I took the course 2 years ago. This year bought the license. Have a couple Of friends that hunt but not sure I can count on them. What’s your short list of things to pick up to be ready to go? Already have binoculars and range finder. Will be picking up a hunting shot gun because I only have a tactical mossberg 500.
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New to hunting. Never been.
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greencobra
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don't think they'll be a need for a range finder hunting within shotgun range.
HorizontalHunter
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one-eyed Jack
Manufacturer
You go into the woods and shoot the deer. Jack.
HorizontalHunter
NES Member
There are the three seasons archery, shotgun, and muzzleloader.
Massachusetts has a lesser weapons rule so during shotgun season you could use archery gear or a muzzleloader, or a shotgun. If you want to gun hunt a muzzle loader will get you both gun seasons.
Most who hunt the shotgun season use a rifled barrel with a cantilever scope mount. I prefer an old smooth bore. The smoothie is lighter and ammo is cheaper. With the smooth bore I am good to a hundred yards. I’ve shot deer to 75-80 but most are 50 yards or less.
The rangefinder for me is an archery tool. Bino’s come in handy but I usually carry a monocular. It’s half the weight and you can’t see very far until the leaf drop.
Gear can be as basic license, pen, hunting implement and ammo. Hunters have been killing deer in blue jeans and flannel for many moons. I you don’t need all the fancy stuff to be successful. Hunters kill deer not gear.
Staying warm can be an issue and it takes a few years to figure out what is right for your kind of hunting. DON’T get sweated up you will freeze.
There are a lot of new magic fabrics out there these days and they pall have their pros and cons. I am a wool fan.
I love to archery hunt; gun not so much.
Welcome to a new addiction.
Bob
Mark from MA
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All this is good stuff and correct.
Most people start out gun hunting, then if they get obsessed go to archery, you will see more deer in Archery season and less people. The deer will also be more relaxed and likely more on their natural patterns, rather than being fully noctournal and in hiding. Or running from gunshots.
Treestands haven't been mentioned much, generally gun or bow they can increase your success, but can be a hindrance in gun season if guys are constantly walking by you and messing up your setup. Some people also can't stand long periods of time, but in general, thats the most successful way to hunt when there is a decent deer population and a few hunters around.
Most hunters that walk, don't still hunt slow enough, and are moving deer around and they dont even know it, if you sit a stand, a long time youll see that you get shots when others push deer right to you.
Dont' get to hung up on equipment, basic shotgun that can shoot a slug well is really all you need. Like Bob said, most shoot cantilever rifle scoped. But honestly, they don't perform any better than the older smoothbores with foster slugs, because most shots are close in. 20-80 yards. Especially in when stand hunting.
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MisterHappy
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OP, you need to
1) Practice with your gun. Get several different brands of ammo, and see what works best in your gun. Also, do your practicing in clothing of about the same thickness as your hunting outfit, so it will feel "natural"
2) Practice hunting. Get into the woods, at the times you will be hunting, to find where the deer are, and where you'll be able to shoot 'em.
3) if you don't have your orange clothes yet, get 'em.
1) Practice with your gun. Get several different brands of ammo, and see what works best in your gun. Also, do your practicing in clothing of about the same thickness as your hunting outfit, so it will feel "natural"
2) Practice hunting. Get into the woods, at the times you will be hunting, to find where the deer are, and where you'll be able to shoot 'em.
3) if you don't have your orange clothes yet, get 'em.
My advice is start off small game hunting. Grey squirrel taste just fine and the success rate is high if you pay attention to being quiet enough and know the signs to look for. Also can be hunted on just about any wma or public land where hunting is allowed. 12 gauge, full choke, high brass side 4 to 6 shot will reach the top of any tree in new England. If the squirrel is under 25 yard aim off the nose a bit cuz a center mass blast at that range with a full choke high brass will ruin the meat. Go early before sunup.....get in slow and sit in an oak stand......at sunrise they'll start moving.
Move on to deer season when it's time but squirrel and rabbit will keep you happy in the woods for a bit before deer hunting time. You could also do pheasant on stocked wma......I'm not a fan of shooting farm raised stocked birds personally.
For deer season......shotgun season is short. Get a decent muzzle loader to extend your season to the end of the year. I've taken more deer with my muzzle loader than with the shotgun.
Like horizontalhunter said.......lots of clothing options out there......wool is best imo. Its quiet.....still warm when its wet.....and lasts forever.
HorizontalHunter
NES Member
I have a buck 110FG folder and they are great knives and a great company. Their lifetime warranty is terrific. I bought it in 1980 and have had to send it back for a blade replacement.
I personally don’t like a folder or a clip point knife for processing deer. They are harder to clean and with that point it is too easy to poke a hole in something you don’t want to poke a hole in.
My go to knife for dressing deer is a Grohmann GR1. The elliptical blade is perfect for the task and it will hold its edge for multiple deer before it needs to be touched up.
As funny as the handle looks it is comfortable in my big mitts.
Bob
https://www.amazon.com/Grohmann-GR1-BRK-Original-Design/dp/B001DB0SY8
Been carrying the same buck110 folder since 1993. Been through my whole military career with it same leather sheath and all. A good compromise on size too can field dress anything from a squirrel to a deer with it.
bdb
NES Member
Grohmann's are great knives, I have a few different styles but i tend to be a bit of a knife whore. The trout and bird is a great knife for fish and small game. Very similar design just much smaller. My go to is the DH Russel Belt knife, basically the same as pictured above but before they were owned by Grohman, that my dad bought when he was 18. It was the first item I collected from his place when he died and it has gutted pretty much every animal I have killed in the last 15 years. My way of taking the man who taught me to hunt 30+ years ago along for new hunts.
I terms of gear. Knives, and I say multiple as I am not a fan of sharpening in the field, I can do that later. Pen, license, and zip ties to secure the tag. Obviously gun and ammo.
My pack always has the following items in a small black mesh bag that I can transfer to different packs depending on the type of hunting or temps.
compass
wire hand saw
3 knives
headlamp
toilet paper - always an absolute must to have!! At least for me.
small first aid kit
Butt Out - Don't laugh, it's the balls!!
Bottle of powder for a wind direction indicator
small folding bone saw
Sharpening stone (that I never use)
Zip lock bag with extra flash light batteries
A super bright flash light for blood trailing after dark (I bow hunt 95% of the time)
A small battery pack to charge a cell phone
I carry my range finder and binoculars. Bino's a great tool if still hunting. And as said above if you think you are going low enough, you aren't, slow down.
One of my favorite tools (again a knife) is the Havalon Piranta. Replaceable surgical grade blades. Use it then replace the blade. It is awesome for skinning work and I use it a fair bit when butchering as well, for separating muscle groups and also for trimming silver skin. I am pretty particular about my steaks. 1 deer start to finish is usually 2 sometimes 3 blades for me. I don't use it for gutting anymore (learned that lesson once which was enough) since it's too easy to slice yourself up when working around the inside of a bloody body cavity sometimes by touch only. It's basically a scalpel.
Good luck, I hope you catch the bug. For many of us, it's not a hobby it's an obsession that we do at some level year round.
I terms of gear. Knives, and I say multiple as I am not a fan of sharpening in the field, I can do that later. Pen, license, and zip ties to secure the tag. Obviously gun and ammo.
My pack always has the following items in a small black mesh bag that I can transfer to different packs depending on the type of hunting or temps.
compass
wire hand saw
3 knives
headlamp
toilet paper - always an absolute must to have!! At least for me.
small first aid kit
Butt Out - Don't laugh, it's the balls!!
Bottle of powder for a wind direction indicator
small folding bone saw
Sharpening stone (that I never use)
Zip lock bag with extra flash light batteries
A super bright flash light for blood trailing after dark (I bow hunt 95% of the time)
A small battery pack to charge a cell phone
I carry my range finder and binoculars. Bino's a great tool if still hunting. And as said above if you think you are going low enough, you aren't, slow down.
One of my favorite tools (again a knife) is the Havalon Piranta. Replaceable surgical grade blades. Use it then replace the blade. It is awesome for skinning work and I use it a fair bit when butchering as well, for separating muscle groups and also for trimming silver skin. I am pretty particular about my steaks. 1 deer start to finish is usually 2 sometimes 3 blades for me. I don't use it for gutting anymore (learned that lesson once which was enough) since it's too easy to slice yourself up when working around the inside of a bloody body cavity sometimes by touch only. It's basically a scalpel.
Good luck, I hope you catch the bug. For many of us, it's not a hobby it's an obsession that we do at some level year round.
hv55maxx
NES Member
shotgun season the only thing you need is really really really bright orange. and LOTS of it. i means TONS of orange. still probably wouldnt hurt to wear some armor if you have it.
The accident rate in mass among hunters is very low
From a f and g article for mass:
"The hunting accident rate is very low. An average of 7.25 accidents per 100,000 participants rates it among the lowest injury rates for recreational activities"
The article details that the last 29 hunting accidents in mass included (2011 article) and only one was fatal:
13 pheasant hunting
8 deer hunting
4 turkey hunting
3 rabbit hunting
1 Upland bird hunting
Statistically your safer hunting that driving to work.....the accidental DEATH rate among motorists in the us is 12.4 per 100,000 participants. That's the death rate......the mass stat on hunter accidents (injury not death) is 7.25 injuries per 100,000 participants. Seeing that only 1 of the 29 injuries in the report resulted in death.....we can safely say that hunting is MUCH safer than driving a car.
Just wear orange......and you'll be ok.
Let's not spread rumors that hunting in mass is unsafe. It hurts our cause.
Fixxah
NES Member
Watch the hunting shows and you will learn a lot. Compass, first aid kit, food, water, two knives, proper clothing, map, good boots, and patience.
Know your target and what's beyond.
Cell phone to take pics and vall buddies to help drag your deer out.
Line up a good butcher to get the meat off the bone and hide/head for mounting.
Know your target and what's beyond.
Cell phone to take pics and vall buddies to help drag your deer out.
Line up a good butcher to get the meat off the bone and hide/head for mounting.
one-eyed Jack
Manufacturer
You don't have to hunt. Just wait till you are old like me and the sons and grandkids will bring you the backstraps nicely trimmed and frozen. Jack.
Supposedly has to do with housing density.
Shotgun slug and buckshot don't travel past 150 yards with much energy left where your 7.62 type rifles carry heavy energy WELL into 400 to 500 yards and more.
I'll agree that eastern zones the shotgun only reg makes sense.....plenty of western zones that could go rifle though. Especially straight wall cartridge rifle like many states now allow.
All that said.....mass is mostly thick woods. Where I hunt even if mass allowed rifle I'd use the shotgun. Under 75 yards a 12 gauge slug is downright devastating.
HorizontalHunter
NES Member
Cause the king says so. No rifle for deer hunting in Massachusetts.
Rifles are allowed for bear (first two seasons) small game, and coyotes (during the day)
357 Magnum revolver with .357 Magnum cartridges only, or a revolver .40 caliber or larger. (not handguns, revolvers only) for bear during the first season.
Bob
Mark from MA
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Private property and a lot of states have bowhunting only areas, or special permits for bowhunting. For instance I used to hunt in the Centennial State Forest in CT, they gave out 250 permits and it was bowhunting only, and opened up for the first time in many years. Needless to say, i shot a bunch of deer because they hadn't been hunted and the population was high. I shot several deer just scouting around right off the ground, not even in my stand.
I was going to target a few bowhunting only areas in Kentucky last year, but I ended up scooping up some good private land by asking a farmer. It was perfect size for me too, I was only there a few days, i didn't have a lot of scouting time.
Bowhunting definately opens up a lot of avenues. I see more deer and they are definately more relaxed. But its a treestand hunt for sure in most cases.
Mark from MA
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This....I rifle hunt in NH, in areas with more population (people) density than behind my house in MA. I'm not sure why we can't use rifles for deer. You can use them for bear and squirrel and coyote in the same places.
HorizontalHunter
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