If you’re getting into the sport of hunting, likely one of your first questions is going to be “Which animal should I hunt?”. If you sit down and think about it, there are loads of wild animals that you can choose to hunt, some of which might even be in your neighborhood or even your backyard! Are birds a good choice for a hunter to be? Or should you go for the classic deer and bucks of the forest? If there’s one thing you know about hunters, it’s that they frequently go for deer a lot.
It might not seem too important but choosing the right animal to hunt can ease you into the sport of hunting than if you were to choose one at random or one that is popular because it is in-season. It’s not to say that the latter is bad a thing, but you might come in with expectations on how the hunt will go, only to be disappointed when you find out that the animal you decided to go for is exceedingly difficult to hunt, especially when you’re fumbling about as a newbie. This can be a very frustrating first time, and it won’t give you a good impression of hunting either.
So, with all that said, let’s see what animals would be great for you to start with.
Squirrels
An unusual but not entirely unheard-of animal to start off with. You rarely hear about hunters going after squirrels, especially those that have moved on to bigger game, but for those that are simply starting out, this would be perfect for you: You get to practice your shooting skills and at the same time deal with the squirrels in your neighborhood if they’re becoming insufferable pests!
However, as you might expect, if you’re going after squirrels in your neighborhood, you don’t want to be doing it with actual rifles. Your neighbors aren’t going to appreciate the sounds of a very loud gun so early in the morning, and you’re bound to get a noise complaint. Besides, it’ll be overkill for what you’re hunting when an air rifle that fires BB as ammunition will do the job just as well. Not only that, it won’t splatter squirrel body parts all over your backyard if you score a hit, but the impact of the weapon is sure to kill them.
The only problem here is safety. Even if air rifles aren’t as dangerous as actual guns, they can still do significant damage to property and really hurt someone if you aren’t careful with where you’re pointing at. Depending on the space in your backyard and neighborhood, this can be easy or hard to do.
That said though, hunting squirrels will give you a taste of how it feels to chase a moving and living target while also teaching you the basics of marksmanship with a rifle, without having to use the deadly ammunition just yet. It makes it a really good choice for aspiring hunters.
Rabbits
Another small animal. They present a bit of a challenge, more so than going after some squirrels, but luckily for you, they aren’t too hard to find. Rabbits are known for breeding hard and reproducing really fast, and if left to their own devices, they can easily overwhelm an area on their own. This means that, like squirrels, hunting rabbits can be a boon for your environment by culling down the local rabbit population by a bit. Plus, rabbit meat is tasty! If you’ve never had one before, then now’s your chance to taste it!
As for hunting tips, the thing you should know about rabbits is that they are considerably fast. If they see you as a threat or if you fire your weapon, any rabbit within range will have disappeared from sight and likely won’t be coming out anytime soon. This means that your first shot should be your best one. A hunting shotgun would usually be a good choice of a hunting weapon against these nimble critters.
Raccoons
Raccoons are a target by many people, and not necessarily just hunters either. This is because like rabbits, they are known as very annoying pests, and they go beyond just reproducing fast and munching on the leafy greens nearby. Raccoons are known as a nuisance, as they are nest thieves, break into homes, knock over trash cans in an attempt to access its contents, and can carry many types of diseases due to their filth. Places have been known to place bounties on them to control their population as a result.
For the hunting aspect, consider what you’ll be doing with the raccoon’s pelt if your hunt is a success. Raccoon pelts can be used for clothing items, like a hat for instance, and your objective when hunting should be in accordance to what you want. If you simply want to kill a raccoon to help bolster your marksmanship, any rifle will do, but if you’d rather make sure that the pelt remains intact, go for smaller caliber guns like a .22.