I've always wanted to hunt. I can't fish and am averse to "hunting" large animals I can't process myself and after seeing how my buddies "hunt" deer it just seems unchallenging. I don't come from a hunting background but I do shoot quite a bit. Would like to hunt Duck, Quail and Pheasant. Any tips for a newbie?
Like I said, I don't have the fridge space or enough drunken buddies to help spread the meat around. Edit: also most hog meat taste like ****.
I'd rather process a hog than a crapton of quail. Also hog meat is great, and so is sausage. With the hunting you want to do you will need dogs and land that will likely come with experienced hunters. Probably will have to pay for a guided hunt or something.
I would advise taking a hunter education course first, you'll learn some very basic stuff that way. Not needed for hunting on a preserve, but needed for "regular" hunting. Try to join a gun club and practice some shotgun work, skeet and trap, etc., which will come in handy for the bird hunting that you mention. Always nice to find a mentor to show you the ropes. If you can't find a friend who bird hunts, some of the better shooting preserves will have staff who can function as "guides" and you can learn a lot from them. Again, this will work for pheasants and quail, maybe a little less so for ducks. Send me a pm if you'd like, I can give you some more ideas if you'd like.
A lot depends on how much you want to spend and what type of equipment you already have. If you already have a shot gun you're set for dove and quail. If you want to go duck hunting, its a little more involved. The second dove season starts up on the 20th and last through Jan 8th. You can look in the paper and find a day lease out in Katy or Waller and get put on a field with other hunters. Day leases run around $100 and you'll have to get your hunting license along with the migratory game stamp for doves. If you want to hunt duck, geese, or quail your best best would be to find a guide and have them take you out and do the calling/fetching for you. There are plenty of outfitters that do it and its a little more pricey (probably double) than hunting doves. I'd suggest going to shoot some skeet or sporting clays to get some practice on leading birds and there are several place around town that do it and even let you borrow a shotgun if you need one.
