Hunting is deeply rooted in American culture, with millions of active hunters all participating in the sport each passing year.

It’s not hard to start hunting, but why is the sport so popular amongst so many people? Well, a huge part of the success can be attributed down to how exciting it can be.

A single trip is more than capable of offering you endless hours of entertainment and bonding with friends and family. Some families tend to pass the sport down to their future generations, while others are eager to learn it for the first time.

In this article, we are going to specifically talk about how to start hunting in X easy steps. Don’t go anywhere as this article is the ultimate guide you need.

1. Type of Hunting

Hunting is a sport, and we all know how subjective sports are. With that said, if you’re a sports fan what does that actually mean? Do you love football? Do you love basketball? Which is it?

Well, this same logic can be added when saying “I want to learn how to hunt”. The term is so broad that you need to narrow it down and decide WHAT you want to hunt or the TYPE of hunting.

It goes without saying that here in the United States we have some of the most diverse and the best hunting. It’s truly amazing the amount of wildlife that can be found in our forests.

That all makes for a pretty tough selection. Do you want to hunt geese? How about elk? Maybe even wild boar? Determining your type of catch will ultimately put you on a good spot for the following steps.

However, let’s explain your options first. There are predominantly two types that further separate into dozens of categories.

Big Game

As the name might suggest, big game hunting is all about catching the deadliest animals in the United States forests. These include the likes of bears, wolfs, bobcats, cougars, etc, but also other species such as elk and moose.

The thing that separates the big game from the rest is the fact that it is significantly harder and riskier to pull it off.

Small Game

A small game is a completely opposite type to the big game. In the small games, you’re mostly hunting foxes, deer, rabbits, birds, and other similar kinds of animals.

Small game is inherently different from a big game because of the fewer risks and widespread availability of prey throughout the United States.

However, with all that said, small game is very challenging especially with the likes of foxes that are known to be quite the challenge due to their speed and agility.

2. Gear

Going out in the woods in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt will take you nowhere.

This sport is very delicate and you need to be very stealthy and quiet each time you head out for some hunting. You’ll need to proper apparel to blend in with your surroundings and you’ll also need to have the appropriate attachments to your rifle/crossbow to make everything easier to pull off.

That is why gear is so important and very expensive. From obtaining the rifle or crossbow to having the proper attachments such as scopes and stands, and various other things, prioritizing on quality gear will put you in a good spot.

Riflescopes are some of the most important pieces of gear, and we suggest you visit Target Frog to know more about the best ones.

3. Obtaining a Hunter’s Safety License

Without this piece of documentation, you cannot go into the wilderness and catch any prey. Regardless of how skillful you think you are, failing to pass the hunter’s safety course will forbid you from practicing the sport.

Since there are risks and dangers involved in this sport, the hunter’s safety license is mandatory and very important in your education to become a licensed hunter.

This teaches you not only how to use your gear and surroundings, but it also teaches you about the legal and ethical side of the sport. You cannot act like a barbarian when you go out in the woods with your rifle or crossbow.

You need to respect your prey and kill it the proper way. This is what the hunter’s safety course teaches you. Not only is this mandatory, but it’s also a pretty darn good way to make new friends that are experienced hunters.

They could give you very valuable tips, tricks, and even teach you a few things.

4. Go Out In the Field

A very true thing a man once said to me was that you cannot kill ‘em from the living room. Naturally, if you want to be a good hunter, you need to go out and observe nature.

This is something that a lot of pros do before a trip, while others tend to leave it out. It is time-consuming and never-ending, but it’s an excellent experience that can be used for future references.

Some of the best ways to do it are to go places that are popular with hikers and campers, but illegal for hunting at the same time. At these places, you can find evidence of animals and even observe their behaviors if you’re lucky.

According to Feedthatgame.com if you do manage to observe some of the behavioral patterns specific animals tend to make, then you’ll know a lot more about how they’ll behave once you hunt them.

5. Educate Yourself

The sport is so huge and widespread that you can never have enough information on the subject. There are tons to learn when it comes to hunting, especially if you’re a rookie. Even experienced hunters don’t know everything when it comes to prey, surroundings, gear, and other things.

Education is extremely valuable in this sport, and you’d be quite surprised to see the amounts of studies posted on specific animal behaviors.

While you don’t necessarily need to learn about boar anatomy, you’ll need to uncover the tactics and strategies they might use against you just to survive.