I need to learn to hunt

[jdonovan]

Have a family member who raises birds for one of the major labels, he says store chickens are generally 6-10 weeks old.

amazing operation he's got, runs 250,000 birds a year.

Kelu, I might be able to help you out on the hunting, where generally speaking are you? I mean if your 500 miles away its not going to work well.

[Kreutz]

You will NEVER get ahead price wise on hunting. Hunting is not about saving money, trust me if that is your motivation, take up gardening or some other hobby. Hunting is a passion and for most folks it's not even about killing an animal, although that certainly is the goal. It's about being able to provide for yourself, spending more time in the outdoors, learning the animals habits and habitats. I generally bought non-resident tags for Idaho for elk, deer, bear, wolf and mountain lion. That's $1100 before I even step in the woods, hundreds of dollars in gas, thousands of dollars in gear. It would be scary to know the $ amount per pound. Last year in Idaho I got a nice bear with my longbow and my first mountain lion. I've treed probably 25 lions in my life, but this was the first one I put my tag on. I bet that lion cost me upwards of $20,000 over the past 10 years. I can tell you after snowmobiling in the Rocky Mountains following dogs through snow over my head, being 100 miles from the nearest paved road in the middle of winter, it was worth every penny!!

30 years old is not too old at all, heck 60 years old is not too old to learn.

We have a garden...the irony is I'm constantly chasing deer out of it. Go figure. Having to drive whatever hours to wherever it is you hunt them seems strange when theyre right in my backyard.

The rest sounds great (the experiences, not the price tags!) but are unworkable at this stage of my life. Seems like alot of time, money, and effort to learn an entirely new skill set!

[kelu]

jdonovan, thanks!
I'm in Falls Church, and willing to drive.
I just look at hunter classes and seems I am behind, all seats taken for the whole year:
http://register-ed.com/programs/virgini ... /agency:19
I had no idea that is in such big demand. Any other place where I can look?

[Palladin]

@ kelu's OP -

Disclaimer - I'm not a "hunter" though I have hunted a lot in my younger days. I know how to provide for my family's table in that manner, should I have to... which I think is the position you are coming from. So with that in mind, this is the skill set I believe you should be sharpening - (in no particular order)

Doesn't take a lot of gear to hunt, mainly a weapon suited to the quarry you are pursuing, and the distances you will take the shot.
Know how to move silently and unobtrusively through the terrain you are hunting.
Be aware of wind and how your scent will be received in the area you are focused on.
Know your quarry and its habits, it's day to day movements, its attention span.
Smaller quarry is generally easier to sneak up on (squirrels, rabbits, groundhogs) than larger prey (deer, turkey, bear).
Start smaller if the season allows it - less likely to get discouraged that way.
Endear yourself to farmers with hedgerows and groundhogs, for hunting practice during the off season.
Imagine someone trying to sneak through your den while you are at the computer, perusing VGOF, just minding your own business... not likely to happen? That is the mindset you need to maintain as you move through your quarry's terrain - It's their kitchen, bedroom and den. They know it like the back of their... you know what I'm sayin' . Search it, evaluate it , make sure it's unoccupied before easing through quietly.
Search with just your eyes, not by turning your whole head.
Be able to sit or hold motionless for more than 10 minutes - you have to be able to outlast your quarry's attention span if spotted. If spotted you don't want them perceiving you as a threat.
Likewise if you are spotted, don't stare at your quarry, watch with your peripheral vision and your head turned away slightly if possible.
Our eyes face foward... we were designed to hunt. A successful hunt will bring a wholeness to your being that is hard to put words to.
Prey's eyes are generally mounted on the sides of the head, for a practically 360deg field of view with small blind spots fore and aft... they know how to use it to pick up the slightest motion.
These are just a few of the things I teach my kids about hunting, they are great skills even if you are only carrying a camera.

Good luck!

[Palladin]

At the risk of getting off topic (please forgive me, kelu!) the chicken raised today that jdonovan speaks of, and we find in the majority of our grocery stores, is quite a different critter than what used to run around our grama's and grampa's barnyard. There is no chicken that is 'too old to eat' , it's just a matter of knowing how to handle and prepare it.

Here is a fascinating read from the ALBC, that discusses that very thing...

http://www.albc-usa.org/documents/cooki ... hicken.pdf

'scuse me while i head out back, I've got to process 4 this evening...

[skeeterss0]

I've been through the hunter saftey course. I need to get some range time first. Then I'll be looking for a mentor. I live in Hampton. I'm hopeing to get some deer or turkey hunting in in this fall. I'm really intrested in the dismal swamp or Chesapeake area as they seem to be the only areas nearby that allow rifles. I have a .243

[GeneFrenkle]

@palladin That is correct. The commercial meat birds were bred into existance to have a very high meat to feed ratio. They constantly eat and grow. These meat birds start dying off at about 14 weeks or so from heart attacks.

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[RWBlue01]

Hunting, fishing, and gardening are not cost effective.

But I think I am better for knowing the basics and speding some time doing them

[dmharvey]

I agree with a lot of the comments posted so far...a person doesn't need to buy every item in the Cabella's catalog to be a successful hunter (most of the gear I use in military issue or military surplus), a hunter's safety course is a good starting point, getting out and simply spending time in the woods is also a good starting point, and you're not going to save money by hunting (although you will help keep wildlife populations in check and get some great "organic" meat in the process). It is never too late to get involved with hunting, but the associated skills take many years to develop...part of the fun in my opinion, there's always something to learn or improve.

[CfieldShooter]

Do they open more courses for the Hunter Safety Course? Seems they are all full until 2014 and all a few hours away

[jdonovan]

safety courses are much more common in late summer/fall. There are very few in the spring, and they fill up fast this time of the year.

[skeeterss0]

i did mine in isle of wight back in November (I believe). we had over 300 people attending.

[HighExpert]

The one thing I will tell you is you don't "Learn to Hunt" you will continually learn to hunt more effectively. It is a lifetime pursuit and anyone who thinks that one or two days in the woods is the end all is fooling themselves. Deer are not stupid and neither are turkeys. I would be willing to pass on what I know to someone in the Central Va area as far as deer go. I have one property that only allows bow hunting and another that allow bow or shotgun, no rifle. PM me if interested

[kelu]

Thanks all for your replies. I have enrolled to a safety classes, and I'm finishing to read the online course and take the quiz.
Then I'll be back to you.

[Vince]

I am glad to see many interested in hunting. I will say do not get discouraged if you can only hint public land, there are a lot of people hunting it and it's a tough hunt. I hunted public land for years until I finally scored a farm and now that is almost gone. If anyone knows of land for lease please let me know, mainly bow hunting with some black powder and limited rifle.

[steelheart]

Wow. Hunting, gardening arent cost effective? Really?! You gotta be a city person to believe that one. That or your doing something very very wrong.

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[jdonovan]

I killed my first chicken last year, cleaned it and tried to eat it. No one told me that one year old chickens would be so tough to eat! Like jerky! I was told afterwards you had to brine them for a long period.

coq au vin

perfect solution to old birds.

[Machias]

Wow. Hunting, gardening arent cost effective? Really?! You gotta be a city person to believe that one. That or your doing something very very wrong.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

I've been hunting for 36 years, man I would hate to add up and figure out what my cost per pound has been. Not even close to cost effective. Well it is if you don't add up your cost for equipment, gas etc... Now if you can hunt out your back door, then yes you can probably put meat on the table for less than you can buy hamburger. Of course I spent most of my time hunting the mountains of northern Idaho, so that does tend to up the cost a bit.

[dorminWS]

I killed my first chicken last year, cleaned it and tried to eat it. No one told me that one year old chickens would be so tough to eat! Like jerky! I was told afterwards you had to brine them for a long period.

coq au vin

perfect solution to old birds.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Or whateverfowl and dumplin's.

Or we used to take older geese, put them in a broiling bag, pour in 2-3 cuops of red wine and a half-cup of orange juice, and throw them in the oven. Made for a lot more tender bird, and if you were into sauces you had only to thicken the liquid in the bag. (Yeah, I know - that's pretty close to coq au vin)

[Palladin]

That's the key. Low and slow with moisture. Good eatin'.

Getting hongry just thinking about it...