Another New Hunter

Hi all, my name is Jay I have had a passion for hunting my whole life but being from a family who wasn't in to the lifestyle I was shunned until I decided to take the plunge now. I am 30, unfortunately living in Toronto, and this is my first full season hunting, I would love to eventually barely have to buy meat from a store but I need to learn first. I did a solo turkey hunt this spring and was unsuccessful but still had a blast. I would love to do some small game and grouse hunting early season, and I really want to do some waterfowl and deer hunting but don't know where to even begin. Small game and grouse I feel like I can kind of navigate myself walking logging roads and such but I feel like I need guidance for the others. Waterfowl hunting I would love to meet a group or put together a group that can go out semi-regularly, in theory I get duck hunting at least over a marsh or water but have no access to a field so not sure about goose but I would obviously benefit from having somebody experience. In terms of deer hunting I feel like a mentor is the only way to go to be an ethical hunter but I have no idea how to find somebody who is willing to teach a new hunter.

If anybody has any advice or is wanting to put together a group or is willing to take me on as a student I would really appreciate it!

Best advice I can give you is to keep active on this forum. Ask questions, respond to topics so forum members can get a feel for the type of person you are.
Welcome to the forum...

Welcome to the site.

Occasionally someone will also post they are offering to take a new hunter out. So I watch the forum.

Welcome!

There are lots of good people on this forum who are very knowledgeable and willing to help. It seems like you are eager to learn. The best thing to do is to get out in the bush as much as possible.

Great! Thank you for the advice so far...Bush experience I have plenty of as I worked as a tripper in my teens and have spent ample amounts of time in the woods but the actual hunting experience is where I would like to learn from somebody or some people. Will definitely keep my eye on the boards though.

Jay,

The very first thing you need is TIME.Your 30 years old living in Toronto,how much time are you willing to spend to learn this trade?

I would say in this fast paced World we live in many new hunters simply give up because they do not REALLY have the time needed for the sport.The basic,s in Deer hunting are pretty easy to pick up but you need to Want to devote the time.

You are basically two hours drive to deer country from where you are and two hours back,do you have a full weekend to try this sport or better still a full week.Do you have the equipment you need right now to kill the deer,a scoped high powered rifle?Can you afford to go perhaps years without harvesting an animal as part of your learning process.

There might be hunters on here thinking I,am being melodramatic and they can take you an hour out from Toronto and allow you to kill a farm deer your first weekend out.Where I hunt its more typical of the big bush country,the deer numbers are less,the doe tags are less and its more like finding a needle in a haystack.

So where would you rather start with an offer from a hunter in the first or second scenario?

PS What type of dogs do you train.

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Originally Posted by Gilroy

Jay,

The very first thing you need is TIME.Your 30 years old living in Toronto,how much time are you willing to spend to learn this trade?

I would say in this fast paced World we live in many new hunters simply give up because they do not REALLY have the time needed for the sport.The basic,s in Deer hunting are pretty easy to pick up but you need to Want to devote the time.

You are basically two hours drive to deer country from where you are and two hours back,do you have a full weekend to try this sport or better still a full week.Do you have the equipment you need right now to kill the deer,a scoped high powered rifle?Can you afford to go perhaps years without harvesting an animal as part of your learning process.

There might be hunters on here thinking I,am being melodramatic and they can take you an hour out from Toronto and allow you to kill a farm deer your first weekend out.Where I hunt its more typical of the big bush country,the deer numbers are less,the doe tags are less and its more like finding a needle in a haystack.

So where would you rather start with an offer from a hunter in the first or second scenario?

PS What type of dogs do you train.

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WTF - is this nonsense? Are you more of a hunter because you hunt 2 hours north of the GTA? Sour grapes I’d say.

Your posts are offensive to many here who do have the opportunity to hunt a wee bit closer to home. Why don’t you offer to mentor the guy?

To the op - don’t let this guy dissuade you. Spend the time you can afford to. Spend time to be proficient with your firearm. That is important.

I think you are taking the right approach. Many gangs lose a member here or there so you may get an opportunity.

I will see how my numbers look this fall.

"WTF - is this nonsense? Are you more of a hunter because you hunt 2 hours north of the GTA? Sour grapes I’d say."

I like to keep it real and not paint such a rosy picture,are you implying farm deer are not easier to hunt than deer in large bush area.Simple common sense dictates otherwise.I am not suggesting I am a better hunter but I am saying the hunting is different,no more or less.If you don,t like reading my reading other folks posts
BIG JACK without getting offended I really don,t know what to tell you.If my posts are offensive to others on here maybe you would be so kind as to let them speak for themselves.LOL

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Originally Posted by Big Jack

WTF - is this nonsense? Are you more of a hunter because you hunt 2 hours north of the GTA? Sour grapes I’d say.

Your posts are offensive to many here who do have the opportunity to hunt a wee bit closer to home. Why don’t you offer to mentor the guy?

To the op - don’t let this guy dissuade you. Spend the time you can afford to. Spend time to be proficient with your firearm. That is important.

I think you are taking the right approach. Many gangs lose a member here or there so you may get an opportunity.

I will see how my numbers look this fall.

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Good stuff Big Jack ! tell it like it is .:thumbup:

I’ve done both Gilroy. It isn’t any harder especially if you are dogging. Otherwise I’ve seen just as many gangs stumped in farm country as in big bush.

Put up or shut up is what I say. You have a lot to pass on so why not teach him?

You should be encouraging the guy not trying to dissuade him.

I’ve spent plenty of time showing both newbie ladies and gents the ropes because others took the time to show me.

Jaycee - Thanks, people on this board have much to offer folks like the op. We should not be discouraging new members. We may all do things differently but find success in our own way. It makes sense to share it. Line052 open invite is a perfect example of this.

good luck this season j cue.
go look for some public land, grab your shotgun and just get out.
look up info on the forums, watch some youtube videos and learn by making mistakes.

oh, and if you are not tied down to a wife and kids, take a weekend off, drive up to the logging roads and shoot a few of the dumb partridge. it'll get you hooked for sure!

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Originally Posted by Big Jack

I’ve done both Gilroy. It isn’t any harder especially if you are dogging. Otherwise I’ve seen just as many gangs stumped in farm country as in big bush.

Put up or shut up is what I say. You have a lot to pass on so why not teach him?

You should be encouraging the guy not trying to dissuade him.

I’ve spent plenty of time showing both newbie ladies and gents the ropes because others took the time to show me.

Jaycee - Thanks, people on this board have much to offer folks like the op. We should not be discouraging new members. We may all do things differently but find success in our own way. It makes sense to share it. Line052 open invite is a perfect example of this.

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Just maybe if you read my post again you might see it for what it was intended to be "an interview" where a number of questions were asked?I expect the backstabbing
from Jaycee and his criticism its unfortunate you encourage such divisive behavior.

Let's not turn this in to bickering please as I am looking for help not for another internet war. I appreciate the advice and I will likely be going to crown land as I have no access to private, and time is not necessarily an issue, possibly not opening weekend but I will definitely have more than one weekend able to go out hoping to get out for 7 straight days actually. I can start in bow season as I have a bow and I also have a shotgun currently, I am scrambling to find a 308 or 30-06 and get lots of range time in but just haven't found anything yet. I also do not own a tree stand which from everything I can find is kind of required for Ontario deer hunting? If anybody even wants to take me out scouting for my own spot would be awesome! I am also concerned that I get a deer and screw up gutting and butchering which is a large part of why I wanted a mentored hunt.

Side note- Somebody asked about dogs, I train an Australian Shepherd in both trick training and agility. I have taught him how to retrieve on command and gentle mouth so in theory he could retrieve ducks but he is an aussie and sometimes has his own ideas so not sure it will ever amount to actually taking him hunting.

A tree stand might be nice in some situations but definitely not needed. What you do need is patience and wind direction.
Wind....make sure it isn't going toward where you think the deer might be
Patience.....watching more then you are moving, known as still hunting.... take a step or two, stop look ahead and repeat...look through the trees for any sign of game, you must move slow and play the wind (have it in your favour). If you do this you will see a lot more game but you need to be patient, move slow, 30 minutes to go 100yds is not uncommon when still hunting.

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Originally Posted by Gilroy

Just maybe if you read my post again you might see it for what it was intended to be "an interview" where a number of questions were asked?I expect the backstabbing
from Jaycee and his criticism its unfortunate you encourage such divisive behavior.

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My apologies and good on you for “interviewing” him with these questions. I had not considered, nor did your post come across in that manner. However, upon review I can see the approach you have taken.

So much is lost in type.

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Originally Posted by JCue

Let's not turn this in to bickering please as I am looking for help not for another internet war. I appreciate the advice and I will likely be going to crown land as I have no access to private, and time is not necessarily an issue, possibly not opening weekend but I will definitely have more than one weekend able to go out hoping to get out for 7 straight days actually. I can start in bow season as I have a bow and I also have a shotgun currently, I am scrambling to find a 308 or 30-06 and get lots of range time in but just haven't found anything yet. I also do not own a tree stand which from everything I can find is kind of required for Ontario deer hunting? If anybody even wants to take me out scouting for my own spot would be awesome! I am also concerned that I get a deer and screw up gutting and butchering which is a large part of why I wanted a mentored hunt.

Side note- Somebody asked about dogs, I train an Australian Shepherd in both trick training and agility. I have taught him how to retrieve on command and gentle mouth so in theory he could retrieve ducks but he is an aussie and sometimes has his own ideas so not sure it will ever amount to actually taking him hunting.

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Folks are trying to get you that help. Gilroy and I don’t see eye to eye on some things but I have no doubt he could be a great mentor for you. Given his post above you may want to reach out to him directly.

Having someone help you clean your first deer is helpful of course. We butcher our own deer so that we have quality control in our hands. It’s a good skill to learn.

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I expect the backstabbing
from Jaycee and his criticism its unfortunate you encourage such divisive behavior.

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No backstabbing at all , as in too many of your posts over the years, your choice of words and presentation have been such as to present yourself as being above the normal man.
You have argued points that were definitely wrong, but you have kept it up.
Tell us why the men in your camp have deserted you and went elsewhere?
You are the common denominator in these cases.

I have nothing further to say!

That's enough guys, I'm sure our new member is very impressed.

JCue, feel free to start another thread with your questions and I'll try to keep an eye on it. :) I don't have the time or desire to go back and delete the posts of no value to you.