Did any of you guys go directly into big game hunting as opposed to small game hunting first?

[philos]

It seems like a natural path to start small -literally- and then graduate to big game once you have the basics of hunting under your belt.

How many of you actually hunted big game as your first experience? If you did start out hunting big game, did you hunt small game later on? In hindsight, would you recommend folks do start out with small game animals first?

I believe in going the small game route first for a number of reasons - the least of which is it’s usually easier to find land to do so and if you’re successful it’s not overwhelming field dressing the small game.

 

[np307]

I started with deer. Hunted only deer a couple years and then started hunting turkey and squirrels too. Now in the fall I'm just hunting deer long enough to get enough freezer space filled so I can spend the rest of my time chasing squirrels.

I think there's a ton of value in teaching kids to hunt via small game. That's how I'm going to teach my son. For an adult, I don't think it's as necessary. Because from my experience, the people who pick up hunting as an adult and actually have what it takes to find and kill deer, especially on public land, aren't going to let unfamiliarity scare them off.

 

[philos]

I agree about kids learning small game first. When I first started out squirrel hunting got me crazy excited and definitely was the way for me to go before deer.

 

[CorbLand]

I followed my uncle around on a couple pheasant hunts but the first hunt that I went on that I could legally shoot something was a bear hunt.

 

[Novashooter]

I don't think there is anything wrong with starting with big game, but starting out in a tree stand for deer is probably not the way to introduce new hunters. Even now with all the drive in the world, including pictures of big bucks on the property, sitting in a stand is at best meditative. Sometimes outright torture. Adult or not, I wouldn't take a non-hunter out with me to a deer stand to sit and watch nothing all day, because chances are that's all you'll get. Sitting quiet is an acquired skill.

If you want to show someone hunting, you should show them the whole process of hunting. Most wont get to see the work that goes into choosing and grooming stand locations. If you started off with a western style hunting it would be more engaging, but you have an even lower chance of success for a newbie. Maybe it's just my brain, but I don't think almost a sure failure is a good way to start anything. If I were to take a new person hunting big game, it would have to be something close to home, and something engaging. I personally wouldn't do it. An exception if you call it that, is often turkeys are categorized as big game. I consider them small game, but they are a perfect thing to go after with new hunters. In a good area you can make mistakes and get second chances. In the spring it doesn't get much more engaging than talking with a gobbler.

For the most part though, I'm going to say small game all the way. Waterfowl are my preferred choice, at least where I am now. Certain crowed hunting areas can get ugly, duck hunters aren't exactly known for being nice. Field hunting geese is one of the best ways to go, and that's basically how I started off when I got my first chance with a firearm. Squirrels can be fun in the right areas, or kind of boring in others. Where I grew up there weren't a ton of squirrels, but we always had cottontails. Pheasant hunting is fine I guess. I live in SD and still don't care about pheasant. There's a lot that can be learned quickly from hunting small game and birds. There's not a lot a person is going to learn sitting in a deer stand watching the blackbirds fly around.

 

[5MilesBack]

I believe in going the small game route first for a number of reasons - the least of which is it’s usually easier to find land to do so and if you’re successful it’s not overwhelming field dressing the small game.

That's funny because when my middle daughter got her first elk tag a few years ago she said to me "You know how you always show us how to do stuff and then end up doing it all yourself.......don't do that, let me do it". So after she shot her big bull, I pulled my knife out, handed it to her, and said "here you go". She looked at me like I had three heads and said "I'm going to need some help". Then later said "perhaps I'll try small game hunting and stick to that".

For me, the problem was that you had to be 15 to get a big game tag when I was a kid. I started hunting early on, chasing anything and everything with my BB gun, pellet rifle, and then eventually a .22LR and a shotgun. So by default small game came first, but my passion for elk started at a very young age. I just had to wait several years.

 

[nobody]

Did one pheasant hunt, then immediately went to deer. I think I’ve hunted pheasants a total of 3 times. Never hunted “small game” unless it was opportunistic, such as a coyote coming out on an elk hunt. I have zero interest in small game whatsoever, so it doesn’t bother me that I’ve never really done it.

I don’t think there’s any such thing as a “logical progression” with first game hunt size. If a kid lives in Alaska and his first kill ends up being a moose then good for him, same if it’s a kid down south hunting squirrels or rabbits.

I also think there’s something to be said for getting a kid or a new hunter out for something that actually interests them. If a guy has a dream to do nothing but hunt elk and that’s what he really wants, I see zero logical reasoning behind “ok well first you need your squirrel badge, then your rabbit badge, then your fox and coyote badge, then turkey, then whitetail, then mule deer, and THEN you can hunt elk.” It could potentially do nothing but drive them out of the sport from boredom.

 

[diamond10x]

I hunted rabbits and squirrels before I killed my first deer. It was a way for me to practice shooting at live animals, practice actually hunting and not just following my dad or grandpa around. Granted I killed my first deer at 5 years old but I still hunt rabbits and squirrels for the freezer on occasion.

Hunting small game is a great way to hone skills that a lot of people overlook cause they just gotta go kill an elk cause its the cool thing to do these days.

 

[CCooper]

My brother and I killed a lot of grouse before we were old enough to hunt big game, but these were generally during hunting season tagging along with Dad deer hunting. Never specifically targeted small game. It was always fishing until deer season opened.

 

[COLD SMOKE]

Hunted deer as a teenage kid, because it was the most inexpensive way to hunt. And you could easily eat with your friends.

Also shot hundreds of “bunnies” but would rarely eat them as we viewed them as vermin. So yeah I guess I was a small game hunter 1st..
Just dawned on me.

Years later I rediscovered how much fun hunting deer was which led to turkey.

The entire learning process is really satisfying and I’m old enough that I’ll never run out of new experiences.
I’m trying to learn/hunt 1 new species a year. This year is black bear.

Small game hunting holds less interest for me, but I have a dog that would love to head out and hunt grey squirrels with me.
I also have pigeons, doves, quail in my property but would rather fish than hunt small upland birds.

If I get an invite to hunt pheasant this winter I’ll take it though.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

I started big game, white tail in Wis. but had taken many more small game before I got my first deer.

 

[Squirrel Master]

My very earliest hunting memories are squirrel hunting in East Tx. with my Dad. Started out with a single shot 410, and learned a LOT about woodsmanship and gun safety, and animals, plants, etc. I killed my first deer when I was 11 or 12, but had killed a ton of squirrels and rabbits by then. I'd still just about rather squirrel hunt than sit in a treestand, but I like deer meat so I still spend my fair share of time in a tree. But a lot of morning in the fall still find me squirrel hunting. I don't think there's any better way to introduce a new hunter.

 

[madtinker]

I started with deer as a teenager, but I want to start more small game hunting (lot of rabbits around here) as a way to be outside year-round and hone my skills.

 

[Nykki]

I started hurting when I was fairly young just tagging along with my dad. Shot my first Mule deer at 12. Moved to Alaska at 14 and got into chasing Bullwinkle and anything else to fill a freezer. I tried to get my daughter interested in hunting when she was in her early teens but that ended when she shot her first grouse. I didn't get into bird hunting until we moved up here, I enjoy hunting grouse with a Browning Buckmark pistol makes it a bit more sporting.

 

[Aerosith]

At 15yo I hunted for the first time shooting my first mule deer. Since then I have become a big game hunting addict. I hunt Elk, Mule deer, Whitetail, Pronghorn..etc. I have no interest in small game or waterfowl with the exception of turkey but even then it will take some time and motivation to get into turkey/grouse hunting. My mindset is if your gonna hunt something you got to eat it. I think it is weird, odd, and concerning that some people get enjoyment out of killing an animal yet they do not utilize any parts of the animal.

 

[Rommel013]

I did a quail and dove hunt with a friend that I hated, then helped him do a deer hunt before I started doing big game - I don't want to get out of bed for anything less than 25 pounds, it's too much work and cost for the returns.

Now that I have dogs who love rabbit hunts I'll do those with them, but it's not for my benefit.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Started with doves, ducks, and bunnies when I was 12. Only had an uncle that hunted so kind of stuck to day trips with him, got into big game when I was able to buy all my own gear and take myself.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

Small game, then upland, then deer. Too many years later, elk...

 

[mjh]

I started out being trained as and working as a Naturalist. This started me on tracking. A coworkers husband had a recurve sitting in the corner which led me down the archery path. This led to bowhunting for deer. Added Turkey to the list. Try's at the occasional squirrel, pheasant , grouse, rabbit with a bow. Which led to .22's and 20ga.'s Hunting, fishing, the outdoors, it all kind of circles around through the seasons and over the years.

 

[SoxOnDMoon]

Did one pheasant hunt, then immediately went to deer. I think I’ve hunted pheasants a total of 3 times. Never hunted “small game” unless it was opportunistic, such as a coyote coming out on an elk hunt. I have zero interest in small game whatsoever, so it doesn’t bother me that I’ve never really done it.

I don’t think there’s any such thing as a “logical progression” with first game hunt size. If a kid lives in Alaska and his first kill ends up being a moose then good for him, same if it’s a kid down south hunting squirrels or rabbits.

I also think there’s something to be said for getting a kid or a new hunter out for something that actually interests them. If a guy has a dream to do nothing but hunt elk and that’s what he really wants, I see zero logical reasoning behind “ok well first you need your squirrel badge, then your rabbit badge, then your fox and coyote badge, then turkey, then whitetail, then mule deer, and THEN you can hunt elk.” It could potentially do nothing but drive them out of the sport from boredom.

I agree with this train of thought. It seems better off to go with what the hunters intended goal is. Whether that be big game or small game.