What/how do you like to hunt?

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I've been saying I'm gonna start hunting every year since I turned 18 and I never have. well I'm determined to do it this year. I have no experience and don't know anybody who does, but I'm gonna start with squirrels and rabbits. Just my .22 rifle, vest and hat, pocket knife and a map. Maybe a turkey if I buy a shotgun. Ya know, the stupid animals. those deer are more skittish than a coked up housecat. Anyway, I'm trying to figure out what kind of hunting I would like to do once I feel comfortable with the basics. Hog hunting sounds really exciting but thats not exactly local. Coyote seems interesting although I'm skeptical about this whole "varmint" thing. Deer I'm not super keen on because it seems like stalking an animal with such acute senses would be frustrating, as well as MA requiring a shotgun or muzzleloader for hunting them. MAYBE stand hunting would work. the "big" game all sound very exciting to hunt, but I think I'll save the moose and bear until I'm a little more seasoned Of course I'll have to venture out of MA for a lot anyway and I'm planning on moving in then next few years, long before I can acquire the arsenal needed for all of these.

My question to you all is what game do you like hunting and how? why ? why is it better than a different method
 
Bird hunting. Because I love to watch the dogs work. They come alive. As an old time dog trainrr once said "going hunting without a dog is like going on a honeymoon without a bride."

Get a 12 gauge pump. You can get a good one for short money, and you can hunt just about anything in North America that is huntable. From small varmints to fowl to all the trophy animals.
 
My first suggestion is read the hunting abstract before getting a firearm. That .22 cal you plan on hunting with.... well..... you can't. Read the regulations the n buy a firearm suitable to the game within the regs. I would second the recommendation for the shotgun.
 
My first suggestion is read the hunting abstract before getting a firearm. That .22 cal you plan on hunting with.... well..... you can't. Read the regulations the n buy a firearm suitable to the game within the regs. I would second the recommendation for the shotgun.

http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/df...plain-lang-sum/hunting-of-gray-squirrels.html
6. Hunting Implements: Gray squirrels may be hunted with rifle, shotgun (shot not larger than #1), handgun, or archery except:
(a) in Wildlife Management Zones 10 through 14, gray squirrels may be hunted only by shotgun or by archery;

(b) on wildlife management areas stocked with pheasant or quail, during the pheasant or quail season, gray squirrels may be hunted only by shotgun or by archery.

http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/df...ttontail-rabbit-snowshoe-hare-and-jackra.html
7. Hunting Implements: Cottontail rabbit, snowshoe hare, and black-tailed jackrabbit may be hunted with rifle, shotgun (shot not larger than #1), handgun, or archery except:
(a) on wildlife management areas stocked with pheasant or quail, during the pheasant or quail season, only shotgun and archery may be used;

(b) during the hours from ½ hour after sunset to ½ hour before sunrise, handguns are restricted to those chambered not larger than .38 caliber, and rifles to those chambered not larger than .22 long rifle.

Squirrel or Rabbit can be hunted with a (.22) rifle, depending on where you are.
 
I hunt mostly deer...with a bow...and if a coyote happens to pass by, I'll try to take them out as well! To start off hunting going for the small game is fun...I started with rabbits and squirrels and found It wasn't enough of a challenge after a short time so I bumped up to whitetail...whole different ball game...some guys that hunt deer go out with no planning and get lucky...I myself put out trail cams and try to figure out deer patterns and how the move and how they use the terrain to get from point a to point b...I set up treestands and only hunt certain areas with certain winds...I hunt mostly with bow because you have to get close for a shot and its more of a challenge...in the woods I don't shoot out past 35-40 yards and all the deer I have taken have been 30yrds or less away...
 
If I could only hunt one type of game it would be waterfowl. No question.

any reason why? particular species? I always have hated geese [wink]


I'd like to try bow sometime, but not for anything bigger than varmint. bleeding out your game doesn't sound particularly attractive to me. they can run a long way in the time it takes to bleed out and bloodshot meat is not good eats. again I haven't actually hunted but I've been reading up on it for a while. and actual useful stuff, not the schlock from field and stream pimping the latest .364 1/2 whizbang magnum short remchester carbine that weighs 3 pounds or whatever overpriced and useless gadget is a "must have" for every hunter.
 
any reason why? particular species? I always have hated geese [wink]

1) Speedy, aerial targets are fun and challenging. Using decoys and calls to lure your game into gun range is a constant learning experience, and exciting to boot. Success ratio (with me at least) is high with waterfowl compared to deer, turkey, upland game birds or rabbit (the last two specifically because I don't have a hunting dog.) I love being on the water for any reason and waterfowling is, well, you get it. [wink] They are easy birds to clean and prepare and I love me some grilled dabbling duck breasts. The last day of last duck season I shot a nice hen right as I was about to give up, and I had the breasts home and on the grille before the body heat had left them. Now that's f*cking FRESH.

2) Mallard/ Black Duck/ Wood Duck/ Teal. Those are the most common dabblers in my area. I don't aim for divers but occasionally they will hang with groups of dabblers and catch pellets meant for the birds I do want. I have eaten divers and they taste like shit. Hence our nickname for them, "shitbirds" I don't hunt sea ducks either for the same reason.

3) Geese are fun because they're big-assed birds (so they fall out of the sky like a bag of bricks), there's plenty of them, and generally most people hate them. LOL. They're not as tasty as dabblers but my hunting buddies make a pretty good goose stew so I'll shoot at them. Goose is also the first waterfowl game to open up in the Fall. Early goose usually starts early September when my sweet Cape Cod tan is fading and I start growing the seasonal beard. [laugh]
 
I like all forms of hunting but in order of preference on the fun meter I like:

1. Turkey - definitely the most interactive and exciting. Like striking up a good conversation.

2. Deer - Always looking to pattern and intercept a good buck... I'll keep hunting them till I can't drag them anymore.

3. Wildfowl - Love calling ducks and geese in to the decoys, convincing them to come in and feed.

4. Bear - Passive hunting in the stand punctuated with an quick adrenaline rush.

5. Moose - I'll let you know after my upcoming hunt in September... but I'm told that stalking and calling Moose is exciting as Turkey hunting. This will be my first Moose hunt. Going North to Quebec for the bow season.

It's all good. You can do all of the above with a good Bow and Shotgun, then add gear from there as you gain experience.

A bad day of hunting is better than a good day at work!
 
Kodiak bears/bare hands


all I've ever hunted was grouse in Maine. fun for a fall day. Would like to get a deer gun set up and go get a white tail in Maine one day.
 
A bad day of hunting is better than a good day at work!

I don't know about that. I make money when I'm at work. [wink]

No you're absolutely right though. It's always a good thing to get outdoors no matter what you're doing.

For me there is always something to do no matter what season it is. The dead of Winter can get a little dreary when all the good game seasons are over and you've got several months of ice cold gray stillness to look forward to before Spring. I hike a lot during those months when there's no one else around that cares to brave the temps/ winds/ snow. Most of the time I'll bring the scoped .22 rifle along just to "keep in the spirit" of hunting even if I know there will be nothing worth shooting at. Red squirrel is supposed to be tasty if cooked the right way but I've never shot one. Back in January I was hiking way out in the middle of nowhere and one of those little buggers showed up on a tree branch not 10 yards from me, just staring. It would have been an easy shot, but it was just too easy. I let him go.

Some of my best days out in the field have been without firing a single shot.
 
I loved to hunt wild boar in Germany. If you didn't drop them right away, and they got away into cornfields, you are by law required to hunt them down an give them the coup de grace. Now, the problem is, visibility in a cornfield is pretty much 3 feet max, and those boars start hunting you back. You will very quickly trade your 9 mil semi auto for something in .44 or .454. I've seen a fellow hunter taking a tusk to the thigh. Not a pretty sight.
 
^ Just curious what you hunted boar with. A buddy of mine just moved to NC and bought a Romy AK, bought a bunch of random Tapco stuff and a scope to put on it and hunt boar. I assume a 7.62x39 is sufficient to take a big pig.
 
My favorite is whitetail hunting, in my opinion the biggest gain for the buck (pun intended). I also love to duck hunt - some of the best fun, but they produce little meat compared to deer / moose in my opinion.

My words of wisdom - its not about the kill, rather its the time with nature or with your friends/children that is most rewarding. Regardless of your quarry, enjoy the experience...
 
^ Just curious what you hunted boar with. A buddy of mine just moved to NC and bought a Romy AK, bought a bunch of random Tapco stuff and a scope to put on it and hunt boar. I assume a 7.62x39 is sufficient to take a big pig.
.308, 375H&H and 9.3x74. Boars have a breastplate that can be a bitch. You need something with oooomph. A friend of mine had great success with 7x57. In any case, you don't want to take any chances with them. They just don't have a healthy sense of humor.
 
I love all kinds, I like dogs on birds for reasons stated previously, I mostly bow hunt as here in Ma. for deer as there are more spots you can do it safely and unobserved. But for the most fun and challenge, in the big woods , if you know there are deer in the area and its raining out, there is nothing like sneaking up on a deer with a shotgun or rifle. Hunt into the wind and slowly, its the balls.
 
My favorite hunt is field hunting for Canada Geese . I don't mean set in the woodline and pass shoot . But a well thought out spread of decoys , well concealed layout blinds , and just the right calling . Then when those big boys drop there landing gear . And there feet are scraping the ground . I give a F$%k ' em up boys and the 4 of come up shooting . We also " Jewelry Shop " Let the birds land look for leg bands . And the take them as realize there are people here . me and trip with bling.jpg
 
My first suggestion is read the hunting abstract before getting a firearm. That .22 cal you plan on hunting with.... well..... you can't. Read the regulations the n buy a firearm suitable to the game within the regs. I would second the recommendation for the shotgun.

You are wrong. Zones 1-9 you can use "rifle and handgun of any caliber" to hunt squirrels. Only zones 10-14 restrict you to shotgun for squirrel.
 
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I've been saying I'm gonna start hunting every year since I turned 18 and I never have. well I'm determined to do it this year. I have no experience and don't know anybody who does, but I'm gonna start with squirrels and rabbits. Just my .22 rifle, vest and hat, pocket knife and a map. Maybe a turkey if I buy a shotgun. Ya know, the stupid animals. those deer are more skittish than a coked up housecat. Anyway, I'm trying to figure out what kind of hunting I would like to do once I feel comfortable with the basics. Hog hunting sounds really exciting but thats not exactly local. Coyote seems interesting although I'm skeptical about this whole "varmint" thing. Deer I'm not super keen on because it seems like stalking an animal with such acute senses would be frustrating, as well as MA requiring a shotgun or muzzleloader for hunting them. MAYBE stand hunting would work. the "big" game all sound very exciting to hunt, but I think I'll save the moose and bear until I'm a little more seasoned Of course I'll have to venture out of MA for a lot anyway and I'm planning on moving in then next few years, long before I can acquire the arsenal needed for all of these.

My question to you all is what game do you like hunting and how? why ? why is it better than a different method

Squirrel is a great way to start out. Zones 1-9 are open to 22LR and the season starts September 9th this year I believe. Zones 1-9 means pretty much anything west of 495 (check the map to be sure). Rabbit can be had without dogs too.........plenty of reading material on the web on how to rabbit hunt solo without dogs........a good way to pass time in the winter months is with a 20G shotty walking hedgerows. Pheasant season is a great time as well......I don't even have a dog and bagged a pair of cock pheasants last season.......just criss cross the fields and you'll spook up a couple eventually. Deer......well......that is a tougher learning curve. But remember.......the actual act of hunting is 99% the time you spend outdoors so even if you spend a whole day out there and see nothing.......you can have a great time. Enjoy!
 
Actually I haven't hunted deer since back in the 1960s. I stopped hunting since I learned to get up high in a tree. Now I ambush bambi which really not hunting IMHO.
 
I would suggest reading the hunting guide that cerfur put up.

Squirrels aren't a bad place to start and hey you can sell the tails to Mepps. Turkey are much harder to hunt; they're actually pretty smart.

I hunt a variety of animals; Spring Turkey is one of my favorites because the birds are so vocal. Goose is fun, more of a social affair with 2-3 friends in the blind chatting it up while you wait for a fly over. Deer is more solitary, occationally i'll try to stalk but it is very hard to do; on rare occations my brothers and I will drive them for each other, but that's usually a last ditch effor to save an empty tag. My dad like to hunt pheasant becuase of the quick reaction time.

What ever you decide to try your hand at try to find someone with experience to show you the ropes, or at least some 1st hand experience. People on here are great for that too.
 
ummm... he is in Maynard - which is in zone 10. Hence - no rifle. I guess I'm the only one who checked that... Naturally - he could travel.
yeah I checked it.....Maynard boarders zone 9........your response sounded lone you meant the whole state to most of Imus that read it.
 
The state has a great link to plain language summaries of the hunting laws:
http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dfg/dfw/laws-regulations/plain-lang-sum/

I personally hunt turkey (name is a dead give away). I'm also interested in pursuing coyote, deer, geese, and eventually try to get into some pig, elk, and bear hunting. Nothing is cheap and I just started a few years ago w/ turkey. Been training for coyote hunting with a rifle (M&P Sport in 5.56). Hoping to do that this winter.
 
yeah I checked it.....Maynard boarders zone 9........your response sounded lone you meant the whole state to most of Imus that read it.


My fault. I wasn't trying to imply he couldn't use a rifle at all - but it seems I came across that way. My goal was to encourage him to read the regulations in the abstract. May influence his firearm purchase decision. Don't but a gun you can't hunt with basically.
 
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Rabbit was the most fun. Waterfowl is the most fun. Then Turkey, I can't sit still well so I put Deer at the bottom of the pile. Pheasant is fun if you go on a week day.
 
Rabbit was the most fun. Waterfowl is the most fun. Then Turkey, I can't sit still well so I put Deer at the bottom of the pile. Pheasant is fun if you go on a week day.

Definately go pheasant hunting on a weekday if possible........those WMAs are like a sea of orange hats on Saturday!
 
Definately go pheasant hunting on a weekday if possible........those WMAs are like a sea of orange hats on Saturday!
I've had to pull #7s from under the skin on my neck after one outing down in Myles Standish. Someone called the Staties when they herd and they came in fast. Sooo, always wear glasses when bird hunting. The dude was just learning to hunt 20 something, about 40 yards away on quail.we all had pellets bouncing off our vests.
 
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My favorite hunting is spot and stalk mule deer/ white tails on the rolling hills and high plains of Montana. Pronghorn a close second. I'm now planning what must be my 15th or so trip to big sky country. Montana is a hunters paradise. I could not recommend it any higher. Idaho is also great. Here for deer I'm tree stand bound with my bow or black powder gun. Pretty much take shotgun week off because of the number of goons out. For a new hunter I'd look to my local gun club for guys willing to pass on some knowledge. One thing I've found about the hunting crowd is that they are very willing to help a new guy out. Oh and for a tip on stand hunting. First time go up 3 feet and set up. Get used to it over time. Run up some guys "set up"16 feet up and you could freeze and wreck it for yourself for life. Good luck, your wallet is going to need it.
 
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