Chapter 7 Hunting
Some people might find the idea of hunting to be offensive. If so, I hope those who do are vegetarians. Meat-eaters who oppose hunting are kind of a contradiction in my opinion!
I like knowing that my 'meat' spent it's life wild and free in it's own habitat. It's my hope that it doesn't even know I'm there when I pull the trigger. I believe that it's healthy and natural to eat meat along with fruits, vegetables, and grains, and I still get along with my vegetarian friends!
Some animals only eat plants, others eat other animals. It's part of the food chain, and as humans, we're at the top of it. The meat on my plate might come from my own chicken pen or up on the mountain somewhere. It might have died by my ax, or by a bullet from my rifle.
If hunting is going to be part of your food self-sufficiency the first thing you need to do is to become thoroughly familiar with your state's game laws. Getting this information is as simple as going online to the website of whatever agency oversees hunting in your state, or to a sporting goods store or the sporting goods department of places like Wal-mart, and picking up the free booklet for that year's hunts and the related laws and regulations.
Selecting the rifle or bow for your hunt of choice is going to be a personal matter. If you have no knowledge or experience in this area be sure to find qualified people to give you guidance. In most cases it's not wise to simply buy a firearm and head out in the woods to hunt. Go to a firing range and become familiar with it.
Same thing with a bow. Practice with a target in a safe area, preferably with an experienced person with you to give you tips and show you techniques.
Take a hunter's education or hunter safety class. They're usually offered by whatever department handles hunting and wildlife in your state. Some places offer classes just for women, and some just for kids.
The clothing you need doesn't have to be as complicated as the wonderful gear you see depicted in magazines and catalogs. Sometimes all you need to meet the requirement is a cheap blaze-orange vest.
You might like to buy camo clothing or other hunting clothes, and that's fine. But don't let not being able to afford those things stop you from hunting. I have some nice camo hunting clothes but sometimes I just throw the orange vest over blue jeans and a t-shirt and go hunting.
Dress appropriately for the weather and plan for changes in the weather. Speaking of which, check the weather before you head out. Carry emergency supplies, even if it's as little as a foil space blanket in one pocket, and matches or lighter in another pocket. You probably already plan to have a knife with you.
Take time to read a good wilderness survival book and a first-aid book. Let someone know where you're going and when you'll be back. Then be sure to let the person know when you get back. Don't just go home and put the teakettle on and leave them to wonder if you're still out there, lost in the dark.
Study the terrain where you plan to hunt. Get maps, or go to the library or forest service office and look at maps. Go to Google Earth and look over the area, especially if you're not familiar with it.
If you're new at hunting, see if you can find a mentor. A lot of hunters are happy to teach others the skill. Some aren't and want to protect not only their hunting ground but also their methods. But don't be afraid to ask.
Go to the library and read hunting magazines. You can buy and/or subscribe to them, but if you're trying to be careful with your money and you're not sure hunting is something for you, the library is a great free source.
When you buy your hunting license ask about extra tags. Sometimes you can get a second one good for another deer, usually specifically a doe or a buck. Different zones in our state have different numbers of how many deer tags an individual can get. In some zones we're only allowed one, but we might be able to drive 50 miles or so and get up to 4 more tags per person. It changes every year according to how many deer are in an area.
Don't forget that meat can be canned too, not just frozen. That frees up concerns about freezer space! Jerky is another favorite that you can learn how to make.
Butchering a deer isn't much different from butchering a chicken. It's just bigger and takes longer. If you've ever cut up a supermarket chicken you can probably cut up a deer or other game animal. You might have to take some time to get into the mindset, but it's doable.
Hunting isn't all about big game like deer and elk. It's also about rabbits, squirrels, and wild birds such as grouse, pheasants, partridges, and turkeys. A squirrel might have to become part of stew or a stir fry, and the same is true of other small game. With grouse we filet off the breasts and make excellent fried 'chicken' with them, then boil up the rest of the bones and meat, debone it, and make grouse and dumplings. Two meals for two people out of a small bird!
Check out the possibility of “nuisance” hunting. This is animals that are deemed a nuisance, such as wild hogs in some areas, and often can be hunted without a license or quotas. In Nevada coyotes and jackrabbits don't require a license, whether you're a resident or not. I'd have to be pretty hungry to eat a coyote, but I'd give jackrabbit a try.
Where to hunt? Public land is the easiest. National Forest and BLM (Bureau of Land Management) are usually open to the public. In areas where there isn't much public land you might have to ask around and find a land owner who will let you hunt. I've heard it can be pretty tough in some areas, and some land owners will charge for the privilege.
You might have to do some research and ask a lot of questions in order to get set up with a place to hunt.
Learning to hunt, even if you don't pursue it actively at this time, can save your life if times get hard or a disaster or other terrible event happens to disrupt your regular sources of food.