When you’re getting started hunting in the wild, it’s always a good idea to start with small, easy animals to catch. If you go for the hard ones right out the gate, you’ll get frustrated a lot. You’ll have to count on luck to get anything for a while. That’s why knowing what it’s the easiest animal to hunt is so important. This way you don’t need to waste time hunting animals that only more experienced hunters can get. You focus on the easy ones, so you can build up confidence and get experience.
Now, even though some animals are easier to kill than others the most important thing is the method that you’re going to use. Depending on the method, the kind of animal that will be easiest may vary. What you should keep in mind that you shouldn’t just think what it’s easiest to kill, but also to prepare for eating.
A lot of hunters forget that you need to have the know how and have the tools to cook what you’ve hunted. There are animals that you need to know how to skin and clean the insides. The point is that you need to know not only how to kill but also how to prepare the meat.
So, what you’re about to learn below is what is the easiest animal to hunt and what methods work best for certain animals. All you need to do is read ‘til the end and make sure that you test the methods yourself.
It Depends On The Method
The first thing that you must know about is that it depends on the method you use. If you’re using a slingshot, you aren’t likely to succeed against large animals. If you’re going with a gun, the small one might be harder to catch. That’s why at the end of the day, the method plays a role in this. It doesn’t mean that there isn’t a straight answer about the easiest animal, but depending on the method you’ll have a harder time.
Now, the best method to hunt is usually a firearm or a trap, depending on the animal. With a trap, you usually have to finish the job with a knife after you’ve caught the animal. The advantage of the firearm is that it’s faster and less personal, which usually makes it easier for beginners to do.
So, the first thing that you should worry about is what method you’re going to choose. Then, you can worry about the easiest animals. Below you’re going to learn all the animals that are going to be easier to hunt. This will help the beginner hunter get a win right off the bat.
Birds Are The Winners… Sort Of
This will depend on the weapon you’re going to choose, but birds are usually the easiest to hunt. You will need a weapon that shoots from a distance, and you will usually hunt large birds that aren’t fast enough like ducks. This makes them the easiest animal to hunt if you have the right weapon. Traps, for instance, work better on small mammals, but it can still work on birds.
Birds are also one of the easiest animals to clean after you’ve caught them. Since their diet consists of very natural things, they’re usually healthy for a human to eat. As you can see, when you combine this with the fact that they’re easy to catch, they earn their spot as the easiest animal to hunt.
So, get your start by hunting birds first. It’s more likely that you’ll succeed and will build your expertise to hunt other harder to catch animals such as larger mammals. You’ll need a kit like a survival or hunters kit to make sure that you have the tool from beginning to end. The MOSSY OAK Field Kit is a great choice for that. It comes with various tools that you can use. Click to view pricing on Amazon here.
Rabbits And Squirrels Come In Second
When you graduate from birds, you can go to small mammals. You can start with these ones as well if you prefer. The difference is that they’re small, which can be a challenge to hit them. They’re also pretty fast for a beginner hunter. A lot of people go with traps instead of weapons when it comes to rabbits and squirrels. Whatever you choose, it’s not going to be super easy if you’ve never hunted before.
Now, what you have to do is to be patient and precise. If you miss, all the other animals around will run away and you’ll be left with nothing. Wild rabbits are very alert, so you usually get one shot and they’re gone into hiding. Birds usually don’t run away that far, that’s why they’re a little easier.
So, make sure that practice patience while you’re waiting on your prey. Also, animals like these are a little trickier to clean. Make sure that you have the right tools to get the job done like knives and axes. The WORKPRO Axe and Fixed Blade Knife Combo is an excellent combo set for this. Guarantee yours on Amazon now.
Wild Boar Can Be A Good Option
Once you’re experienced enough that you think that hunting birds and small mammals are too easy for you, you’re ready for the next level. It’s time to go for medium mammals like wild boar. They’re a good introduction to larger animals than rabbits and birds. The only challenge is that they’re very alert and run fast.
Now, another thing to keep in mind is that it’s not unheard of wild boars attacking humans. It’s not life-threatening, but you should be aware that they won’t all run away from you if given the opportunity. They might run after you instead. This is why they’re a good introduction to medium mammals, but they’re not as easy as the ones mentioned above.
So, once you see that you’re ready, you can hunt medium-size mammals like boars. They’re not as easy as birds and rabbits, but they’re easier to hunt than larger mammals. Just make sure that you have a boar hunting spear. The Cold Steel 95BOASK Boar Spear is a highly-rated option. They’re efficient and put some distance between you and the target. Get yours from Amazon here.
Deer Requires More Hunting And Cooking Experience
Another animal that you see a lot of people talking about at online forums and chats is a deer. People think that they’re a lot easier to hunt than it actually is, but it doesn’t mean that they’re hard. It’s just that you need a lot of patience and precision to pull this off. Besides that, it can be quite easy but not compared to the other ones above.
The thing is that if you are not precise, all the deer will run away at the first gunshot. They also tend to scare away all other forms of wildlife with them. This means that you’re left with pretty much nothing but plants surrounding you. Not only that but cleaning deer meat and smoking it takes a lot of experience to do it correctly.
What this means is that getting the meat ready for consumption is a lot harder than actually catching the animal. So, the best that you can do is to learn from a more experienced hunter before you try to hunt your own deer. It’s more effective and cleaner to do it this way.
If Nothing Works, Go Fishing
Now, if nothing works and you don’t catch anything, you can still go fishing. Depending on where you go hunting, there’s probably a river nearby. This means that you can go fishing.
Fish is one of the easiest animals to get. Depending on where you are, you can even get one with your bare hands. This means that if things go awry for you, you can rely on fish for dinner.
So, consider taking some fishing gear with you. They’re also incredibly easy to clean and to cook, which makes things even more appealing.
If You’re Not Precise You Don’t Eat Dinner
Finally, remember that if you’re not precise you won’t eat dinner. This means that if you go into the woods to camp and hunt, remember that you’re miles away from a restaurant. Not only that but if you resort to something like this it defeats the whole purpose.
What you need is to learn your fundamentals first. Make sure that you leave the house with the right gear and that you know what you’re doing. Even better if you can bring a more experienced hunter with you.
So, make sure that you go prepared and stick to the easiest animals to hunt. Always start with birds and rabbits. This way you make sure you have dinner the entire trip.
Final Thoughts
So, a bird is the easiest animal to hunt. Still, make sure to hunt rabbits as well, and as soon as you’re ready, consider boars and deer. The important thing is that you make sure that you have the hunting equipment you need and know how to clean the meat.
