Another "help me, I'm new!" thread
 

Hello!

This is going to sound VERY green and probably a little silly; I figure this is going to be the best place to look like a complete jack*** anyhow.

I’ll give you a little background to save some time. I have been shooting 3D archery for a few years on and off. I have recently moved to Central Alberta (Red Deer area) from Calgary, and in a few months I will likely be moving to far Southern Alberta (Medicine Hat area). I have zero friends that hunt, zero family members that hunt. Nobody I know really even enjoys hiking or camping (although you’d think otherwise from all the talk – it never seems to actually happen!) I am not interested in acquiring a gun license currently; I would prefer to stick to using my compound for hunting. I’d like to get into fishing eventually. I don't own a truck, or a quad, or a sled. Anything of that sort.

I have no desire to hunt any larger game. I mostly want to hunt and fish. I’d like to potentially head out backpacking and/or camping with my bow and my dog in tow. My dog eats a whole prey raw diet, and obviously I am a carnivore, this is possibly my main motivation for wanting to hunt in the first place. Small game only – rabbits, squirrels, little things.

I’m not sure where to start. I have done my homework and read up what I can, but I still feel fairly lost.

I have signed up for the AHEIA training program online (although not started), I have ordered all the Alberta hunting regulation manuals (although not arrived yet), and I think I have a fairly healthy amount of respect for what I intend to do and the land I want to do it on.

I have scoured the online maps of ‘crown land’ and ‘public land’ and frankly I have no idea of what I’m looking at or how to go about getting permission to bring my bow onto that land. There are a number of ‘natural areas’ close by, but I find it hard to believe you can just head out to them and hunt!

I guess the long and short (TLDR) is that I’m looking for a little bit more guidance on how to get started. I am fully aware that likely I will not even have the opportunity to arrow a damn thing, and that’s fine, the experience and being out there are enough to make the trip worthwhile for right now.

Much appreciated.


Ryan

Another "help me, I'm new!" thread
 

Well first off welcome. Myself too far to assist you but someone who kicks around in your neck of the woods will assist you. When you are in the hat area kick around the archery places etc and reach out there. Like minded people will assist you, good luck!

Welcome aboard Ryan. Maybe try the sticky "looking for a hunting partner?" Explain yourself there and say you are looking for a mentor/buddy to show you the ropes. Lots of experienced hunters that may be looking for a new hunting buddy.

Welcome Ryan.

I'm way to far north, but I wish you the best.

Remember we all started somewhere. There is nothing silly about learning.
We all had our misinformed notions about hunting and fishing, before we learned what it's all about.

You've got a great attitude and that's a great place to start.

Keep in mind, hunting and fishing is not for everyone. Some just don't care for the smell and mess of it all. Others find any death disturbing.

Many of us love a good steak but have no desire to slaughter a cow.
Be true to yourself and let others be true to themselves and you will find life a lot more enjoyable for all concerned.

Hiking and bird watching are legitimate outdoor pursuits just as hunting and fishing are. Some do them all, others do only one. Whatever you do, be true to yourself.


May you have many many very enjoyable days afield.

Thank you for the kind welcome, and the advice. I am going to post right now on the hunting partner wanted thread and I’m sure get a positive response as well.

Cheers!

Ryan

Welcome on board Ryan...your gonna like it here, lots of good people with good advice. I wish you well.
Zip:)

"Small game only – rabbits, squirrels, little things."
Welcome Ryan
FI, you may want to read up on what you can hunt and when....rabbits and squirrels you can go after anytime but other little things like grouse have seasons. Good luck
Oh, and don't try to eat jack rabbit...ugh!:sick:

Hey Ryan, I'm from Medicine Hat. I'm just getting into hunting myself. I've hunted coyotes and gophers, but I bought a crossbow and looking for someone to partner up with. My brother is into it too but we are both rookie hunters. But I know lots of places to hunt. I suggest getting the Ihunter Alberta app on your phone. Lots of lease land to hunt. Plus my uncle has a ranch about 45 mins away and I can head out there pretty much anytime I want. So PM me and we'll talk :)

Score!!
First thread and you get hunting land too!!!

Howdy!

Amazing what a few months of education/research can do for someone. Maybe it’s a bad idea but I wanted to update this thread because so much has happened in the last couple months. I got a little tough love in PM from another member, and realized I should probably just go for it.

- Finished (and aced...) my AHEIA exam.
- Derailed my compound due to excessive string wear and poor tuning.
- Learned how to completely take apart and rebuild my compound. FML.
- Strung said compound with Flo Green strings to make it faster (;)).
- Achieved bullet hole paper tears with said compound.
- Drove all over the place and picked up county maps all over Central/Southern AB.
- Gained exclusive permission on 5 acres of land in the 312, majority of it forested. (Small, but a start! A friend of a friend of a friend’s god parents no less!)
- Gained exclusive permission on 8 acres of land in the 320 (YAY).
- Talked to about a dozen land owners, most of whom were peachy. Many of which granted permission to come and take care of coyotes, small game, what have you for little to no return on my part except respecting their wishes and behaving. I think because I drove up in a tiny dodge caliber, dressed like an adult, and let them know I didn’t even own a gun, a truck, or an ATV, probably helped a ton.
- Hiked around a whole bunch in WMU 410. Saw a bear. Left immediately. Didn’t go back. FML.
- Applied for as many draw tags as I could (999 of course…)
- Bought camo pants (mind = blown) .

I’m looking to finish up my hunting kit (I need knives (looking at a buck knives kit), range finder (got a kijiji one that is on its last legs), binos (Vortex?), boots (at a loss here)) in the coming months, and spend the winter shooting so that next year I can confidently pull tags and head out. I’m still dicey on skinning and gutting as well but I figure I’ll just have to go for it at some point. There is only so much that you can read in books and watch on youtube.

Anyhow, cheers guys. This forum is a wealth of knowledge and everyone is always so helpful. Wouldn’t have ever stepped foot into the woods without the encouragement I got (and that tough love too.. hah) from this place!

Thank you!!

Ryan

:D Awesome ... looks like your getting as fanatic as many of us...welcome to the dark side!! good to see....lol

Neil

well done.... nice to see your taking the plunge the right way

Nice work Ryan, good luck. Maybe get yourself a trail cam at somepoint.

Wow, nice to see that you are busting your hump, game animals just don't fall out of the sky, a lot of work is put into it but that is a passion if it is work then move on...but seems you got the bug which is a good thing.
Fail, fall, pick yourself up and learn as you go is what hunting is about, a journey of experiences, trust me you are going to see and hear things that you will just say wow!
Game cameras where mentioned, don't have to go beserk and buy the top of the line, a handful of 100-200 dollar cameras can go a long way in gathering information on an area with little to no disturbance.
Good luck.:)

Whats really screwed up with the way the world has changed is the
way you simply can't tell anymore when someone is real.
It's a sad thing for those of us who know the difference.

some used to really try and were honest about it.

I'm keeping an eye on kijiji for cams. I'm thinking of just taking the cheapest possible route with my first couple cams because I do have access to some private land so I'm not stressed about theft.

Is that an ongoing issue? Are randoms going to tear down my cams if/when they are set in public land?

How do you stop that?


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My girlfriend has definetly noticed a swift and considerable change in my entire lifestyle/spending habits. She's supportive, but wow this gets crazy expensive fast hah!

We both signed up for our firearms safety course. She has little interest in bowhunting, but likes the idea of being able to contribute.

My boss on the other hand thinks I've lost my mind. Used to be you could get a hold of me on days off.

[emoji4]

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Explain the difference please, enlighten us.

To the OP reference cameras, yup thieves are out there so place your cameras in areas not likely to be spotted. I go for height pointing them down, goof balls usually do not walk with thier heads up hi, if they do spot it they got to work to get it and the common goof is lazy so my cameras have a fighting chance.
Set them up on old game trails, areas that show sign of last years rubs/scrapes etc. Transition zones from feeding to bedding areas, water holes too.
Just another past time and something to look forward to.

Shooting/hunting squirrels is not a free for all....only on private land can you hunt red squirrels not crown lands.

Red Squirrel and Badger
A Resident may, without a licence and at all times of the year, hunt or trap red squirrel and badger on any privately owned land to which he or she has the right of access.

Those folks that shoot squirrel on Crown Land, are actually in the wrong.

A solid Foundation in understanding the regulations is key.

LC

:D We have lost $1000.00 in blinds and close to that in stands...even chained tree was cut down so lost best tree also...

haven't lost a camera yet...some we have a well hidden camera watching the main camera...

We write on camera that cameras are password protected and useless to anyone without password ...which they all are..

Now with cameras coming out with GPS locate...any thief will be a fool to touch cameras...I predict a thief is going to get hurt here in Alberta soon as there are so many ethical hunters very angry....

The thing that got me most riled up is when someone stole the folding Primos bow hanger and coated pack hooks out of one of stands...wasn't the fact the dink stole them it was because he was obviously using the stand as he had the gull to leave a note carved in the tree stating "I should be thankful he didn't steal the stand..." and that was most likely due to it being so far in the bush and in a walk in area only...

Neil
Just cause a stand is on public land ...it is still personal property ...

Outdoor sports do grow on ya don't they. :)

I'm not sure what you consider low priced cameras. I have Browning Strike Force cameras and I'm really happy with them. They were under $150.00 each.

Before that I had two Stealth Cam delta 8 cameras. pure junk. I use them for display these days. That's all they were good for, right out of the box.

To keep them from being stolen, first, find a better mount then the straps provided, those straps are the #1 cause of cameras being stolen.
They are a 360 degree advertisement that there is a camera on that tree.
Second, set your cameras out of the line of sight, and screened by at least some vegetation if possible.

They won't steal what they don't see.