New Hunter wanting to know how to get started.

[huntingdog16]

I just recieved my hunters ed certificate and was wondering if anyone here would mind giving me some starter tips on how to get started hunting. I would like to know of any hunting in skagit County, WA( that's where I live). Any advice is very very very much appreciated.

[rtspring]

Congrats! 

Best advice I can give, spend as much time in the woods as you can! No book or person can teach what the animals themselves will teach you. Watch them at ever minute of the day that you can, wherevthe get water, where they rest, where they hide under pressure.   

Get the basics from books and let the woods teach you the rest!

Good luck

Rtspring

[ZB-ARCHERY]

Congrat's

Like Rtspring said the best way to gain experience and understand animal behavior is to be in the great outdoors of course you can gain some good knowledge from books and magazine articles, but nothing beats personal experience making mistakes teach you the most and trust me this will be you at times  but there is no better time then hunting season good luck hope you get some good advice from others

[elk247]

Huntingdog16 pm sent

[Mudman]

Get outdoors.  Hiking?  Hunt with a camera while scouting.  Cameras take pics of your trophy find while hunt/scouting.  Take tools to practice with, gps, compass calls etc.  Where camo and sneak up close to get pics?  Set stands and sit and read a book and watch and learn?  Just getting out is what its about.

[jburkett]

Be confident with your equipment!   Practice practice  and more practice.  You and I and every one else on this forum owes it to the animals we hunt to make clean ethical and well placed shots. There's nothing worse then wounding an animal and not being able to recover it.   I have shot two animals that were not recovered, and that was the two worst days of my hunting career. Besides that all of the scouting in the world doesn't matter if you can't hit the broad side of a barn.

[JJD]

Where you have asked this question in the Bow Hunting forum, it would be reasonable to assume you are going to be hunting archery.
Let a good bow shop help you get set up properly, at least the first time around, on line stores and most big box stores are probably not the way to go.  Bow shops may even hook you up with someone who will mentor you.
Like others have stated, get out and scout.  Books can help you learn about the game you wish to hunt, but not how they move or act in a given area.  Also be aware that game does not act or move the same year round.  Frequent scouting weeks prior to your season is invaluable.  Plus it may help prevent you hunting under someone who has already set up in a certain area.
Know the areas you will hunt and know ownership and boundaries.
Get permission to hunt private property well in advance of the season. 
Trespass is a huge problem, at least my side of the state.
1/4 mi rule:  Hunt off the roads a ¼ mi or more and you will increase your chances of success x 3
Practice like ya hunt; Wear much of the gear you hunt with, gloves, hat, jacket, etc.  From a tree stand or ground blind.  Do your best to mimic what you will be doing in the field when you are hunting.  When actually taking game, there are always unexpected variables.  Practicing like ya hunt will eliminate some of them.
Learn from your mistakes, you WILL make some.

[Eli346]

 I'm not sure of your age but I would try to find a mentor. It's not a good idea to go hunting alone but especially without any experience. Maybe there's someone in your local sporting goods store that might want to help or someone they may know. Perhaps a rifle or archery club might be another place to search. Get to know the person first and ask a lot of questions. If they aren't asking you a lot of questions then I would begin to wonder. Read everything you can about where you're going and what you're hunting for. Learn a few survival skills and know how to use a compass. Always overdress in layers and be prepared for anything. One good rule in the woods is to always be aware of what is going on around you at all times as most things (good and bad) happen when you least expect it! Ask a lot of questions on this site also as there are a few thousand good people here that love to give advice. Good luck and keep us posted.

[huntingdog16]

Thank you for all the great advice. I have talked to a few friends from school and they have told me that one of the best places to hunt in Skagit County is Devil's Mountain in Mount Vernon. I was wondering if anyone could tell me a little more.

[Tradbowhunter]

Congrats on the hunter's ed certificate! As most have already said, spend as much time in the woods as you can year-round. It helps to know the area and how animals act all year rather than two weeks out of the year, you will pick up on things that you may otherwise miss. Be prepared to indulge on slice after slice of humble pie, and get the goal of killing something completely out of your head at first. Focus on your woodsmanship, knowledge of the natural world and the animal you plan to hunt, and the rest will come. Are you hunting with traditional gear or a mechanical arrow-launching device? Be wary of costly gadgets and fancy gear until you are comfortable hunting without it.  Enjoy every minute you're out in the woods and take every opportunity to learn from nature and resist the urge to follow other "slob hunters", racing around on atv's, littering wherever they feel, and showing disrespect to the animal that gave it's life to sustain yours. That's really all the advice I have, everything else will come with time.

Cheers