Getting started hunting or fishing $$$

[brnsvllyjohn]

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.

 

[Pucky Freak]

Hunting is an expensive hobby. If you have the money to invest in quality gear up front, you are saving money long term because it will last. Some people will avoid hunting because they don't want to spend the money up front. If it's a choice between not hunting, or getting out in the field with used, subpar, or borrowed equipment, by all means, get out there and start tromping around. My buddy hunted Iowa with me for the first time last year for $100 which covered boots, a license, and a tag. Everything else was borrowed and we had a great time.

 

[2rocky]

A lot of folks out there make what they already HAVE work. You can be a fair weather hunter with carhartts and flannels. Most folks who work outside for part of their life already have some sort of cold weather work gear. Regular work boots with Vibram soles will work JUUUST fine. Spring for Merino socks and leave the cotton tube socks at home. buy some decent wicking base layers and work grade rain gear.

a $600 rifle-scope combo WILL kill deer at reasonable distances. You might even find one used. Beware of the Guy who spends as much $ on ammo and becomes proficient shooting that rifle because he will kick your butt on the 500 yard gong.

You don't need $1500 bino's out the gate. Nikon Monarchs for $399 (some other models as cheap as $160) or borrow a buddies pair. You aren't glassing trying to figure out if a buck is B&C when you start. Just to see legal antlers.

You don't need to be an ultralite backpacker to hunt. You can day hunt from the truck. My first pack was an EMS frame pack that I found out was a woman's size. Packed out my first Whitetail just fine...


The guy who wants it bad enough will find a way to make it work. If his hunting buddies want him to hunt bad enough THEY will find a way to make it work. He might have to volunteer to drive, or spend some time helping other guys retrieve critters or bring a special skill set to camp but desire trumps aggressive spending.

 

[TN2shot07]

I definitely agree that you would come out ahead in the long run if you are able to cover costs of some nicer gear up front. That being said, I don’t know that I would enjoy what I have now as much if not for some of that suffering when I was starting out. A beginner can’t know how great it is to have a scope that gives you an extra five minutes of light without having lost a buck at last light in the $50 tasco that came on their package deal rifle. There’s something to be said for that type 2 fun we all enjoy so much!

 

[VikingsGuy]

A $400 ruger/savage, a $250 vortex/leupold 3-9x scope, $150 Bushnell legend binos, $200 boots (if they fit and you are not doing 15 miles into the mountains that most newbies won't anyway) and $300 for a lightly used or good sale decent pack gets you to $1300 (35% less than $2k). Borrow binos and a pack and start up gear is down to $850. Borrow a rifle and you are down to footwear. I think there is value in getting started cheap. While in theory buying your most expensive gear first "saves" you money over time, that is only if you guess right on every item when you don't even know what you are doing. Guess wrong on even one high-end item and your perceived savings are out the window.

I think the "buy once cry once" advice is most useful for a hunter with some time under their belt, know they are going to stick it out, know what they like/need/what works for them. In this case the advice saves a lot by avoiding the middle step up purchase - where you probably knew what you really needed/wanted but only went half way - and a few years later are back shopping.

 

[Mudder]

IMO people get ate up with the newest fad. My rifle is better than good, cost me $600 new with a top of the line scope 30 years ago, cost $2000 today without the scope. If you buy wisely and take care of your firearms they really aren't a bad investment. Cabelas periodically has package deals, scope and rifles on sale. If you want to improve your shooting, the trigger is usually the most bang for the buck and not all that expensive. Just an opinion but a moderately priced rifle with really good optics works better than a really good rifle with cheap optics. Unless you do a whole lot of shooting most rifles are more accurate than the shooter is anyway. The better the glass the more chances you are going to get for a shot, especially in low light when most game animals are out and about.

Most of my gear is Army surplus except for my base layer. German Army makes better stuff than the U.S. does for cold weather.

My Boots are top of the line.

Optics have come a long ways, improvements in technology and manufacturing make the moderately priced optics today nearly as good as top of the line optics of twenty years ago.

Learning to stay still is much more important than the newest and bestes camouflage. Except for blue, Deer are pretty much color blind anyway. The newest gear, this years offering, is unlikely to be any, if much, better than the stuff from five years ago.

 

[LandPro]

I guess your start-up costs will depend on what you're starting. Is it feasible for most average income folks to go from nothing to fully equipped for a backcountry elk hunt without breaking the bank? If they have never hunted, they probably should start with small game. Society is getting farther removed from the land & I can only imagine the hurdles if you don't have any connection to anyone to mentor you. My dad wasn't a hunter, but he loved to fish, grew up on a farm and was around guns/hunting his entire life. It wasn't a big deal when I asked him to take me squirrel hunting. The challenge is how do we replace those hunters who are aging out with folks who might have the want to, but that is all they have.

 

[Gerald Martin]

We always find time and money to do the things we want to do.

 

[Hertervillian]

I’ve been asked about what’s needed. It can be as complicated and expensive as one wants it to be. I started with hand me down everythin, and precious little of that.

Getting out and doing it is the best start. You’ll figure out what is needed and wanted and how much of your budget should be allocated where. Tags, weapon, and clothing appropriate for the season, everything else is optional if the desire is there.

The learning curve might have been longer than necessary, but I know why I want everything I carry. My budget has always lagged behind my desires, but my gear is at v3.0 now and I’m about done looking through catalogues for life. I’ve started outfitting a young grandson, and wonder how much should be layed at his feet vs figure it out for himself.

 

[Mudranger1]

I find your cost of what you recommend to be extremely high. I would never tell someone they need to spend that kind of money to be successful. Especially if they have no true idea if they are going to continue at it. I think my friend that went with me this past season for his first spent roughly $500 on gear, rifle included. That rifle will last his lifetime if he chooses. I still hunt with my 1st rifle I got when I was 16 and I'm 42 now. Then they can decide what they want to spend if they choose to keep at it. He had a cheap pair of binos but for a first season they worked. They also showed him that is something he will need to upgrade sooner rather than later. It doesnt take as much to get started as a lot of people make out.

 

[BuzzH]

I agree with others, it doesn't have to be a high cost thing.

I used to hunt elk in tennis shoes until it snowed, then broke out the sorels and malone wool pants for cold weather. I shot 180 grain PSP 30/06 green box Remington corelocs (about $6 a box) from a sporterized springfield. My grandfather bought the barreled (2-groove 26" barrel) springfield action and it came wrapped in a wax like paper and cosmoline and had a local Missoula area smith sporterize it. I bought a $29 3-9 bushnell that replaced the weaver K-4. I still have that rifle.

I shot a lot of my early elk, deer, and even pronghorn with that rifle, including my first 6 point bull.

We used military pack frames with mail bags attached to them for packing elk and deer.

Simple stuff, extremely cheap and clothing that people would laugh at now. We didn't know any better and just used what we had.

I hunted my first probably 10 years without binoculars...we hunted Western Montana and where we hunted, there just wasn't much glassing to be done.

Just like a lot people make it sound like you have to be some super athlete to hunt elk, they also make it sound like you have to own several thousand dollars worth of fancy gear. I look at some of my old photos and I don't recall ever feeling like the stuff I was using at the time wasn't good enough. We just made our stuff work...honestly, looking back, I like the simplicity...

 

[brnsvllyjohn]

"I find your cost of what you recommend to be extremely high."

I realize that I said "We" when I said what was typically recommended but that was referring to most hunting forums in general. And I am a member of a couple of hunting forums. What I recommended to my buddies was a package deal or a good used rifle to get started. I would not personally recommend spending even $1000 to get started. If you read a lot of hunting forums opinions on the package deals seem to indicate that the scope is bad or the trigger is no good and so on.
How many of us would tell a guy starting out that a 2.5 power scope is OK or even a fixed 4 power if one was available for them to use? Most now tell guys to at least get a 3x9. It only goes up from there. If I was a new hunter and asked a forum about my original hunting 30-06 with a 2.5 power scope I feel like most would now tell me it is only good to 100 yards and don't bother hunting until you replace the scope. (I killed deer well past 200 yards with that scope) No one would tell me to buy binoculars at a store like Sears. I just think that in general veteran outdoors people tend to recommend what they can afford or what they like. I think we need to encourage new people to start at whatever level they can. That might mean borrowed equipment or something inherited from a family member but getting them to participate is the important part.
When I said the cost was the major factor for a couple of buddies not moving forward I had not recommended any high priced gear to them but 2 guys have read reviews and found where some say a less expensive product isn't worth buying. I disagree and think that some package deals and or used firearms can be great shooters.

I only started this thread to get us to think about what we can do to possibly help newer people participate and cost of gear can be a problem for some.

By the way 55 years later I still have that 30-06 and that 2.5 power Weaver is around here somewhere.

 

[Empire State]

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.

Wow, I'm out of touch with today's fishing gear!

But for hunting, it's like golf... someone says they want to start golfing, they don't go spend $3000 on a custom fit etc... any old putter will do, they don't need to play in the rain, a used set of good clubs are better than a new set of "starter' gear. And for all intents and purposes they're a golfer. Same for hunting. Help them get a good used gun. Show them how to sight it in. Hunter-Ed completed, and help them find a place to hunt. They're now hunters. Help them to be safe, not do stupid things, but get 'em in the field.

 

[Dunning Kruger]

You can get by without a ton of gear, you just have to base your hunting style around what you have. I have a pair of zeiss 15x56 binos and a tripod, a pair of 10x razors, and i didnt use or even bring binos with me once last year, and i filled 4 tags. My bears i used an old .30-30 with no scope. Got my cat with a $500 savage topped with a $200 leupold shooting cheap ammo. Hunting the timber as opposed to wide open stuff, you can get by with a lot less. No need for a long range rig and binos and rangefinder when the longest shot opportunity you might have is under a hundred yards. One thing i wont get cheap on though is boots. Gotta have good boots.

 

[LandPro]

"Gotta have good boots" true that, that $1k rifle gonna be an albatross if them wheels ain't working!

 

[Mudder]

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.

 

[Aussie_hunter_JD]

I've helped quite a few people interested in hunting. I make no bones about the financial layout of getting into it. So I lend my stuff so they can test the waters without blowing their budget.

 

[VikingsGuy]

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.

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

 

[JohnCushman]

I kill animals with my savage axis/scope combo rifles. I use theron optics. I do have some sitka clothing, but some of it was bought off of our classifieds and some from Randy. I use my Army ALICE pack. What I did spend a good amount of money on was boots. You can't shoot an elk with your axis rifle if you can't get out in the woods without sore feet. I use a mid range priced bow. If you know your equipment you can kill animals if you have realistic expectations.

 

[MO Betta]

It really doesn't take that much money to get into hunting, think it's a shame that marketing and some attitudes in the hunting community profess that you have to spend X money on gear or you're not serious.

I don't own much gear that would be considered even moderately expensive here. The Bear compound bow I've used since I was 14 (36 now) was $10 at a discount store - no, I won't be nailing speed goats with it from 70 yards but anything 40 or less is toast. Most of my camo has been pieces I'd find cheap over the years, my rifles up until recently were all used, budget optics, etc. I've been making pretty good money over the past decade and I'll replace worn equipment with stuff that is better quality now because I have the luxury, but if someone is just starting out and wanting to learn I'd want them to invest more in stomping around the woods gaining experience than buying gear to keep up with the Joneses.