So many choices...

[Arcdelad]

I think im in love..........with my hunter. So easy to kill, so fast to kill things, im taking down elites 2 levels higher than me without taking a point of damage...and I gained 5 levels yesterday...without breaking a sweat..........im diggin it

BUT...being the consumate researcher I am, I have some questions for you hunter experts.

Talents

Nahimana is a hybrid marksman / survival, Tyban is the same, but leans more towards survival than Nahi, and Dag is almost pure marksman...i thought i would look at some of our hunters whove ive seen and get a good idea of where to spec, but you guys are all vastly different.

My goal is to be mostly survival, but I dont want to handicap my damage too much. I notice tyban spent a good amount of points to upgrade his melee attacks, whereas nahaimana avoided them like the plague....my thought was to pump enough points into traps, hamstringing, etc, PLUS use my pet to taunt and concussive blow and such...is it possible to never really need to use your melee attacks? Cant I just trap someone coming close if the need occurs, then run back to range? just seems like a potential waste to put points in wing clip and parry if im going to stay a safe distance away mostly...

Also, ty has points in rapid killing, most other people dont...it seems like a good talent choice on paper, but is it not effective?

Ty also avoided the 41 point skill readiness, which looks like it acts just like a mage's cold snap and resets all hunter CD's...i know a mage's cold snap is invaluable...is it not worthwhile for a hunter?

Pet Choice

Uso gave me a GREAT link...and the advice to go with a pet that can put up decent damage but also take some blows...any advice past this?

http://petopia.brashendeavors.net/

[Vengeance]

You have a hunter?! Sorry, just had to ask.

[Arcdelad]

so you really use the Moonglade Robe as a feral druid?

[Air]

Survival isn't the best spec to level as.  It's better as a 5man or raid spec at 70. 

Some 5man and raid buffs from hunters is expose weakness in survival, true shot aura in marksman, and ferocious inspiration in beast mastery.

I'd suggest leveling as beast mastery or marksman.  I leveled as marksman, but I would recommend bm myself.  http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=mEb00xgowuVoVVbRV is a good build to go for.

Find a good pet that can take some damage, and hold aggro.  Boars are some of the best pets for holding aggro, because of charge.  I think an owl or bat might be good at holding aggro with screech to.

For a shot rotation while leveling, I would send pet in, apply hunter's mark, serpent sting, arcane shot, auto shot,mult-shot, auto shot.  If theres 2 mobs, drop a trap before using multi-shot.  Mend pet is great now, so having your pet take hits from 2 or 3 mobs shouldn't be to much of a problem.

Serpent sting is good for soloing and kiting, but not so good for 5man and raids.  The damage done is horrible compared to any other dots.  Scorpid sting much better for 5man and raids.  Aslo good at getting rid of serpent sting, when you need it removed.

Gear for hunters suck while leveling, even in outlands. *stupid shaman gear* Get a good bow, crossbow or gun. And keep upgrading your quiver / ammo patch to the current size.  If your bm, you'll be burning through arrows like crazy.

http://tkasomething.com/ - the forums are really good, hunter specific.
http://www.goodintentionsguild.info/hunters.html - best place for learning about learning pet abilities.

Petopia along with these two sites helped me out alot during leveling.

[Genoism]

Full BM is the best way to level...by then you should have a darn good idea of what talents you want depending on where u want to take your hunter mostly ie. pve/pvp/raid or a combo of both.

[Alassana]

Full BM is, indeed, the best for leveling in my opinion. Your damage wont really be sacraficed that much, and you will hardly have to worry about staying at range since your pet will do enough damage to keep aggro if you allow it a few seconds to beat on the mob before you start your attacking. Once you get feign death at level 30, I think, you /really/ wont have problems staying at range because every time you draw aggro you can fake die and drop it. And if it resists, then just lay a trap and run back. I dont remember when you can put a point in Intimidation, but this is very nifty for keeping aggro on your pet as well. BM is pretty much ez mode for leveling. As for pets, I had a wolf from shadowfang keep. They have more armor than a cat and deal just a tiny bit less damage.

[Vengeance]

so you really use the Moonglade Robe as a feral druid?

http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?witem=28202&locale=enUS;source=live
the last two comments. they back me up!

[Arcdelad]

your right...i am now convinced...i will be grinding for the [wowitem]Moonglade Robe[/wowitem] and will be vendor selling my [wowitem]Primalstrike Vest[/wowitem]

I guess there is something to be said about hybrid gear, but i dont see you, I, or any other feral druid in our guild popping out constantly as a feral druid...

[Shadowwolf]

I would offer up that hybrid BM and Marks, heavy into marks more so is probably a good way to level. Its more than likely you will be playing that way at 70 in instances and raids, and leveling to 70 with that spec definitely helped me better learn the class inside and out and learn how to watch aggro since soloing, stealing it off my pet is oh so touchy since it doesnt do as much damage as me. Granted you wont be able to solo as many quests that require a group setting that way, but for me, leveling from 1-70 with a pet doing almost all the damage and always having aggro is an entirely different play than Marksman/Survival where CC and aggro management is all I seem to do in instances.

[Vengeance]

do 2v2 arenas without a specced healer. then youll see any pvp kinda druid pop out alot-sorry,i was going off topic in the hunters section. lol

[Arcdelad]

I fortuneatly have two 2v2 partners that are supremely durable - one disc priest who can take damage like you have no idea, and a prot warrior that can take hits all day long without dying...i only pop to heal after one target is dead, and then only if the my partner is really low...

[Vengeance]

ah but, think of a hunter with a few BoE greens here nd there