HOW to introduce a new hunter?

[JTHOMP]

I have two close buddies that for awhile now have made joking comments how I never invite them hunting etc. One friend recently said in a brief text conversation he plans to buy a rifle in hopes of killing a deer next season. We didn’t talk much about it but I’m sure the next time we hang out it may come up in more depth. And if one friend decides to go through with it I’m sure the other will too. I have multiple concerns about this....

1) Buying a gun and shooting a deer is 1% of hunting if that much.
2) I don’t think either would truly take it seriously.
3) Neither have any outdoor experience aside from walking a trail in a state park.
4) I mostly hunt public land by myself and prefer to do so. I’m pretty sure they would expect me to TAKE them hunting, which would be the equivalent to me taking my nephew hunting. Not sure how I feel about holding a grown man’s hand so he can cut his teeth and decide if it’s something he wants to get serious about.

If I had private land to put them on a stand over a corn pile it would be easier but I don’t. Currently the best advice I can think to give is to buy a shotgun, compass, and gps. I can assist them in map scouting places to squirrel hunt while at the same time scout for deer and pigs. They’re close friends and mean a lot to me but I don’t want to waste the little time I have to hunt each season for people that fall under items 1,2,and 3.

Anyone ever been in a similar situation or have any advice?

 

[Doublecluck]

Do the right thing and take them hunting. Be an ambassador for our way of life and show them what it’s actually about. If not, they should find a new friend.

I would take watching a person I introduced to hunting shoot their first forkie over shooting a 150” deer for myself any day.

 

[Aussie_hunter_JD]

I hear ya mate, I've spent time on my best mate, got him to put in for hog deer tags and he drew first year on an amazing block (hog deer tags are our equivalent of sheep tags). When I found out I couldn't help him on the hunt and told him he bailed on it! Told him if he's going to do that on a hunt that some people never have drawn in 30 years that I won't waste the time helping him anymore.

Having said That, I always was willing to help him before that as being selfish doesn't benefit the sport or any individual in the long run. Not to the same degree but I'll give advice to anyone and not just my friends as I think it's very important to get as many people involved as possible.

 

[Flatland Crusoe]

Taking someone hunting on an easy private land hunt for a weekend is about the worst way to create a long term hunter in most cases.

Getting a new hunter involved has to be about developing all of the steps from finding a place to go, to scouting, to failing A LOT to butchering game once successful. The new hunter really has to want to learn to hunt and the mentor has to understand that it is a 2-4 year commitment to develop a new hunter. The most important qualifier for me to take a new adult hunter out is that they are serious about wanting to do it.

If these guys are serious about hunting, it shouldn't feel like taking your nephew hunting but rather helping a friend develop a lifelong passion. The good thing with new adult hunters is that they have the resources to stick with hunting whereas youth hunting programs don't have much for recruitment and retention. The last 2 decades of youth hunting programs have not helped hunter numbers and over half of the state now have some new adult hunting program in place.

If new adult hunter workshops are available nearby I would recommend that you have your friends check them out and that you consider mentoring at one. If nothing else its a low cost way to figure out if they are really interested in hunting.

 

[teej89]

I typically go with "hi, this is ____"

lol sorry I had to

 

[VikingsGuy]

Actual taking of game should be worked up to IMHO. First take him to the range a few times, lend him your .22 (I assume if you are on HT you have a .22 or .17), get him comfortable with basic shooting technique, after he is comfortable from the bench try a bipod or sitting posture. Or take him to an Appleseed event. At the same time, get him in the woods, learning about the terrain, deer movement, etc. Maybe take him along with you this fall (no gun) or I kinda of like the squirrel starter, but be there with him, don't dump him off like its childcare. If he learns and connects, have him buy a soft shooter like a .243 or a 7mm08 and back to the range to practice -- then if he is still fired up and you find him a worthy student, take the man hunting. Who knows, you may find a hunting partner for life. But if he baulks at actually learning to shoot, how to clean a gun, spending time in the woods for the sake of the experience alone, taking him out to shoot a deer once is probably a waste of both of your time.

 

[MN_Bowhunter4]

I agree, you gotta try! I've been there and it wasn't bad at all. Get them in the woods and start teaching them. You should find out real quick if they are serious about it or not. If they are, great! If not, that's OK too. The benefit of introducing someone to hunting far outweighs the time lost personally. I'd go for it in a heartbeat!

 

[psycho]

Maybe find out what their objectives are first. If they are after something that is not hunting then it might not be worth the time. Ive had non hunters approach me just because they wanted to get "organic free range meat". I just call it elk in the freezer but i was willing to help them as they at least have part of the equation done in their mind. Also its much easier to keep a hunter if they have baby steps of success. I make sure each new family member i take gets a doe tag as that is more shopping then hunting but at least i can walk them through all the steps and be watching their reaction to each to know how much time to invest into bringing that new hunter into the hunting community. Our way of life IS dying out even if it doesn't seem like it when you look at the points race we are all in.

 

[Ridge Ghost]

Take him scouting in the summer first for a trial run. It will give him an appreciation for the work you put in before the actual hunt. Also, with sweat equity put in he'll appreciate the location more and be less likely to tell other people about it. If he does well, hikes hard, learns and still seems interested, that a good indicator that he'll be a good hunting partner. If he isn't willing to work and help you out in the offseason, he probably doesn't want to hunt bad enough and wouldn't do well on the actual hunt.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

I have been in the same boat... best man at my wedding, best friend from college, couple cousins, buddy from work, and a couple of my wife's coworkers. Out of the 5 or 6 people what asked me to get them started only one actually followed through on their side.

Honestly, the biggest hurdle in my experience has been getting adult onset hunters to do hunter's saftey... I know you can do it online and then a quick field day, but it seems to stop most people in their tracks.

My general approach has been to offer that I will provide the firearm, take them on their first hunt, and help with the meat/trophy logistics if we get to that point, but they have to sign up and do hunter's safety on their own.

The one time I did take someone out ended up being a great experience for both of us. It was a coworker of my wife's husband. They were professors from Denmark doing an exchange for a year, one weds night we met up for drinks and the conversation eventually shifted to hunting after my wife mentioned that we had a ton of meat in the freezer from a recent elk hunt I had done. Bo the Dane, said he wanted to go hunting and asked If I could take him, apparently it's nearly impossible for your average guy in Denmark to go hunting and he saw this as a once in a lifetime chance. I said sure and we googled the requirements while at the bar, I gave him my standard you get the hunters ed card I will do everything else. By Sunday, 4 days later, he had taken hunter's safety and put in an order for a shotgun, and gotten his license and waterfowl stamps. We went on a public land duck hunt that day, had a blast and really hit it off. We ended up going out several more times in MT for birds and then got a deer.

Needless to say, this could be a great experience if they are already close friends and you might create a life long hunting buddy, BUT you need to determine if these guys want to learn how to hunt/spend the time to acquire a skill or if they just want to shoot something. I don't have time for the latter and like I said above hunter's ed usually weeds out those people anyway.

 

[kansasdad]

Great point about the Hunter's Safety course. In Kansas, they have an apprenticeship program that lets resident non-kids hunt while under direct supervision of a fully licensed hunter. I think that this is done to allow someone to "try out" hunting for a calendar year without investing the effort in the 12 hours of Hunter's Safety class.

The first time someone shoots a gun should not ever be at anything other than an inanimate target. Get them hands on familiar with firearms well before walking into the woods/marsh

 

[JTHOMP]

Lots of god advice. Very much appreciated.

 

[ccc23454]

I use to take everyone in my shop who wanted to go out squirrel hunting. Once a year we would shut place down for a weekday everyone had to buy a small game license $12 then to go and could bring a family member and we would car pool about 1.5 hours to a big chunk of statelands. It started before dawn and i would provide most guns and ammo since most didnt have one or lived on base where they couldnt have 1. We would all split into groups based on experiance and sinceit was weekday had place to ourselves. We would grill at cars for lunch and go back out if anyne wanted to in different groups. Sounds simple and boring but we had a blast every time and many of those guys went onto to become actual hunters. Moral of this long story: be safe and have fun!

Good luck,
Chris