Biggest Newb: Planning! :)

[clte]

Hello folks on H.BC forums!

I'm Cam and I want to get into hunting in the next 12 months.

I'm a 30 year old city guy (boo!) but have been a long long time hiker up in the mountains of Squamish and most of the North Shore (by this I mean more than 5 hours a week for the last 8 years or so).

Last year on a whim I took up light archery, but I only shoot a 50 lb longbow, shoot quite a lot.

I don't know exactly why but a lot of reading and media has gotten me thinking a lot about hunting and getting out further into nature.

I was thinking of starting at duck hunting but really I haven't shot a gun since I was about 12.

I know I will need

1. CFSC course/licensing...
2. Hunting license
3. Migratory bird license
4. Gun(s)
5. Gear

Where I get foggy is on the notion of shooting on crown land.

Can I do this as practice? If I hike way back into the mountains and camp can I just shoot to my hearts' content where the district boundaries are?

I have to go to Texas for a wedding in August but was going to use a lot of the summer to get my licenses (probably in June) then practice up before 2014/15 seasons.

Any recommends from long-time hunters?

Thanks guys/gals! Looking forward to a new rewarding hobby! All hunters I talk to seem like great people. :-D

[r106]

Looks like your heading in the right direction. CFSC and CORE courses are fairly easy, mostly common sense stuff and safety. If you want to hunt with a rifle this season you better get on the CFSC very soon. PAL wait times are long. Pass the CORE and you can get your hunter # card and a hunting license with a week or two.

As for crown land, yes you can target shoot on it. There are no shooting areas in some parks and with in some municipal boundaries. Just make sure you have a good backstop as you are responsible for where your bullet ends up and be sure to clean up any mess made.

[clte]

Excellent r106 :)

I didn't think about the time on the PAL.... will look at getting on that ASAP. Thank you.

[HarryToolips]

Listen and do everything r106 said and you will be fine...remember safety is number one, gotta have that backstop wherever you are shooting..whenever I'm shooting alone (without any spotter), I even yell around to see if anybody's around the area.. when you take your PAL course if you can remember and demonstrate PROVE - Point gun in safe direction - Remove all ammo - Observe the chamber - Verify the feeding path - Examine the bore...whenever and everytime you pickup a gun, you will I guarantee, pass the course...they are teaching you this because you definitely should ALWAYS do this whenever you pickup a gun for the rest of your life, even when you take it out of your gunsafe and you know it's safe, it's still good practice to do that..

[r106]

Excellent r106 :)

I didn't think about the time on the PAL.... will look at getting on that ASAP. Thank you.


No problem.

Once you have your courses done and waiting for your PAL start researching what to do after the shot. Guting, skinning and taking care of the meat. The saying is true, " The real work begins after the shot "

Good luck and post up any more questions

[clte]

No problem.

Once you have your courses done and waiting for your PAL start researching what to do after the shot. Guting, skinning and taking care of the meat. The saying is true, " The real work begins after the shot "

Good luck and post up any more questions

Thanks I have been looking into this a bit too, that's why I was thinking of starting with Duck hunting to get used to cleaning smaller animals first.

[aggiehunter]

....try and get the feeling that when you are out in chase of an animal that you have become lost from the riggors of daily life...keep in paramount the sacredness of the animal you hunt...honor it at dinner. I'll leave the scopes bullets and broadeads to the other guys.

[r106]

Thanks I have been looking into this a bit too, that's why I was thinking of starting with Duck hunting to get used to cleaning smaller animals first.

I thought the same way started with grouse. Really it doesn't do much as it's a totally different process. Just research it and giver.

[emerson]

Good job on taking personal responsibility for quality food choices. As far as what to start hunting first, trying to find a "mentor" type, even not an expert, just someone who has done quite a bit of some type of hunting is important. Relatives, work friends, anyone whose family owns ranches etc. Area knowledge/access to sound hunting land is the next step. Usually time and travel cost are the limiting factors for hunters, especially urban dwellers. Not a waterfowler myself yet, but it seems lots of knowledge and gear are waterfowl hunting specific. Black bear are the easiest to find and have the most liberal seasons. Most prefer spicy stuff when using bear meat; sausage, peperoni, and so on. Makes butchering easy and if you are a foodie lots of different options you can do yourself, rather than paying someone else and not gaining the knowledge. I do jerky (above 180F for 2 hours) myself. Deer is probably the next simplest animal to successfully hunt. Not too huge to butcher either. Bringing home an animal can be far more difficult than it seems in the beginning. Don't give up, it will happen.

[clte]

Good job on taking personal responsibility for quality food choices. As far as what to start hunting first, trying to find a "mentor" type, even not an expert, just someone who has done quite a bit of some type of hunting is important. Relatives, work friends, anyone whose family owns ranches etc. Area knowledge/access to sound hunting land is the next step. Usually time and travel cost are the limiting factors for hunters, especially urban dwellers. Not a waterfowler myself yet, but it seems lots of knowledge and gear are waterfowl hunting specific. Black bear are the easiest to find and have the most liberal seasons. Most prefer spicy stuff when using bear meat; sausage, peperoni, and so on. Makes butchering easy and if you are a foodie lots of different options you can do yourself, rather than paying someone else and not gaining the knowledge. I do jerky (above 180F for 2 hours) myself. Deer is probably the next simplest animal to successfully hunt. Not too huge to butcher either. Bringing home an animal can be far more difficult than it seems in the beginning. Don't give up, it will happen.

Bear sounds great but, from my understanding, need to be a bit more careful with cooking due to trichinosis. :)

Long term goal for me for sure. Need to learn to shoot first... though i'm hoping my archery translates a little. Kick-back on rifles is what i'm looking forward to testing out.

[Kudu]

Thanks I have been looking into this a bit too, that's why I was thinking of starting with Duck hunting to get used to cleaning smaller animals first.


Consider joining a gun club in you area, preferably one with a skeet range. Shooting clays will go a long way to help you shooting ducks and geese.

If you need some help finding ducks in the new season send me a PM and I will be happy to point you in the right direction

[clte]

Thank you Kudu :) I'm not sure how fast I will be this year but in the next 12 months i'll message you, certainly.

As my research continues what is startling me is how restricted camping locations and fires are now! Having grown up in North Van this is not something we would even think about as kids you just learn fire safety at outdoor schooling and camping out.

[markomoose]

Stuff has definately changed over the years!I also grew up in North Van and my buddies & me never worried about where we camped or lit a fire back in the 70's/80's. Ya I know- but I'm not that old.We used to camp out at Lynn Creek & Seymour River every other weekend in the summer.Nobody said a thing ?Mind you some of my buddies were kinda scary to look at?

[clte]

Stuff has definately changed over the years!I also grew up in North Van and my buddies & me never worried about where we camped or lit a fire back in the 70's/80's. Ya I know- but I'm not that old.We used to camp out at Lynn Creek & Seymour River every other weekend in the summer.Nobody said a thing ?Mind you some of my buddies were kinda scary to look at?

Ya we had a quite a few camp outs up the Cap river and up Lynn Creek. Only place I really see rangers these days is up Lynn Headwaters though.

[menace270]

For your first rifle I would suggest something that isn't going to have a lot of recoil. You will become a better shooter and hopefully won't developed a flinch. Shoot as much as you can at a range and get to no your gun.

[clte]

For your first rifle I would suggest something that isn't going to have a lot of recoil. You will become a better shooter and hopefully won't developed a flinch. Shoot as much as you can at a range and get to no your gun.

Thanks menace.

I've been eyeing the Ruger 10/22 as my first rifle... then on to a Browning BPS for ducks... then i'm not sure on the rifle i'd get after... a 300 wm maybe? hrm these decisions are still a few months down the line. :)

[clte]

Sending in my PAL tomorrow and finished my CORE. Still a few months away and some more gear to round things out.

[LupieHunter]

Check out the thread stickied by fowl language about the region 2 new hunter bootcamp. It's a new course we put on that's geared towards brand new hunters in September. It covers decoys, gutting, first aid, shooting,etc ...Great course!

[clte]

Check out the thread stickied by fowl language about the region 2 new hunter bootcamp. It's a new course we put on that's geared towards brand new hunters in September. It covers decoys, gutting, first aid, shooting,etc ...Great course!

Was checking out Lupie. Will depend on what I am doing but will investigate for sure. Thank you!

[clte]

Got my hunter # today and sent my PAL form in a week ago. Slowly getting there.

[quaint bucket]

congrats!

if you're looking for another newbie hunter to tag along for a weekend, let me know. i'm in the coquitlam area and wouldn't mind going duck/goose/grouse hunting wherever. hell, i'm up for just a hike too.

cheers