FWIW I am a new aspiring hunter. Didn’t grow up hunting, and the hunting my friends do is sitting in a blind looking at a feeder waiting for a whitetail to walk up and then shoot it.
I want to go on an elk hunt, so I’m planning on buying an OTC tag in Colorado and going next fall. Basically, the biggest hurdles for me have been time and knowledge. I’m making the time, and using the vast resources on the internet to get the knowledge.
		
		
	 
There is a way to ask for input that works so well it’s in my top 20 most important concepts in life.  It works at work, looking for work, hobbies, hunting, relationships, school, politics, and just about anywhere you’re looking for information. 
Simply say, “I’m really interested in ______, is there any guidance and direction you could give me?”  Then don’t say anything, not a word, even if there is a long awkward silence.  Listen and only ask clarifying questions about what they are saying - don’t inject your ideas, there will be time for that another time.
You’ll find people want to share what they know and help out someone getting started in what they enjoy, especially when you’re interested in what they have to say.  When you bump into an experienced elk hunter at the range, or gun store, or a trailhead in Colorado, use that phrase.
I learned that when my office had a paper thin door leading directly into the CEO’s office that I didn’t dare use, but he sometimes would.  He was a big deal, not only within our industry, but also in local and regional politics - very strong leader in everything he did.   Anyway, I could hear everything he said and bet he used that phrase twice a day, every day in all sorts of situations with people he knew or just met.