Hunting & Fishing All about hunting (I am a beginner, need help)

[brentsurace]

Happy Saturday Sirs and Madams!

I have a few questions about some different aspects of hunting. Most of these questions I am sure make me look super 'green'...probably cuz I am. But ive heard that dumbest question is the one that isnt asked so here it goes:

Do you have to register to hunt? what is the cost if so?
how do you get permission to hunt somewhere?
are there any limits on how many deer/elk/etc can you kill?
when is hunting season (beg-end)?

What caliber is best or necessary for shooting these types of game:
deer
bison
elk
coyote
sheep
moose
boar

the 338 caliber seems huge, what are the uses for this caliber?

I appreciate any help you can give for my 'newbie' self

!!!

 

[crebrosseau]

Re: All about hunting (I am a beginner, need help)

Google your state's hunting regs, in OR all the local gun/outdoor stores have free copies of the hunting regs. I'm just starting to hunt this year and it's pretty complex, the set of rules. In OR at least.

 

[mpmilton]

Re: All about hunting (I am a beginner, need help)

Nicest way I can say this is if you are asking these questions then you have no right pointing a weapon at a living creature and pulling the trigger. Majority of your questions could have been answered within 3 minutes of google searches. Your list of animals isnt even in the same ballpark. My best advice is ask a relative who hunts to show you the ropes or if you dont have one go to the local hunting/outdoors store and start asking there. You have a serious mountain load of hunter safety and ethics to learn. Someone to show you is the best place to start. Every single state has their own limits and rules so you need to know those aswell. Another misconception about hunting is size of caliber. It is not about the size as it is about ethical placement and range. Anything .223 and above is usually capable. A list of common rounds: 308 30-06 243 270, just the TIP of the iceberg on that one. As far as places to hunt, that takes hunters a lifetime to build up and acquire. Is all in the people you know, the friends you make, who will let you hunt on their land or you can buy your own. Not something done overnight. Or there is always the option of guided hunts but they get costly real fast when you have a friend with free property. Good luck but you SERIOUSLY need to find someone who can personally help you and guide you trough this process.

 

[brentsurace]

Re: All about hunting (I am a beginner, need help)

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: mpmilton</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Nicest way I can say this is if you are asking these questions then you have no right pointing a weapon at a living creature and pulling the trigger. Majority of your questions could have been answered within 3 minutes of google searches. Your list of animals isnt even in the same ballpark. My best advice is ask a relative who hunts to show you the ropes or if you dont have one go to the local hunting/outdoors store and start asking there. You have a serious mountain load of hunter safety and ethics to learn. Someone to show you is the best place to start. Every single state has their own limits and rules so you need to know those aswell. Another misconception about hunting is size of caliber. It is not about the size as it is about ethical placement and range. Anything .223 and above is usually capable. A list of common rounds: 308 30-06 243 270, just the TIP of the iceberg on that one. As far as places to hunt, that takes hunters a lifetime to build up and acquire. Is all in the people you know, the friends you make, who will let you hunt on their land or you can buy your own. Not something done overnight. Or there is always the option of guided hunts but they get costly real fast when you have a friend with free property. Good luck but you SERIOUSLY need to find someone who can personally help you and guide you trough this process. </div></div>

I guess thanks for what advice you did give, im sure seasoned hunters would scoff at questions posed by newbies but instead of being kind of a prick about it you could have just not responded. perhaps youve heard the phrase "if you cant say anything nice...", perhaps you havent.

 

[jmb1911]

Re: All about hunting (I am a beginner, need help)

11 posts here.

A noob you are.

Some of your questions do display shocking, if not dangerous, ignorance about the subject matter.

Are you trying to pad your post count?

Anyhow, I found out not long after my 11th post here (probably much sooner) that questions on the Hide like yours are met with exactly what you got.

This is a live fire zone, the guys on the Hide, in large part, know their stuff and its better to sit back and read, do Google searches, and/or ask your question elsewhere, than to post 90% of the time.

Just some words of wisdom from someone who has been in your shoes and still considers them self a noob when it comes to hunting.

Hide members are among the nicest people I've ever met in real life. A couple years ago I was invited by a Hide member to his family's hunting lease. I enjoyed a full day's worth of dove hunting. I learned a lot that day from the Hide member in question.

You can make good contacts here. Don't let this deter you. Just learn the etiquette and move on.

Her you go:

<span style="font-weight: bold">Do you have to register to hunt?</span> <span style="color: #990000">Usually.</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">What is the cost if so? </span> <span style="color: #990000">Varies</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">How do you get permission to hunt somewhere?</span><span style="color: #990000"> Usually written in permit, license, tag. If you're in Texas, ask a farmer if you don't have the money. If you do budget for it. If you're not in Texas, public hunts use a lottery system in most states. Costs vary.</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">Are there any limits on how many deer/elk/etc can you kill?</span> <span style="color: #990000">Of course.</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">When is hunting season (beg-end)?</span><span style="color: #990000"> Depends on the animal, state, method of harvest, and other considerations. Consult the state's game and fish department.</span>

<span style="color: #990000">Off the top of my head here is what I would use, your opinion might vary, but this is my take:</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">deer</span> <span style="color: #990000">Heavy .223 - .300 cal, your choice</span>
<span style="font-weight: bold">bison</span> <span style="color: #990000">.270 - .375 or larger Your choice and experience may vary. Never hunted Bison, never intend to, I'd take a .300 WM, maybe bigger</span>
<span style="font-weight: bold">elk </span> <span style="color: #990000">.270 - .338WM (Use a .308 and .338WM)</span>
<span style="font-weight: bold">coyote</span> <span style="color: #990000">.22-250, .223-.300, (personal faves .223, .243, .308)</span>
<span style="font-weight: bold">sheep</span> <span style="color: #990000">no clue probably .270 or higher</span>
<span style="font-weight: bold">moose</span> <span style="color: #990000">.300 and above, .270 as a minimum</span>
<span style="font-weight: bold">boar</span> <span style="color: #990000">(I assume you mean hogs) .223-.300 cal, I like the .223, and .308 personally. I've used .22-250 on smaller hogs and I use my .308 on the bigger dudes. Always have the .308 around no matter what I hunt.</span>

 

[Sportin Wood]

Re: All about hunting (I am a beginner, need help)

.338 with a CounterSniper scope for the coyote and boar... and a 50bmg with a NcStar scope for the rest!!!

 

[Dylan in AZ]

Re: All about hunting (I am a beginner, need help)

This is as much of your homework as I’m willing to do for you.

http://www.georgiawildlife.com/hunting/regulations

mpmilton's response was a typical and very good one. You really do need to speak to local hunters about all this good stuff because me being a resident of Arizona, I can safely tell you I know absolutely nothing about Georgia's (or any other state [besides CO or TX] for that matter) hunting rules, restrictions, laws, whatever you want to call it.

I do know however that Google is a wealth of information that gets neglected by hundreds of "newbie’s" like you each and every day. I also happen to know that I spent about 6 hours straight each day for around 7 months last year trying to learn as much about deer hunting as I possibly could for my first deer hunt and so I could make an informed decision about what unit to put in for. Guess what I came home with? Nothing. My dad actually took a nice little 2 y/o but otherwise I chose a terrible spot and you know what, I don't really care. I had a ton of fun, and that's what the week I spent in the woods was all about.

What's cool is that those 7 months I had been studying and researching weren't for nothing. In fact I know all I need to know for my future deer hunts. But I also did it all by myself without going to others for help. Let me say that is a major waste of time, but well worth it. However, going to a local hunting store and bothering them for as long as you feel comfortable for (they generally don't mind helping, as it is the industry they work in...) and getting all the answers you possibly can will put you in the correct direction.

Now since I’m tired of BS'ing I’m going to tell you that you need to get some thicker skin if you want to last long here. Sniper's Hide is probably the best website around and has a wealth of information waiting to be tapped into whenever you should desire to learn something. I'm a very kind person, and very willing to spend my free time helping people such as you get a foot in the correct door. You got off incredibly easy for the lack of knowledge you displayed though. Read enough threads here and you'll understand what I mean. You'll notice that there are incredibly informed people who are willing to help, people who prefer to poke fun and see what newbie’s are made of, and every type of person in between and on either side of that spectrum. So get used to it and you'll be just fine.

The absolute best piece of advice I can give you is to read alot, and post very infrequently. I can almost guarantee that every question you could possibly think of has already been posted and most likely also answered a couple times over. All you need to do is search using the link in my signature, and you will have a great head start on not getting bashed around. And when it does happen, ignore it, or take it in stride.

Take care,




-Dylan

 

[slowkota]

Re: All about hunting (I am a beginner, need help)

I'm not sure, but I believe most states require a completion of a "Hunters safety" course for hunters born after a certain date (Example: In WI, its required for all those born after 1973 to complete a hunters ed. class in order to hunt!)

A Hunters Education class is basically a "bare-bones" class on firearm safety... Which includes how to safely handle a firearm in general, and in the field. Also deals with some "shoot or not" scenarios.

If you need to ask the question like yours on an online forum... You haven't completed a Hunters Ed. course, and you need to!

Usually there will be a DNR officer or Fish and Game Warden that'll visit the class... Ask away!

 

[threetrees]

Re: All about hunting (I am a beginner, need help)

ask around for hunters courses? in austria you need to attend and pass a course that takes about 4 months, 2 evenings each week. half way through, you need to pass a practical and theoretical weapons test. (min. energy to hunt certain animals, safety, ...) at the end an exam on animals, law and forests+environment where you need to pass all three of them at the same time. fail one, you need to do the whole thing again next year.

knowledge covers (as a non-complete list):
*) animals (mainly all huntable animals, including birds, deer, ...):
- breeding duration, reproduction season, average number of offspring
- usual location
- behaviour
- sounds / calls
- deadly zone locations (heart, lung, ...)
- diseases
*) law:
- restrictions on hours, locations, ...
- forbidden techniques (to blind with light, ...)
*) forests+environment:
- which trees grow where? how do they look like?
- what kind of stuff do animals eat? how does an overpopulation affect certain trees/fields? what can you do against it?

and tons more. there are decent books on all topics (made for the course and at the same time a hunters-lexikon) but i guess few of them are translated or applicable (due to a focus on local fauna+flora) to other regions

after knowing all that, you may consider yourself a novice (in our region) and start to learn the real thing. which deer does walk where in your area? at which times? is there currently a large population of chamois? or was the last winter hard on them and you should only watch them? any diseases strong with foxes at the moment? unless you know all that, hardly anyone will invite you to hunt some young deer on their ground.

in some areas (like austria) hunters are not 'those that kill animals' but those 'that look after animals' (which also includes decimating an overpopulation)

i hope that this will encourage a mindset where you respect animals, find pleasure in watching them, seeing them grow and walk in freedom - and at times relieve an old/hurt animals of its pains.

 

[Dylan in AZ]

Re: All about hunting (I am a beginner, need help)

Austria sounds like they have their shit straight. I sort of wish it was like that here in the States...

 

[quickdraw17]

Re: All about hunting (I am a beginner, need help)

Coming from someone who's been on here slightly longer than you have, I would highly suggest that you spend some time doing some research. If you can't find what you need here or somewhere else online, then go to your local library and find a few books on the subject. I own several books that cover hunting, ethics, seasons, game animals, etc. Quite honestly, I've never posted a question on here because I've always managed to find what I needed using Google or the Sniper's Hide custom search. You'll find what you need if you look hard enough.

 

[mildot22]

Re: All about hunting (I am a beginner, need help)

Contact your local state wildlife office and ask about a hunters education course to take. That will get you started.

 

[Jig Stick]

Re: All about hunting (I am a beginner, need help)

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: slowkota</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I'm not sure, but I believe most states require a completion of a "Hunters safety" course for hunters born after a certain date (Example: In WI, its required for all those born after 1973 to complete a hunters ed. class in order to hunt!)

A Hunters Education class is basically a "bare-bones" class on firearm safety... Which includes how to safely handle a firearm in general, and in the field. Also deals with some "shoot or not" scenarios.

If you need to ask the question like yours on an online forum... You haven't completed a Hunters Ed. course, and you need to!

Usually there will be a DNR officer or Fish and Game Warden that'll visit the class... Ask away! </div></div>

in PA all hunters are required to take a Hunter / Trapper Safety Course, which is put on by the PA Game Commission. Its a really good safety course, and goes over just about everything that you asked. I only started hunting 2 years go, and Im 31. I WASNT the oldes in the class either. See if your local game commission has courses. Sporting goods stores or firearms stores should be able to point you to one of these courses. If you cant kill ethically, you should kill at all. But youll get there. Just do your home work first. I did.

 

[sst04]

Re: All about hunting (I am a beginner, need help)

You are aware that there are no Wild Moose, Elk, Bison and Sheep in Ga

Here in georgia you will have to take a Hunters Safety course, it is offered Online now, and I think maybe One or Two evenings in a classroom.

There are Wildlife Management areas to hunt, I am pretty sure you have to get a stamp to hunt some of these and others may be a Lottery type drawing for hunting privilage.

I am sure you could find a Hunting Club to join, could get a member to help you out.


Hunting licence in Ga was 17 dollars last year, which included big game. Season starts in October for Deer with Gun.

And this has to be one of the weirdest post I have ever responded to.

 

[bowhunter_0311]

Re: All about hunting (I am a beginner, need help)

The easiest way other than google is to pick up the new seasons rules and regs, from any place that you would get your hunting lic.like walmart, it is free. read it everything that you need to know is in there. It is also said that within a hours drive from anywhere in Ga. you can come across a WMA.

 

[Meat Hunter]

Re: All about hunting (I am a beginner, need help)

Georgia Outdoor News will be your friend. They have a great up to date magazine and a forum that is bigger and more geared to answer many of your specific questions than any place on the web.