Hunting Newbie needs advice

[rishu_pepper]

Long time gun nut, first time hunting this season. I've been reading many threads in this forum and I think I've gathered some basic knowledge but I'm still a newb.

Anyway, my friend (who, despite much longer shooting experience, has also not gone into the field yet except squirrels :cool:) and I plan to do our first deer (probably muleys) hunt this season. Since we live in the Lower Mainland, I was thinking somewhere close by in Region 2 or 3, within a few hours drive. We scouted out Cache Creek a few weeks back and it seemed promising with the deer signs. So here are some questions I'd like to ask:

What are some nice places to go deer hunting for beginners?
How does one figure out what land is Crown land and what land is private (is there a map available)?
Are there good places with both deer and duck/geese (friend plans to bring shotgun)?
Any words of wisdom for new hunters? ;)

Just on a whim, and I know there should be a fair amount of Lower Mainlanders out here, are there anyone with some hunting experience who would like to come with us? We'll of course pay for gas/food, etc. :biggrin: Thanks!

[BearSniper]

Hello Rishu Pepper, welcome;-)

I would suggest these region 2 spots:

Chilliwack River valley east to the lake, American Creek FSR north of Hope, Harrison lake, Boston Bar, Sumallo FSR by Sunshine Village, Silver lake FSR by Hope, and the FSR roads along the lower Coquihalla.

I, and others, have seen deer and bear in all these spots.

Also come November, keep a Bobcat tag or 2 in your pocket, you're allowed 5 in region 2

Most any FSR is public property. If its private you'll see the signs and fences

As for geese/ducks , I haven't done much at all and would be asking for help there too

Best of luck:wink:

BearSniper

[hoochie]

I'd have to say that bird hunting is generally done apart from deer hunting ( with the exception of grouse). Ducks and geese wouldnt generally be found in the same areas at the same time as deer and moose etc.

depending on where you live in the LM, you could consider the Maple ridge side, or you could go to Harrison areas. These ould be shorter drives and deer are known to be there.
As an exapmle, I was on course this week at the Poco gun range, and on our last day of shooting a deer came right out on the pistol range and just stood there looking at people!

look for scrapes, tracks and poop. also look for signs of deer eating the vegitation. think of "shelter, food and water"... find the places a deer would find these and your in the right area.
And as far as your buddy taking his shotgun... find Pine trees..at mid elevation and there will be grouse near by as well. they are a very stupid bird.. so he should be able to get one if he sees one.

good luck,

[rollingrock]

Have you passed your exam? :)

[rishu_pepper]

And as far as your buddy taking his shotgun... find Pine trees..at mid elevation and there will be grouse near by as well. they are a very stupid bird.. so he should be able to get one if he sees one.

Haha "very stupid bird". :biggrin: That means more food for us.


Chilliwack River valley east to the lake, American Creek FSR north of Hope, Harrison lake, Boston Bar, Sumallo FSR by Sunshine Village, Silver lake FSR by Hope, and the FSR roads along the lower Coquihalla.


I, and others, have seen deer and bear in all these spots.



Hmm, there are so many places to choose from, it's like picking from a candy store! Whichever one has the easiest access will probably be our choice.


Have you passed your exam? :)

Don't jinx me, I'm challenging the CORE in a week or so! :-) By the way, which parts/questions should I concentrate on? I'm fairly comfortable with the first few chapters, I guess the animal/bird ID parts I'm not yet 100%.

Thanks for all the advice, guys, keep'em coming I say lol :grin:

[moose hunter]

The CORE should be easy enough for you if you know your stuff, most private land can be seperated from crown with no tresspassing signs or fences, If youre new at hunting you might want to consentrate on one species of animal at a time, oh and proper ammo and calibre selection is a must, what will you be using?

[Forthright]

for the C.O.R.E. i thought there would be more on ducks and birds then there were. i just skimmed that section looked at the pics and bold words, and got through those test question no problems. it was mostly questions like, migratory birds and non migratory whats the difference? common sense questions. animal ID there there are some good ones, gun safety, field safety hunting regulation. IMPORTANT NOTE: know your synopsis. it is available to use on the test. there were a few questions that i was unsure on, but realized that you have the synopsis right there, took a quick look through, and found the awnsers.

i took the core course, and if i had to do it again i probly would save the $100 and challenge the test. its common sense, straight forward. and i really had no hunting experience, didnt grow up i a hunting family. if you have read the most of the book, the test shouldnt be an issue.

steve

[rishu_pepper]

for the C.O.R.E. i thought there would be more on ducks and birds then there were. i just skimmed that section looked at the pics and bold words, and got through those test question no problems. it was mostly questions like, migratory birds and non migratory whats the difference? common sense questions. animal ID there there are some good ones, gun safety, field safety hunting regulation. IMPORTANT NOTE: know your synopsis. it is available to use on the test. there were a few questions that i was unsure on, but realized that you have the synopsis right there, took a quick look through, and found the awnsers.

i took the core course, and if i had to do it again i probly would save the $100 and challenge the test. its common sense, straight forward. and i really had no hunting experience, didnt grow up i a hunting family. if you have read the most of the book, the test shouldnt be an issue.

steve

Thanks, that gives me more confidence to go into the test. I'll brush up on the synopsis for sure.


The CORE should be easy enough for you if you know your stuff, most private land can be seperated from crown with no tresspassing signs or fences, If youre new at hunting you might want to consentrate on one species of animal at a time, oh and proper ammo and calibre selection is a must, what will you be using?

Well, my friend has the shotgun and I carry a .308, so the main game is deer, but if we find grouse or other game birds he'll take the shot. As I gather, .308 is plenty for deer. I have the Winchester CXP2 and Federal Power Shok, I figure the CXP2 is a little more powerful at 180gr. (as opposed to 150gr. on the Federal), but do I really need that extra power? I'm not sure...?

[JoshLedoux]

180 gr is the best all around bullet weight for most 30 cals

[rishu_pepper]

This just came to my mind when I was looking over FSR's: what kind of cars do you guys usually drive for a day/weekend hunting trip? I drive a new Camry so that's probably no good, my friend has his beat-up Corolla that he doesn't mind trudging through FSR's (if it can handle it..). Do you think we need to borrow/rent something that's more appropriate, or is the Corolla okay? We won't be going far so our packs will be minimal, but deer meat might be a stretch...

[moose hunter]

.....wtf is a corolla, 308 is great either bullet will do the job on a deer

[lapadat]

Park the car and start hiking. You'd be suprised how many more critters you see once you're off the road. Bring a tarp to protect your trunk :)

[rishu_pepper]

Park the car and start hiking. You'd be suprised how many more critters you see once you're off the road. Bring a tarp to protect your trunk :)

Hope the trunk is big enough for our needs, will definitely bring a tarp.

Say if I only wanted the body of the deer for meat, how do I dispose of the other parts after field dressing? Any tips on field dressing it properly? I've never cut up a recently-killed animal. :???:

[MichelD]

First, get your deer on the gorund.

Don't leave the liver and heart behind.

The ravens, gray jays and coyotes will clean up what you don't take.

Google "How to field dress a deer" but remember there are variations on what different folks advise.

For one thing, don't discard all the sex organs. Look at the regs. You have to keep evidence of the sex of the animal. Leaving the genitalia on the carcass wil not harm the meat.

And some suggest splitting from the brisket to the rear. I always start between the hams and split up to the point of the birisket. Careful you don't puncture the stomach.

[rishu_pepper]

First, get your deer on the gorund.

Don't leave the liver and heart behind.

The ravens, gray jays and coyotes will clean up what you don't take.

Google "How to field dress a deer" but remember there are variations on what different folks advise.

For one thing, don't discard all the sex organs. Look at the regs. You have to keep evidence of the sex of the animal. Leaving the genitalia on the carcass wil not harm the meat.

And some suggest splitting from the brisket to the rear. I always start between the hams and split up to the point of the birisket. Careful you don't puncture the stomach.

Ahh, this helps a lot, thanks! :-)

Just wondering about the liver and heart thing, why is that?

[mntman]

so ya an drop them off at his place lol

keep your game meat as clean as poss, walking on foot you will see many more critters take your time and enjoy

[pmj]

Welcome rishu pepper,
My wife and I have sometimes used our chevy cavalier for deer hunting:cool:. The back seat folds down and we sleep on an air mattress with our feet in the trunk. We throw our gear in a tent. Sometimes we stay in a hunter friendly motel depending on the area. I believe rental vehicles usually have a clause about not driving on gravel roads. We only go on the FSRs that are not too rough. We have brought home an LEH doe and an spike buck with the cavalier:-D. Make sure you are in an area where it is permissable to shoot. Some times is difficult to tell, some times it is obvious. If you are not sure, don't shoot. If you hunt close to home in the Fraser Valley Special Area you will need the special licence, see page 35 of the Regs. Do a search for maps on the forums here. A good small compass hung on your neck is a must. It will help you find your way out of the forest if you know how to use it. Good luck with your first season. Stay safe.

[MichelD]

"Just wondering about the liver and heart thing, why is that?"


Because there's nothing like fresh deer liver, bacon, apple and onions for dinner. And the heart is great too.

And sure, if you don't like liver, save it for me. Just don't spill any guts on it or you can leave it for the ravens.

And regarding vehicles: Before I had a truck I have been known to bring home a deer or bear in the trunk of a Toyota Corona.

[moose hunter]

Well if youre just looking into hunting then go with what you got, if youre going to be doing trips next year north for moose elk what have you good idea to get a 4x4 and a quad,very handy

[Dad and son]

Welcome to the forum and to the world of hunting.
here are some of my thoughts.
Private land is usually posted with a sign that says no hunting or no trespassing or is simply fenced. If you see any of those 3 things simply do not hunt in that area.
If you have not cleaned an animal before I suggest you get help. Because you are hunting with a car or on foot you will not be too far from the main road and there will be hunters going by occasionally especially because you are in region 2. My suggestion is once the deer is shot is to either drag the deer close to the road so another hunter can help you field dress it or mark the location really well with orange ribbon etc so you can find it again and simply go to road and talk to the next hunter that drives by. When you drive down the forest service roads there will often be cut blocks, some small, some big. Most hunters are road hunters and so do not get out of their vehicle and check these areas out. My suggestion would be to spend some time in these clearings. Have a great time and let us know how you did.

[rishu_pepper]

If you guys say a Cavalier or a Corona is good enough for deer hunting, then his Corolla should be fine. A little crowded but manageable. ;) A quad is in the long-term plans for sure.

I wondered about the liver and heart. I'm Chinese so we have been known to eat anything :biggrin: Deer heart is not as funky as whale heart (raw, no less :eek:) I had in Japan!

It would be great if we can find fellow hunters in the field to help with the dressing part, as I am a total newb and my friend only has limited experience on smaller stuff.

[BearSniper]

Hi again,

You're getting some good tips from the members. I'd also suggest you grab a beer or tea or coffee one evening and sit down and read the regs cover to cover. Then the next day read them again.

You'll be amazed how you can pick up stuff and soon will have a real good understanding of it.

Get as many tags as you want in your licence, that way if you see a whitetail you can shoot him, or a bear or bobcat etc.

Then, get out onto the good FSR's and explore. You can use google earth as a tool for locations, as well as library maps and the BC backroad mapbook. Lots of good deer hunting articles in hunting magazines and on google. Many good tips such as; dont brush your teeth, dont use aftershave or cologne, put your hunting clothes in a bag with leaves, walk as slowly and quietly as you can, wear cammoflauge gear etc etc etc

Get some good Binoculars, take pictures, and have fun. Even if you come home empty, and you will ! :icon_frow, have fun and enjoy the wild:)

[hoochie]

Any tips on field dressing it properly? I've never cut up a recently-killed animal. :???:

go to walmart and buy "deer processing 101".. nuf said.
shows you just about everything you'll need to know and more.

[mapguy]

west of cache creek should be good

[MichelD]

A quad is not essential, though a 4x4 truck sure is a benefit.

Before I got my first 4x4 I used to bring two 4-foot 2x10 planks in the back of my 1982 Datsun station wagon to get me across ditches and water bars.

Most of the hunters I know do not have quads. I use a bicycle.

[rishu_pepper]

Get some good Binoculars, take pictures, and have fun. Even if you come home empty, and you will ! :icon_frow, have fun and enjoy the wild:)

Probably the best advice I've gotten :smile: I know I'll hit some empty days, because this ain't no video game, but it's the unpredictability and variables that makes hunting so fun and intriguing! That is why I can't wait to start myself off in this sport.

Yes, I am heading to the library today to borrow some materials on hunting/dressing/etc. Learning is power! :lol:

We did scout Cache Creek and there were some signs like tracks and poo next to Bonaparte River (ducks on there too). We'll definitely hunt there some time.

[rottenjonnie]

I second the motion on getting the Deer Processing 101. It's about as American as it gets but very informative. Helped this newb out!

[locdog_99]

so when are u heading out to go hunt?

[rishu_pepper]

Deer Processing 101, gotcha, will pick one up soon.

As for when I will go on my first hunt, I hope as soon as possible, in the next few week? Is there anyone in the LM who would like to show a couple of newbs how it's done? :wink: PM if interested, gas/food on us.