Signed up for hunting education course!

[The Freethinker]

My state's laws require that those who seek hunting permits/licenses take a state-sanctioned hunting education course. Fortunately, this course is free of charge, as are the downloadable materials (workbooks and videos) which must be read, completed, and watched before the actual class.

The course will be hands-on; ammunition and weapons will provided, as I do not (yet) own long guns.

I'm excited! I've wanted to go deer hunting for a while and now, with winter around the corner, I've secured the steps to obtain legal authorization from my state to hunt.

Now, my questions are... in addition to the actual weapon & ammunition, clothing to wear for winter weather, binoculars, a scope, a knife for dressing the deer, what other items have you deer hunters invested in or found handy to have when hunting?

 

[Matthew5]

Be prepared for a rather boring class. hehe It was for me anyway, but I grew up hunting.

Depending on where you're hunting, I always carry a side arm for safety (check your local laws on this). We've had reports of a mountain lion in my county and I'd rather be safe with my Kimber .45.

A range finder can also be useful. When you're out scouting locations, stand at your deer stand/blind and pick objects in the distance and measure them. That way when it comes time to sight in your deer, you can know the yardage and adjust accordingly.

 

[pcosmar]

Wow,,memories.
I think I took that course around 1972.

 

[Matthew5]

I remember taking the shooting portion and I had a co-worker who had signed up with me. He shot a 0/10. I told him to never invite me hunting. lol

 

[Anti Federalist]

My state's laws require that those who seek hunting permits/licenses take a state-sanctioned hunting education course. Fortunately, this course is free of charge, as are the downloadable materials (workbooks and videos) which must be read, completed, and watched before the actual class.

The course will be hands-on; ammunition and weapons will provided, as I do not (yet) own long guns.

I'm excited! I've wanted to go deer hunting for a while and now, with winter around the corner, I've secured the steps to obtain legal authorization from my state to hunt.

Now, my questions are... in addition to the actual weapon & ammunition, clothing to wear for winter weather, binoculars, a scope, a knife for dressing the deer, what other items have you deer hunters invested in or found handy to have when hunting?

Coffee, and lots of it.

Damn, enjoy.

I used to have a place on the water on Barneget Bay in NJ. I kept a hunting buddy's boat right at my dock, already loaded and ready to go.

Just grab some shotguns and coffee, you could be hunting in 30 minutes from the time you threw the lines off.

Messing around with boats and guns on a crisp late/fall early winter morning.

Damn. Have been in years...miss it.

 

[Zachary]

terribly disheartening libertarians are so fervent about slaughtering helpless animals.

 

[BamaAla]

Where will you be hunting, and will you be using a tree stand? Best of luck to you, but fair warning: hunting is at least 5 times more addictive than heroin!

 

[KCIndy]

terribly disheartening libertarians are so fervent about slaughtering helpless animals.

But they taste so yummy! I'll take a bison burger over a carrot stick anytime.

 

[Matthew5]

terribly disheartening libertarians are so fervent about slaughtering helpless animals.

Sorry you feel that way. What's your dietary choice in life?

 

[The Freethinker]

terribly disheartening libertarians are so fervent about slaughtering helpless animals.

Liberty includes eating that which we see fit, and hunting was a tradition brought on by our forefathers who fought, bled, and even died to establish liberty from the yoke of the English monarch.

If I do ever kill a deer, it will not be a slaughter. I may not even have taken the course, let alone have gone on a hunting outing, but I already know that every true sportsman's objective is to treat the animal with respect - a clean one-shot kill and only if necessary a dispatch shot. Likewise, when the animal is to be dressed, the carcass is to be treated with dignity - it must be kept clean, cool, and dry, and it must be handled in a way that does not disgrace it. It must not be paraded nor exposed needlessly, so as not to offend the non-hunting public, and it must not be tossed around nor disrespected. When butchered/filleted, the carcass must be treated with professionalism, which means: skinned quickly, with parts not to be used quickly and discreetly disposed of, and the meat properly cut and packaged for later consumption.

Slaughtering an animal would be taking its life for no other reason than sadism, and leaving it to die a slow and undignified death. That's not sportsmanship. Please don't confuse sadistic murder with legal and ethical hunting, which also benefits the habitat by assisting in the control of wildlife population.

 

[The Freethinker]

Where will you be hunting, and will you be using a tree stand? Best of luck to you, but fair warning: hunting is at least 5 times more addictive than heroin!

In my state, in New Jersey. Probably use a tree stand.

 

[oyarde]

Coffee, and lots of it.

Damn, enjoy.

I used to have a place on the water on Barneget Bay in NJ. I kept a hunting buddy's boat right at my dock, already loaded and ready to go.

Just grab some shotguns and coffee, you could be hunting in 30 minutes from the time you threw the lines off.

Messing around with boats and guns on a crisp late/fall early winter morning.

Damn. Have been in years...miss it.

Yes , hard to give up ...

 

[specsaregood]

Wow,,memories.
I think I took that course around 1972.

I took at in junior high in the 80's. We were told to bring our guns to school....

Edit: to the OP, go get em! We have way too many deer here in NJ, you are doing a public service.

 

[Pericles]

TX is good to its vets. We don't have to take the shooting and gun safety part of the course, as it is assumed that every veteran is adequately armed and ready to go.

 

[Icymudpuppy]

Alway useful to learn the basics of a survival skill.

 

[The Freethinker]

This got postponed to early December, but it will happen.

 

[The Freethinker]

This got postponed to early December, but it will happen.

It got postponed to this month!... I decided to postpone for various reasons. But in 10 days I will finally take the course. It's offered free of charge by my state. I will brush up on the materials.

After I have taken it I will know if hunting is for me. I have not historically been an outdoors type of person but shotgun hunting intrigues me; it's a skill I think would be both useful and cool to learn; and, I'll admit, I want to eat venison. Thankfully shotguns aren't the most expensive firearms (not for what I'd use it for).

So we'll see - this time I AM TAKING THE CLASS.