Advice for a newbie? What game would you recommend?

A hog is the ideal single guy food. "Hey ya'll I am gonna have a cook out, I am supplying the maet, ya'll each bring a side and a case..."
A small freezer is under $200 bones and will hold 2 hogs and 2 deer fully processed.
that is about a year of meat for a bachelor who really likes fresh meat!
Brent
 
I've got to agree with fisherman66 here.

You've already got shotguns so head out to skeet or sporting clays range and polish up. Contact GA DNR and find out if they have public dove shoots with locations, dates and times. Make a dry run and find the field you wish to hunt prior to opening day and how long it takes to get there.

Make sure you have the appropriate licenses and permits, a couple of boxes of #8 shot, lightweight camo, chairs, water and a copy of the GA hunting regulations.

Go have a ball. Dove hunting is awesome because you don't have to get up early, don't have to be quiet and only have to be still when you see a bird coming your way. Plus, you get to make fun of your friends when they miss.

If you manage to kill some, hit me up for cleaning and cooking tips.
 
There is a lot of game you can hunt out there. You can use public lands and hunt deer, dove, quail (bobwhite) turkey, and hogs. You might want to get a centerfire rifle (I recommend something 25 cal or larger) for deer and hogs, but rifled slugs will do. You should be able to locate areas and seasons from your local wildlife management agent. Hunting is a lot more enjoyable than punching holes in targets, but you must be proficient at that too. Good luck and enjoy.
 
Actually, rabbit hunting is tons of fun. Sure, you can do it with a .22 or a shotgun, but I get great fun out of using my deer or elk rifle and it gives me a lot of practice mounting the gun to my shoulder, finding the target in the scope, squeezing the trigger just right, etc. Things that come in handy when you see that special bull elk and only have a second to take the shot. Jack rabbits are tons of fun to shoot at all ranges, but not good to eat. Cotton tails are more short range shooting but they are great to eat.

We don't have hogs up here, but I got to shoot some in South Texas and it was loads of fun. A decent size hog will make a lot of fajitas.
 
Sign up for a hunter safety class and purchase a sportsman's license for $60.00, this includes all fresh and salt water fishing, small and big game hunting, and WMA (Wildlife Management Area) access.

Actually, rabbit hunting is tons of fun. Sure, you can do it with a .22 or a shotgun, but I get great fun out of using my deer or elk rifle and it gives me a lot of practice mounting the gun to my shoulder, finding the target in the scope, squeezing the trigger just right, etc.
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This isn't legal in Georgia, rimfire rifles .22 cal and smaller, shotguns, and any black powder firearm are allowed.
Squirrel season opens on the 15th of this month, and dove season isn't far away in September.

Do check out the Georgia Outdoor Network.
 
Don't let the fact that you don't have a dog deter you from hunting birds. I've been hunting dove, quail, chukar, etc for years and have rarely used a dog. You might have to work a little harder but that's part of the fun.

+1 rabbits and squirrels too
 
+1 for all the squirrel recomendations!

Also, here, hogs are open season year round. Carrying some slugs for your shotgun while squirrel hunting could lead to a nice bonus if you happened to cross paths with Mr. Piggie. Have to check the rules for where you plan to hunt.
Some experimentation may be required but for example my daughters NEF 20 gauge with a modified choke shoots sub 3" groups with Remingtons rifled slugs at 50 yards.
 
A small freezer is under $200 bones and will hold 2 hogs and 2 deer fully processed.
that is about a year of meat for a bachelor who really likes fresh meat!
Click to expand...

+1, buy a smallish freezer, you can even go in halfsies with your buddy. When I was going to college (before the G.I. bill $ ran out and I had to work for a living) I had an old freezer in my dorm room; it was always full of Deer and Elk. A single guy with a small apartment need not miss out on the good life, hell, I even had a tiny little reloading bench set up in the room. I know, I'm getting off topic now so I'll make a "single guy gun post"... Point is, go for it man, just get that freezer and you'll have hog/ven/etc. all year and you'll be damn happy and proud to have it.. And, like Hogdogs said, share with friends (just keep those backstraps & tenderloins to yourself). Also, as others have suggested, try to get with a mentor, esp. when it comes to field care. Gutting, skinning, quartering and processing may seem a bit daunting at first so I'd advise getting an old salt to teach you. Other option is just learn to gut and haul the critter to a butcher, maybe he'll even let you watch and learn.
 
Sriracha:

I'm not in GA, but I'm on the same quest. I want to work my way up to deer. But, I've decided to take the advice of others on this forum and start with squirrels and rabbits. I've got my hunter safety class this weekend, and the season starts relatively soon!

-Jephthai-
 
G'day. I learnt to hunt Rabit without a dog. Our dogs name was Shivers, he was scared of anything you had in your hands that he thought you might be able to hit him with. If he saw a rifle he would run and hide behind mum. I used a .22LR on the Rabit mostly so I had greater range then a shotgun, but the shot gun would have been OK.
 
I agree with the others...squirrels! At least if you can stand to eat them. I LOVE TO SQUIRREL HUNT! But I had to give it up because I simply could not bring myself to eat them anymore. Here in the pineywoods they taste like turpentine. YUK! They are fun to hunt and it also allows you time to learn the woods as others have stated and prepare you to hunt other game. if you have to be as quiet and stealthy there as you do here you will have the chance to see a lot of other game which to me is what is so cool about squirrel hunting.

Good Luck.
 
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