Any Hunters Out There?

Off Topic
1

Hey guys, I was wondering how many of you are hunters. One of the things on my “bucket list” is to learn how to hunt and kill for food (presumably deer, but please expand on that if there are more things to hunt).

Now, I am a felon, so I can’t own a gun, so that leaves me with bow hunting. Anyone have any advice on how to go about learning this particular skill set?

I am a fairly decent outdoors man, for a city boy, did the whole hiking/camping thing (and still do occasionally).

If any of you (and I am referring to hunters) had to learn how to hunt all over again as an adult, how would you go about it?

Are there clubs and associations? Must haves for the library? Internet/other resources? Any advice or “road maps” for learning this skill would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

2

I hunt but not with guns. I see no sport in shooting Bambi with a gun. I hunt with dogs. I hunt wild boar with hound type crosses to locate the boar and pitbulls to engage, catch and hold. The kill is made up close and personal, by knife, while the pitbull(s) holds the hog. Hunting wild boar in this manner makes it the most dangerous game next to the Grizzly Bear. A boar can kill your dogs, and you.

I also hunt small game with terriers. They go down holes, locate the game, engage the game and stay engaged until we can dig down to them (locator collar), remove them from the hole and dispatch the game which usually consists of groundhog, fox, racoon, or possum.

Are you sure you can even possess the bow? My neighbor is an avid hunter who recently suffered a felony weed conviction and I haven’t even seen him bow hunt and I’m pretty sure he would if he could. He’s only been able to take a camera out there and snap pics lol.

3

You going local or out of state?

4

I have no idea about the legal issues, but the gun club I go to always offers “new hunter” classes where they team you up with some people to learn…also usually there are ads posted on outdoors stores’ bulletin boards, too - like Gander Mountain or Cabela’s. I’d give some of your local clubs a try, for sure. Typically if you Google “(your state) gun clubs,” someone will have made a comprehensive list.

5

I hunt muzzleloader(open sights), which is probably between a bow and rifle in terms of difficulty. I hunt deer, mainly for food. I think the best thing you could do is find an experienced hunter to “show you the ropes”. I learned from my dad, and I think most people do as well. I’ve never heard of any official “hunting clubs”, but I always hunt with the same group of family/family friends. Also, patience and persistence are necessities. I didn’t even see a deer the first few times I went.

6

I have gone hunting plenty of times, shotgun, rifle, and bow…if you cant own a gun, and and you want to get into Bow hunting i would try to either find a friend who has a bow, or go to an archery range which will allow you to rent a bow…bows can be a real pain in the ass if you dont know what your doing with them, and buying a cheap one will only cause even more frustration…

Cabelas has some real nice Bow combo packages but plan on spending ATLEAST 500 bucks for a good package…bow hunting is great, and it requires a pretty skilled hunter because of how close you must be in order for a kill shot with a bow, but its a ton of fun, and if your serious about it i would definitely get into it…

IronWarrior

7

[quote]TheBodyGuard wrote:
I hunt but not with guns. I see no sport in shooting Bambi with a gun. I hunt with dogs. I hunt wild boar with hound type crosses to locate the boar and pitbulls to engage, catch and hold. The kill is made up close and personal, by knife, while the pitbull(s) holds the hog. Hunting wild boar in this manner makes it the most dangerous game next to the Grizzly Bear. A boar can kill your dogs, and you.

I also hunt small game with terriers. They go down holes, locate the game, engage the game and stay engaged until we can dig down to them (locator collar), remove them from the hole and dispatch the game which usually consists of groundhog, fox, racoon, or possum.

Are you sure you can even possess the bow? My neighbor is an avid hunter who recently suffered a felony weed conviction and I haven’t even seen him bow hunt and I’m pretty sure he would if he could. He’s only been able to take a camera out there and snap pics lol.[/quote]

BG,

Just when I thought you were one of the most awesome dudes on these forums, you come up with this topper!

8

I did learn to hunt as an adult. So maybe I can help a bit. First, you have the internet at your fingertips and can easily search and find a great deal of good information (bow tuning, arrow choice, etc…). Second, as some have said above, find another hunter and learn from him.

Third, don’t think that you have to spend a huge amount on a bow, as the above mentioned $500 (he does have a point if you want a compound bow though), you can hunt with a long bow or recurve and they can be pretty affordable (provided you can draw and hold 50 lbs on one of these bad boys, it is a lifting and bodybuilding site so it should go without saying that you can do this).

Fourth, reading books about it is great, I found some at a used book sale and got some invaluable knowledge about deer anatomy that I couldn’t have gotten without field dressing one (this relates to shot placement etc…). Fifth, and I think this is the best advice, go out there and learn by doing, you will screw up, but if you are paying attention to details and not repeating mistakes you will become a good hunter.

That said, get a bow and suitable arrows that you can afford (and a license, permition to hunt where you are going, etc…) and just go out there and do it.

I’m assuming you will have done some target practice first from various positions and elevations in relation to the target first and have gained some competence.

9

[quote]Iron Dwarf wrote:

[quote]TheBodyGuard wrote:
I hunt but not with guns. I see no sport in shooting Bambi with a gun. I hunt with dogs. I hunt wild boar with hound type crosses to locate the boar and pitbulls to engage, catch and hold. The kill is made up close and personal, by knife, while the pitbull(s) holds the hog. Hunting wild boar in this manner makes it the most dangerous game next to the Grizzly Bear. A boar can kill your dogs, and you.

I also hunt small game with terriers. They go down holes, locate the game, engage the game and stay engaged until we can dig down to them (locator collar), remove them from the hole and dispatch the game which usually consists of groundhog, fox, racoon, or possum.

Are you sure you can even possess the bow? My neighbor is an avid hunter who recently suffered a felony weed conviction and I haven’t even seen him bow hunt and I’m pretty sure he would if he could. He’s only been able to take a camera out there and snap pics lol.[/quote]

BG,

Just when I thought you were one of the most awesome dudes on these forums, you come up with this topper!
[/quote]
x2

BG,

Are all the dogs your own (I’m guessing that would mean a shit-ton of animals) or do you borrow/rent the dogs? Also, any pictures of your kills or the dogs in action?

10

[quote]TheBodyGuard wrote:
I hunt wild boar with hound type crosses to locate the boar and pitbulls to engage, catch and hold. The kill is made up close and personal, by knife, while the pitbull(s) holds the hog. Hunting wild boar in this manner makes it the most dangerous game next to the Grizzly Bear. A boar can kill your dogs, and you.

[/quote]

I did this once down in Texas, it was one of the biggest adrenaline rushes of my life. Scary as hell too.

To the OP, as most have said, look up your local hunting clubs or archery ranges. Contact them and I’m sure you’ll get a lot of information. Bow hunting can be a bitch, so try not to have any expectations of greatness.

11

[quote]TheBodyGuard wrote:
I hunt but not with guns. I see no sport in shooting Bambi with a gun. I hunt with dogs. I hunt wild boar with hound type crosses to locate the boar and pitbulls to engage, catch and hold. The kill is made up close and personal, by knife, while the pitbull(s) holds the hog. Hunting wild boar in this manner makes it the most dangerous game next to the Grizzly Bear. A boar can kill your dogs, and you.

I also hunt small game with terriers. They go down holes, locate the game, engage the game and stay engaged until we can dig down to them (locator collar), remove them from the hole and dispatch the game which usually consists of groundhog, fox, racoon, or possum.

Are you sure you can even possess the bow? My neighbor is an avid hunter who recently suffered a felony weed conviction and I haven’t even seen him bow hunt and I’m pretty sure he would if he could. He’s only been able to take a camera out there and snap pics lol.[/quote]

Part of me thinks this sounds like the most satisfying life moment with cloths on… Pure survival, with the best of companions…

Then the vagina side of me knows that unless I was starving or defending myself, I couldn’t take the animals life.

12

You might be able to legally own a muzzleloading black powder rifle.

Check with your state to see if they classify it as a firearm or not. Many states do not.

13

[quote]duece wrote:
You might be able to legally own a muzzleloading black powder rifle.

Check with your state to see if they classify it as a firearm or not. Many states do not.

[/quote]

Like revolutionary war type shit?

14

[quote]Iron Dwarf wrote:

[quote]TheBodyGuard wrote:
I hunt but not with guns. I see no sport in shooting Bambi with a gun. I hunt with dogs. I hunt wild boar with hound type crosses to locate the boar and pitbulls to engage, catch and hold. The kill is made up close and personal, by knife, while the pitbull(s) holds the hog. Hunting wild boar in this manner makes it the most dangerous game next to the Grizzly Bear. A boar can kill your dogs, and you.

I also hunt small game with terriers. They go down holes, locate the game, engage the game and stay engaged until we can dig down to them (locator collar), remove them from the hole and dispatch the game which usually consists of groundhog, fox, racoon, or possum.

Are you sure you can even possess the bow? My neighbor is an avid hunter who recently suffered a felony weed conviction and I haven’t even seen him bow hunt and I’m pretty sure he would if he could. He’s only been able to take a camera out there and snap pics lol.[/quote]

BG,

Just when I thought you were one of the most awesome dudes on these forums, you come up with this topper!
[/quote]

Working dogs are my passion. There are working dogs and the rest are just mutts to me :slight_smile: If a dog doesn’t have a vocation, I have no interest in it. And I have the deepest respect for a dog that will engage another animal under unfavorable conditions.

15

[quote]altered_beast wrote:

[quote]Iron Dwarf wrote:

[quote]TheBodyGuard wrote:
I hunt but not with guns. I see no sport in shooting Bambi with a gun. I hunt with dogs. I hunt wild boar with hound type crosses to locate the boar and pitbulls to engage, catch and hold. The kill is made up close and personal, by knife, while the pitbull(s) holds the hog. Hunting wild boar in this manner makes it the most dangerous game next to the Grizzly Bear. A boar can kill your dogs, and you.

I also hunt small game with terriers. They go down holes, locate the game, engage the game and stay engaged until we can dig down to them (locator collar), remove them from the hole and dispatch the game which usually consists of groundhog, fox, racoon, or possum.

Are you sure you can even possess the bow? My neighbor is an avid hunter who recently suffered a felony weed conviction and I haven’t even seen him bow hunt and I’m pretty sure he would if he could. He’s only been able to take a camera out there and snap pics lol.[/quote]

BG,

Just when I thought you were one of the most awesome dudes on these forums, you come up with this topper!
[/quote]
x2

BG,

Are all the dogs your own (I’m guessing that would mean a shit-ton of animals) or do you borrow/rent the dogs? Also, any pictures of your kills or the dogs in action?[/quote]

The only dogs I don’t own are the hound crosses necessary to find boar b/c I’m in NJ and when I hunt its down south and my host always has such a dog. Besides, my passion doesn’t really lie in those dogs but a good one is invaluable. If you can’t find hog, you can’t catch them :). I’m not able to hunt enough to justify keeping such a dog but the “catch” dogs (pitbulls) are near and dear to my heart - and breed and raise them :slight_smile: I had 23 dogs at one time when I was a much more active hunter. I’m down to under 10 now. I also own a hunting breed called a dogo argentino (bred for big game hunting) and I have a few patterdale terriers for the small game hunting. A good terrier is awesome. They are as tough as nails - like mini pitbulls. I’ve never been a big picture taker.

16

[quote]USMCpoolee wrote:

[quote]TheBodyGuard wrote:
I hunt wild boar with hound type crosses to locate the boar and pitbulls to engage, catch and hold. The kill is made up close and personal, by knife, while the pitbull(s) holds the hog. Hunting wild boar in this manner makes it the most dangerous game next to the Grizzly Bear. A boar can kill your dogs, and you.

[/quote]

I did this once down in Texas, it was one of the biggest adrenaline rushes of my life. Scary as hell too.

To the OP, as most have said, look up your local hunting clubs or archery ranges. Contact them and I’m sure you’ll get a lot of information. Bow hunting can be a bitch, so try not to have any expectations of greatness.[/quote]

You got that right. That battle will make the hair on your neck stand up. And you have to get in the fray to kill the beast. That’s why I take my dogs very seriously. If our dogs don’t do their job, we can get hurt. If we don’t do ours, and leave them to battle too long, they get hurt or killed. As such, we have a very stringent selection process for dogs. As I’m fond of saying, I’ll only feed a dog that is willing to catch the front bumper of a moving car! If they would prefer to catch a tire or the rear bumper, let someone else feed them - not me.

Texas has a bunch of hogs. Good hunting down there.

17

[quote]countingbeans wrote:

[quote]TheBodyGuard wrote:
I hunt but not with guns. I see no sport in shooting Bambi with a gun. I hunt with dogs. I hunt wild boar with hound type crosses to locate the boar and pitbulls to engage, catch and hold. The kill is made up close and personal, by knife, while the pitbull(s) holds the hog. Hunting wild boar in this manner makes it the most dangerous game next to the Grizzly Bear. A boar can kill your dogs, and you.

I also hunt small game with terriers. They go down holes, locate the game, engage the game and stay engaged until we can dig down to them (locator collar), remove them from the hole and dispatch the game which usually consists of groundhog, fox, racoon, or possum.

Are you sure you can even possess the bow? My neighbor is an avid hunter who recently suffered a felony weed conviction and I haven’t even seen him bow hunt and I’m pretty sure he would if he could. He’s only been able to take a camera out there and snap pics lol.[/quote]

Part of me thinks this sounds like the most satisfying life moment with cloths on… Pure survival, with the best of companions…

Then the vagina side of me knows that unless I was starving or defending myself, I couldn’t take the animals life.[/quote]

I understand. And I’m not far from that. I never revel in the kill. That part makes me somewhat sad, as you stand there, watching the life of an animal dissipate with each drop of blood. A life is a life and it deserves respect. However, hogs are a nuisance with no natural predator and they need to be hunted and dispatched. Same even with the small game that invades farm fields and cause problems for farmers.

My passion lies in that battle between dog and prey. I love dogs with that grit to engage and stay engaged against all odds. There is nothing I love more than a grizzled scarred up veteran of the hunt. Those dogs have a special place in my heart. I find no joy in the kill, only the battle. In those moments, life and death is being decided right there, right then. And in those moments, I am deciding whether to let that dog pass along his genes to future generations. “Life” itself is literally on the line - for the prey, the dog, even me if that dog disengages and that boar charges us. Hog hunting with dogs and knife is about as pure as it gets.

18

Thanks for the responses! I do appreciate being pointed in the right direction with this. Do season’s vary by jurisdiction? or is it standard across the US? When is “Boar season”? That sounds right up my ally… Thanks for pointing me in the right direction, guys. Please keep the replies coming if you have more info to share.

19

Season varies by state, generally. Don’t think they have a boar season up here in appalachia…

20

Boar in my state are year-round with a general hunting license, except during deer season when you need a deer permit, too. They are considered a nuisance. Look on your state’s department of wildlife/natural resources page. Usually all the information you need is there.

As a side note, I was fairly certain I heard one while jogging through my county’s lengthy bike trail (runs through our park system and is miles and miles long) at dusk one evening. Snorting kinda squeal and rustling…I took off and didn’t look back, lol.