Novice

Goals:

1. Get used to the game
2. Obtain the Wooden Base with Target
3. Obtain Mouse Trebuchet
4. Get addicted to MouseHunt

Your First Trap

The first choice you must make on your journey is to select between two traps: Tacky Glue Trap and High Tension Spring Trap. If you're reading this, you've likely already chosen. The bottom line here is that either is fine, but the Tacky Glue Trap is superior. Tacky Glue Trap attracts more mice but catches them less often and the High Tension Spring Trap attracts less mice and catches them more often. In this case, we want the attraction bonus over a small power increase.
The gold and points gained per cheese for each trap is basically the same, however, the gold and points per HUNT for the Tacky Glue Trap are higher. This is very important this early in the game. In actual time you'll gain gold and points SIGNIFICANTLY faster with the Tacky Glue Trap. Here are the actual numbers generated from Pooflinger's Catch Rates (note: this tool is amazing and should be used by you early and often):

Tacky Glue Trap + Wooden Base + Cheddar cheese in Meadow (+lucky shield):
Points per Hunt: 65.17
Points per Cheese: 76.37
Gold per Hunt: 100.88
Gold per Cheese: 118.22

High Tension Spring Trap + Wooden Base + Cheddar Cheese in Meadow (+lucky shield):
Points per Hunt: 57.50
Points per Cheese: 76.41
Gold per Hunt: 89.15
Gold per Cheese: 118.47

The moral of the story is that, if you've already chosen the High Tension Spring Trap, you might want to consider buying the Tacky Glue Trap and selling the High Tension Spring. Not only will you gain gold faster, but you'll eliminate the rodents in a slightly more humane manner. We're in to win/win's here at BBMT.

Your First Purchase

You'll quickly notice that Cheddar cheese does not attract mice at a very high clip. To circumvent this issue, the first item you should set your sites on it the Wooden Base with Target. It costs 1,225 gold and requires 650 points. On average, this will take a few hours of hunting. You can do this hunting in either the Town of Gnawnia or the Meadow. Either is fine. While you're hunting for the Wooden Base with Target (every 15 minutes of course), spend your free time becoming familiarized with the game interface. You'll use more, if not all of the tabs at the top of the page at some point in the game, so click them and see what they contain.

A few other suggestions on what to do in your free time:

Download Pooflinger's Mousehuntizer program. It will make your life a lot easier I assure you. Read about and download the program here.

Complete an offer by clicking on the big blue "Donate" tab at the top of the page. This will earn you a number of SuperBrie+ cheese (useful later in the game) and s Lucky Shield that will add +7 luck to your trap set up. It will help your catch rates significantly and support the developers of MouseHunt in the process. Win/Win!

You may also now begin to use Marble cheese on your trap. It will further improve the attraction rate of mice, thereby helping you earn more money faster. Do not use Swiss cheese just yet.

Your Second Trap

Once you have saved up and pruchased the Wooden Base with Target, load up on Cheddar cheese and head to the Meadow. Over time, your gold and point rewards will be greater here than in the Town of Gnawnia. The downside is that you will have to travel to purchase more cheese when you run out, but it only costs 25 total gold to travel back and forth. Spending time in the Town of Gnawnia won't set you back too much, however, and there's a great variety of mice in the Town than in the Meadow.

Anyway, your next goal is to bag 3,450 gold to purchase the 500 lb Spiked Crusher. If by now you've found the "Forums" tab, you may have read suggestions from some hunters to skip the Spiked Crusher and head straight for the Mouse Mary O'Nette (6,250 gold). I'm here to tell you that this is not the most efficient move. Save the 3K gold and buy the crusher. You'll move more quickly toward the Mouse Trebuchet, which is the actual goal of Novice. Here's the catch rates for your information:

500 lb Spiked Crusher + Wooden Base with Target + Marble cheese in Meadow (+LS):
Points per Hunt: 77.22
Points per Cheese: 97.75
Gold per Hunt: 126.60
Gold per Cheese: 160.25

Mouse Mary O'Nette + Wooden Base with Target + Marble cheese in Meadow (+LS):
Points per Hunt: 84.09
Points per Cheese: 106.07
Gold per Hunt: 138.69
Gold per Cheese: 174.93

So once you've got 3,450 gold, sell your Tacky Glue Trap and Purchase the 500 lb Spiked Crusher. The difference between the crusher and the Tacky Glue Trap will be palpable. Next, pocket as much cheese as you can and head to the Meadow or stay in the Town of Gnawnia and reap the rewards.

Your Third Trap

You may start to feel like a Hollywood starlett, but it's already time to start looking ahead to your next trap. As you no doubt have noticed, we again have a decision to make. This time, we are choosing between the Mouse Rocketine and the Mouse Trebuchet. Here are the catch rates for these traps:

Mouse Trebuchet + Wooden Base with Target + Marble Cheese (+LS):
Points per Hunt: 91.56
Points per Cheese: 117.63
Gold per Hunt: 152.79
Gold per Cheese: 196.31

Mouse Rocketine + Wooden Base with Target + Marble Cheese (+LS):
Points per Hunt: 90.93
Points per Cheese: 105.74
Gold per Hunt: 152.01
Gold per Cheese: 176.76

Here, the choice is obvious to me. You want the Trebuchet. You'll get more of an investment out of each cheese. This is an important theme to keep in mind as you choose trap set-ups as the game progesses. Especially as cheese continues to increase in cost and value.

If you've got the Trebuchet and still have some work to do before you reach Apprentice, continue hunting. The more you hunt, the faster the game progresses and the more fun the game becomes. Besides, you'll soon need all the the gold and points you can get your hands on!