Any good books or other resources to learn from until next season?

[lostmind]

Hi all,

I'm a new hunter, went on two hunts and spent just over two weeks out last year. Saw plenty of deer but no success.

I'm lucky enough to have an understanding wife and a fairly flexible job, so I am hoping to get out a bit more this coming year. While it isn't all about cutting a tag, I know I have a huge gap in knowledge and success right now is going to be more luck than anything else. I figured remedying that knowledge gap could possibly be found in a book. So to prep I thought I'd do a bit of reading...

But then I went on amazon and there about 10,000 books on hunting mule deer alone and most are seemingly about planting soy and waiting in a tree stand for hunters in the USA.

Could anyone help me out with some recommendations? Anything BC specific out there? Interested in pretty much anything - mule deer, whitetail, moose, elk, sheep, goat, you name it. Thanks!

[KBC]

Check out the thread I started a couple down from this one. I was asking the same thing and there are a couple suggestions in it.

[lostmind]

Yup, I did grab the mule deer country from that thread. Thanks! :)

[morphiend]

I read Steve Rienellas book and really liked it. I'm new to hunting so by no means expert but I have heard from experienced guys that it is a good book. Not specific to BC though.

[brian]

Most of the books that come from US whitetail hunting are useless to anybody who doesn't stand hunt. I listen to this pretty good podcast (http://wiredtohunt.com) to glean information, but it is so focused on tree stands that I can't use most of their info. Rienellas stuff is great. His Meateater series of vids is excellent. I'd love to take a peak into his books and s how thy are. His focus is spot and stalk. I have yet to find a really great resource for still hunting other than guys who do it a bunch. Really I would spend as much time as I could reading literature about the species you are interested in hunting from either hunting or non-hunting related sources. I have actually gleaned the most information about any one species looking into the scientific literature like GPS or radio collared motion studies. Then I would take advantage of your wifes understanding nature and get out and learn the areas you plan on hunting next year if at all possible.

[morphiend]

That's a great point Brian makes about Podcasts. I listen to "Wired to Hunt", "Meat Eater", "The Hunt Backcountry" and "Beyond the Kill". Beyond the Kill is a local hunter so that is neat. The Hunt Backcountry has been the most helpful to me. Really enjoy most of their podcasts.

[RBH]

I suggest:
(1) Mastering Mule Deer by Wayne Van Zwoll. Excellent book by very knowledgeable hunting writer. Probably out of print but used may be available on Amazon or Abe Books.
(2) If you hunt on the coast, then Blacktail Trophy Tactics, by Boyd Iverson. You can order by mail from his web site. (http://www.blacktailtrophytactics.com/) Another excellent and informative book.

ps: don't forget to try your local library. Also, if there is a book that isn't at your library they will often welcome a good suggestion and order the book in. Free!

[Ferenc]

A good one... Mule Deer Hunting.. Tactics and Strategies for Success by Sam Curtis it's a gooder and pertains only to the mule deer... Worth a read and addition to your growing library your about to have...books are good !!!

[Iron Glove]

A good one... Mule Deer Hunting.. Tactics and Strategies for Success by Sam Curtis it's a gooder and pertains only to the mule deer... Worth a read and addition to your growing library your about to have...books are good !!!

Funny, I just dug that book outta the cabin bookshelf - yes, a worthwhile book to suggest.
Nice thing is it covers most methods, not just still hunting.

[Hublocker]

If you can find the old books by Jack O'Connor you can't go wrong even though they are U.S.-oriented.

[Ryo]

Scott Haugen's "Hunting Trophy Blacktail" was useful for me in region 2. I'd recommend it highly.

[Brez]

I should think that there would be some threads hidden on this forum. There were some very knowledgeable posters here a while back, that were willing to share.

[harley1]

+1
great books

[harley1]

The Steven Rhinella ones

+1
great books

[jconn]

+1 for Rinella's books (namely the Complete Guide books).. I should note that I'm a total n00b (just started hunting this year with bow, harvested 1 mule deer), I've read many of the other books mentioned here but I got the most out of Rinella's. In addition to it being really thorough, it's highly visual (lots of cool diagrams etc.) so it made it a lot easier for me to pick up on the concepts.

Some of the other books mentioned are awesome too, but would highly benefit from an update (not to content, but to add some more visual content on par with what you would expect in this day and age).

Rinella's books also have awesome info with great colour photos on butchering and even some great recipes.

Guide to Big game: here (http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/081299406X/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=15121&creative=330641&creativeASIN=08129)
Guide to Small game: here (http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0812987055/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=15121&creative=330641&creativeASIN=0812987055&linkCode=as2&tag=wwwinvestable-20)

[exv]

+1 for Steve Rinella's books, vol.1 on big game is defenitly worth the buy. His podcasts and youtube video's are top notch aswell. Remi Warrens videos and the hushin channel on youtube are worth checking out too, quality entertainment at the least.

It's hard to find good material that pertains to hunting BC. Some good stuff just on this forum if you dig.

[bighornbob]

Tony Russ: The Manual for Successful hunters. Why 10% of the hunters harvest 90% of the Game.

One of the better books I have read. Tony is from from alaska so it's pretty close to BC. Not like most other books written about the midwest US.

BHB

[mpotzold]

Hi all,

I'm a new hunter, went on two hunts and spent just over two weeks out last year. Saw plenty of deer but no success.

I'm lucky enough to have an understanding wife and a fairly flexible job, so I am hoping to get out a bit more this coming year. While it isn't all about cutting a tag, I know I have a huge gap in knowledge and success right now is going to be more luck than anything else. I figured remedying that knowledge gap could possibly be found in a book. So to prep I thought I'd do a bit of reading...

But then I went on amazon and there about 10,000 books on hunting mule deer alone and most are seemingly about planting soy and waiting in a tree stand for hunters in the USA.

Could anyone help me out with some recommendations? Anything BC specific out there? Interested in pretty much anything - mule deer, whitetail, moose, elk, sheep, goat, you name it. Thanks!

I would recommend that you find some experienced hunter/s to tag along with on your next hunting trip/s. You could start a thread before hunting season- LOOKING FOR A HUNTING MENTOR in the general area you plan to hunt.
Books are OK but don’t come close to learning by real experience. I’ve been hunting for over 50 years & still learning.:)

Some tips for beginners

-know your gun & what it can/can’t do - & practice, practice, practice.

-get a good set of binos

-carry a small packsack with all the essentials(food, medical, space blanket, rope, matches/lighter,small flashlight, flagging tape, compass, saw…)

-a SPOT or equivalent

-pre-scout the area you intend to hunt concentrating on the wet, sunny side areas.

-avoid shooting at a running animal & make 100% sure of your target before pulling the trigger.

-always be prepared for a bear charge/attack. This is where I would recommend reading all the 3 books written by Gary Shelton, the bear expert extraordinaire!
Bear attacks II: Myth & reality
Bear encounter survival guide:
Bear attacks: The deadly truth:

- A properly constructed bullet with SD(sectional density) over .300 is recommended for bear hunting/protection.
A .308 220 gr has a SD of 0.331

[lostmind]

Thanks all! I'm an avid reader, so I've stocked up on books now. Already reading a few on my kindle. :)

[lostmind]

I would recommend that you find some experienced hunter/s to tag along with on your next hunting trip/s. You could start a thread before hunting season- LOOKING FOR A HUNTING MENTOR in the general area you plan to hunt.
Books are OK but don’t come close to learning by real experience. I’ve been hunting for over 50 years & still learning.:)

Some tips for beginners

-know your gun & what it can/can’t do - & practice, practice, practice.

-get a good set of binos

-carry a small packsack with all the essentials(food, medical, space blanket, rope, matches/lighter,small flashlight, flagging tape, compass, saw…)

-a SPOT or equivalent

-pre-scout the area you intend to hunt concentrating on the wet, sunny side areas.

-avoid shooting at a running animal & make 100% sure of your target before pulling the trigger.

-always be prepared for a bear charge/attack. This is where I would recommend reading all the 3 books written by Gary Shelton, the bear expert extraordinaire!
Bear attacks II: Myth & reality
Bear encounter survival guide:
Bear attacks: The deadly truth:

- A properly constructed bullet with SD(sectional density) over .300 is recommended for bear hunting/protection.
A .308 220 gr has a SD of 0.331

Hey Mpotzold! Thanks for the feedback.

I do indeed know next to nothing, even though I spent a few weeks in the woods in 2015. A mentor would be great, but I currently only know a few hunters and the majority are all newcomers like myself - I'll have to try finding one later this year.

Appreciate the beginner tips. I've got most of that down thanks to my eatwild intro course, but I didn't know about the Gary Shelton books or the sectional density bit. I have carried bear spray for the past 6 years or so when I go camping/fishing just in case. Never seen a bear closer than a few hundred meters though, thankfully. :)

[HarryToolips]

Anything Jack O' Connor......

[mpotzold]

Anything Jack O' Connor......



Now that you mentioned it-:smile:

No doubt Jack O’Connor’s(JO) articles and books were well written & entertaining.
Grew up reading many of his articles.

There was another well- known writer/expert on guns & hunting by the name of Elmer Keith(EK). He desliked JO.

JO was a small bore, light bullet, high velocity guy- .270 was his favourite rifle.
Whereas EK was the advocate of large caliber & slower, heavier, wide meplat bullets-hence a proponent of frontal area & SD.
EK once said
“I like one-shot kills where possible and prefer to do all my hunting before I shoot.”

Hey LOSTMIND some more info to ponder on:smile:

Interesting article on penetration
http://www.garrettcartridges.com/penetration.html (http://www.garrettcartridges.com/penetration.html)

The optimal velocity of a solid bullet for best penetration is somewhere between 1400 & 1800 fps. Above that the same bullet’s penetration is inversely proportional to its velocity in general. The higher the velocity the less the penetration.
The common belief that “the more kinetic energy (KE = 1/2 mv2)a bullet possesses,the more stopping power it has, and the quicker it will dispatch an animal” is not necessarily true.

I’m a firm believer in bigger, heavier & slower bullets that will give best penetration especially when confronting a dangerous animal.
That is the main reason I got a 45/70 Guide Gun. All animals killed so far in the last 9 years were one- shot kills. Also use a .300gr TBBC in my 375 in more open areas.
I use Garrett’s 540gr +P Hammerhead at 1550-fps & SD at 0.368 & the 420gr

[ajr5406]

Episode 19 of Randy Newbergs Hunt Talk podcast has some great gear tips - I found it very useful.

[BigBanger]

I'm re reading The complete guide to Mule Deer Hunting by Sam Curtis right now. It's a helpful book and a great refresher. I recommend it.

[604Stalker]

Public land mule deer is a good read.

[Heath]

I just bought Steve Rinella's book, The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game: Volume 1 for big game. It has a lot of good information in there and is a good read. I recommend this book if your new.

[adriaticum]

Youtube, books are passe IMO, unless they are very specific information.
Hushin, MeatEater, Remi Warren, Cameron Hanes, Steve West, Midwest whitetail, Solo Hunter.
Just some of the channels.

[dino]

Don't waste your money on a book!
Your better off buying some tcams and just more time learning an area. You will learn real soon if there's bucks around and at what time of year.

[saskbooknut]

Jack O'Connor - The Art of Big Game Hunting in North America - vintage and very good

[wideopenthrottle]

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?80893-BC-Wildlife-Management-Units-in-Google-Earth

http://www.rokslide.com/2012-01-09-05-12-00/bear/205-judging-brown-and-grizzly-bears

http://www.chuckhawks.com/recoil_table.htm

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBxZ90bFaMf8cziFj1J_ELmVmOzg_aSxe

https://www.ventusky.com/

https://www.goabc.org/pdfs/assistant_hunting_studyguide.pdf

http://www.canadianwildernesssurvival.com/index.php/free-books-manuals/category/1-free-books-manuals?start=20

http://www.ccrd-bc.ca/files/library/C%28f%29_Shelton.pdf


some links others have posted that I kept

[lostmind]

whoa this came back! awesome. Thanks!

[ajr5406]

whoa this came back! awesome. Thanks!


Well - what did you learn? Do you have a book review for us? :-)

[BoyScout]

Just picked this up tonight and so far I'm really liking it. For a newbie like me it has a lot of information that I really like and find necessary. At this point I'm only really interested in small game (doesn't seem like there are many on here who are) so for me this is an incredible resource.

http://i.imgur.com/65sVT1z.jpg

[BigBanger]

Nice! I'll have to check it out. Thanks.