April 30th - So...how do I learn how to hunt?

April –  30th

So there you are you little suburban pre-packaged, homogenized chardonnay sipping corporate cog.  Something is stirring in you to get out doors and learn where your meat comes from.  You want to hunt!  Experience the thrill of the chase!  Feed your family from your own most basic resources!

But you’re an accountant from Encino who last went camping thirty years ago as a scout, and you’ve never held a gun in your life. 

What to do?

Well….surprisingly, there are quite a few of you out there.  Most hunters have traditionally started young, often times learning the tricks of the trade and their general outdoor skills from a parent that hunts, or a crazy aunt or uncle.  (Make no mistake…this is not your “fathers” sport….more women hunt now than at any time, and in fact women make up the fastest growing segment in the shooting sports in general.)

Problem is, with urbanization many of our parents never bothered to learn these skills in the first place…so learning from them is a non-starter.

 My daughter Chaney at age 8 on her second goat hunt...She has the skills to put meat on the table....do you?

My older Daughter Carolyn at age 12....she wanted to go on a Bear hunt...and this guy actually tried to attack me...she ended up saving me with a single shot!  That was an adventure!  One of the many instances I can point to where this girl literally "saved" my life!

 My dad on his first Boar hunt.  Sometimes things work in reverse....I actually "taught" my dad how to hunt.

I’ve received a large number of emails from followers asking me if I can “teach them to hunt”.   Short answer is yes…anyone who wants a more personalized coach, or is seeking more info can always contact me at slieberman03@gmail.com.  If you are relatively local to me I would also be happy to take you on a hunt as well.

That said there are some affirmative steps you need to take…

1) Take a class. 

Specifically an outdoors class….or rather as many classes as you can get your hands on.  Large sporting good stores like Bass Pro or Cabelas…even REI offer tons of classes…on thriving in the outdoors.  Don’t worry about nuts-and-bolts “hunting” classes.…..right now you need to work on your general outdoors skills.

2) Get a hunting license.  

The requirement varies from state to state, but most require you attend a hunter safety class before you can get a license.  I just put my youngest daughter through the class, and I have to say they can range from generally informative to flat out fantastic!  Don’t look at them as a bureaucratic necessity….there is some really good info in those classes.

3) Buy a hunting rifle….just don’t buy one that is too expensive! 

I always tell people to start off with a 30.06 or a .270.  These calibers have widely available ammunition and are relatively flat shooting (meaning the bullet arc follows a “flat” path to target and you don’t need to engage in geometry when calculating where to aim.

4) Practice Practice Practice

You need to get good with that gun, and the only way to do it is to spend some really significant amount of time at a range.  The one thing you NEVER want to do is injure an animal…we want quick clean kills.  If you can’t hit a target at a hundred yards consistently…don’t hunt until you can.

5) Consider a “guided” hunt

My first hunt ....(at age 30…I came into this sport late in life too!) was a guided wild boar hunt at Tejon Ranch in California.  Aside from being one of the most beautiful places on earth…the guides at the ranch will literally hold your hand as they assist you in finding, shooting, and then rendering your animal.  You might not feel like a mountain man at the end of the hunt….but you will be well on your way to starting your “career” as a hunter! 

6) Join organizations and get involved!

Hunters represent the single greatest financial contributors to habitat preservation and improvement on Earth.  There is an old saying, “you want to help the environment?  Put down your picket sign and pick up a rifle”.  Organizations like Safari Club, Rocky Mountain Elk, Big Horn Sheep Society and Ducks Unlimited (and countless others) bring hunters together and spend their members money on important conservation projects.  Join one of them…or many of them!  The point is get involved!  You will learn a tremendous amount about hunting by being an active member, and will have the chance to meet other members that will be thrilled to have a new hunter join the ranks. 

Then,…when your all “Mountain Manned” (or Mountain Womaned) up….go teach someone else how to hunt too!