Looking for suggestions as to how to get into hunting

[jmhunt78]

Read a book about deer hunting. Watch YouTube about deer hunting. Practice with your weapon of choice. Go to the woods and harvest a deer. Work your butt off processing your harvest.

 

[Eric Krewson]

I am completely self-taught as hunter and was a hunter safety instructor for 10 years, a hunter safety course is good thing.

I started out hunting squirrels, we didn't have deer hunting in the area I grew up in. Stalking squirrels after the leaves are off the trees is a challenge.

Later when I was in my early 20s and moved to a deer rich area, my deer hunting consisted of walking out in the woods, sitting down and hoping a deer walked by. It took a few years to start to understand deer movement and feeding patterns. I combined my squirrel hunting with scouting for deer sign and started to kill deer in the places I found.

For me, is more about exploring the woods and observing, I love the solitude, if put in time and effort I can kill plenty of deer but in my later years I only need a couple for the freezer so I am bit of a lazy hunter now.

 

[OldMaineWoodsman]

Well, you found this site. In addition to some of the sound advice given, do some internet searches for clubs or organizations where you live. Attend a meeting or maybe a field trial or shoot. This will be a great way to meet like-minded folks and you may just find a mentor. Reading is a great way to learn basics and ideas on where to start. Some YouTube videos are okay but be advised that they are heavily edited and pieced together.

Nothing beats personal interaction with like-minded (and experienced) people.

 

[Dark Angel]

I second the hunter safety course. I was a hunter ed instructor for many years. Because some states require completion of a course before out of state hunters can buy licenses, every class had several experienced hunters sitting next to youngsters. Instructors know where to find hunting ground and such as that.

Or ...marry into a family of hunters. We always have some sorta critter chasin' going on. Some are even legal.

My dad was my 'Hunter Safety Course.' 'Never point a gun at anything you're not willing to kill! As a kid, playing with cap pistols, wouldn't even point them while playing 'Cowboys and Outlaws.' Thought I was going to say 'Indians' didn't you?! Being part Cherokee, when 'Cowboys and Indians' was suggested, I always took the Indian part. Did takes a 'Hunter Safety Course' once. Walked out after calling the 'State Certified' instructor an Idiot and a Menace to Humanity. Why? He kept waving a loaded rifle around, in the direction of those taking the course.

 

[Reds]

I am also a Hunter Education Course Graduate! It was required in MD back in the 70s. If you didn’t pass it you could not get a license. We had a very large family farm and everyone hunted and were great instructors of gun safety. But without that “Hall Pass” that was the only place I would have been able to Legally hunt!!! Now I’m turning 61 and I still pull that old card out every year when traveling and buying hunting licenses!!! I guess one point of view is you may think Mandatory courses are rediculous but I do love to drive as much as I love to hunt!!!

 

[Patocazador]

I am the oldest by far of 5 kids. I grew up in the 3rd-largest city in the country. No one in my family hunted and I got the bug watching the old Davy Crockett series on TV. My pal and I made our own bows and arrows and tried to shoot rabbits and squirrels in the large forest preserve a 1/3 mile away. We never connected. The Boy Scouts got us into shooting .22s at an indoor YMCA range.

I tried to learn to hunt on my own but really needed some guidance which never happened. I would have taken the bus anywhere in the city to attend a FREE hunter's safety course but none were available in the early '50s.

My point is that some knowledgeable source has to be available be it magazines, books, internet or human. Human interaction is best as long as it includes good safety practices.
Currently I am mentoring and monitoring my 10 yo grandson. It is a job but is rewarding too. We all should give back by helping young or old newcomers learn proper safety and hunting tactics.

 

[Reds]

My Grandson 7 and Granddaughter 6 are both enjoying their RedRyders when the visit but have their eyes on my little .32 Cherokee!! They love all the smoke!!

 

[bballingr]

Hello,

I've been wanting to get into hunting for quite a while now, but I don't know anyone who hunts and it is pretty intimidating to just start doing. I'm looking to hunt hogs, deer and rabbits. Any recommendations for resources? I'm in Cali for reference.

Thanks.

I ask rural propane delivery drivers for leads. Be sure to mention the drivers name when you approach the property owner.

As a crusty old hunter that grew up in SoCal, be sure to acquire an agriculture related baseball cap (Future Farmers of America, tractor brand, seed vendors, etc...) & wear it when you approach the landowner. I would start out with an air rifle & offer the farmer free pest control services (pigeons, rats, etc...). Give the property owner a chance to know you. I got started with a local dairy farmer that referred me to orchard owners he knew. Within a short time the dairy farmer & orchard owners referred me to ranchers they knew. Even to this day when I show up with a chainsaw & offer to cut a little firewood & ask where to stack it before I leave. Buy yourself tools (cum-a-long, pliers, wire cutters, etc...), repair any fences & gates that need attending to while hunting & report your repairs to the landowner when you leave. While hunting, if a gate is closed, close it after you pass through it. If the gate is open, leave it open - but always ask 1st to demonstrate respect. Be sure to not show up with a group of hunters, (mainly a group of kids or teenagers) when you're showing up to the property the 1st time - when in doubt ask.

I grew up as a city boy in SoCal. Good manners, being polite & respectful has gained me access & lifelong hunting opportunities on properties in California, Nevada & Arizona. Never show up with a hunting group that you can't control every single person within the group !

You have to buck the bad reputation of city folk in rural areas.

 

[appalichian hunter]

Been hunting with my father since around 7 years old, He is gone now learnt a lot from him over the years. Been through two hunters' safety courses one with my son when he was younger and another when my granddaughter started hunting deer, Go through a safety course every three years for my C.C. permit. Was a firearms instructor for around 17 years (no longer since I retired) numerous safety courses through those years. Yes, the state mandates the Hunter safety courses for beginning hunters, is this a bad thing NO IT ALLOWS THE NEW FOLKS TO THE HOBBY A DOOR TO KNOWLEDGE TO BUILD ON, and for us old guys who has been there done that type of mind set, (and that was not in jest) it is a good thing to re-fresh your knowledge base. Even if your past the age where required for a license, go to one leave your opinions and attitudes at home, who knows you might learn something.

 

[Eterry]

Your state will have all the information you need to get into hunting.

Get on your state's Department of Natural Resources website. It will spell it out for you. Public hunting land, licenses, hunting seasons, required calibers, muzzle energy, feet per second, everything.

And unless you're a complete idiot or required by the state, hunter safety courses are bureaucratic nonsense. Human beings have been entering the woods and safely killing animals, not harvesting them, for the past 500 years.

How to skin and prepare animals after you kill them, not harvest them, can be found in books or online.

Unless you go around with your arms crossed and a scowl on your face (which I'm certain some do), a hunter's safety course is a great thing. Even a complete idiot can learn if they want to.

I grew up hunting, taught by my father and his father. When I decided to hunt out of state I needed the class. I went in with my eyes open wanting to learn what I could. It was educational and a refresher for things I hadn't heard in decades.

I knew a deer "Killer". He was a cousin of a good friend. He stalked huge bucks, by putting a canoe in the river and drifted until he found a monster. Then when season opened he drifted the river, found one then killed it. He Took it to his barn, guts in, hung it head down and built a small fire. He'd call everyone, drink beer, smoke pot, and brag about what a killer he was for several days while others bragged about him. I offered to gut one, then offered to quarter one, he said no both times.
After it rotted he loaded it in his truck and hauled it down the road. He did that for years. I stopped going to see his "Trophies" after 2 years, but heard about it. I'm happy to say he died at his own hand last year.

When you Harvest an animal you plan to eat it, and/or support your family. Look it up.

 

[beardedhorse]

I applaud your decision to learn to hunt and you are wise to ask for recommendations. There are too many tragic accidents during hunting season that could be averted if the hunters had good training and applied the safety rules. We aren't born with nor follow common sense. Hunter safety courses are only as good as its instructors. I personally endorse taking a course with hands on and live instructor in a physical, you are there classroom, not online. I'm glad I took courses in two states and slightly less apprehensive if the other hunters in the woods and fields with me have had hunter safety training. Yet I still see carelessness in the field and read about accidents in the states I hunt..
I thought California outlawed lead projectiles for firearms hunting. I know that federally, lead shot is not permitted for hunting waterfowl. Not sure if you are able to use lead in muzzle loaders and cartridge firearms for hunting or even target practice in California. There is a movement among the anti's to outlaw lead bullets. Beware of bills being sneaked in to eventually outlaw lead.
On the warning of hunting rabbits, Tulare County, California was where tularemia got its name. Eating diseased rabbits can be fatal. From your avatar, bbq-chef88, it would add to your enjoyment of cooking deer, rabbit and hogs if you "made meat" with your front stuffer and we could benefit from recipes you conjure up after trial and error. Good luck on your quest to be a hunter in California.

 

[SOLANCO]

I was fortunate in family that hunted. Possibly the best way, as you do not have to get into it. You are born into it.
That said, you should check for reasonably local rod and gun clubs. You will find helpful people and ranges where you can zero your guns and practice shooting. Our club has archery, rifle, pistol, muzzleloader and tomahawk ranges along with a fishing hole and club house. Members have card keys for the electric gates for 7 day a week access.

 

[64Springer]

Unless you go around with your arms crossed and a scowl on your face (which I'm certain some do), a hunter's safety course is a great thing. Even a complete idiot can learn if they want to.

I grew up hunting, taught by my father and his father. When I decided to hunt out of state I needed the class. I went in with my eyes open wanting to learn what I could. It was educational and a refresher for things I hadn't heard in decades.

I knew a deer "Killer". He was a cousin of a good friend. He stalked huge bucks, by putting a canoe in the river and drifted until he found a monster. Then when season opened he drifted the river, found one then killed it. He Took it to his barn, guts in, hung it head down and built a small fire. He'd call everyone, drink beer, smoke pot, and brag about what a killer he was for several days while others bragged about him. I offered to gut one, then offered to quarter one, he said no both times.
After it rotted he loaded it in his truck and hauled it down the road. He did that for years. I stopped going to see his "Trophies" after 2 years, but heard about it. I'm happy to say he died at his own hand last year.

When you Harvest an animal you plan to eat it, and/or support your family. Look it up.

I've never killed deer for sport or for antlers or to brag or to be bragged about.

Every deer was eaten. And I didn't smoke weed or drink beer while I processed them.

As for the term Harvested, there is no such thing as Harvested when it comes to animals. It's a silly and childish made-up modern term so the killing of animals didn't sound like the killing of animals to the squeamish. The squeamish who think grocery store meat is delivered by meat fairies who wave a magic wand and sprinkle processed meat everywhere. The squeamish who eat chicken and hamburger and bacon and SPAM then look down their enlightened noses at hunters.

Vegetables are Harvested.

Animals are Killed. Even the animals we feed to ourselves and our families.

 

[Eterry]

I've never killed deer for sport or for antlers or to brag or to be bragged about.

Every deer was eaten. And I didn't smoke weed or drink beer while I processed them.

As for the term Harvested, there is no such thing as Harvested when it comes to animals. It's a silly and childish made-up modern term so the killing of animals didn't sound like the killing animals to the squeamish. The squeamish who think grocery store meat is delivered by meat fairies who wave a magic wand and sprinkle processed meat everywhere. The squeamish who eat chicken and hamburger and bacon and SPAM then look down their enlightened noses at hunters.

Vegetables are Harvested.

Animals are Killed. Even the animals we feed to ourselves and our families.

See the third definition. Reading is informative.

 

[64Springer]

Kill vs. Harvest: Which Term is Correct?​

By Jessica Manuell / May 3, 2021 / 4 minutes of reading

Sharing is Caring


The word is kill, not harvest.
We do not farm wildlife for the purpose of backing up the slaughter truck and hanging wildlife in a line on hooks and gambrels for mass consumption by the general public.
As much as people would like to think, or call wildlife theirs, it is simply not true. No one “owns” wildlife. And while we hold wildlife in public trust here in the United States under the North American model of wildlife management, they are not, in fact, ours to do with as we please.
When did we become soft? When did we as hunters fall into the trap of pandering to anti-hunters and using terms that do not explain exactly what we do? We kill animals. Period. And even that is still a vague explanation, so let me clarify. When we are successful as a hunter, we kill an animal; otherwise, we are just taking a nature hike and hopefully gaining experience along the way.

Harvest is traditionally a term used in farming. The act of farming yields a renewable product that can be harvested for consumption. Harvest is a result of humans having control of the birth, cultivation, and subsequent harvest of a resource. We do no such things with wildlife. And wildlife do no such thing to each other. The wolf does not harvest the deer, it kills the deer. The wolf does not cultivate it’s prey for the future.
Harvest did not become a term used to describe the killing of an animal until the United States became a politically correct nation in or around the 1960s. And since, the United States has become so politically charged that several state wildlife management agencies have adopted the term into their roles or mission statements.

 

[Christophero]

A dozen years ago, before hitting 50 and while undergoing a full life upheaval, I committed to never be the man I was, nor the man I was destined to be if I continued on in my overbearing and petty ways that alienated those I wanted to be with away from my unpleasant personality. I snarled at 'Harvest' and other terms that I deemed sanitized hunting and killing. Fear of loosing what I loved most by society caused an ugly critical nature that repelled good people from my midst. My knees jerked so fiercely over trivial matters that my proverbial nose bled all the time. I was not inviting to others that may have been interested in what I enjoyed, and so did not reproduce like minded comrades to further the sport. Thankfully I believe I made the change before it was too late. Life has never been better and enjoying my fellow human being is quite enjoyable, most of the time.

 

[BackDraft]

Kill vs. Harvest: Which Term is Correct?​

Boy, “64”, you’re even crustier than normal today; did the corncob go sideways in the outhouse this morning?!? (Said in jest)

 

[Zutt-man]

Kill vs. Harvest: Which Term is Correct?​

By Jessica Manuell / May 3, 2021 / 4 minutes of reading

Sharing is Caring


The word is kill, not harvest.
We do not farm wildlife for the purpose of backing up the slaughter truck and hanging wildlife in a line on hooks and gambrels for mass consumption by the general public.
As much as people would like to think, or call wildlife theirs, it is simply not true. No one “owns” wildlife. And while we hold wildlife in public trust here in the United States under the North American model of wildlife management, they are not, in fact, ours to do with as we please.
When did we become soft? When did we as hunters fall into the trap of pandering to anti-hunters and using terms that do not explain exactly what we do? We kill animals. Period. And even that is still a vague explanation, so let me clarify. When we are successful as a hunter, we kill an animal; otherwise, we are just taking a nature hike and hopefully gaining experience along the way.

Harvest is traditionally a term used in farming. The act of farming yields a renewable product that can be harvested for consumption. Harvest is a result of humans having control of the birth, cultivation, and subsequent harvest of a resource. We do no such things with wildlife. And wildlife do no such thing to each other. The wolf does not harvest the deer, it kills the deer. The wolf does not cultivate it’s prey for the future.
Harvest did not become a term used to describe the killing of an animal until the United States became a politically correct nation in or around the 1960s. And since, the United States has become so politically charged that several state wildlife management agencies have adopted the term into their roles or mission statements.

I mean, I agree. I still think you can be wise about the use of your words and how it can impact thoughts or conversations.

If my mother-in-law asks me where I’ve been for 15 minutes at lunch time, I don’t have to tell her I’ve been ing, I can just tell her I’ve gone to the restroom and everyone still gets the point

 

[sheriff john]

One thing's certain - there is no shortage of great literature devoted to hunting. Find some favorite authors for a lifetime of pleasure reading them and you'll see why they are termed "classics". Robert Ruark, Ernest Hemingway, Jack O'connor, Skeeter Skelton, ..even Sam Clemons (Mark Twain) filled many pleasant evenings over the years, Humorists like Joel Vance have made me spit my coffee with their stories "Grandma and the Buck Deer", for example.

Hunting's much more than killing critters. Some of the best times hunting I never fired a shot nor wanted to. Anyway ...

 

[Eterry]

Boy, “64”, you’re even crustier than normal today; did the corncob go sideways in the outhouse this morning?!? (Said in jest)

One is an article, the other is a dictionary. Your choice.