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Hunting

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84gmcjimmy

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My father and I had planned to start hunting while he was alive. Now he is not here so I have no way of hunting.

I was wondering if you guys could tell me how an inexperienced gun shooter like me would get into the art of hunting. I don't know much about guns or anything. So where do I start? I know a few friends offered to let me come along with them and there dads once I get an idea on how to do it.

I would have to get my mom or step dad to buy the gun because I don't think I am legal yet.

Where do I start?

I would like to hunt for food and pleasure.
 
Start small. Take a Hunter's Safety class so you can learn to respect a gun and use it safely. Get a high powered pellet gun (a single-pump Gamo would be a nice choice) and practice with it. Practice shooting in different positions, become accurate with it, go kill a few birds, rabbits, or squirrels with it. No need to jump right in with a high powered weapon, learn the basics first. I started with a Daisy lever action BB gun, then moved to a single-shot bolt action .22, and so on... Figure out what you want to hunt (deer, bear, elk, turkey, duck, pheasant, coyote, antelope, bobcat, squirrels, rabbits, dove, quail, etc.) and that will dictate what kind of gun you should eventually buy. Then when you feel comfortable, go with one of your friends! There's several good hunting websites that you could spend hours reading & learning too. But you'll find with hunting, that you never really stop learning... PM me when you're ready to pick what gun to buy, I can steer you in the right direction for a quality gun at a good price. Good luck!
 
Steve,

When you say you want to "get into hunting" what type of hunting are you interested in? Birds, water fowl, small game, large game? Narrow down the type of hunting you would like us to help you with, or better yet broaden it and we can point you in the right direction of types of guns, ammo, equipment and any thing else you would need to buy.

I agree with BigEasy that deffinately take a hunter/gun safety course first.

FYI,
Hunting can be a very expensive sport. Do allot of research and questione asking before, so you can do it with out making the high $$$ mistakes like others (like me:doah: ) have made.
 
Just remeber Steve don't run from bears or cougars or you will get bit. Smethings to contemplate about being out of doors mang, that and know how to use a compass and GPS. You may want to take an orienteering class.. The outdoors can be a great adventure but it can also be very dangerous, Mother nature is a cold hearted bitch...:D
 
Thanks for the suggestions guys.

I will look into the gun safety class once Christmas break ends, figure out the price on that.

I have a pellet gun, and have for a while. I will start practicing with it on weekends (have to go to rural area now).

I want to hunt large game like elk//moose eventually. Big game for meat. Then bear/bobcat/goat for adventure and prize.

My moms boyfriend has a .22 rifle (I believe he said so) should I get him to give me some help with it, and use it to practice shooting too? Sorry for the poor question, but what kind of power does a .22 have relative to a BB/pellet gun. I have never shot one/seen one shot.

Lastly, can anyone recommend some shooting/hunting forums to explore?
 
A .22 will be the next step up from a pellet gun. They are fun & extremely cheap to shoot. If he's willing to take you out and shoot it, go for it! It's nothing to go shoot some aluminum cans, or even most indoor shooting ranges will let you shoot a .22 rifle... If you want to hunt elk & moose, I wouldn't even consider anything smaller than a .270 (realistically maybe even a .30-06, which is an EXCELLENT caliber for a variety of uses). You'll find that everyone will give you a different answer on which is the best caliber to shoot (kinda like the old Dodge vs. Ford vs. Chevy debate). Whichever caliber you choose, stick with a real common one so that you will have lots of options for different ammunition & you'll be able to find it at any local sporting goods store instead of having to special-order stuff. You'll also want to choose a fairly light rifle, as packing a heavy rifle in the woods all day can be tiring. Don't pinch your pennies when it comes to a scope, you'll get what you pay for... Talk to your friends, see what they are shooting and what works/doesn't work for them. I'll tell you right now that the best out-of-the-box rifle for your dollar is going to be a Savage. Go to www.savagearms.com and see what they have to offer. One of the best hunting forums I've come across is www.jesseshunting.com. Also go to your state's Department of Fish and Game website. They sometimes provide information on hunting safety classes, junior hunts (not sure how old you are, but I'm assuming you're a youngin'), and safety tips. There's lots to read, just gotta start diggin'... Good luck!
 
Dood if ya want to hunt big game stay with Deer, you'll never be able to fully understand how to take an elk or moose until you take a deer, that in itself is a major undertaking. And dont get me wrong ,I have elk hunted and never got a shot off, so I'm no pro. But taking any big game is no game at all, it is hard work once the shot is placed and there is due respect to the animal taken, this is not cleaning a trout and should not be taken lightly. You should be fine if you stick with what these guys have said. Study up take the safety course and find a knowledgeble friend to hunt with...;)
 
Thanks guys, I will check those sites out.
I'm going to look for the fish and game website for BC here in a few minutes.

Don't worry, Elk/Moose are in the distant future. Just a little insight into what I wnt to work up to. Deer is fine for now.

Thanks, don't know what else to ask right now. research time!
 
84gmcjimmy said:
research time!
Click to expand...

Make sure you research how to field dress a deer real good before heading into the field too. Don't want to unnecessarily waste a bunch of meat. Also, I carry a "hunt pack". It contains everything I need to deer hunt, minus my rifle.

List of contents:
-Pair of latex gloves to use when I'm dressing a deer. Not so much for the blood, but deer usually have a bunch of ticks on them (that's something hunter safety doesn't usually tell you), so be careful.
-Sharp lockback or fixed blade knife with a gut hook. At least a 3" or so blade.
-A couple plastic zip ties to secure your deer tag to an ear/antler.
-Deer tag & ink pen to fill it out.
-At least 50 feet of rope. Comes in handy for dragging or hanging a deer.
-Extra ammunition (never leave home without at least a box of 20).
-Matches in waterproof container AND a windproof lighter.
-Compass.
-Map of the area you're hunting.
-Emergency rain poncho (packaged in a small pouch, about 4"x4"x1/2" or so)
-Small first aid kit, including a sewing needle & alcohol swabs for splinters or removing ticks.
-Roll of toilet paper (also doubles as dressing for a wound should you cut yourself or worse).
-Deer bag to help store the meat after it's been skinned & gutted.
-Space blanket (reflective blanket good for getting warm or signaling rescuers should you get lost).
-A few energy bars.

And that's about it. It sounds like alot, but I've got all this stuff stored into a soft-sided Shakespeare tackle pack that I got at Walmart. It's convenient as hell. I grab my keys & wallet (has my hunting license in it), rifle, "hunt pack", digital camera, water & snacks, and I'm gone. No last-minute, running around the house, pulling your hair out because you can't find something... Just grab it and go.

That being said, my old man used to pack by one simple rule:
Rifle & Ammo, License & Tags, Food & Water. Everything else is negotiable. :D
 
84gmcjimmy said:
I was wondering if you guys could tell me how an inexperienced gun shooter like me would get into the art of hunting. I don't know much about guns or anything. So where do I start? I know a few friends offered to let me come along with them and there dads once I get an idea on how to do it.

Where do I start?
Click to expand...

One thing thats nice is there are a LOT of hunting guides and outfits in BC. I have hunted North Vancouver island and up the Frazure (sp?) river in the past with guide outfits.

Point is they usually have some High School age kids who work during the summer doing everything from taking care of the horses to hauling around gear and supplies.

I would imagine you could learn alot from these folks if you could get in with them. Might see what is arround you and tell them your story. Lots of folks love to bring young people into hunting and I'm sure they would too.
 
W7NB said:
One thing thats nice is there are a LOT of hunting guides and outfits in BC. I have hunted North Vancouver island and up the Frazure (sp?) river in the past with guide outfits.

Point is they usually have some High School age kids who work during the summer doing everything from taking care of the horses to hauling around gear and supplies.

I would imagine you could learn alot from these folks if you could get in with them. Might see what is arround you and tell them your story. Lots of folks love to bring young people into hunting and I'm sure they would too.
Click to expand...
Wow!!!Yep this is a great point Steve....Gawd now I'm mad I don't live in BC:bow:
 
chevyfumes said:
Wow!!!Yep this is a great point Steve....Gawd now I'm mad I don't live in BC:bow:
Click to expand...
Nah, I'll take the good old USA. Can't own a handgun in Canada without connections ($$$), and way too much burocracy for me when dealing with government. Costs me $50 to get a "Permit" to take a hunting rifle into Canada.

The people in BC and Alberta rock though! I love being up the Sunshine Coast area or anywhere NE of Vancouver (the city has growing pains) or any of the Banff/Jasper or Edmonton areas. GREAT beer, good food and nice people.

I don't do well anywhere east of Alberta. Too much liberal influence and not enough common sense for me - but then that sounds like our NE too:crazy:
 
W7NB said:
One thing thats nice is there are a LOT of hunting guides and outfits in BC. I have hunted North Vancouver island and up the Frazure (sp?) river in the past with guide outfits.

Point is they usually have some High School age kids who work during the summer doing everything from taking care of the horses to hauling around gear and supplies.

I would imagine you could learn alot from these folks if you could get in with them. Might see what is arround you and tell them your story. Lots of folks love to bring young people into hunting and I'm sure they would too.
Click to expand...

Thats a great suggestion. I will ask around and see if there is anything local I could get into during the spring/summer. There has to be something around here.

Thanks for the help!
 
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