Learning to hunt in Cascadia

I grew up in the city, was raised by pacifists, and have never picked up a gun in my life. But I want to learn to hunt. What's a good way to learn? I don't have much cash, and I don't have any patience for the NRA. I live in Western Oregon. Any suggestions?

Do you know anybody who hunts? Or know of anybody who knows anybody who hunts? I'd say the best way is to learn first hand from somebody else. If not, you'll have to do a lot of book learning, and then some time target practicing before you ever go out to hunt.

I do know some folks who "hunt," but they never get anything. Their yearly elk-hunting ventures are enormously elaborate affairs of packing in tons of supplies on ATVs and mules. I'd like to move a little more lightly on the land, and learn from someone with a decent success rate and a demonstrated respect for the animals they are hunting. I'm wondering about classes. Or recommendations for book-learning, how to decide how to hunt (not having any experience, would I be okay trying to teach myself with a bow first, or would I be better off starting with a rifle and moving on to a bow if I got more comfortable and skilled), etc?

A shotgun can be a useful starter weapon for small game; rabbits, squirrels, game birds and even large game with buckshot and rifled slugs.
A basic gun safety class is a good idea and can be found for free in most areas.

What is your purpose in hunting? I am not against hunting, since I used to, but unless you are very skilled, and already have all the gear, you are likely not break even for a long time. I currently use bow when I hunt, it is cheap, the arrows are reusable, it requires skill, rarely dangerous to others, and mostly, it is quiet.

But you have to put in a lot of practice. Honestly, if you want to fill the larder with some protein, fishing for panfish tends to work well. There are plenty of fish people don't fish for, go after those. It is still protein. Bullheads are really tasty, and you can catch a ton (sometimes literally) in the spring.

Oh, something that might not be obvious, wean yourself off caffeine before hunting season. And learn to sit REALLY still. Before you go wasting money, try going out to the forest and seeing if you can capture on camera what you are planning on hunting. The biggest skill isn't how to shoot, but how to not be noticed.

Ben Martin Horst wrote:I grew up in the city, was raised by pacifists, and have never picked up a gun in my life. But I want to learn to hunt. What's a good way to learn? I don't have much cash, and I don't have any patience for the NRA. I live in Western Oregon. Any suggestions?

Ben, based on your location description, get to know some local Indians. Not so much the kids, but the Elders.

I grew up in Dallas, and had a bunch of Indians as friends. We frequently hunted the hills of the Coastal Range, west of Salem and Dallas and Corvallis. One year, we decided rifles were too easy, so we took up Bow Hunting. As Fred said, that requires a higher degree of skill, and a much higher degree of patience.

(I'm sure today's attitudes probably have shifted, but in the 70s, most Indians hated the then-new descriptor "Native American." Most of their ancestors were in the Valley loooooong before this continent hosted the white man)

PS ..... those Elk 'hunters' you mention ..... most of them are typically more interested in the yearly week-long party away from the women-folk than they are in poppin' a cap in Bambi.

Ben, What Neil said is spot on. Find out as much foraging, and hunting techniques you can from the local elder native population. Also, Learn how to stalk and track an animal. Tom Brown, and Stalking and Still Hunting are great resources.

I have come to the realization that you don't have to be a redneck "it moves it's dead" jerk off... to use hunting as a way to put food in your belly. A single deer/elk can provide ALOT of nutrients.

Now about harvesting tools. Get a bow, and learn how to use it, or learn how to make a Bow. There's a guy on here named Dave Bennet whom is a good resource for making bows.

Get a good 22./shotgun combo. Rossi .22LR/.410/20Ga/.243 Barrel Set Rossi makes good barrel combos. I know because I own a youth one for backpacking. I would not recommend shooting anything larger than a deer with this set. A .243 round does not pack much punch.

And, last but not least... practice, practice, practice shooting, so when the time comes to take an animals life... It's done with the quickness and respect that animals life deserves.

You will feel guilt for killing another creature, but make sure to touch the animal/fish and give thanks to it for giving it's life to you.

not a shooter myself, but I see (and get pretty darn close to) a lot of potentially tasty and nutritious critters when I'm hunting mushrooms. so mushroom hunting could be a good way to make the time in the woods learning to keep a low profile more immediately productive.

and fishing seems like a good option to me, too. in my estimation, it involves a lot less high-energy industrial apparatus and long-distance supply chains than hunting with firearms does (probably not the case for bow-hunting with home-made equipment). I live near a river and am constantly annoyed by the numerous guide boats with huge engines zooming up and down and dropping garbage in the water, so I know that fishing is frequently a high-impact activity as well. but it's also a great way to get some tasty nutrition out of a quiet, contemplative day in a beautiful place. I usually fish for kokanee, because I can easily do it from my canoe and I can count on catching fish in season. northern pikeminnows are typically thought of as trash around here, but I keep those for the garden and the chickens, and occasionally I'll eat one. they're a native fish that has adapted much better to the damming of rivers than the local salmonids have.

Yep.. That's one thing I forgot to write. Fish are a huuuuuuuge source of Omega fatty oils, and Protein. So people need to learn to use a fly rod (you can get cheap set ups), or spincast rod and reel. If you live in Cascadia you have access to Trout, and Salmon them are some fatty tastiness!. That's just another great thing to add to the "hunter gatherer" list.

So being a coast kid and knowing how to hunt the coast; I would like to point out that the valley is a different critter. less brush and the direction you need to go for good hunting is to the east. the world of the west side of the coast rang is a really different thing and will kill you in ways you may not expect. Another observation is that going out with a gun, bow, projectile of any type, is not the way any culture consistently feed it self. if you are going to do primitive skills you had best learn the snares and traps used to supply meat on a consistent basis. I know this goes against the Image but its the real deal instead of the myth.

learn your tracking and (i dont advocate breaking the law so find some one who has land) set a deer snare. you would be surprised at the size of game you can bring in. folks may dislike trapping but you are not going to lose prey as often as you will wound critters.

since you mentioned the coast, Ernie, what about shellfish? some that are easy to find are still hard to catch, but it's a fairly safe and cheap skill to acquire. I'm thinking of clams here. others are easy to find and easy to catch: the mussels and goose barnacles and even urchins. taking into account the price of permits and catch limits, and the amount of time and energy invested, shellfish are hard to beat in Oregon (supposing we're planning to abide by local laws).

fish and shell fish are very important foods and harvest is pretty easy. fish traps are a very traditional way to catch fish. shell fish digging is a good activity. but harvesting mussels and other shell fish off the rocks was and is important as well. seaweed is a great veg in its many types. for red meats and you do need red meats occasionally sea loins and seals whales and other warm blooded where abundant. As any one who has been in the actual rain-forest on the coast can tell you land game can be extremely hard to find. plants are abundant fungus is abundant and medicine is abundant but unless you are harvesting the sea you will have to migrate to better hunting at times. The methods of harvesting the sea are much the same as on land. seals and sea-lions are subject to traps large game like whales are hunted actively. fish are trapped clams are dug mussels are stripped off rocks, crab are trapped or in low tides picked up off the beach, eggs of sea birds are harvested seabirds them selves are snared or netted. berries are harvested and preserved. cedar are not killed but cultivated till you can split house planks from the living tree, bark is harvested carefully to provide cloth and basket materials. sedges are harvested for food and baskets, grains are harvested from the types of sedges that produce abundance. and for those things you just cant get on the coast you set up trade inland. One thing to remember is that the coast people in oregon washington and northern california had things pretty darn easy. the men generally went around mostly nude and the woman had relatively minimal coverings. it just doesn't get that cold and anything you warm for to long will rot. so for most of the year clothing is pretty optional. this benign environment means you can spend a lot more time harvesting, visiting, crafting, fighting, boasting, or other activities that have little direct survival benefit.

one of those little things the settlers didn't understand. Anyhow i hope this helps those of you who wish to learn primitive skills on the coast. if you have specific questions i might be able to help.

Along with learning wood skills before you actually hunt, it is wise to also know what to do with an animal after you kill it. Proper gutting and cleaning of an animal is almost as important as getting one...the meat won't be any use to you if it is ruined.

My family are bowhunters and find the equipment cost is well worth the meat one puts in the freezer, not to mention the experience of harvesting your own meats with the skill you've acquired. The equipment is reusable, can be used a long time and pays for itself in short order.

Jay, what bow would you recommend for an average-sized 50 year-old woman?

Thanks!

very good point Jay!
very good point.
I forget that folks dont know how to dress out the catch these days.
I should remember since i have been called to teach it several times but i tend to forget.

Tyler Ludens wrote:Jay, what bow would you recommend for an average-sized 50 year-old woman?

Thanks!

That is something only a good bow shop or good hunting/sports store can help you with. There are many compound bow brands and styles but you need to know what poundage you can pull and your draw length(how much you can pull back to the break over point and how long your arms are at full draw) before you purchase a bow and other equipment. Just like any other subject or activity, I always advise folks to read, read, read, research, research and then read some more research. Then go talk to some old timers in the biz and see what they use! My boys all have different makes and poundage of bows because, unlike a gun, a bow really needs to "fit" the user for that person to get good, optimal performance. When that bow fits the hunter and the hunter fits the bow, hunting is no longer a sport...it is one lethal predator lying in wait for prey.

You also need to apply the same research to the object of your hunt~deer. For advice, you don't ask folks who "bowhunt" about deer..you ask someone who takes out their bow and brings home meat every year without fail~trust me, there is a difference. There are plenty of folks who sit out in the woods with a bow but the real hunters are the ol' boys or gals who are bringing home the meat several times a season. Anyone who says that the money and time spent on bowhunting doesn't pay off in meat but they really enjoy the time spent in the woods? These are not the ones you consult.

Thanks Jay.

Ben -

As a guy who knew how to shoot, but never shot an animal until i was 23, take some advice:

Learn how to shoot, with the gun you're going to use to hunt. Get good at 100 yards from a rest, shooting off a tree, off a stump, off your belly. If that is too long, get good at 50 yards, and just make sure you get that close to your deer.

Learn how to gut an animal, lots of videos on youtube to help you out. A gutless quarter method is great if you're not so sure about the body cavity, though you lose some meat.

Scout the area you want to hunt in without a gun before the season starts..find out where the deer like to hang out. Walk and stop and look and listen, think about when you would be foraging and sleeping if you were a deer.

Use common sense when you're out there, and don't pull the trigger unless you know you have a 90% chance of a clean kill.

Have fun and respect your prey!

Chris