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Old August 16, 2004, 12:57 AM   #3
Smokey Joe
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 14, 2001
Location: State of Confusion
Posts: 2,106
New Hunter

First off, congratulations and welcome to another magnificent obsession. You are in for a whole series of memorable, exciting treats, not to mention expense, not to mention getting caught out in the rain, stuck in the mud or snow, falling out of boats, tramping hudreds of miles through stickerbrush on wild goose chases, and generally having the time of your life! Mr. Murphy (of Murphy's Law fame) goes along on most hunting trips, and although he doesn't qualify as an adult supervisor, he sure keeps things from getting dull!

That said, I have to say that getting started hunting is not as simple as it was when Gran'pa took a young'un out and taught him/her to shoot squirrels with the flintlock. The advice to take a Hunter Safety course is sound—If you haven't done that, do it first thing. You and your bud and your dad could make a project of it; your dad will call that "quality time" and you may relate to him in a different--better--way during and after the course. (Worked that way with my son and me when we went through the course together for his Hunter Safety cert.)

The rules vary from state to state, but the Hunter Safety course in your state will be tailored to your state's rules, so that'll get covered. Even if your dad isn't required to take the course and get a license, it would be a good thing for him to go through it with you, just so you & he are in agreement with regard to safety procedures and stuff.

It's a good time of year to think about this, as most hunter safety courses are geared to graduate the new hunters in time for the local hunting seasons, so they start around now. Your state Natural Resources dept. or a local sporting goods store should know when/where there will be Hunter Safety courses, or try surfing the Web.

You'll want to put in some range practice with the firearms you'll be using, so that the intended squirrels will actually be in some danger. The more practice the better.

Anyhow, again, welcome, and enjoy! Preparing for the hunt is part of the fun. And when you get home after, preparation for the next hunt commences!
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--Smokey Joe
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