Getting Started In Hunting Fairly Young When Your Family Does Not Hunt

[Grumpy]

I’m 14 years old, my names NICK,
and want to get into hunting. No one In my family hunts,
so I really just don't know where to start.
I live in palm beach county, Florida.

first step, mandatory, get your hunter ed certificate!
your certainly better off with that as a basic requirement out of the way.

https://www.hunteredcourse.com/flor...MI_P3I-Jek6AIVA4bICh0frgozEAAYAiAAEgI62_D_BwE

https://www.hunter-ed.com/florida/?campaignid=73723699&adgroupid=15408711499&keyword=+hunter +education +class&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvtegnpek6AIVFpSzCh3lVAZzEAAYAyAAEgK7RfD_BwE

https://myfwc.com/hunting/safety-education/courses/

you have easy access to several local wild life management areas
being young I realize your unlikely to have your own firearms,
but you can certainly start with archery
and gain both area knowledge and some experience
obviously it would help if you have access to transportation, even a motorcycle

join a hunting forum
https://www.huntingnet.com/forum/whitetail-deer-hunting-4/

read this link, if the link does not work search the words Florida Whitetail Experience

on that forum

https://www.huntingnet.com/forum/whitetail-deer-hunting/418200-florida-whitetail-experience.html

https://myfwc.com/hunting/wma-brochures/south/corbett/

 

[rlphvac]

Nick there are lots of wildlife books out there read all you can I still read every hunting book that I come across and I'm in my mid sixtys and you will always pick up a tip or two. Walk the woods and fields and pay attention to signs of deer and flush out birds and rabbits and other small game look for deer beds and rubs and remember this is not a race take your time look at the outdoors but the most important advice that I can give you is enjoy it have a good time out there

 

[Grumpy]

yeah, videos, and subscribing to a few hunting magazines will help.
join the NRA and get the American hunter magazine
https://membership.nra.org/MultiSte...MI2fuC08Kk6AIVCZSzCh0VEw0nEAAYASAAEgKQ9vD_BwE

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U8ZNHC...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

you might consider asking around among the adults you know as to who shoots trap/skeet
,try to get one or several of the adults you deal with to take the hunter safety course with you,
even my wife who has zero desire to hunt, has passed the hunter safety course as its a semi-required step in getting a concealed carry license, here in fla.
try to find a related uncle or cousin that may help you gain experience and be a mentor.
as thats excellent practice in use of a shotgun, and while many people will tell you a rifle is preferred for hunting a nice bolt action or
semi auto or pump 20ga-12 ga with slugs, used here in florida works very effectively on hogs, deer and bird shot obviously used for birds
Ive got a group of guys I hunt with off and on, and hunting the corbett management area with a good shotgun is very do-able
and if your parents allow, start saving for a
few pieces of archery equipment and/or a decent fairly cheap but high quality shotgun like a 20 ga remington 870
used compound bows , that are a few years older models are available dirt cheap in most pawn shops
yeah, decent quality equipment is rather expensive, but you may find decent used archery or shotguns at deeply discounted prices, yet,
Id put off purchases untill your familiar with what your dealing with and get a feeling for what you prefer through hands on experience,
constant practice and familiarity with your weapon of choice will have a big effect on your success.

ask around at the local gunshops and pawn shops and shooting ranges you'll occasionally find a few very good deals on lightly used guns

several areas are shotgun only
https://www.avenzamaps.com/maps/907839

 

[Grumpy]

once you've successfully completed acquiring the hunter safety course and got a few of the basics down,
you might want to start collecting a few books and videos on hunting whitetail deer.
there are dozens of free short related videos on the internet, but be aware there's more than a few posted by lower skill and less knowledgable people
so don,t assume everything posted is true or valid.
nothing will replace the experience gained over time spent roaming the local wildlife management areas,
and maybe finding a few mentors, join a couple of local ranges or ask around about joining the boy scouts, maybe some guy with a couple of sons your age as a mentor, or you can talk a cousin or your neighbor or your dad, into spending a few weekends camping, fishing and eventually maybe at least visiting the local outdoor shooting ranges and spending a few weekends camping in the remote areas, be observant and ask questions.

don,t be afraid to get your hands dirty or help others, and yeah,
the first deer you help dress out may not be a pleasant experience, but its some skill you'll need to learn.

https://www.outdoorlife.com/learn-10-habits-highly-successful-deer-hunters/
https://www.knightandhale.com/field-notes/deer-hunting-success-tips/
https://www.bowhunting.com/blog/2013/09/30/learn-the-basics-for-whitetail-hunting/
https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/a-primer-on-deer-hunting/

 

[Grumpy]

I well remember, back in the early 1960s, being in a similar predicament, and the frustration linked to being broke and too young to be taken seriously,
Ive been thinking this thread over, obviously, with the current virus issues no one is likely to be looking to start socializing with strangers
and at your age (14) you've got both limited mobility (no way you legally own and drive a car/truck,) and finances, without a decent full time job,
as your obviously still in school, at that age, so that is a problem in acquiring equipment and of course theres the potential for any male adult thats not related to you,
that offers to teach you, to be looked at as a potential pedophile. even if thats not really an issue.
so Id suggests you concentrate for now on passing that hunter safety course and getting certified and reading up on and watching videos on the sport.
theres hundreds of good entertaining and informative books and videos