Strategies for Getting Into Hunting

I would see if anybody from work hunts and see if they will take you. That or a family member if they live close enough. There is some public land in NC and I used to have a timber lease in Fayetteville.

I used to hunt random places a little north of Charlotte and even got permission to hunt the undeveloped land River Bend subdivision had. I bought a house in the very back and they had a ton of people poaching back there. Caught the project manager back there checking on a house and asked him if I could hunt back there if I tried to keep everyone else out.

As an adult its going to be tough. It may be possible to find someone interested in mentoring another adult but hunters hunt in part to get away from other people....

That said finding a skeet range is a good way to meet people who hunt birds, particularly dove. Dove shoots tend to be pretty social compared to other forms of hunting....it may well be that you meet someone who is willing to let you tag along to a dove shoot or 2 which will open the door to other opportunities.

Another way to go might be to go with an outfitter a few times, get some practical experience PLUS the language and mannerisms of hunters down and maybe joining a hunting club. It may be that some clubs would welcome an adult who has little or no experience but I would bet they'd be rare because hunting around inexperienced people you don't really know is not what most people consider safe....


If you do find someone who is willing to mentor you be appreciative. Practice EXTREME safe gun handling when in their presence....the one thing that most hunters learn as a young boy is gun safety and it is learned by getting your arse chewed out good and properly anytime you commit the slightest mistake because even the small ones can be deadly. I can only imagine what would happen if a newbie adult hunter who was allowed to accompany an experienced hunter were to accidentally swing their muzzle in the face of the latter....the very least would be you probably ain't getting invited again.

There is also simply going on your own on public land. Be very cautious, do not dismiss high visibility, and just get out there. You probably ain't going to be overly succesful but killing things is not the point anyway...getting outside is the point.

Good luck!

Buy a crossbow and a 6.5 creedmore and a pallet of corn and you are set.

Jk, check out the R3 initiative it’s a program designed to introduce new hunters to the sport. If you attend church, various church’s will host “wild game” dinners and that would be a great place to meet people and explain to them your situation and more than likely get some guidance. Most people are willing to help a person out and introduce them to hunting.
If you have any Facebook friends hit them up and ask them where would be a good place to start looking for hunting opportunities and more than likely they will volunteer to help you unless it’s turkeys lol.

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Buy a shotgun for Squirrel and other types of hunting.

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Amen. Cheap 12 GA pump gun. Will do in any critter in North Carolina.

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I want to try hunting this year, but I've never hunted before in my life. I am attempting to find some friends or others in my personal life that wouldn't mind mentoring me, but in the meantime/of that doesn't happen, what are some strategies to actually get out there? I'm not anti-paying a guide if needed for the first time or two, but would rather not. I'm also open to basically any kind of hunting, and plan on buying a chest freezer. If it helps, I'm more interested in hunting for food than I am putting trophies on the wall. I live near Charlotte NC if that matters as well. I would need a new shotgun for birds (only have Maverick 88 security), assuming I'd need a new rifle for deer (I only have .556 ARs, open to building an AR10 or picking up a 6.5 creedmoor Ruger bolt action), and would need to pick up a 22lr for small game.

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If you’re involved in a church see if they have a wild game dinner. That would be a good place to start.

NC Wildlife Commission

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