New Hunter - Where do I even start?

[BearSupreme]

Youtube has a lot of good video on how to dress game and other tips, nothing beats exploring and figuring it out as you go, especially for small game. Large game is a bit more involved and you can get in over your head pretty quick if you have NO idea what you are doing or what you need. Sounds like you'll be fine just scouting around within the regs and learn as you go. You'll probably need a bow or 22LR at least for small game, not sure pellet hunting is technically legal unless its Class C. Definitely bring a first aid kit and some basic survival stuff if you are going offroads, being stuck in areas if you get stuck or some other break down is not good and some basic survival stuff can go a long ways.
Good luck and enjoy the journey!

[wos]

I started hunting 40 years ago I'm still learning to hunt!

[Muledeercrazy2]

I started hunting 40 years ago I'm still learning to hunt!

lol, 30 years for me

sometimes your local club or shooting range can be a good way to meet people. I got to go on some cool hunts when I was younger, as a glorified human pack horse. Look for a mentor there? Grouse hunting can be fun if you figure it out, but honestly being in situations where you are driving around and hoping out to shoot quickly isn’t the best bet for new hunters. You can flush grouse walking around in the right places, once you find them. Better to find someone to help you get started than figure it out on utube or by yourself.

I have heard of guys paying for guided bear hunts in B.C. just to get as much knowledge and experience tracking, finding, and cleaning animals as possible

[nightswhisper]

Thank you all for the great replies.

A little about myself:

I am in my 30s and in good shape. I'm an avid hiker, drive a Wrangler, and spend a tremendous amount of time outdoors. I'm an excellent shot (Competitive trap) with a shotgun but, most importantly, an excellent cook with a very compact and robust mobile kitchen.

One of the reasons for me to hunt is that I'm just tired of the way animals are treated and bred for food and want a more humane way of harvesting meat. Plus, I make a mean peking duck and it's f*cking delicious.

I'm not really interested in large game - It's kind of a pain to deal with and most large game don't taste good, the exception being deer and boar, both of which I enjoy cooking quite a bit.

In the unlikely event anyone's in the Lower Mainland Area wouldn't mind my tagging along or mentoring me, I'd appreciate it very much and pay you back in good food and liquor.

We all hunt for different reasons - I love cooking and I love the outdoors. Working with fresh and healthy ingredients amidst beautiful nature just seems like the perfect combo.

[jamfarm]

It’s been years but I’ve seen a fair amount of rabbits at Paysatan & Placer just past manning, head up there when the season opens.

I don’t think you should avoid big game hunting, when I started hunting I hunted for deer and grouse and I didn’t think about elk or duck hunting. I remember reading about guys being addicted to elk hunting, well now I fully understand, I too am addicted to elk hunting and can hardly wait for every September to roll around.

I always hunt deer solo and when I go elk hunting my partner & I sometimes will ‘divide & conquer’ and we’ll hunt elk solo. But elk hunting with a partner is a ton of fun, it’s so different in that if you’re calling you don’t have to worry (at times) about making noise, elk are big animals and make noise. And elk meat is delicious. I also have just gotten into duck hunting and it’s fun in that you are hanging out with a buddy and the hunting action comes in waves as the birds fly overhead.

You say that dealing with big game is hard to deal with and you’re right, it can be. But some of the fondest memories that I have are packing out huge loads of meat after a hunt, it’s hell at the time but the satisfaction is huge and those memories will last forever.

I guess I’m trying to say is to not shy away from any species of hunting. Also, put your draws in but do your research first, don’t be one of those people that gets a draw and doesn’t see it through.

[Bubbacanuck]

Thank you all for the great replies.

A little about myself:

I am in my 30s and in good shape. I'm an avid hiker, drive a Wrangler, and spend a tremendous amount of time outdoors. I'm an excellent shot (Competitive trap) with a shotgun but, most importantly, an excellent cook with a very compact and robust mobile kitchen.

One of the reasons for me to hunt is that I'm just tired of the way animals are treated and bred for food and want a more humane way of harvesting meat. Plus, I make a mean peking duck and it's f*cking delicious.

I'm not really interested in large game - It's kind of a pain to deal with and most large game don't taste good, the exception being deer and boar, both of which I enjoy cooking quite a bit.

In the unlikely event anyone's in the Lower Mainland Area wouldn't mind my tagging along or mentoring me, I'd appreciate it very much and pay you back in good food and liquor.

We all hunt for different reasons - I love cooking and I love the outdoors. Working with fresh and healthy ingredients amidst beautiful nature just seems like the perfect combo.

Meateater just came out with a new cookbook that i picked up recently. All about cooking in the outdoors.

https://www.amazon.ca/MeatEater-Outd...7a3a38408284fd

I've only just cracked into it but so far it looks like a great addition to the kitchen

[MichelD]

Thank you all for the great replies.

A little about myself:

I am in my 30s and in good shape. I'm an avid hiker, drive a Wrangler, and spend a tremendous amount of time outdoors. I'm an excellent shot (Competitive trap) with a shotgun but, most importantly, an excellent cook with a very compact and robust mobile kitchen.

One of the reasons for me to hunt is that I'm just tired of the way animals are treated and bred for food and want a more humane way of harvesting meat. Plus, I make a mean peking duck and it's f*cking delicious.

I'm not really interested in large game - It's kind of a pain to deal with and most large game don't taste good, the exception being deer and boar, both of which I enjoy cooking quite a bit.

In the unlikely event anyone's in the Lower Mainland Area wouldn't mind my tagging along or mentoring me, I'd appreciate it very much and pay you back in good food and liquor.

We all hunt for different reasons - I love cooking and I love the outdoors. Working with fresh and healthy ingredients amidst beautiful nature just seems like the perfect combo.

You must have been offered some nasty game meat. Well taken care of elk, moose, deer and black bear are choice eating, but it is all about everything from a clean kill shot , careful gutting, skinning, cooling, packing, transport and butchering.

There is this old joke that if you gut-shot a prime Angus steer, left it laying around in the sun all day without gutting it, finally opened it up, dragged it across a muddy swamp, put it on the hood of your car or on top of your truck, paraded around for a couple of days showing off and then finally skinned it and cut it up it would be pretty gamey too.

[1S1K]

Start watching and reading MeatEater - there’s a ton of great info in their shows and on their site

[Redthies]

Thank you all for the great replies.

A little about myself:

I am in my 30s and in good shape. I'm an avid hiker, drive a Wrangler, and spend a tremendous amount of time outdoors. I'm an excellent shot (Competitive trap) with a shotgun but, most importantly, an excellent cook with a very compact and robust mobile kitchen.

One of the reasons for me to hunt is that I'm just tired of the way animals are treated and bred for food and want a more humane way of harvesting meat. Plus, I make a mean peking duck and it's f*cking delicious.

I'm not really interested in large game - It's kind of a pain to deal with and most large game don't taste good, the exception being deer and boar, both of which I enjoy cooking quite a bit.

In the unlikely event anyone's in the Lower Mainland Area wouldn't mind my tagging along or mentoring me, I'd appreciate it very much and pay you back in good food and liquor.

We all hunt for different reasons - I love cooking and I love the outdoors. Working with fresh and healthy ingredients amidst beautiful nature just seems like the perfect combo.

Your motivations mirror mine. I love to eat great food, and buying ethically raised organic meat is very expensive.

If you’ve eaten bad tasting big game, it is 99% due to the way the animal was handled. The best venison I’ve ever had (by far) was a whitetail I took with a bow on my own property. I have lots of fruit and chestnut trees, and that shows in the flavour. I also took very good care of the animal after it was down. As others have mentioned, watch MeatEater and read Steven Rinellas books. The man is very articulate, interesting and knows how to cook wild meat incredibly well.