A newb hello!

[Dustee]

I broke the rules and for a first post I commented in someone else's thread, so I thought I would make a quick post saying hello. The quick intro would be growing up shooting squirrels on a hazelnut farm and recently decided to do the whole hunting thing. Thankfully work isn't super busy lately so I've had a lot of time to read, learn and research. I recently picked up my first rifle in .270win as well as a 12ga for fun. I'm thinking I will have to go duck hunting along with goat, deer and elk. Even after looking at hours of videos on different field dressing methods, how to stalk, where you will find animals, I still find it a bit overwhelming. You'd think by being in my early 30's I'd be able to have a bit more confidence going out! Thankfully I have a few more months before I need to be prepared!

Having been a lurker here for going on 6 months, I'm amazed and grateful for all the help everyone has given to others before me. The plethora of information given on HBC is outstanding and has propelled me towards a few different types of hunting/shooting as well as reloading. I look forward to learning more and getting to know people here.

Two guys were out duck hunting, but they weren't getting any ducks. "What do you think the problem is?" one guy asks. "I dunno," said the other "Maybe we aren't throwing the dog up high enough."


Thank you,

CJ

[Weatherby Fan]

Welcome to HBC, its a great site for sure and good to see you got into hunting, better late than never I say

Good joke by the way, I always won 1st prize for highest dog toss !

Cheers
WF

[monasheemountainman]

where do you live? You will pick things up fast by just getting out and hiking around. Glass lots, keep the wind in your favour and glass lots!

[Dustee]

where do you live? You will pick things up fast by just getting out and hiking around. Glass lots, keep the wind in your favour and glass lots!

I live in Abbotsford currently. I plan on doing a bit of hiking around 2-3 where the FSR have been wiped out with mudslides and such for BT/Mule. I'm also in the process of planning a summer excursion with another new hunter to region 3, 4, or 8 for a possible elk hunt. I'm kind of torn between elk and goats this year, so I should probably decide which one and get out there.

CJ

[epicZERO74]

Welcome to the site and sport! Happy trails!

[scotty30-06]

Welcomes to the site brotha

[monasheemountainman]

I live in Abbotsford currently. I plan on doing a bit of hiking around 2-3 where the FSR have been wiped out with mudslides and such for BT/Mule. I'm also in the process of planning a summer excursion with another new hunter to region 3, 4, or 8 for a possible elk hunt. I'm kind of torn between elk and goats this year, so I should probably decide which one and get out there.

CJ

put in for a region 4 goat (really good odds) and hunt both!

[luckofthedraw]

Welcome to HBC. Lots of knowledgeable people on here. Enjoy.

[hoochie]

Welcome to the site.
I live in Abby too. Some guys will tell you there are deer on this side of the Coq, but I wouldn't waste my time down here.
I'm on the Watcom end of town, and yes, there was a family of deer that would frequent my back yard, but new construction has scared them off, and I haven't seen sign of them since last spring. There are deer in Mission and Chilliwack too, but again, not the numbers you will find with a few hours drive over the hump.
If you are not successful your first year out.. don't sweat it. That's normal.
You are smart to scout early in the year and try to find where they are.
good luck!

oh ya.. I reload also. If you get really stuck give me a shout.
LUBE YOUR CASES before resizing.
There, just saved you a search on "stuck case removal"!
cheers.

[Dustee]

Welcome to the site.
I live in Abby too. Some guys will tell you there are deer on this side of the Coq, but I wouldn't waste my time down here.
I'm on the Watcom end of town, and yes, there was a family of deer that would frequent my back yard, but new construction has scared them off, and I haven't seen sign of them since last spring. There are deer in Mission and Chilliwack too, but again, not the numbers you will find with a few hours drive over the hump.
If you are not successful your first year out.. don't sweat it. That's normal.
You are smart to scout early in the year and try to find where they are.
good luck!

oh ya.. I reload also. If you get really stuck give me a shout.
LUBE YOUR CASES before resizing.
There, just saved you a search on "stuck case removal"!
cheers.

I'm also on the Whatcom side of town and its disappointing that the deer haven't been back since last year. Thank you all for the quick advice and the welcome posts. Expect a PM in the near future Hoochie as I start getting into reloading next month.

Funnily enough, my mother has caught my hunting bug. She hasn't shot anything more than a pellet gun, and that was when she was 8 or 9. I've been so excited about everything that she has signed up for her CFSC/CRFSC and is eager to get her C.O.R.E done and join in hunting this fall. In reality, I don't think I would be as excited as I am if it wasn't for all of the conversations, pictures and advice I've seen on these forums. So once again, thank you for the inspiration, information and laughs.

The current puzzle I'm trying to solve is which rifle to purchase to compliment the 270win I currently have. 7mm-08, 300wsm, 338 Lapua. Really endless options.

CJ

[Singleshotneeded]

Welcome Dustee, glad you're getting some info from we old timers on here! :-D The .270 you have was my first and only rifle for many years, Dad bought it for me in 1981...Ruger M77 tang safety. It shoots Noslers well, and for years I used 150 grain Nosler Partitions for deer, moose, and elk. A few years back I was given a Husqvarna 30.06 that I glass bedded into a Boyd's stock and it shoots 4/10" groups at 100 yards with 168 grain Barnes ttsx, so that's my elk and moose gun now, and the .270 with 140 grain Accubonds is my deer rifle. The 7mm-08 is what I bought for my son, as it has low recoil but can take elk and moose if called on...it's basically a slightly weaker cousin of the .270, and would be good for your mom. If you're not going for grizzly, there's really no need to go past the magnum .30s like the .300wsm, etc, they'll take care of business at long range and not thump your shoulder too much. Not being a masochist, I go with the perfect tools for the job that are pleasant to shoot...you can google rifle recoil chart and check out various calibres if you like. Now if you are going for grizzly, I wouldn't mess around with .325s and .338s, I'd go straight for the .375 Holland & Holland. It'll get any bear's attention in a hurry, and you don't want to play games with grizzlies...and the ammo is available around the world, so if you ever decide to go on an African safari you can take your .375 H&H...the newer .375 Ruger might have a tiny bit more power, but the ammo isn't everywhere like the H&H. One bit of advice with the .375 though, if you get it because you might go after grizzlies, get a rifle that's threaded for a muzzle brake. When you're sighting in and practicing, you'll want ear plugs and ear muffs with the brake...be good to your ears and your shoulder...and then take the brake off and put the thread protector on when you're hunting. So yeah, if I'd bought another rifle to go with my .270, which is the perfect deer and goat calibre, and works on elk and moose with the right ammo...I wouldn't have picked the 30.06...I would've gone with a .30 magnum for the bit of extra range on elk and moose. For grizzlies, I wouldn't stop short of the .375...hope this helps and welcome to HBC, buddy!

[Ourea]

Welcome Dustee.
Sure you will pick up some valuable insight over time here.

[Dustee]

Welcome Dustee, glad you're getting some info from we old timers on here! :-D The .270 you have was my first and only rifle for many years, Dad bought it for me in 1981...Ruger M77 tang safety. It shoots Noslers well, and for years I used 150 grain Nosler Partitions for deer, moose, and elk. A few years back I was given a Husqvarna 30.06 that I glass bedded into a Boyd's stock and it shoots 4/10" groups at 100 yards with 168 grain Barnes ttsx, so that's my elk and moose gun now, and the .270 with 140 grain Accubonds is my deer rifle. The 7mm-08 is what I bought for my son, as it has low recoil but can take elk and moose if called on...it's basically a slightly weaker cousin of the .270, and would be good for your mom. If you're not going for grizzly, there's really no need to go past the magnum .30s like the .300wsm, etc, they'll take care of business at long range and not thump your shoulder too much. Not being a masochist, I go with the perfect tools for the job that are pleasant to shoot...you can google rifle recoil chart and check out various calibres if you like. Now if you are going for grizzly, I wouldn't mess around with .325s and .338s, I'd go straight for the .375 Holland & Holland. It'll get any bear's attention in a hurry, and you don't want to play games with grizzlies...and the ammo is available around the world, so if you ever decide to go on an African safari you can take your .375 H&H...the newer .375 Ruger might have a tiny bit more power, but the ammo isn't everywhere like the H&H. One bit of advice with the .375 though, if you get it because you might go after grizzlies, get a rifle that's threaded for a muzzle brake. When you're sighting in and practicing, you'll want ear plugs and ear muffs with the brake...be good to your ears and your shoulder...and then take the brake off and put the thread protector on when you're hunting. So yeah, if I'd bought another rifle to go with my .270, which is the perfect deer and goat calibre, and works on elk and moose with the right ammo...I wouldn't have picked the 30.06...I would've gone with a .30 magnum for the bit of extra range on elk and moose. For grizzlies, I wouldn't stop short of the .375...hope this helps and welcome to HBC, buddy!

Thank you for the welcome and advice SSN. You bring up some interesting points as well as some words from experience. I'm thinking I won't be going after Grizz anytime soon, and maybe one day going for Bison if possible. In reality, I don't see myself needing anything bigger than a .30 magnum. I say this now at the start of my hunting. Give me a few years and I'll end up wanting bigger and better hahaha.

CJ

[RiverOtter]

IME, the more you shoot(and age), the more you appreciate the smaller traditional cartridges. Bullets change everything and these ARE the good old days in that regard.

[HarryToolips]

Welcome to the site....you'll have lots of fun hunting and just being in the woods..ever thought of giving spring bear hunting a try??

[Dustee]

Welcome to the site....you'll have lots of fun hunting and just being in the woods..ever thought of giving spring bear hunting a try??

I haven't ever really thought much about spring bear. With the exception of predators, I've always felt that if I hunt it, I should eat it. I like the outdoors and meat, so why not combine the two? haha.

CJ

[albravo2]

CJ.
Welcome. Great site, lots of good folks.

I wouldn't rush to buy a magnum of anything. You have enough guns to keep you busy for a while and you should be spending your money on boots and binoculars.

Scouting is awesome. It is just like a hunting trip but you'll usually see more critters.

The lower mainland has a lot of great exploring and hunting within 3 hours. Then 6 hours, then 12, then 18. It is a sport you can enjoy for the rest of your life.

[HarryToolips]

I haven't ever really thought much about spring bear. With the exception of predators, I've always felt that if I hunt it, I should eat it. I like the outdoors and meat, so why not combine the two? haha.

CJ

Eat a bear, they're delicious, if done right..just look up all the spring bear/bear meat threads here on HBC....

[Rhyno]

I haven't ever really thought much about spring bear. With the exception of predators, I've always felt that if I hunt it, I should eat it. I like the outdoors and meat, so why not combine the two? haha.

CJ

As already mentioned bears are great eaters! For more people it's a mental block, but give some bear peps or sausage a try! Not only that but they are the ideal critter for newbies, usually lots of opportunities, just make sure you watch it long enough to make sure it's a boar!

Guys are also more liking to bring someone along for a spring bear hunt.

Welcome to the site.

[Dustee]

As already mentioned bears are great eaters! For more people it's a mental block, but give some bear peps or sausage a try! Not only that but they are the ideal critter for newbies, usually lots of opportunities, just make sure you watch it long enough to make sure it's a boar!

Guys are also more liking to bring someone along for a spring bear hunt.

Welcome to the site.

Rhyno,

That's a great idea! Thanks for the input. I would be more than happy to tag along with someone on the spring bear hunt. Now I just need to find someone willing to bring me along. I guess if you're going to jump in, you should jump in with both feet!

CJ

[RiverOtter]

Nothing wrong with a black bear sow either, as BB numbers can easily support female harvest. But as Rhyno mentioned, observe for a while before you shoot, as you don't want a wet sow.