For me, I chose knowledge but think maybe a new category should be added. I've taken steps for the knowledge piece. I took an amazingly well done hunter education course over the course of a number of days (and made my wife come along, its surprisingly sexy when she can identify what kind of action is on a rifle) and I have read "The Beginner's Guide to Hunting Deer for Food"http://www.amazon.com/Beginners-Guide-H ... r+for+food (great resource, would recommend). I've also tried to watch a bunch of Youtube videos about how to field dress a deer. I'm planning to buy a bolt action Remington 700 30-06 and my goal is to get some practice with that at a range nearby.
While I think I've learned a lot, my biggest barrier is lack of a mentor. All the book-learning in the world is no substitute for going hunting with a seasoned, well-trained hunter to learn all the pieces hands on. I grew up in a family that doesn't hunt and I live in an urban area where none of my friends or colleagues hunt. So, while I'd love to learn, its finding someone who is patient, professional, and doesn't mind showing a newb the ropes that has been the hard part. The problem is compounded by the fact that so many of the groups that are into hunting are just too damn politicized for the right wing. I don't want to do a hunting tour thing because 1) its expensive 2) it doesnt seem like they are designed around beginners. Learning what to wear, where to go, how to scout, how to field dress, how to get it home, staying legal, etc. all can probably be learned through enough reading but going with someone and doing it just seems like the best way to learn.
With that said, there are some knowledge pieces that have been somewhat elusive for me. The biggest is where to hunt. This wasn't covered in hunter education. I found this site: http://huntwashingtonstate.com/ which seems like a great resource as far as listing areas. The big question is: can I hunt on any state-owned land that doesn't specifically prohibit it? I'm in law school, so I suppose I could put some serious time into learning all this but maybe its an easily answered question
.Thanks for starting this thread, its great to see that others who don't come from hunting backgrounds have 'made it.'
Unless said amphibians threaten me with grievous bodily injury or death, in which case they feel the full wrath of my 9mm mall-ninja fury (regenerate this, mother#%*@ers!!!).
Some of these bozos hunt "black deer" (angus cows) by mistake and there is nothing like the thrill of seeing buzzards circling your heard and seeing a dead $5000 breeding or seed stock cow on the ground with a bullet hole in it.
