I would like to get into hunting...

[Ergo the Qualmed]

Hellooo folks, and Happy Easter (for those of you not offended by these things; otherwise, happy sunday)!

I watched the trailer to a documentary called "Earthlings" yesterday, detailing abuses of animals in the food industry. Now, I was horrified by what I saw, and though I do believe it is probably not telling the whole story, what I DID see was enough to make me reconsider where I get my meat from.

I figure that if I hunt my own meat, or at least some of it, I can know that the animal died cleanly (because I was the one that did it).

BUT I have never hunted before, and I have killed a total of two rabbits with pellet guns in my entire life, once accidentally. I have never prepared anything other than fish I have caught.

How might I go about...hunting? Given that I have no hunting equipment (I have a load-bearing vest and a backpack, camelbak, rifle, and some knives), and do not know how to dress an animal, or anything, where/how can I learn these things? I figure I would be hunting deer, but even then I don't know if there is a better animal to hunt for consumption

Thanks!

[Vacaville]

First of all, what kind of rifle do you have and what do you want to hunt?

[Ergo the Qualmed]

First of all, what kind of rifle do you have and what do you want to hunt?

I own an SKS (7.62x39mm), and will be purchasing a shotgun (12ga slug-capable Rem 870, 28") soon.

So, certainly not any sort of "dedicated" hunting platform, that's for sure

As for what to hunt, I honestly am not certain. I was considering deer (do people hunt anything else for meat in CA?); I am at school in Davis most of the time, or LA on vacation, and would probably do most (if any) hunting in Norcal.

[Vacaville]

The SKS is powerful enough to take wild pigs and whitetails, although it may not be easy to scope and may not be very accurate.

If you get the shotgun you will have a pretty good gun for taking some duck or pheasant. You might want to try that first. I'm not a shotgun guy so others can tell you about getting into that.

Good luck.

[Ergo the Qualmed]

The SKS is powerful enough to take wild pigs and whitetails, although it may not be easy to scope and may not be very accurate.

If you get the shotgun you will have a pretty good gun for taking some duck or pheasant. You might want to try that first. I'm not a shotgun guy so others can tell you about getting into that.

Good luck.

Ahh thank you, i'd forgotten about bird hunting.

Also, does anyone ever hunt with iron sights? or is that verboten (forbidden)?

Now I guess I just need to research dressing of game, among other things

Thank you!

[pepsi2451]

First take a hunter safety class, you will need to pass one to get a license. I take it you don't know anyone that hunts? I was lucky enough to have my dad teach me. You could always go on a guided hunt first if your not comfortable going on your own.

[DirtyDave]

Well, did you know there is a whole hunting section on this very forum?!?! You should check it out! Not everyone on this site ever scrolls down far enough on the main page to see it though. Most people stop at the Outdoors, Camping and Survival forum to get their fill of SHTF info.

READ THE STICKY AT THE TOP FIRST.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/forumdisplay.php?f=87

As far as quick humane kills, yes that is what we all strive for while hunting. However, that is just not always the case. We are human, we make mistakes, we get in a hurry and shoot poorly, we mis-judge distance, etc. Sometimes a follow up shot is needed etc. Walking up to an animal that you have shot and is not dead and still suffering and seeing the look in its eyes when you have to put that 2nd round into them is not for everyone.
Not as cruel as domesticated animals are treated, but not a fairy tale either. Animals are still going to die, but now it is by your own hand

[Ergo the Qualmed]

Well, did you know there is a whole hunting section on this very forum?!?! You should check it out! Not everyone on this site ever scrolls down far enough on the main page to see it though. Most people stop at the Outdoors, Camping and Survival forum to get their fill of SHTF info.

READ THE STICKY AT THE TOP FIRST.
http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/f...splay.php?f=87

Why yes I did! I had to weigh the balance of whether or not this would fit there; wasn't a specific hunting question per se, more like how to get started, in the broader sense. In my estimation, the hunting subsection seemed geared more towards particular issues; to post there would be like posting "how does a gun work" in the centerfire rifle section. Or such was my interpretation/logic train relating to the subject. And so, in the interest of forum fluidity and smoothness of operation, I took it upon myself to post in the section I did.

And in my opinion, the for sale section seems even harder to get to

[DirtyDave]

Yeah dude i was trying to be funny, need to go to sleep though hahaha.
There is no shortage of guys posting "i want to start hunting" in the hunting section, so dont be shy. The sticky is where to start though, there are some good links and plenty of reading for you to do.

[Ergo the Qualmed]

Yeah dude i was trying to be funny, need to go to sleep though hahaha.
There is no shortage of guys posting "i want to start hunting" in the hunting section, so dont be shy. The sticky is where to start though, there are some good links and plenty of reading for you to do.

Ah, thanks man. I will check/keep it in mind; and as for my diatribe, well, I was trying to campaign (on admittedly shaky ground) that I hadn't violated forum rules, when perhaps I did...heh...so, I wasn't offended or anything, no worries!

And as for your edit: yeah, I figured as much, but still, having seen what I have seen, I feel it to be irresponsible to just take my food like that for granted. If I have to kill the animal myself, certainly it will not be "fun," but at least I will have had to earn the meat myself, and made peace with it, "honorably". Or something like that. Maybe it's naive of me, but i'd like to do what I can, I s'pose.

[DirtyDave]

To answer some of your original questions, your gear is a good start. Hunters safety course and license comes first though.

Guns: 7.62x39 is good for deer and pig sized game (with the correct bullets). 12ga is great for rabbits, upland game birds and waterfowl.

Other gear basics: Backpack, sharp knives, binos, and good boots will get you started. Dont need all the fancy name brand gear you see on the infomercials/hunting programs on tv.

Small game and birds is the best way to get started. Rabbits are still my favorite to hunt and eat. Big game takes more work, planning, scouting, luck, etc

[tpuig]

Game meat is some of the best. You're not going to save money eating what you hunt, but it is very very good.

As mentioned, you need to take a hunter safety course first, before you can do anything. You can take it online, but need to spend at least a few hours in the classroom for the final test. Very good information, and you will pass.
The CA hunting license is valid from July to July.

A great way to start is hunting pheasant. There are lots of clubs in your area or at least close. The season is in the late Fall, and you don't need much gear. (boots, shotgun, license, Upland Bird stamp) There aren't any 300 yards stalks, scents to buy, dragging animals for miles, etc. You generally walk with a dog(s) and try to hit the bird. It's not easy, but it's not too hard. Some days you'll get some birds, and some you might not.

Try to call some clubs in your area and find out what's going on there. There are usually tons of fundraiser dinners/banquets for various organizations. Friends of the NRA, Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, Safari Club International, etc. No doubt you're going to run into folks that hunt at those places, or you can ask folks with stickers on their car windows.

Best bet is to find a buddy or buddies to hunt with, and learn from them. And check out the hunting subforum here. Hope this helps.

[Full Clip]

If you can't find a friend to hunt with (and taking the Hunter Safety Class is a GREAT opportunity to make a few new ones), you may want to invest in a guided hunt. Expensive, yes, but you have to gain experience before you hunt larger game on your own. (That said, hunting alone is never a good idea.) I started with rabbits and ducks. But waterfowl calls for a some specialized gear (waders, calls, etc.) and is its own kettle of fish/can of worms. Note as well that you can hunt pig all year round.

[ElvenSoul]

Check out Tech Sights or a Scout Scope Mount for you SKS.

[Subotai]

I put a Choate mount and 4x scope on my SKS. I also sporterized it into a hunting rifle. My SKS is a Norinco. If you have a Russian, don't do anything to it.