get one that comes with a scope) 

• Orange vest ($10) 

What you don’t need (especially just to start): 

A stand. I took a friend hunting one evening and sat him against a stump overlooking a shallow valley with a game trail. Then I left and climbed into my deer stand not far away.

I was thinking to myself “what a bummer for Johnny, he doesn’t have a stand…” I barely had time to sit down before I heard him shoot. He killed a 7 pointer in the first 30 minutes. 

You can find a good spot to sit on the ground in most places. Look for elevated areas that overlook potential game trails or valley-like topography. Sit with your back to a tree so you don’t spook anything behind you.

The first deer I shot, at maybe 12, I was sitting with my back to a tree looking down a steep wooded hill and doe walking right in front of me. 

Private land is awesome if you have access to it, but not having it is no reason not to hunt. You can hunt nearly 1,000,000 acres of public hunting land in Georgia with nothing more than the license and big game permit and hunter safety certificate. 

You can also get by without proper camo. I’ve killed several deer in black or solid green work pants and a black hoodie. That said, a long sleeve camo shirt cost me $5 at an outdoors store. 

Paid apps like OnX and others aren’t necessary at first. These definitely can help, but unless you have a lot of experience hunting, you won’t be able to get much out of them.

You’ll learn a lot more just by going on YouTube and watching credible channels and spending time in the woods.

Don’t be afraid of not looking the part either. I pull up to the public hunting lands surrounded by F150’s and Chevy Silverados, meanwhile I’m driving a red Toyota Solara coup, the car my wife drove when she was in high school. 

Don’t be put off by grouchy old hunters. I told the guy at a sporting goods store I was hunting public land for the first time. He stopped and said, “don’t be foolish out in the woods our you’ll come back to your tires slashed.” Never happened. 

The Georgia Department of Wildlife has an interactive map that lays out each and every hunting area, along with the likelihood that you will see certain species of animals. Here’s the map. 

The map will also show you specific regulations, dates, and any other info you need about each Wildlife Management Area. Read all of the info carefully before you show up. 

The philosophy I am encouraging is not to be flippant about the whole ordeal. Rather, just know that it is much easier to start hunting than you may think, especially if you have access to a rifle. 

The likelihood of killing something is radically low at first, but that is only a part of the enjoyment. Hiking far out into the woods to find a good, remote area where some deer might show up is enjoyment enough. You don’t have to be taught, per se. You can learn a lot from YouTube and the rest by getting out and hunting. 

Tips for new hunters

Look up the related topics on YouTube for more info: 

Know your deer anatomy. You want to kill the deer, not wound it. The chest is where you need to be shooting, just behind the shoulder. You’re going for the heart and lungs. If its quartering toward you, move further up toward the front of the shoulder so that you bullet goes through the vitals, not the gut. 

Hunt in the mornings and evenings. Get to your spot before daylight and sit until at least 10 am. I’ve tried to rush a hunt before church one morning and started packing up at 9:15 am, only to stand up and make eye contact with a buck. 

For evenings, show up at least 2 1/2 or more hours before sunset. Sit until it’s too dark to shoot.

Regarding gun safety, never shoot unless there is something behind the deer to stop the bullet. Never shoot uphill. Never take your safety off unless you’re looking at a confirmed deer. Never shoot at vague movement in hopes of it being a deer. 

Once you’ve shot a deer, sit still for at least a half hour or more. Give it time to die or it will run until you can’t find it. 

Get out and scout your areas in advance so you know exactly where to go when you’re walking in at 5 am.  

You don’t need to be an expert in wind, scent, feeding patterns and so forth. All of that will come eventually.

If you get bored while you’re out there, read venison recipes on Outdoor Life to motivate you.

If I killed a deer at 12 years old sitting up against a tree, so can you.