Hunting deer, turkey, squirrels? Shooting a gun?

Question

I am trying to get more ethically sourced protein without paying a fortune. I've never shot a gun. Could anyone help outline the steps I would have to take to begin hunting? Is it difficult to shoot a gun accurately? Is there a gun shooting course you've taken/ how long is the process? Pretty much any info would be helpful 🙏
Or is there a different way to catch animals without too much distress? Like a trap? I will eat pretty much anything, squirrels, whatever

(Cleaning/butchering the animal won't be an issue for me, I have done so with pigs and chickens).

NamerOfStars · Accepted Answer

It varies enormously depending on what state you're in (and what country, but your profile says "United Sates", so I'm going with that). If you have friends, relatives, or neighbors who are hunters, letting them know you're interested in learning more about it can be a fantastic source of information; hunting clubs are also a good option. I THINK that all fifty states require a hunting license regardless of the method you use, but I'm not certain; your DNR should be able to give you more information on that.

From my brief looking in to it- which was a long time ago, and may not have been entirely accurate even back then- most states don't require the same classes for bow hunters as they do for gun hunters (crossbows are in the former category, by the way), but pretty much every form of hunting requires (practically, even if not officially) that you find a mentor to teach you, and I don't know how many bowhunters you're likely to find around you. Falconry, obviously the most ecologically sound method of hunting out there (and one of the earliest, interestingly), requires a rather insane amount of permits and licenses; it's probably not the best place to start.

Also: punt guns aren't legal to hunt with anymore, so no matter HOW many times you've wanted to call up Canada and demand they come get their geese, you won't be able to blow a hundred of them away with a single shot. Also, while there are circumstances where you can shoot wild boar with a helicopter-mounted minigun, that's only in Texas. I don't know where they stand on hunting them with punt guns.

BeMuse · Accepted Answer

Buy a gun and ammo that is appropriate for the game you want to hunt. Train on said gun at a shooting rang to become proficient. Purchase a hunting licence in your state and take a hunter safety education in your state. Purchase a deer permit/deer tag. Study your prey's behavior. For example, with deer you want to find their afternoon food source. Deer have a large home range of roughly 350 acres. In certain areas that might stretch as high as 750 acres. You will not find them by randomly walking through he woods yelling hello deer. Most of that range will be covered at night by the deer when they are hard to see. During the day, they don't move that far because they don't want to be seen by predators. So your best bet is to find out where they eat during the daylight hours. Then before that time you have to set up an ambush so that you can get a clean shot off. If you manage to hit it, then you have to find it by following the blood trail and tracks. If you find it, you have to field dress the deer. Then you have to get the carcass out of the woods. You have to log and report the harvest. Then when you get home you have to butcher it into usable cuts that can be packaged and frozen until you want to actually eat it. That's a basic outline... There is a lot more detail in between the lines before you ever get to your first meal... Fishing is quicker, but larger animals like deer fill the freezer for a lot longer.

purplepoppy · Accepted Answer

Your best bet is to get an experienced hunter to show you the ropes. Shooting is only humane if it's done right otherwise it causes a lot of suffering. A bad shot will also ruin the meat.

RoseySarah · Accepted Answer

Do the process and just buy them from others who shot them at the club!

nolabels · Answer

Hunting can be fairly tough to get started in if you don't have a mentor.

There is also way more to learning how to hunt than just gaining skills using a gun. Learning the behavior of game is important in giving you much chance at success.

I started hunting at a young age and easily became proficient using guns. Learning the animals' habits took longer for me.

Salespeople at gun shops can probably help you find firearm instruction. Shooting ranges may conduct regularly scheduled classes.

It's way easier to convey the kind of information you're needing by talking to someone in person.

Good luck to you.

Fireguy17 · Answer

usually there are hunter safety courses, so take one of those.
Then go learn how to shoot.
Depending on what you are hunting you may need different guns, and loads.
Then you will need to get a license to go hunting, most critters have a specific season, then you need a place to hunt.
There at least in my state public hunting grounds, or you can ask a land owner if you can hunt on thier land.
Just be aware that most of the good private land is already spoken for, the same people have hunted it for years.

Iron_Man · Answer

So you wanna be a professional Hunter for your food? Do you live out in the woods what’s available in your area to hunt? You’re just gonna have to start practicing with rifles and shotguns.

Anonymous · Answer

How grotesque and inhumane.

Hunting deer, turkey, squirrels? Shooting a gun?

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