New Hunter

[bradkincaid]

Hi all,

I recently moved to Colorado and I am looking to get into hunting. I come from a family of non-hunters (non-gun people really) so I have no experience hunting. I own a .22 rifle, I do have shooting experience, and I understand the importance of honing my shooting abilities before going out and shooting at game, so don't be concerned that I am a total moron. I also realize that I need a license, safety class, etc.

Anyway, I figured the best way to get into hunting, having no experience and no family or friends with experience to guide me, was to try and get out during squirrel season. I live in the Littleton area, just south of Denver, and I was wondering if there were any good (or just half decent) public areas within 1-2 hours of where I live to get out and wander around for squirrels when the season arrives. So, are there decent public squirrel hunting grounds around Denver? Or within a couple hours travel by car?

I'm also open to general advice for new hunters and how to get into hunting.

Thanks a bunch.

Brad

[JohnTRourke]

very first thing, go take a hunter safety class.
1. they tend to fill up (esp this time of year)
2. you can't get a license without the card
3. you'll learn a TON

[rhineoshott]

First step is to take a hunters ed class, and get your hunters Ed card.

If you want to hunt squirrels on public property, you need to get a small game license (good for only one year, expires every march I think).

Be careful of your backdrop if you're shooting critters out of trees. Always make sure you have something solid behind your target.

If you want to hunt big game, you need a bigger rifle.

[spleify]

Welcome aboard.

I also sent you a PM but please update your profile to show your current location, Colorado is not specific enough, we are all in CO.

Thanks

[theGinsue]

Welcome.

There is a LOT to learn for hunting in CO but there are lots of hunters here who can help you pick it all up.

So, while you're waiting to take the Hunter Safety course (get scheduled ASAP), you'll need to decide what it is you want to hunt. Big game (elk, deer, antelope, Mtn lion, Mtn goat, Mtn sheep, eventually moose), small game or varmits (spelling error on purpose) or all of the above.

Once you know WHAT you want to hunt, stop by a WalMart or a sporting goods store & pick up a free Colorado Parks & Wildlife (commonly called DOW) booklet with the rules & regs for the game you want to hunt (different game, different booklets) - these are essential! Read through it front to back once then several more times focusing on the specific species you're interested in. This will probably fill you with questions that we can help answer.

Now, armed with some knowledge, you can start thinking about what make, model & caliber rifle you will want & need and what scope to put on it. We can help with that but remember that many folks have personal preferences for rifles, optics and calibers that may not be right for you. Stop by some sporting goods / firearms stores to actually handle & cycle the rifles that have caught your interest - but DO NOT BUY RIGHT AWAY!! Check out many guns & many vendors before making your final selection. A used rifle will save you some money, but be careful who you buy from or you could end up with junk. After you've been a member of this site for 30 days you can check out our Trading Post section for one from another member.

Now, practice with the rifle & find out what ammo YOUR gun likes. Any 2 guns, even off the same assembly line with sequential serial numbers will shoot differently. Most of the hunting rifles I've shot seem to like Remington Core-Lokt cartridges. Yours may not. Get the scope sighted in and know where you are hitting at 100, 200, & 300 yards and learn how to estimate these distances.

With all of this out of the way you'll know enough to know what questions you need to ask to cover anything else like what gear should I carry or have back in camp/vehicle, where to go to find the game, etc. if you can get this stuff knocked out before the Hunter Safety class you will really be set to know what questions to ask.

Be forewarned that folks tend to protect their hunting spots like a serious angler protects his honey-hole. If someone is hesitant to offer up where they hunt, don't be offended and don't push.

Good luck.

[thebolt]

Welcome aboard Brad!

[bradkincaid]

Thanks for all the feedback guys.

I have just registered for a Hunters Ed class in September, so that should be an excellent learning experience.

At this point I don't think going after big game is the right choice for me. I don't have the experience to dress out a large animal, nor do I have the freezer space. In addition to that, I don't think I can afford a big game rifle and ammo for practice, so I am going to focus on small game for now. I have a Marlin 925 that I have been shooting with aftermarket aperture sights, but since I plan to go hunting I am going to purchase the necessarily pieces to mount a scope.

I didn't want to come off earlier like I was asking for anyone's secret hunting grounds, I just wanted to make sure that if I go tromping around one of the national forests to my West or South I stand an okay chance of seeing squirrel or other small game. The idea of pursuing game is not new to me, I quite enjoy fishing, but I don't want strike off for an area completely devoid of any game.

Keep the advice coming, I sincerely appreciate it.

[rgvt4]

very first thing, go take a hunter safety class.
1. they tend to fill up (esp this time of year)
2. you can't get a license without the card
3. you'll learn a TON


+1 Welcome

[spqrzilla]

Look at the Division's website for the walk-in small game access program. Other thing you can look at is the list of State leases and wildlife areas, they list which will allow small game as well as big game hunting and when.

[pookawa]

and dont foget rabbit season is coming up soon. I dont have any spots, but am going to give it a try myself this year (never tried small game before).

[sniper7]

after you take hunters ED, pm me with your questions. I live for hunting. It is a close call but I think about hunting almost as much as sex/women[Tooth]

Basically anywhere in the mountains with pine trees you can go for a walk and find a shit ton of squirrels. find an area that is national forest, google map the location from the parking spot/road you plan to enter from and check closely for homes/structures etc that could possibly be within range should the .22 get through the trees.

you can also look into grouse hunting (talk to them about it in hunters Ed). that would be another good start.

if you have a shotgun you can try bird hunting. waterfowl (ducks and geese) and upland (pheasants, quail, grouse, dove). There are a ton of opportunities. Also have them talk to you about state wildlife areas. there are lots of hunters typically but at least they are close and you can talk to others that can help you out.

Biggest this is to start studying the regulations now.
http://wildlife.state.co.us/RulesRegs/Regulations/Pages/Regulations.aspx

that will give you a link to all the types of hunting you want to look at.
There are general laws that apply all the time, and then specific regulations that apply to each species, season, unit, etc. It can be confusing and it will be confusing but just ask here or call the CDOW and they will get you headed in the right direction.

[budda]

Welcome to the hunting world I did not start hunting tell I was 25 and I dont know how I lived with out it. All the other members make a good point to how to get started. I would sugest making your next gun purchase to be a shotgun. I do think is it great for small game, in general, and you can get in to waterfowling easy enough. If you do get some squerals stew them. They have turned out good for me. My kids eat squeral and realy like it. As Pookawa said rabbit is a good small game animal to hunt aswell. Skin them and roast them as you would a chicken. Check out the DOW site they list State Wild Areas(SWA) and State Trust Lands(STL) that you can hunt on. Good Luck and eat what you hunt.

[bradkincaid]

Thanks for all the input guys. Rabbits and grouse were game I was also interested in pursuing, since I figured they may be found in the same wooded areas I would be walking around in looking for squirrel (when the seasons overlap of course).

Does anyone hunt grouse with a rimfire/centerfire rifle or handgun instead of a shotgun? I know Elmer Keith wrote about plunking grouse with a .44 Special, but I wonder how common it is nowadays to hunt these birds sans shotgun.

If I take a shine to small game hunting I will definitely look into a shotgun as my next gun, since Upland hunting has always appealed to me. In the meantime I may decide to sell my Marlin 925 and pick up a Savage MK2 so that I can have a lefty gun. Being a lefty, I can fire the bolt action pretty quickly without a scope, but reaching over a scope may become a hassle.

[sniper7]

Thanks for all the input guys. Rabbits and grouse were game I was also interested in pursuing, since I figured they may be found in the same wooded areas I would be walking around in looking for squirrel (when the seasons overlap of course).

Does anyone hunt grouse with a rimfire/centerfire rifle or handgun instead of a shotgun? I know Elmer Keith wrote about plunking grouse with a .44 Special, but I wonder how common it is nowadays to hunt these birds sans shotgun.

If I take a shine to small game hunting I will definitely look into a shotgun as my next gun, since Upland hunting has always appealed to me. In the meantime I may decide to sell my Marlin 925 and pick up a Savage MK2 so that I can have a lefty gun. Being a lefty, I can fire the bolt action pretty quickly without a scope, but reaching over a scope may become a hassle.

I have killed grouse with rocks. they aren't the brightest birds. Ever watch Jeremiah Johnson?
I have also killed several with a Bow.