New Hunter - Where do I even start?

[nightswhisper]

Howdy forums.

So I'm gonna be honest - Hunting is very new for me. Shot a few squirrels in my yard when they were pests and they were delicious fried in coconut oil.

But I have no idea how to start. I'm not really looking to hunt big game and mostly looking for birds and rabbits.

How did you start? Without parental or family teaching you, did you manage to learn the ropes yourself? Are there courses? Or did you throw everything in your truck and went balls deep?

Thanks in advance.

[savage10]

One of the best parts of hunting is just diving in and learning on the fly. The more time you spend hunting and outdoors, the more you will learn.

That being said one of the best resources these days is podcasts. There’s a few great B.C. based ones out there too. Most are focused around big game though.

[Retiredguy]

Read some books on the subject. Read online hunting magazines. Join a local fish and game club and get involved and meet people. Lastly, pick an area that looks promising and go out and do it. If you have read some good books on bird hunting and rabbit hunting you will know what to start looking for, recognize sign, etc.

[Redthies]

Welcome to HBC nw. Where are you located? Depending on where you are, there are lots of guys on here that would be happy to help you out. It is certainly possible to teach yourself, and advisable to do some reading on your own, but going out in the woods with someone who hunts the animals you are interested in hunting can be invaluable. You could realistically just drive any FSR at feeding time (this varies by animal, but early morning and later afternoon/evening are typical) and see rabbits and grouse. BUT, there is something to be said for getting out of the vehicle and off the roads. Do you have any hiking or camping experience?

[CheesyLimper]

All of the above and familiarize yourself with the regulations.

[Treed]

I assume you have done your Core course? As CL said, know the regs, squirrels cannot be hunted, except for the gray squirrel that you killed. If you are in the lower mainland, there are various places that offer hunter training beyond the Core course. I started out alone. Read books, bought a video on gutting and cutting, bought a bow, practiced and shot my first (very small spike) buck my second year. You can teach yourself, but learning from others is better. I work in the bush, so that whole side was easy. Enjoy the time spent hunting and don’t worry about the kill. As they say in sports, it’s about the process.

[mike31154]

Hunting in your yard? Technically not legal unless you can get more than 100 meters away from your residence. Have a good look at the hunting regulations. The CORE course will go a long way towards getting educated. That's where you start before you can even get a license to hunt in BC.

[RackStar]

Hunting in your yard? Technically not legal unless you can get more than 100 meters away from your residence. Have a good look at the hunting regulations. The CORE course will go a long way towards getting educated. That's where you start before you can even get a license to hunt in BC.

easy does it robo cop. Pretty sure you can dispatch vermin with a pellet gun on your own property

[MichelD]

To be honest, I am always sceptical about people wanting to start small with birds and rabbits. For one thing, we have very few actual rabbits to hunt in B.C.; we have hares and they are only in specific locations and you only see them come out to the edges of the road for the last half hour of light. This is not Nova Scotia. You'd better off hunting black bears and deer. You'll see way more of them.

Ditch chickens? (Grouse) well yeah, if you do enough driving you will see some, but to think it is worth it to go out only after grouse and hares in my opinion is a waste of time and gas.

There is an outfit called "EatWild" that puts on hunting courses as well as CORE, and I have several young friends who have taken it and found it valuable. I have strong opinions about that, mostly based on the opinion that you'd be better off with a mentor off this site or someone you meet at the range who will take you on a few hunting trips. But if you have the $ and you feel you would learn more in a group setting then seek out EatWild.

Otherwise, get your firearms permit, practice shooting at reasonable ranges like 25 to 150 metres (you do not need to be a 600 metre sniper) do the CORE, make sure you know the rules and get out there. Regions 3,5 and 8 have tons of hunting spots.

[HarryToolips]

All of the above and familiarize yourself with the regulations.

Yup what I was going to say. I started alone too. Familiarize yourself with just being in the bush, get comfortable and gain confidence the more you go. Take the CORE course if you haven't already. Always bring a knife, a fire starter and a compass at minimum out there when ya go.