Getting started hunting or fishing $$$

[Mudder]

When I first read I thought it was your son, and began to judge you as a father. Then re-read and realized somebody else's son and you are off the hook

I tried to give him some pointers, one of those situations where you can tell him but you can't make him listen.

My son actually has some talent he is a naturally good shot but only has a passing interest in shooting or hunting.

 

[ARKANSASHUNTER]

lotsa people, including myself, have filled the freezer with an open sight lever action 30-30. They are pretty cheap and so is ammo. Pawn shops, goodwill, yard sales are all great places to find cheap starter gear. If they really like it they will upgrade on their own. I have mentored 2 urbanites here in Arkansas with cheap used and borrowed gear to get started.

It can be really intimidating to read hunting blogs, literature and watch tv shows where guys are wearing and constantly pimping $1000s worth of high end clothing and weapons if you don't know that stuff isn't required.

 

[3855WIN]

In an area with plenty of public land, hunting is cheap.
Travel ball cost $5,000+ per year.

 

[tzone]

A license and a borrowed gun are all you really need to get started. If you live here, you already have warm enough clothing. It's not difficult to get someone started.

Hell, you can go to walmart and buy a Remington 700 with a scope for $400. A blaze orange vest for $12. A License for $35. Bob's your uncle...you're ready to rock with your own gear. I'd have no issues loaning a rifle to someone hunting with me. And other gear if needed...done it plenty of times.

 

[2rocky]

I remember moving to Idaho from a warmer climate and buying a Navy surplus wool shirt, and Swedish Army wool pants at the Army Navy store.

I think I still have them 20 years later...

 

[Hertervillian]

An acquaintance, a friend of my sons, just bought a $2000 wiz bang accurized 1911 pistol and can't hit a man sized target at ten yards. He did blow up a roll of target patches sitting next to the target that was pretty spectacular . He bought a really nice Remington 700P, was going to put cheap glass on it and expected to be an expert marksman at 600 yards.

He returned the pistol to the retailer and said it was defective. One of those guys who thinks he can buy success. He also thinks the more bullets he shoots, magic is going to happen and he will be an expert.

I told him aim small miss small, make every round count, start out slow then competency and speed will take care of itself. Most rifles or pistols are more accurate than the shooter.

Man, when I was young and poor each shot was a planned event. I am in no measure a good pistol shot. But I did learn to make each shot count

 

[Steiny]

I find a lot of guys will spend money on decent weapons and gear, pay for trips, out of state licenses, etc., yet they won't spend any time at a range with their gun / bow and they wind up wounding and losing, or completely missing game.

 

[R.K.]

I was looking at all this last fall when I was flying home to archery hunt deer with my family. I realized that I could spend $150 for a used bow setup, and the weather was mild enough to hunt in pretty much any regular clothing I had, including tennis shoes if I watched where I stepped (and use the little toe warmer packs on real cold mornings). Resident archery tags are $25 in Missouri, a Target for broadheads would cost another $50. And part of the justification for purchasing things like that is that they hold enough value that you can sell the bow set up and target if you don't like it.

Hunting from the ground can be done if you put the time in to build a blind, but you can find a decent enough tree stand for $75.

Last fall, I rifle hunted Montana with a rifle setup that cost less than $450, a pack that cost $40 used 15 years ago, $120 pair of hiking boots (I've also hunted in work boots before), $15 knife, $3 orange vest, $40 binoculars, and the $10 synthetic base layer from a farm store.

If I were starting out, the only thing I would truly need is the rifle, orange vest, and tag, as I had good enough equipment from either backpacking or from working outside.

I believe there have been more deer killed with bib overalls and red flannel then any other hunting outfit. The new stuff just makes it easier to get out and be comfortable in absolute crap conditions. But you don't have to have it to start hunting, especially depending on how tough you are.

Hell, a friend of mine wore blue jeans and tennis shoes on the hunt that got me my mule deer this year. Knee high snow in places, and he was a little miserable, but he got it done.

So what do you need? If you can borrow a weapon, I think you can get EASILY started hunting for under $200. If not, I think you could do it for under $500 if you buy a used rifle and are smart about watching sales. But that's deer hunting- for rabbits and squirrels, a shotgun or 22 would be plenty, and you could do that for under $50 if you borrowed a weapon, and easily under $200 if you bought one.

 

[JohnCushman]

I find a lot of guys will spend money on decent weapons and gear, pay for trips, out of state licenses, etc., yet they won't spend any time at a range with their gun / bow and they wind up wounding and losing, or completely missing game.

But...but...but....all you have to do is turn the dial on your scope and shoot...just like on TV

 

[gouch]

Damn, How gearcentric have we hunters and fisherman gotten. I like most everyone I knew when I started we would hunt or fish in the same clothes, jacket and tenner shoes that we wore every day of our lives. We would hunt with a borrowed 30-30 and a hand me down huntin knife. (I started with my dads 45# target bow) fishing was done with one of dads old poles with a squeaky old real and a can of worms we dug up in the back yard. Point is they don't have to jump in with both feet, they can start out modestly and if they like it, build from there.

 

[lynlan1819]

There have been some recent threads on the lack of new people participating in hunting and I believe also in fishing in some areas. I sometimes wonder if we are part of the problem when we give advice to people who are thinking about starting in either activity.
I fish a lot and there are three guys I fish with that think they want to start deer hunting. They have asked advice on guns, scopes and binoculars. I try to tell them to start basic but even that is not cheap. They will ask what I have and when they learn the prices of some equipment they are no longer interested. Example most of us tell them to spend $1000 as a starting point for a gun and scope combo. Then we tell them $500 for binoculars, $300 for a backpack, $300 for boots and sometimes explain that they might need to upgrade if they really get into hunting. Telling your spouse you need to spend $2000 to get started has been a deal breaker for some. I have offered to loan binos and other equipment but most would rather have their own. If the new people decide to do some online research and read a hunting forum where the advice given is buy a Leupold 5 over a 3 or pair of Swarovski binos over a pair of Nikons they get concerned about cost. I started with a used 30-06 that I bought from a relative and was given a 2.5 power Weaver scope. I killed my first 15+ deer with that set up. Then I upgraded to a fixed 4 power Leupold. I used binoculars from Sears that cost $29 and had to replace them every other year. My point is that you dont have to spend a lot to get started but most of us give advice based on our budgets and the fact we are already hooked an the sport. Starting with good equipment is nice but for a beginner it can really be a problem. Neither of the 3 guys who talk to me about hunting have started yet and as far as I know they haven't even taken hunter safety and they all say it is the cost.

As far as fishing goes a few of my friends feel the same way about the cost of rods and reels. There is no way they are going to buy rods at $250 each and reels for the same price. Although convincing someone to buy a cheaper setup or loaning them some decent fishing gear is certainly easier than loaning them guns and optics.
The internet has done a good job of convincing people that anything but the best is not worth owning. From sneakers to the latest phones if you read the reviews nothing but the most expensive will work.

Good luck,hunting is nothing like it was years ago,you will be lucky too draw a tag,without applying year after year,so be prepared for a long wait and lots of money tied up in bonus points.

 

[Werty]

I agree with what everyone has said and will add one more. Most people are afraid of failing, or looking like they don't belong. This site is a perfect example, a large percentage of posts on here is, " what boots do I need, what pack should I get". I understand wanting quality gear, but most of the gear out here today will get you the results if your willing to put in the effort. Ok, I'm off my soapbox.

 

[JohnDeereGreen]

I'll chip in my $.02 here. I think what kind of hunting a new person wants to do plays a role in startup cost. I think it's a fair statement that a day hunt for, say, an antelope or maybe a whitetail where you are not in the mountains, is different than setting yourself the goal of pursuing backcountry elk or mulie, and require different levels of preparedness and "stuff". I agree with all who've said you don't need much more than rifle, tag, vest to get started, I would just add: IF your goals are more modest. I took my first deer with a .270 I borrowed from my dad, a cheap orange vest, and an old knife that had belonged to my granddad. I had to use my belt to drag it out, which was quite the thing, because I didn't think to bring a rope and the grass was way too high in the field I was hunting to safely drive my truck in.

But, I do think there's some inevitable cost creep if you want to hunt farther back from the trailhead/stay in for a few days. I'm a MT guy so I know my perspective is skewed towards what it is like here. As an example, I personally consider some kind of satellite comms device (InReach, Spot, etc.,) a necessary safety measure for being in the mountains, and would not head out w/out one.

I have a friend who moved here from Georgia and hunted quite a bit there. He asked to see my elk hunting gear and as I kept pulling stuff out his eyebrows went up. He asked me how I had managed to pay for it all, and I said that I'd taken the approach of each year, going through all my stuff and (if needed) making one significant upgrade. I explained that it had taken the better part of a decade to build up to a nice setup of (not all top of the line) gear. I suggested he take a similar approach. Granted, he had some things to start with, but he's been following along the same lines and it seems to be working ok for him.

 

[Empire State]

That a great plan, add to your gear each year with a significant upgrade. I've thought about the Sat Comm devices. Used to like going off on my own, but times change and maybe now I am wiser about all the things that could happen.

 

[KB_]

I try to recommend affordable gear to people just starting out. But i'm a bad example and love having nice stuff. Especially my archery equipment. While my bows may be older or mid range (Elite Synergy, Obsession Turmoil), the accessories are of higher quality (black gold, Stokerized, Ripcord etc). But the way I see it is those accessories should last me for many many years. As far as clothing, I don't run uber expensive stuff and try to shop around for good deals. I also dont fully camo out. I have nice solid color pants, some insulated some not insulated, some water resistant some not. I perfer durability over camo pattern. I am using the Killik shirts, vest, fleece, and jacket. They seem to be pretty durable so I'll use those as long as I can. The killik pants were trash so Thats why I just use good outdoor work type pants. If you dont count my bows and rifles, I have maybe 1600$ in gear? that includes 2 pairs of binos, tripod, Pack,, Clothing, Knives, Tent, Sleep system, range finder, boots, and all the misc gear. If you count my bows and rifles thats when it gets silly. Although I never paid full price for my bows, some of the high end accessories I did. I'm a bit of a cheapo gear junkie tho, I have a lot of gear but paid much less then full price for almost all of it.

If I was to do a cheapo setup, I would be searching facebook marketplace, camofire, Ebay, and craigslist, GoodWill. I think you could get fully setup pretty cheap, like under 500$ cheap.

 

[shb]

Remember when the govt furloughed "All non essential employees" during some pseudo crisis a handful of years ago?


Remember private employers thinking, "Why the hell would there be any non essential employees"?






This conversation is very similar.


If yous don't need it starting out.............do you ever really need it ?






The outdoor marketing machine will kill the golden goose in its lust for money and "likes"










The outdoor whores will be the death of the outdoors.

 

[JLS]

People in the US, myself included, buy a lot of stuff we don’t NEED. It’s not exclusive to hunting.

Quite honestly, I couldn’t care less what folks spend their money on. If you fall for slick marketing hype that’s on you. It really isn't that hard to ferret out the truth. Nor is it hard to buy within your budget, it just takes discipline.

 

[Mule3006Elk]

All well said. My buddy is very interested in hunting for the past few years. He's on a budget and has NO gear. You're looking at decent clothing, tent, sleeping bag, mattress, boots, backpack, kill kit, binos, rangefinder, gun/rail/rings/scope/sling/ammo, gas, food, not to mention he will need to pay for out of state fees. You're easily looking at a few thousand dollars even if you're not getting high quality gear. He also has kids, for now, has decided to put is resources into other family activities.

 

[Mainer207]

All well said. My buddy is very interested in hunting for the past few years. He's on a budget and has NO gear. You're looking at decent clothing, tent, sleeping bag, mattress, boots, backpack, kill kit, binos, rangefinder, gun/rail/rings/scope/sling/ammo, gas, food, not to mention he will need to pay for out of state fees. You're easily looking at a few thousand dollars even if you're not getting high quality gear. He also has kids, for now, has decided to put is resources into other family activities.

Is he not in an area where he can hunt locally? A lot of money can be saved and experience earned by hunting locally. Doesn’t matter if it’s turkeys, whitetails, or squirrels.

I’m a “born again” hunter, so my experience is not nearly as far along as most guys on this forum. I’m planning to hunt out west as a non-resident, but until I have a little more money and experience I’m going to keep logging miles on my local public land chasing everything I can.

 

[Mule3006Elk]

No he's not in a big game state.