Hunting help needed - Calgary
 

Hello, my name is Joshua. I live in Calgary in the NW near Panorama.

I am 30 years old and new to hunting and am looking for a mentor to teach me the ways. I just recieved my PAL and have purchased a ruger 10/22 for target practice and small game hunting. I am working on my hunter education course and plan on hunting some rabbits while waiting for other seasons to open. I am looking to buy a browning BPS in the near future so I can do game birds and big game.

As I dont have a large freezer for big game, you would be more than welcome to the majority of the meat. 10-20lbs would be more than enough for me and would last me a long time. This is another reason why I would like a hunting partner/mentor. I am more interested in the thrill of the hunt, cooking/eating them, learning an essential skill that I can pass down to my future children, rather than just shooting stuff.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you for your time.

Josh

Josh, maybe try posting your message here, it's a sticky near the top of this page, for people such as yourself.

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=38944

Browning BPS is fine for birds and rabbits. Not a recommend for big game.

If you're hunting rabbits while waiting for big game seasons to open, now til September, were you planning on cooking and eating them as well? Also not a recommend.

Just another tip....

The big game draws end on June 20th, so you might consider planning for what you want to hunt in the future. The draw system works on a "priority" point system, so you will need to apply for a few years (in some cases many, many years) to draw some tags. Try to determine what big game animals you might like to hunt (moose or antlered mule deer for example) in the future and start applying now, otherwise it will take forever to draw a tag. Try to figure this out... ask for help if needed, and put in for a few draws for the future.

https://mywildalberta.ca/hunting/hun...ing-draws.aspx

Thank you, Scott N. I will put in for some of the draws, and I'll repost on the other thread.

270person, can you please explain why it wouldn't be a good idea to eat the rabbits? I am new and dont know the reasoning behind that stuff. Also, I was born and raised in southern Ontario and they can only use shotguns for hunting big game and it seems to work just fine. There's not much a rifled slug wouldn't take down. Just means I have to get closer which is more fun than sitting 400 yards away with a high powered rifle. I would use a rifle if my hunting partner would let me borrow one, but right now it's not a worthy investment. I'd rather invest in other gear that I need. I'm also left handed, so finding a lefty rifle is hard and expensive. I wouldn't even know where to practice shooting with a high powered rifle.

Rabbits can carry tularemia. General rule of thumb when I was back in Sask was not to eat one killed in any month without an R in it. Old wives tale? Maybe but I'd rather not test it myself.

http://https://open.alberta.ca/publications/tularemia

Shotgun slugs are ok to 100 yds but wouldn't be my first choice. Your mileage may vary.

On the positive side having slugs on board is decent defence against a grizzly....If you manage to get a shot off. You'll likely still get gnawed a little but he'll be sporting a major league headache while he's chewing.

In order for the gentleman to apply for draws, he needs his hunting license & WIN card.

In order to get the license he needs his Hunter Safety course.

Everything hinges on taking the course... Only then can he hunt, legally.

:)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but all you need is a WIN Card to apply for draws, and you don't need to take a hunter course to get a WIN Card. I never said anything about hunting, I was talking about him apply for draws for years to come.. Apply for a draw and buying a hunting license are two different issues.

I just noticed a nice Ruger left hand m77 270 on the buy and sell would be a perfect rifle if your interested ...much more practical than a shotgun and slugs ..

Hi Scott N,

I just finished my hunter education course yesterday and they send you a certificate with a unique ID number on it. In the email it states that now I have completed it, I can apply for draws and obtain my hunting license. I also have to keep that certificate on me when buying over the counter tags apparently.

270person,

Thanks for the info! I didn't know about that disease, and will keep an eye out for it. Its apparently pretty rare. From what I have gathered from research and some private messages sent, it seems like it has more to do with the rabbits reproductive time. They have babies between the months of March to September, and can have up to 4 litters during this season. From what I gather, It seems to be more of an ethical choice as they are legal to hunt year round.

If you could send me the link that would be greatly appreciated!

Pm sent

I guess you've been corrected... :sSig_welcome2:

Here's another thread that popped up recently, covering the same topic.
You can get your WIN card, but you can't apply for ANYTHING until you complete the Hunter Safety course.

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=365259

If you're worried:

Heat kills F. tularensis, so cook meat to the right temperature — a minimum of 165 F (73.8 C) for ground meat and game meat — to make it safe to eat.