New Hunter Please Help!

Hello, I live in Las Cruces NM. I have never been big game hunting in my life. I did go Dove hunting for the first time last year and that was the first time I ever gone hunting. I want to start hunting but don't know how. With Dove hunting I saw videos went and bought a shotgun and tried it that way. Don't have friends since my life revolves around work and family. Don't know anyone that hunts either. I want to start and teach my kids as well and get them outdoors. Right now they are still babies. I was hoping to maybe get some pointers for a new hunter. I have tried to look up local groups but only been able to find groups that are 3 hours away. I also have gone to my local sportsman store and tried to get advice, but I usually just get weird looks and comments like your starting to late, it's going to be very difficult and so on. Like they are almost trying to get me not to go. They never actually really help and also because of it I have been hesitant on trying to ask people in person. I had never been fishing either till last year when I bought a fishing rod. Everything I been trying has been just by watching videos or reading. My first hunt I wanted to do a rifle elk hunt. It doesn't have to be a trophy bull, it can be a cow elk don't really care. Just want to go out and experience it. Just one problem I have no gear and have no idea what to get, where to go or even what to do. The only thing I did was buy some camo from a Cabela's in Texas. I been looking at getting the Ruger American Rifle Predator Bolt Action in 6.5 creedmoor. That's really as far as I've gotten. I just look and look and do as much research as I can but still can't decide. I am going to take my hunters education course soon too, in New Mexico you don't need to but I'm going to anyways. Just really hope to get something back and maybe not get laughed at.

as a new hunter I would really recommend taking a Hunter Safety Course offered by Game and Fish. Even for myself who has been hunting years, I learned a great deal from the course when I took it with my daughter. not too mention you learn a bit just by networking with different people. Honestly a lot of skill just comes with the actual hunt. You learn from your mistakes, you learn from being out there. Definitely spend sometime where your planning to hunt. get to know the area, study maps, study the big game rules and regs. NM has a huge variety of Big Game and small game. Definitely not a bad idea to start off with some small game and do plenty of scouting. Whatever you decide to hunt make a good hunting plan and let someone know the dates your going and where. Theres plenty of Books and info online. Learn as much as you can about the animal you plan on hunting. Learn their eating and bedding habits, learn when they breed and give birth, learn their migrating patterns etc. I see plenty of deer in certain areas in certain seasons and theyre gone come early fall. Its always a learning experience. Do your homework and get as much knowledge as you can and spend as much time as you can spare in the outdoors and youll be sure to come across something eventually. I myself have never been on an "easy" hunt several I haven't even filled my tag but what you bring back from the hunt in general is true experience in my opinion. Best of luck to you

By the way the course that I attended had some fantastic instructors! Not only did they go over safety in general but also went over some recommendations on gear to take along. Not all of it is necessary but definitely recommended.

-Clothes (doesn't have to be camo, but comfortable and needs to keep you warm or cool depending on the situation your in)

-Pack
-Sporting Arms (rifle, Bow, etc)
-food
-optics

Its also a good idea to think about the species you plan to hunt. For example if you plan to hunt different species such as deer, elk, antelope you need to find the right firearm to use. A firearm for Deer may not be ideal for elk or Oryx. you may consider a firearm that is efficient for both. Just something to think about

The cabelas camo will not work unless its sitka. U got a great start with the creedmore idea tho!

Try to find a local mentor. Even if it is just to get together and talk hunting. Spend as much time in the woods and desert as you can. This you can do by yourself. Develop some outdoor skills. Start by watching animals. This is part of the fun. Get GPS app on your phone ONX is a great one. Get out there and it will start coming together for you.

Why won't the Cabela's camo work? Sitka was pretty expensive for me so I was referred to the O2 octane brand of Cabela's

Would a 6.5 creedmoor be able to take down an oryx? Was told to try and put it for that hunt because since I live in Las Cruces that it's close to WSMR and could do a off range hunt without having to go crazy far since I don't really have a whole lot of stuff

Im just joking about the camo. O2 is one of my favorites. 6.5 will take down anything in new mexico and for some reason seems to be the hottest thing going right now. U will be fine if u take these guys advice. Good luck

Joey, Camo is the very least important part about hunting. That was probably just sarcasm. Camo is way down on the list of priority items needed for hunting.

As far as the Creedmore, it is a good choice and a bad choice. First it is probably more caliber than a new hunter needs and shells will be expensive.

Unless money is no object, I would stick with the standard cartridges that you can pick up for $20 a box. .308, 30-06, .270, every one of these rounds are very available and inexpensive. When you go to set up your new gun, you do not want to be shooting rounds that are $60-$90 a box.

Also, setting up the rifle. you should really get someone truly experienced in mounting scopes, and knowing how to site it in.

Priority items.

Well sited in rifle/scope that you are very accurate with, within a reasonable distance. 200 yards. You need to shoot it a lot to be good with it.

Quality binoculars. Dont buy junk

GPS app on your smart phone showing topo and private public land ownership.

Quality boots. Best you can afford

Decent knives and know how to sharpen them.

Then you need to go hunting with someone that knows how to field dress an animal.

Hunting is the greatest activity there is. You will have a blast.

Know your limitations mother nature shows no mercy.have a survival kit if you have to spend the night.watch roads when weather changes this could be snow or rain.Plan camping trips this summer in areas along with hikes.If you draw hike into areas you would like to hunt. Look for old scrapes from pevious years animals usually keep the same patterns once you find areas they like.

LAST EDITED ON Feb-26-19 AT 12:42PM (MST)[p]Prepare yourself for a journey, rather than a destination.

Only SwampOKie and his really really expensive stuff kill every year (and maybe Paul), so your goal when you go out hunting cannot be "harvest big game" or you will be disappointed, quickly, and you will want to quit too early, especially b/c your father isn't by your side telling you that you've got to keep at it.

I started out myself as an adult and have learned a ton from the books that I've read, videos, forum discussions, and from talking with other hunters. However, I've learned much more, and more effectively, from **doing**, especially from my mistakes. Your first rushed (blown) stalk will never be forgotten. Forgetting that your scope can zoom from 4x to 12x and trying to stalk in closer when you didn't need to...never forgotten. etc...

Also, I've ditched "hunting partners" that taught me a little but turned out to be more bad baggage than I wanted. Any non-encouraging retail outlets should be crossed off the list of places to go.

The only reason I made a joke about camo was because I got ripped on another forum because I said I liked to hunt in flannel and wranglers. They told me u could only achieve success with sitka and a 6.5 creedmore! I know this isn't true and I posses very little expensive gear. Learning woodsmanship and reading sign will take u farther than anything else.

Any good books anyone could recommend I could read. I downloaded the onx app and been looking at the maps. Been also checking out gohunt.com don't know if anyone else uses that. Also just bought a Vortex diamondback 10?42. Trying to learn optics is tough hopefully this is a good start

Go to the main forum page and scroll down to hunting adventures. You can learn a lot from those post alone. Feel free to pm me if your stumped on something. I will do my best to help.

There are a lot of books out there, unfortunately some are crap, mainly used to stroke the authors ego.

I bought this book for my grandkids regarding elk hunting, and I think it had a good mix of intro and medium level advice in it. The "Hunting-Fishing-Library" books seem to be good place to start for a newbie, and they are usually not priced too high. Their duck hunting book is also good. Haven't recently looked to see what else is in that "Library".

https://www.amazon.com/Elk-Hunting-...words=jim+zumbo&qid=1551280507&s=books&sr=1-5

Hopefully you will find someone at the Hunter Ed class that will take you under their wing, getting a good mentor will get you way ahead in the game. But it can be done without one. If you were a women they have all kind of outreach deals out there trying to get women into the sport, unfortunately I don't think there is much set up for men. Seems rather sexist, don't you think?

Good luck,
JR

+1 on the book above. I also have several books from the North American Hunting club that are beneficial, especially for the new hunter. They're a little old, but much of the info is still valid.

I also really like the Western Hunter magazine and their TV show that's also available on DVD.

Randy Newberg is also a great source of info for the regular hunter. He has a YouTube channel with lots of public land, DIY hunts that are very helpful. His YouTube channel also has several videos on breaking down an animal into quarters that are helpful too.

Good choice on the Vortex binos. That's a great place to start. Learn to use them and let them cover the ground for you rather than walking yourself to death (learned that the hard way). Vortex makes good rifle scopes too that are reasonably-priced.

I also agree with the sentiments about getting a more common rifle caliber (.30-06, .308, .270, or 7mm-08 would be my picks). The 6.5 is cool right now, but ammo is more available and cheaper for the other calibers mentioned. The Ruger American is a great choice though. I've got the compact model in 7mm-08 for my daughter and it works great.

A couple other items, in my opinion, that would be a must for your first go at it:

1. Pack - something that will hold a water bladder so you stay hydrated and will also handle an elk quarter for packing purposes (elk quarters are long and take a little bigger pack to manage). Alps, Eberlestock, and Badlands all make reasonably-priced options.

2. Knife - I use the Havalon Bolt, and I don't see myself using anything else anytime soon. The knife gets dull, you change the blade, and it's sharp again. Gerber and Outdoor Edge also make knives with a similar blade-change concept. Breaking down an animal in the dark is super-annoying if your knife isn't sharp.

3. Shooting sticks - Having a rest that will make you more stable when sitting or standing for a shot will make a huge difference in your success. There isn't always going to be a tree or fence post to rest your gun on when you need to take a shot, so having a rest with you makes you far more likely to place a good shot, especially at longer distances. I really like the tall, tripod, Primos Trigger stick, but they're a little expensive. There are lots of other good options available though.

4. Wind indicator - I use the Breeze Squeeze, but any of the powdered ones will work. You can fool an animals eyes and ears some of the time, but you'll never fool their nose, so you need to know where the wind is blowing and adjust your approach accordingly, even if you have to walk a mile out of the way to do so. The only way to be 100% scent free is to stop breathing altogether, so wind is super-important to pay attention to.

5. Mapping app - You already got the necessary mapping software, and I'd fiddle with it a lot in the field and use the location aspect and learn how to use the offline mapping option too. OnX is a great option. I use Basemap (same basic concept), and I've been able to access a lot of land I wouldn't have been able to previously because I now use that app. Google earth is very helpful as well.

6. Rangefinder - This is very important if you're planning on shooting at any distance longer than about 200 yards. I've missed my share of animals because I misjudged the distance, so knowing how far they are makes a big difference on effective shot placement. Vortex, Sig Sauer, Nikon, Bushnell all make good, low-cost rangefinders. One note on these, if you think you're going to shoot out to 300 yards, for example, I'd get a rangefinder that claims to range things several hundred yards farther than that. All of the above-mentioned companies have rangefinders that range out to the 800-1000-yard range, and that would be sufficient for most people's needs. You can get a good rangefinder for just north of $150 if you keep an eye out.

7. Flashlight and Headlamp - As mentioned above, you may have to break down an animal in the dark, and that's hard to do by feel...just saying...

I'll stop there for now... Hope that helps. I am a self-taught hunter as well because my family never hunted, and if you stick with it long enough and don't give up when you fail again and again, you'll figure it out. Every time you're in the field, you should learn something new, and those experiences will eventually build on one another until your process becomes more honed and effective. Good luck!

+1 on Newberg's Youtube videos. And lots of other great suggestions as well. I also like the changeable blade knives like the outdoor edge and havalon.

As others have mentioned, I think getting out small game and bird hunting is a great start. Quail and rabbits are reasonably plentiful in southern NM, and rabbits can be hunted year round (but I would stick with the cooler months)

Any experience you gain being in the outdoors and shooting at stuff is a big plus. The problem with big game is the opportunities are much more limited, and the seasons are generally short, so it's a much slower learning process.

Good luck,
JR

Wow, this is actually kind of a cool inquiry. A blank slate if you will. There is no one right way to start hunting. But most would benefit from starting small: birds / bunnies / predators. This will build on necessary skills and hone your own instincts. You also won't be faced with 500 lbs of dead animal to deal with, having no idea what to do. But if you can buddy up, by all means jump right in there for deer or elk. I think it will take several years before you are fully comfortable. Don't get frustrated. And don't spend a million bucks on equipment yet. Above advice on rifles was good... .270 / .308 / 30-06.

A new shooter might do best with the .270 in my opinion. Accurate with modest recoil. Also maybe get a .22 for cheap target shooting to hone your form.

Used equipment and clothing items on ebay can be good as new, and virtually anything can be had. Camo? Your choice. In truth, it matters very little. A good pair of 8 or 10X Nikon monarch binoculars can be bought new for not too much, lifetime warranty. Snag a decent GPS that is a couple years old and it will work just fine.

Read the regulation books frontwards and backwards and understand what you are chasing, when, how, where and with what.

Research field dressing methods, and meat prep and preservation. Shooting a deer isn't too hard. But the after-hunt logistics are usually harder for most people to get up to speed on. Line up a game processor in advance if you need help turning a carcass into food.

Read forums like this and you will get good ideas all the time. Watch youtube hunt videos. Some TV series like Primos "Truth" and Randy Newburg Fresh Tracks are some of the most authentic and you learn a lot right there. Listen to Randy's podcasts.

Scout and go "hunt" with a camera. See how close you can get to animals. Learn their habits. Hunters become astute biologists and ecologists via immersion.

Most of all, have fun and enjoy talking to people and don't be discouraged by any jerks you meet along the way. Its inevitable, but also inevitable that you will meet far more cool, helpful people than those bad apples.

Finally, don't be a bad apple yourself. Take pride in following all laws and making ethical decisions. Try to make clean kills and don't waste wildlife. And be safe. Don't hurt yourself or do anything that could possibly hurt another.

Welcome to the hunt!

I was in your exact shoes 14yrs ago when I was 22. I learned the hard way and those are some of my best memories. Hardest part about hunting is drawing a tag. Draw is open now so if you need guidance on the draw let me know. Think it's awesome that your wanting to learn to hunt to share it with your kids in the future. I got 3 boys 2 of which are currently hunting and it's the best feeling getting them outdoors and especially the look on their faces when they harvest. I took a friend on his 1st ever hunt for elk last yr and hes hooked forever. He took the 1st bull we crossed with a 6.5 creedmoor. Bull only went about 15yds.

What would be the hardest part about hunting? I read all these comments and they are amazing and helping me out a lot. I learned more in this little bit of time about what I need then trying to do it by myself without asking anyone.

The hardest thing for you will be when the season gets here and all this anticipation is built up, you may not be successful right away. There?s always beginners luck but if that doesn't happen for you then keeping motivated to keep trying is where most folks make or break a season. It's already been mentioned but the mental toughness will be the hardest part to overcome. Remember to appreciate the time spent outdoors when you aren't having any luck and it will be easier to keep at it.

A lot of ?hunters? will go out opening weekend and not get anything and that discourages them from going for the rest of the season.

LAST EDITED ON Feb-27-19 AT 09:37PM (MST)[p]Joeyjv18 what size do you wear? pants shirts? I'm sure I have some camo I don't use any more laying around and I'm in cruces. If it's your size your welcome to it.

I also have some packs and other gear I'm not using that if your interested in we can work something out. Just let me know.

Kudos to you guys on the NM forum for lending a hand!

I think the hardest part for a new hunter would be learning new areas and being safe.

Knowing boundaries is easier when small game hunting because the areas are bigger. Deer, elk, and antelope are area/unit specific. In other words you get a tag if you draw for a certain area, and can't hunt outside the area/unit. Each area's boundaries are on the G&F site.

So before you go to these area's you need to make a plan of where your going to park, camp, and hunt. Look at maps on google earth to get an idea before you go. Learn to use a compass/gps. Once there you can identify land marks, and this is where you need to pay attention! You don't want to get lost! You can't always depend on a gps, as you may lose signal. Also, you don't want to kill big game in a spot by yourself that takes you 3 days to get it back to the truck. Meat will spoil if left to long in warm weather.

Speaking of weather, this is very important to! I am always get sketched out about the weather in some places. New Mexico isn't so bad as far as snow, but you definitely don't want to get wet in front of a cold front. Don't take chances, especially alone or very far from camp.

Example, do you really need to play with your knife? Nope!...How about jump 3' to the next rock? Nope!

Its all about being prepared, and thinking ahead.

Listen to Paul. He put forth a pretty good list. Something else that could help you gain experience would be a guided hunt. You could go on say a mule deer hunt pretty reasonable and gain knowledge from your outfitter and guide.

I'm a large. Yeah that sounds great because I'm over here looking at all this gear and just wondering if this stuff even works

Lots of good info here. I will make a short list of the things I agree with and maybe few extras.

First, I know that the 6.5 creedmore is the "hot" caliber being talked about, but that is from people who already have the above mentioned calibers and are looking for something new and exciting. NOT BECAUSE IT DOES ANYTHING BETTER THAN THE MENTIONED CALIBERS. You will need to go to the range A LOT leading up to the hunt. Why spend a fortune doing it. And ammo for those calibers is more accessible as well.

You just cant go wrong with any of the 3 calibers mentioned (270, 30-06, 308) I happen to own all three!! LOL. If you would my best friend and I was going to give you one of those as a gift for your first rifle, it would probably be the 30-06. With 150, 160, and 180 gr bullets, you are set for every species you will hunt.

With a 30-06 topped with leupold rings and a leupold VX3 scope, you would be set for hunting any north American game now or in the future.

Binocs. You are good for this year. Somewhere down the road, you will want to invest in a better pair, but don't worry about that now.

Clothing: Boots are important and worth spending to get good ones. If your feet aren't happy, you will not enjoy the hunt.

Wear Merino wool socks (at least 70% wool).

Wear polyproplene or merino wool long johns. The job of long johns is NOT to keep you warm. It is to wick and transmit moisture from your skin to the outer layers to evaporate. When you hunt in mountains, you will sweat, no matter how cold.

Middle layers: expensive space age fabrics are nice but are not as important so if you need to save some money, use what you have already . I wear jeans and cotton type shirts many times over my long johns.

Rain gear: Very important item worth spending money on. If you get wet, you will be miserable. I have a good set of breathable, Packable raingear that I throw in my daypack for when I need them.

Truly the best advice I saw so far was to sign up for a hunter safety course. Do that ASAP. You may meet some guys there that become hunting friends.

Use the search feature for specific brands of things. Many threads on "best boots", "best binocs", "best sleeping bag" etc.

Sorry I can't tell you where to apply for. Never hunted NM




txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)

I see a lot about a good pair of boots on here but how much is a good pair of boots? I been looking at a few mountaineer websites, been looking at moose jaw, Crispi and boots at Cabela's and sportsman warehouse.

About the 6.5 creedmoor I went with that because I was originally looking at the .308. I came across the 6.5 after doing research on the .308 and found it's similar to the .308 but does not arch so much but shoots flatter. Also found the rounds are similar in price but sometimes one or the other being a tad bit more. Also wanted a rifle that would do it all never thought of having more then one caliber to go hunting with. I will check out the other calibers too though before I make a decision

This is what I have so far if I was going with the 6.5.
Ruger American predator 6.5
Vortex diamondback riflescope power 4-12?40m DH BDC
Vortex diamondback binoculars 10?42
Tripod and binoculars harness
Vortex Ranger 1300 rangefinder
Vortex Viper HD spotting scope power 15-45?65mm straight

Hornady Precision Hunter 143g ELD-X
Hornady Superformance GMX 120g SPF

Exo Mtn Gear K? 3500 Backpack

Went with Vortex so far just because I messaged as much optic companies asking what would be good optics for a brand new hunter who doesn't know anything and Vortex is the only company that got back to me and thought that was pretty damn awesome. If anyone has a suggestion I'm all ears still trying to learn not set on anything just have this list from the research I been doing myself.

Pm sent joey

You have been given lots of good advice. Unless you have plenty of spare cash, don't rush into buying a bunch of gear. For example a spotting scope isn't something you will need right away. 6.5 Creedmoor would work for elk but isn't an ideal elk cartridge. The most import thing to do is become proficient with your gun. You can find ammo for a Creedmoor just as cheap as a 30-06, 308 or 270. Also buying a 22 long rifle or a bolt action 223 would be good to practice with. Go out and practice shooting some rabbits in the desert. I agree that Randy Newberg has some good videos that will help educate you. Drawing tags is can be the most difficult part of some hunts. Take hunters education ASAP. If you can get a mentor, it would help a lot with your learning curve. Books are great education sources but you will learn the most by hiking around in the desert, hills and mountains.
I'll send you a PM

Man you guys are awesome. You could publish a book with this info.

I would repeat what others have said. Just keep your head up. There are going to be tough days and tough hunts, but then all the sudden it is go time and you need to be ready for that moment. Your going to mess up many times don't let that get to you. Easier said then done. Good luck.

Couple thoughts on boots and caliber:

Boots - for expensive boots, I've used Kenetrek Mountain Extremes and Lowa Tibets, and after several years of getting blisters on both of my heels, I sold them, and bought some Keen hikers. For whatever reason, the super-stiff boots wear down my heels really badly (I think my foot configuration just doesn't work well with them). I guess my point with this is that you can pay $400 for a pair of boots, and still have them be uncomfortable, so I'd start somewhere more in the mid range for pricing. The Kenetreks and Lowas were both super tough boots, and I probably could have gotten 6-8-year's-worth of wear out of them, but they were just killing my feet, so I had to let them go.

I would definitely get boots that are waterproof. If you hunt elk in forested areas, there is often moisture present (dew on grass, streams to cross, etc.), and keeping your feet dry is very important to your overall comfort. I wear a mid-height Keen shoe with Kuiu scree gaiters, and I have no moisture issues or issues with dirt, weeds, etc. getting in my socks. I'm on my second pair of the scree gaiters, and I don't leave home without them.

Rifle caliber - I can vouch for the effectiveness of the Hornady GMX ammo as I'm quite partial to that particular bullet for its penetration, weight retention, and tissue damage. I helped a youth hunter shoot her first cow elk two years ago, and she shot it with my Ruger American 7mm-08 (GMX bullet) in the right front shoulder on a sharply quartered-to shot, and we found the bullet lodged in its left hip almost at the hide. The bullet traveled through about four feet of elk before stopping, so I'm definitely a fan of the Superformance GMX ammo. Whatever you decide on caliber, learn to shoot it and do some research on shot placement when the animal is a different angles. Perfectly broadside is not always possible, and knowing where to place your bullet if the animal is positioned differently than you thought will help you keep the bullet path where it should be (this is also info they will likely cover in the hunter's ed class).

I think your optics choices are good as well. The Diamondback scope is what I have on my Ruger American, and it works very well. I used the Vortex Ranger for several years, and it worked well too. As to the spotter, I would recommend the Diamondback spotter over the Viper, especially for someone starting out. The Diamondback is 1.6 pounds lighter than the Viper, and that may not seem like much, but over time in my development as a hunter, I've decided I don't want to walk 6-10 miles carrying any more weight than I need to (especially if I've got to bring all or part of an animal back with me). The Diamondback is a great spotter to start with, it's relatively inexpensive, and it is fairly lightweight (which means you'll be more likely to take it with you than leaving it in the truck). I do find that a spotter helps save me quite a bit of walking if I'm hunting in more open areas. You can often find animals with binos at a distance, but once you get out past 1-1.5 miles, it's sometimes hard to tell if something has antlers or not, and a spotter will sometimes save you a walk closer to get a better look.

Keep asking questions and learning from some of the mistakes some of us have already learned from, and you'll likely shorten your learning curve at least a little.

I'm enjoying this thread. I like the positive nature of it as well. Hunting is an absolute blast, and I'm happy that one more person is wanting to learn this awesome process and skill set.

One other resource I'd add would be the Elk101.com "course" called University of Elk Hunting (UEH). So much info there for a new or seasoned hunter. It's online or you can download to your phone and has waaaay more info than you can imagine and is divided into categories so it's very easy to navigate. I think you can also often find a discount code as I think it's normally around $100. I've bought lots of instructional videos over the years and this is by far and away the most thorough resource I know of.