Big Game Hunting North America: An Introductory Guide

For many newcomers, big game hunting can seem intimidating—a tradition passed down through generations, steeped in know-how and lore. But rest assured: anyone can enter the world of hunting. This guide offers a foundational overview meant to spark curiosity and serve as a stepping stone for deeper exploration. The United States provides unmatched access to public hunting lands and well-managed wildlife populations, making it one of the best places in the world to take up the sport. 

Before diving into the how-to of hunting, it's important to recognize that your geographic location heavily influences how you get started. While there are general principles that apply across the country, understanding regional differences is key to a smooth entry into the sport. 

Hunting Across the Country: East vs. West 

The most significant factor that affects hunting style and strategy is geography. In the most broad sense, the U.S. can be divided into Eastern and Western hunting regions: 

Hunting laws also vary significantly by state and region: 

Focus on Deer: The Entry-Level Big Game 

This guide centers primarily on deer hunting, the most accessible and common big game species in North America. Deer provide an ideal entry point into the sport, offering the best balance of availability, challenge, and reward. While other big game like elk, moose, or bighorn sheep exist, they often require years of preparation and a more advanced skill set, and the lessons learned by focusing on deer during those years of preparation will oftentimes better prepare you for these hunts than any introductory hunting guide could. 

Where to Hunt 

Having discussed the differences in hunting approaches by region, we can break down how this look for actually finding a hunting spot. 

The West: 

In western states like Colorado, Montana, and Idaho, vast tracts of public land such as Bureau of Land Management (BLM) areas and National Forests are open to hunters. However, the key challenge is finding where the animals are. Game tends to congregate in remote, difficult-to-access areas, making hunting here physically demanding. When you hunt the West, you'll be assigned a specific "unit," often the size of a county, where you're allowed to hunt. As can be assumed, units with larger populations and better odds of success take longer to successfully obtain a permit in (known as “drawing a tag”). Choosing the right unit involves balancing your chances of drawing a tag with the probability of encountering game. Most states provide easily accessible, detailed historical statistics on each unit through their wildlife agencies to help guide your decision. 

The East: 

Eastern hunters often face a different challenge: access. While states like Pennsylvania and Georgia offer thousands of acres of public hunting land, pressure from other hunters can make these areas inconsistent. 

Private land access thus becomes an ideal avenue for hunting. Most often, this means knocking on doors, calling landowners, or joining a hunting lease or club. Once access is secured, the opportunities for consistent success improve dramatically. Regardless of location, always obtain explicit permission and follow local laws to maintain good relationships with landowners and the public. Just the same as for the Western hunter, analyzing local harvest statistics can help you identify promising counties or management areas. However, proximity to your home is equally important, as it allows for more scouting and familiarity with the area. 

Regardless of whether you find yourself in the East or the West, of the most underutilized resources for new hunters is the local hunting community. Making connections with experienced hunters can provide invaluable guidance, from gear recommendations to local animal behavior. While they may not reveal their favorite hunting spots, many will gladly help you get started. As a newcomer, consider starting things nice and easy and hunting antlerless animals for the freezer instead of for the camera. This will make it more likely to get help, lead to higher likelihoods of harvesting an animal, and more time out in the field with the abundance of antlerless hunting opportunities. This will all contribute to greater opportunities to grow your expertise and more satisfaction with your hunting experiences. 

Scouting: The Key to Success 

Once you have access to land, the real work begins: scouting. Understanding animal behavior is essential, and it boils down to three elements: food, water, and cover. Use tools like Google Earth to identify potential feeding areas, water sources, and bedding grounds. Visit these areas to look for signs such as tracks, droppings, and trails. The best times to scout are at dawn and dusk when animals are most active and likely to be observed. In the West, take advantage of high vantage points to look over large areas with binoculars or spotting scopes (known as “glassing”). Observing animals from afar allows you to track patterns without disturbing the area. If you see significant activity and are comfortable with the expense, you could even consider installing trail cameras to get photographic references of animal movement. 

Hunting Tactics: Ambush vs. Spot and Stalk 

Once you've learned where the animals travel, it's time to plan your hunt. Really, this comes down to the daily application of the basic techniques of: 

This is the essence of hunting: predicting where the animals will be and remaining completely undetected. At its core, a hunter’s skill is defined by the ability to read the land, understand animal behavior, and position oneself accordingly—often long before the game ever appears. Beyond that, success largely depends on timing, chance, and forces beyond your control. 

Even the most experienced hunters have been outsmarted more times than they can count—"busted" by game that caught their scent, spotted a subtle movement, or reacted to some instinctive sixth sense that wild animals seem to possess. It's a humbling reminder that in the natural world, nothing is guaranteed, and part of the hunt is learning from these quiet defeats. 

Weapon Choices and Hunting Seasons 

With all this talk of “getting into range” of your quarry, it is important to understand the tools of the trade. Hunting seasons are typically divided by weapon type, with each having its own drawbacks and benefits: 

With these pros and cons outlines above, choose based on your experience level, available time, and interests, but don’t be discouraged just because archery sounds most difficult or that rifle is going to see you bumping into more hunters. Each possesses plenty of satisfaction and reward, with many hunters participate in multiple seasons to maximize their opportunities.  

Essential Gear and Tools 

Outside of your weapon, there are a number of other pieces of equipment you need out in the field. You don’t need top-of-the-line gear to be successful, but there are a few essentials: 

Invest wisely. Start with affordable gear and upgrade as you gain experience and see what you really need to invest money into for your particular situation. Knowledge and skill often matter more than gear quality. 

Clothing and Layering 

Hunting often involves dramatic shifts in temperature and activity level. The key to staying out longer in the elements is to master the basics of layering: 

That’s all there is to it. Some additional tips include using quiet fabrics and scent-reducing materials, to give you the added edge that can make all the difference in the field. Don’t be fooled either, Outdoor stores like REI are just as helpful as hunting-specific retailers when it comes to choosing functional outdoor clothing. 

After the Harvest: Processing and Respect 

Many new hunters overlook what happens after the shot. Field dressing, transporting, and preserving meat are critical steps that deserve preparation.