First Time Hunting

The trials and tribulations of the great outdoors.
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Skoll
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First Time Hunting

Post by Skoll »

If I wanted to learn how to hunt and hunt hog down here in South FL, how would I go about learning correctly? Are there any good guides for beginners out there, or obscure laws FWC has?
"The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted."
rug357
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Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2018 3:03 pm
Location: P. Pines, FL

Post by rug357 »

See if you can find somebody in your area who will let you tag along.
You can't learn hunting on TV or watching computer...you gotta get out and just do it. When you put some time into and actually doing it then it starts tocome together. The big problem in South FL is finding a place to go out and do it as there is not much public land left and what is available can be quite busy and full of a$$h01e$. In Florida wild hogs on private property is considered livestock and regulated as such...not as game animal.
In the meantime, go out and learn to shoot accurately from different positions.
You may not be of my flesh and blood, but you are of my heart and soul.

Do not mistaken my kindness for weakness.
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Skoll
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Location: New Mexico, formerly WPB

Post by Skoll »

I'll have to look into that. I only really know two people down here that have done it. One I don't like much, the other is a lolbertarian.
"The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted."
rug357
Posts: 348
Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2018 3:03 pm
Location: P. Pines, FL

Post by rug357 »

Some suggestions...
If you were born on or after June 1, 1975 you'll have to take Hunter Safety Course to hunt on public land. It's usually a 3 day course (used to be 3 anyway) offered free to public by FWC. It's a lot of boring stuff but there are also a lot of good information in the course and you can make some good contacts with other people there as they have same interest in hunting. BTW you can use the course to fulfill the education requirement when applying for your FL CCW license.

Go to myfwc.com website and pull up brochures for WMAs in your area...they have brochures for each WMA. It will have all the regulations and seasons for that WMA along with a map. Not all WMA have same regulations/rules/seasons so you'll have to learn about each one you are interested in. You can also buy your hunting license on the website.

Check local sporting good stores to see if they have any free hunting clinics. I know BassPro in Dania has a week where they teach about various hunting methods and tip...while trying to sell you stuff. Other store may have something too.

You can spend about $250 and go on a canned hog hunt to see if you want to continue hunting. It's not for everyone so you'll want to know before you start spending money on it.

Finally, go out and develop your shooting skill. Learn to shoot standing, sitting, prone, etc. No matter how good you are at the range you won't be that good in the field when you have the rush of stress, adrenaline and buck or hog fever when the game in in your sight.

Again, it's not something you can learn on TV or on youtube...you just have to go out and do it.
You may not be of my flesh and blood, but you are of my heart and soul.

Do not mistaken my kindness for weakness.
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Skoll
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Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2018 2:39 pm
Location: New Mexico, formerly WPB

Post by Skoll »

I'll have to look at that when I have more time. I already have my CCW so that's no problem. I'd have to get 5 round mags for my rifles or just use my Mosim I assume, for actual "canned" hunting.

Deffo going to look up hunting clinics, thanks for the advice.
"The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted."
rug357
Posts: 348
Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2018 3:03 pm
Location: P. Pines, FL

Post by rug357 »

For the canned hog hunt you can legally use any size mag and any kind of ammo.
Doesn't mean 30 round AR mag stuffed with 62gr FMJ is ideal...just that it's not illegal.
You may not be of my flesh and blood, but you are of my heart and soul.

Do not mistaken my kindness for weakness.
Keith
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Post by Keith »

P.S. You can do hunter safety totally online now. If you have your CWP you don’t even have to do the shooting portion of the class. So you can literally do the whole thing from home.
Cubanstang50
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Location: West palm beach

Post by Cubanstang50 »

Are you afraid of the dark and walking the woods alone in the dark lol? Are you afraid of animals in the dark? Do you have a truck and a handheld gps? This is a good start. I am a duck hunter but do attempt to deer, hog and turkey hunt throughout the year. You have to spend time in the woods and not be afraid to be alone. I enjoy going alone. Corbett's is a good start no lie. Plenty of land but go during the week and get lost so you learn the terrain. Yea its easy to pay 150-200 bucks and shoot a hog but you dont learn shit from it. Public land is hard and forget about getting on private land unless you got a friend with some. Go to myfwc.com and look up the wma's in the south. Look at the map. Then use google satellite map to see the area and plan a route.
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Skoll
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Post by Skoll »

Cubanstang50 wrote: Fri Jul 20, 2018 5:36 pm Are you afraid of the dark and walking the woods alone in the dark lol? Are you afraid of animals in the dark? Do you have a truck and a handheld gps? This is a good start. I am a duck hunter but do attempt to deer, hog and turkey hunt throughout the year. You have to spend time in the woods and not be afraid to be alone. I enjoy going alone. Corbett's is a good start no lie. Plenty of land but go during the week and get lost so you learn the terrain. Yea its easy to pay 150-200 bucks and shoot a hog but you dont learn shit from it. Public land is hard and forget about getting on private land unless you got a friend with some. Go to myfwc.com and look up the wma's in the south. Look at the map. Then use google satellite map to see the area and plan a route.
Would a cell phone GPS work? I've been to Corbett's before and had a good signal there. I do have a truck although I still have to get the suspension fixed, it is a 4x4. I want to learn how to hunt properly and dress game and I recognize a canned hunt probably isn't going to show me which is why I made this thread. I wouldn't be surprised if there are other people on this board who are also interested in learning and have never been.
"The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted."
Cubanstang50
Posts: 268
Joined: Fri Jul 20, 2018 4:14 pm
Location: West palm beach

Post by Cubanstang50 »

Skoll wrote: Sat Jul 21, 2018 2:54 pm
Cubanstang50 wrote: Fri Jul 20, 2018 5:36 pm
Would a cell phone GPS work? I've been to Corbett's before and had a good signal there. I do have a truck although I still have to get the suspension fixed, it is a 4x4. I want to learn how to hunt properly and dress game and I recognize a canned hunt probably isn't going to show me which is why I made this thread. I wouldn't be surprised if there are other people on this board who are also interested in learning and have never been.
I have Verizon Samsung phone, corbett signal is spotty at alot of places there. Download "onxhunt" app. I pay the yearly fee cause it has tracking and map area download so you can download an area prior and switch it to offline when you dont have signal. Its 30 bucks for the year if am not mistaking. I also use a "Garmin gps 64s" red one. I love this gps. It is very easy to use and its 200 bucks. Corbett is a good place to learn. I have seen all game there but like it always happens you cant shoot them cause its out of season when ever you have trying to harvest a different type of game. Lol
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