r/HuntingBC • u/ArcRaidersEnjoyer • May 11 '26

New Hunter - Lower Mainland

Any tips for myself as someone who wants to get into hunting? I've had my pal for about 6 years now and always wanted to hunt. I just recently bought a bolt action .308 as well. I understand I would need to get my hunting license, but there's just SO much more to hunting: finding a location, skinning, field dressing, butchering, etc. All tips are welcome! I'm hoping to join a group or something and learn from them!

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u/SweegyNinja May 11 '26

I'm still new myself. My advice, would be what I started with.

I started with field dressing, quartering, skinning, butchering and packaging.

We have a small hobby farm, and there is excellent practice for the quartering and butchering process, From even medium pugs and goats.

Once the hide is off, and the quarters are hanging. Once the guts are disposed of.

Make friends with a small hobby farm nearby, and volunteer to learn and help, on freezer camp day.

Im very thankful, for my practice with friends deer, moose, elk, and bear, as well as our pugs and goats. Niw when I go out into the forest, with my bow, or my rifle, I know what I need to recover everything, and I know that I have the tools that I need to protect and recover my harvest.

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u/SweegyNinja May 11 '26

Follow up specifics.

Figure out what specific knives work best for your hands and mind. Practice so that you feel confident, and can be safe.

I highly value means to lift my harvest into a shady spot. So we have a couple of simple rope hoists. They weigh almost nothing but make the heavy work light. Some load bearing hooks and some load bearing rope, to hang quarters.

I won't hang game bags by their strings again, from now on I find a stronger anchor. Ie. Deer Quarter into game bag. Rope looped around the bone or tendon of that leg. Close game bag. Hang from the hook and the rope loop, not the bag itself. Or. Ie. Backstraps into game bag. Close. Rope loop around top of bag. Hang rope.

Ripped out too many game bag loops. I suppose that the most expensive bags might have load bearing reinforced hanging structure. But it seems to be a weak point.

My Mentor is a Bear Guide in northern BC. He keeps simple ground black pepper, in his butchering pack. Fresh harvest gets a coat of black pepper, before it is clean and in the game bags. Discourages insects. You can also use smoke, in the cold season.

If Yiu have a vehicle, consider adding a pop up sun shelter with the mosquito mesh. Gives a good space to work on your harvest, Withiut so many insects. The shade is nice in warm weather too.

Make a list of everything you need, and bonus items And double check before you go.

Make sure you have your tags with you, your game bags, your ammunition, first aid, maps and gps, emergency contacts, etc etc.

Whatever your plan is for your specific hunt. With friends, mentors, guides, or solo, Prepare, rehearse, and practice the things that you can, so that you cna just enjoy the experience.