new hunters looking for small game

[Mighty-Mouse]

Wow, so many seasoned hunters on the site I feel a lil outta my leauge.
Im 25, born albertan. and have spent a few months in the rockies over my time. Hiking, river canoe trips, even got to kyayk the broken group provincal park (b.c)
BUt i have never hunted before in my life.

I've loved fishing and the outdoors since i was a wee tyke, Im decent in the woods, just never tried to use my feildcraft to bring anything home with me!

In the last year or so Ive fallen in love with traditional archery and just purchased my first bow, #45 recurve. I've become interested in hunting for food and want to start with small game(I.e rabbits, Skunks, squirrils) because i don't need tickets to get started and i can still eat it. ( waste not right?). as i understand bowhunting rabbit is supposed to be a special challange on its own. i want to learn the spot and stalk method before i start going into tree stands and the like. im planning on working up the food chain by season as i learn more and more.
Ive poured in about 100 hours of research into this, scouting, shooting, cleaning and whatnot. part of why iw wanna start small and its actually how i ended up on this site. (over and over again, thanks google)
Also shot a couple thousand arrows down range this month. Id like to think im ready as im gonna be to try.
What I am looking for is someone within 2 hours of calgary who is willing to let me come to your land and try to take a couple rabbits home with me....
I would really appreciate anything im offered really, All land/livestock/borders would be respected of course, and if you have any other questions or concerns please feel free to email or p.m me. id like to learn as much as i can as quickly as i can.
thanks
keith

any thoughts from the masses or am i out to lunch?
(ive trolled the boards and see a lot of newcomers with a similar issue)

[trapshooter]

Yay! Finally another traditional archer on here! Traditional archery is a good sport to know! As for small game you can hunt squirrels on private land, rabbits you can hunt anywhere legal.

[waterninja]

if i were in your position one thing i would do is start building up your draw priority. as you get older and more profiecent you'll probably want to try for game that requires a special lic. i recently started started hunting again after a long lay-off and it might take me 5 years to have a chance at a moose or elk. it costs little to 999 your draws and down the road you might be glad you planned ahead.

[calgarychef]

Mighty Mouse have you acquainted yourself with the "Alberta Traditional Bowhunters Association?" Lots of good folk there who love their sticks and strings.

[Mighty-Mouse]

Thanks waterninja, sounds like a pretty smart idea actually. And calgarychef, Thanks for the refrence to the bow hunters assoc, i took a peek at the web page.
I took a tour between calgary and strathmoore, knocking on doors but to no avail.

I just want a Couple acers of woods or thick bush for rodent control. While i understand people are hesitant to share their favorite spots with strangers. I just need an address or a single phone number to get started. Ill even shoot gophers if it comes to that. (prefer not to kill anything i cant eat, but gophers are gophers). ill even tag along if someone would prefer to take me themselves instead.....ill take almost anything, lol
thanks for the support!
M.m

[Speckle55]

Hey Mighty if you want come 5 hours i will guide you free for wild Wabbits in the Hinton area if your ok shooting 20 to 30 yards and you have to be vwery vwery quite

here is a few pics rifle hunting this year i mentored the boy(5:30 to 8:30).. and myself in 3 hours
Last%20pic%20of%20day%20this%20is%20easy.jpg

i%20Thought%20i%20saw%20a%20Wabbit%20i%20did%20i%20did.jpg



David

[Mighty-Mouse]

My first time "hunting" today, lol.
I got out to carstairs area today to go chase bunnies. when i got there i was informed there were no bunnies. But i did get to stalk a pair of whitetail does@ like 40 ft ish for a little while in the morning. even got my empty bow drawn on them to see if they would notice the movement. The deer had no clue,in the end I had to clap and whistle and wave my hat to make them bolt.! If i had tags i would have had my first deer....shucks
also saw but didnt shoot
Gophers (tiny runts, more overgrown mice than gopher)
red fox x 2
Beaver
Coyote ( almost tripped on it and missed the shot i made as it escaped)
Crazy red tail hawk (didnt shut up all day, made gophers nervous as heck)
Alot of empty badger holes...Its still out there somewhere.( any tips? those are gonna be crazy tough.)

[Erik]

head north and west. plenty of bush bunnies on crown land within two hours of your location