Ever want to get into hunting? Well, Navy Seal survivalist John Barklow has some choice words that new hunters should know, including the most important thing.
Barklow's words of wisdom for new hunters is to be patient with yourself. Speaking with Hook & Barrel, he revealed that you can't run before you walk when it comes to hunting.
"The first thing I would say is be patient with yourself," he said. "If you're starting a little later in life, I think you have to be patient and understand that this really is a lifelong journey for all of us."
That probably means you're not going to kill a giant buck during your first trip to the woods.
He continued, "It's unrealistic to say you're going to go out and kill a giant buck or bull your first year, maybe even your first decade. But if you're patient with yourself and you want to learn, you train. Most people call part of the year the offseason, but if you look at this kind of as a lifestyle and a year-round pursuit, then success will start to happen."
Hunters Need To Slow Down
Instead of measuring your success by the buck's rack, hunters should consider their progress as survivalists and outdoorsmen as measures of success. Take things one step at a time.
"It could be, 'I'm going to go out and be self-sufficient, clothe and feed myself for two to three days in the mountains and not even worry about the hunting aspect. I'm just going to go learn how to live," he said. "Then, now that I know how to live, I'm going to go and learn land navigation. In the meantime, I'll shoot my bow or rifle, and then eventually the whole thing is going to come together.' But in the process of it, I'm having these grand adventures. The whole thing is the journey."
For that reason, you shouldn't immediately try to go hunt the biggest thing in the most difficult landscape. It's unrealistic for new hunters to do so.
"Some people get into hunting, and they want to go do the most difficult thing, which in North America is probably archery hunting bull elk on public land," he said. "At a minimum, it's master's-level type hunting, and it's super inspirational. But it is unrealistic to think that you can start on year one, day one, buy the gear, drive out to Colorado and think you're going to be able to find success if you don't even know how to go backpacking, if you don't even know how to feed yourself, if you don't know what altitude illness is."
Doing that will make you abandon hunting before you ever really start.
