Advice from Hunters

[glocktoberfest]

i've never gone hunting but I would like to understand how. Are there places where they'll take newbs out to show them how?

if any of you can suggest how you'd learn, i'd appreciate it.

[TRnCO]

Probably need to start at the beginning with hunters safety class, which is mandatory to even get a hunting license of any kind in Colo., unless you were born before Jan. 1st, 1949 then you are exempt. See link
https://www.hunter-ed.com/colorado/?...unter%20Safety


Once you have your hunter safety card, then you can start by thinking about what kind of game you want to hunt. Small game such as pheasant , rabbit, grouse, coyote, ect., or big game such as deer, elk, antelope, etc. Then you can start figuring out the logistics and tools needed to pursue the game. I wouldn't go into it planning to hunt all species right out of the gate. I think it would be better to concentrate your efforts on one or the other, then expand in the coming years.

There is a lot of public land in Colo. to hunt. Once you get your safety card and then your hunting license, a little research will show you places to go to get your feet wet actually hunting.

Hunting isn't cheap to get into, but once you have the primary tools needed, such as guns, ammo., knives, etc., but it can be very rewarding going to the field and bringing home meat that you can prepare for yourself.

Best of luck

[def90]

Try hunting with binos. Go online to the cpw website and look up the hunters almanac. There you will find info on where various species in co hang out and migrate through the year. Then pick an area, get up early and hike out there. Find a ridgeline or a high point and do some glassing to see if you can spot anything. If you spot something try to stalk it and see how close you can get.

Do this during the summer so that you don’t add ro the numbers of people in the woods during the season.

[theGinsue]

All of the advice above is right on target.

My guess is you're interested in hunting big game; especially deer and elk. Understanding the basics and the rules in CO is essential and gets covered in the Hunter Safety Education class. Start by getting signed up for one of these classes - attend in person, not online. Before attending an in-person class, look online for information to help you learn what questions you should be asking. As the course progresses you'll likely form more questions. Write down every question you have. It's hard to know what questions you need to ask until you have a basic understanding of what it's all about. If you get more questions after your Hunter Safety class (and you will), visit your nearest Parks and Wildlife office and talk with them. Meanwhile, REALLY check out the Parks & Wildlife website and talk to anyone you might know who is a hunter.

The initial education and purchasing of gear is just the beginning. You need to know the minimum gear to carry. Always assume a nice day will turn to shit while you're out hunting and ensure you're prepared for it. When you know what you want to hunt and you've done online research & talked with others who hunt you need to decide WHERE and when you want to hunt (according to the seasons and approved locations). Some areas of the state require you to draw out a permit, others allow "over the counter"; this often determines where you'll be hunting.

Once the "where" question is answered, GO to that area as often as possible and, as Def90 said, "bino hunt". Knowing the terrain and how your body is acclimated to it is important. The better you know an area the better your chances of harvesting an animal and less of a chance for getting lost. GPS units are great, but always have a compass on hand as well and know the basics for how to use it to get back to camp. Knowing yourself and your physical capabilities within a given terrain is also important to prevent injury or death.

In between visits to your chosen hunting grounds, determine the best legal caliber to hunt with FOR YOU. Big game has certain minimum caliber/bullet requirements - learn them. Find a rifle (if you're planning to rifle hunt...or bow or muzzleloader if those are your choice) that's right for you. Then, once you've acquired the firearm/bow, get out and practice OFTEN. You need to know the instrument and how it shoots with the ammunition you settle on. You need to be able to accurately and consistently be able to place your shots so when you're in the field you'll know your limitations and be able to make ethical shots. This is critical.

All of this leads up to the harvest. Once you harvest an animal the real work begins. You need to know how to legally tag and field dress the animal (maintaining proof of gender on at least 1 quarter of the animal). Dressing out the animal is time critical to avoid meat spoilage. Heat, whether from the animals internals or outside temp, is NOT your friend. It isn't too difficult to dress out an animal, but gets messy (unless you use the gutless method). Know your legal & ethical responsibilities for the meat & carcass!

Now you have to get the animal out of the field and back to camp or to a processor. This is typically tiring, time consuming and back breaking work. If you have friends who can/will help you'll owe them big time if they do help. If you run into an outfitter you may be able to enlist their help - for a fee...just have cash in your pocket to be able to pay them.

There's more to it, but this can get you headed in the right direction.

[XJ]

The guys I know from work seem to be primarily interested in escaping their wives, getting drunk, and preserving the secrecy of the "perfect" location.

Applying for a tag feels like throwing darts.

It sure seems like a difficult nut to crack for a new guy.

[def90]

The guys I know from work seem to be primarily interested in escaping their wives, getting drunk, and preserving the secrecy of the "perfect" location.

Applying for a tag feels like throwing darts.

It sure seems like a difficult nut to crack for a new guy.

Can't disagree with any of that. Learn archery and get an OTC archery elk tag. You will have a month to fill it and it is valid in multiple units. You can duck In to an area that looks good onlin e and check it out, if it doesn't work out pick a different area or gmu and try again. Cover as much ground as you can.

[glocktoberfest]

Thanks for this advice guys.

[DFBrews]

Start with small game dressing a bunny or a turkey is a lot less intimidating than having 1000 lbs of bull elk sitting in front of you the concept is the same a mammal is a mammal body wise.

[glocktoberfest]

Start with small game dressing a bunny or a turkey is a lot less intimidating than having 1000 lbs of bull elk sitting in front of you the concept is the same a mammal is a mammal body wise.

makes good sense. never having tried hunting, i have no idea how you'd drag an elk out of the woods.

[def90]

makes good sense. never having tried hunting, i have no idea how you'd drag an elk out of the woods.

Well, you don’t really drag it out of the woods.. Do a youtube search for field dressing elk, there are plenty of good videos that walk you through cleaning and quartering an elk as well as many other things. Start watching some of the thousands of videos on hunting in general by Steve Rinella, Remi Warren, Solo Hunter, Randy Newberg and a bunch of other guys on Youtube and you will start to figure it out.