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Learning to hunt
b0bd0d
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Registered User regular
Any ya'll hunt? How'd ya go about learning how to do it? My parents grew up in the city so they aint really the hunting type. I wanna learn though. I'm thinking of just calling a hunting lodge and asking them. I'm kinda in the county right now going to school so I figured might as well grab some new skills. Got me a pickup truck, that's a good start, right?
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Study.
Buy A Bow.
Go Hunting.
But really your best bet is finding a local hunting reserve and finding more information there. Also make sure you pay close attention to all the reservation rules.
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* Take a gun safety course.
* Take them again if you forgot anything.
* Make sure you understand what permits/tags you need to buy to go hunting for ___ animal with ____ weapon. Also figure out where the hunting areas are. Don't just walk onto farmer's property.
* Wear an orange hunting cap, at least. More orange = better
* Build relations with farmers if you want land to hunt to yourself. Help them out with chores/harvest and they'll more than likely let you exclusively hunt the land.
* If you're not planning to clean (without just leaving all the guts on the ground) and take the damn thing home and eat it, don't fucking shoot it.
* Always go with a buddy and always tell people EXACTLY where you are going.
What kind of hunting intersts you most would be a good start.
Most important things, especially the entire only hunt what you eat (or give to others to eat) if you are going to kill something you're damm well not going make their death for nothing.
Satans..... hints.....
These are often required to get a hunting license in a state.
Anyway, I don't hunt myself but know a fair amount of folks that do. Take a hunter safety class and talk to people. NRA classes are pretty laid back with a diverse group of people in my experience so you should be able to make friends with people more knowledgeable about good areas to hunt and other matters related to this stuff, ie butchers who'll turn the carcass to meat and charities that take donated meat from hunters. This is the kind of thing that gets around by interpersonal contact so you'll want to mingle with people.
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If you're hunting with a gun for something other than grizzlies, don't get anything bigger than a 30-06 to start. The 300 win mag that the store wants to sell you will probably just give you a big flinch when you pull the trigger and you'll be a lot more likely to miss what you're aiming at. Let me recommend something in a .308 Win since it's big enough to take moose and elk, kicks less than a 30-06 or .270 win, and there's lots of cheap milsurp ammo you can use to practice.
Whatever you pick, get a lot of practice and make sure you can hit within about 5" of where you're aiming 99% of the time. Wounding an animal and letting it run off is one of the worst things you can do as a hunter.
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Agreed.
With this in mind, I would not buy a semi-automatic as a first hunting weapon. Buying a rifle (for deer) or shotgun (for fowl) which requires some effort between shots will help you get in the habit of making absolutely sure you fully line up your shot before you pull the trigger, because you know you won't get a second chance if you fuck up.
But just between you and me, real men use bows.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
I still like to track though. I usually wander off hike trails when I see fresh animal prints or other signs, and see if I can get a glimpse of the critter what's made them. I learned to track by having someone show me how it done. It was a really great time, and I teach my own child in the same way. This is the way I'd recommend. Without someone else, I dunno, hunting just seems kind of pointless. Victory over a quail? A rabbit? Mano-a-gopher seems a bit lopsided to me. Still, I guess theres always that urge to know you are the biggest badass in the forest. Primal instincts and all that.
I'd go with Feral on the bow idea, guns are a copout.
It's not a matter of "victory" so much as it is a hobby. It's a way of getting out of the house, having a good time, and coming back with dinner. I don't trophy hunt (though pheasant feathers are very pretty) and I eat what I kill, so I may be an exception to what you are talking about.
So is a bow, only slightly less so. :P
One caveat here, not for duck hunting, it's the only fowl I'm aware of where orange isn't worn.
Having been taught by my parents, I'm not really sure about the best way to do this, but you can certainly work on your aim alone. Some methods are more expensive than others. In the past, I've used a little shotgun mounted laser sight(I don't think it was terribly expensive) which is very handy for learning to mount the shotgun consistently, and even without that, you can just practice the mounting over and over to make sure you're getting down a pattern. If you own a shotgun, this could be done in your house.
For rifles, try and go to a local range and see if they teach anything about methods to improve accuracy?
As for pure hunting tips, I'm not really sure what to do other than to get in on some trips with experienced hunters.
I still have that idea when people say 'bow', even though I guess they mean the 'simplexofied-recurve laser pointed razor springshot with RangeFind (TM) and Pheromone Tantalus X aromatic lure system.'
Real Men(TM) use their bare fists, and teeth if so inclined.
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Okay back on topic now
FyreWulff posted some fantastic advice. I don't think there's too much to add until what kind of game is going to be hunted gets clarified.
CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH
Read up on what to look for with what you are hunting, for squirrels you'd want to learn the calls, deer the tracks, turkey how to call them in etc.
And target shoot target shoot target shoot. My dad had me at the shooting range two times a week the summer before my first hunting season and it's invaluable. When you see that deer in front of you and you realize you have a shot, the blood gets pumping and you have to remember to relax and squeeze the trigger like at the range. DON'T GO RAMBO LINE UP THE SHOT, SQUEEEEEEEEEEZE THE TRIGGER. Do not PULL it, you slooooowly squeeze it. A fast pull will throw the aim off.
Also important, in late summer early fall go hike the area you will be hunting and learn the land so you don't risk getting lost. And always let people know what area you will be hunting in case something happens. Also learn how to field dress an animal. Its so much easier to cut up the deer and get the meat and other items you'll be using later right there. hauling a dead deer is ridiculous and unnecessary, get yourself a good buck knife and learn how to gut it and cut it right there. If you have a portable stove it makes a great lunch too
Please enjoy yourself, and please respect the wildlife. Never kill just to get something.
If you are looking for hunting as a food source deer is the way to go. In PA you can get a buck, apply for a doe license, and (not sure if it still works this way) can sometimes get an extended doe license for a different county giving you three possible deer. My father and I would each bring in two animals, and that was enough for our family for a good six months of solid eating. Not only do you get steaks, but all the other meat we turned to hamburg for chili, burgers, taco's, sloppy joes (my favorite!), and lets not forget deer sausage.
Depends what you make out of it, but it's pretty good.