where do I start...?

[SHOT1]

hey all,

I'm fairly new here, I would love to try my hand at hunting around here. i live in metairie, I have no gear, no gun... nothing....

Where do I start?
Is there a hunting club in/around new orleans?
What's the nearest place to go hunting out here? You will ask "hunt what?" and frankly I don't care... I hear there's a wild boar overpopulation, so maybe try my hand at that?!

I do have friends with 12 and 20 gauge shotguns and a 4-wheeler...

So really, any and all suggestions are welcome and would be greatly appreciated. I know... I have a lot of homework to do.

 

[Bearco]

If you do not know how to handle and shoot firearms, then I would suggest taking a class to learn before heading out. You will need to take a LA hunter education class before you are able to purchase a license. The Hunter Education class will teach you safety, but it is not designed to teach you how to operate different guns.

After taking the classes, the best way to learn is to tag along with someone who can teach you the ropes of before, during, and after the hunt.

I would not start with hogs, but probably squirrel. You will have better success with smaller game in the beginning, allowing you to learn more while doing it. There are plenty of public hunting areas in south LA.


Hunter ED Classes --> http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/hunting/education/
Hunter ED class schedules --> http://my.register-ed.com/event/studentchooseevent

 

[SHOT1]

hey, thanks a bunch! That's a lot of great advise. I will start with the classes for sure.
Why would hogs be a bad idea? I heard they are, or can be, aggressive. Is that why?

So who hunts around these parts? Anyone out in my neck of the woods know of a local club or a group that go hunting?

What is typically hunted around here?
What kind of equipment would I need to start?

I know that's a lot of questions. I'm just trying to get a pretty good idea of what's what.

One of my friends says "we can grab my AR and the 4 wheeler and..." I'm just not so sure that's a good idea... lol! I have a lot to learn.

 

[Bearco]

Most hogs around here are feral pigs and will run from you must faster than at you. Hunting something like squirrel is only a way to ease into it while learning traits like moving through the woods unnoticed. It will also give you a chance to look at animal patterns and sign. Most of the time during normal conditions, you can always come home with dinner when hunting tree rats. Unless you are hunting a overpopulated area where hogs are not nocturnal, then you might go a couple years before eating dinner.

There are many lands that you could shoot them on every trip, but unfortunately, I do not hunt on any of those. Maybe someone else can chime in on the public lands on the south shore and how easy it is to shoot hogs on them. I used to hunt Pearl River WMA and I would shoot one or two hogs per year.

Typically hunted? Deer, hogs, doves, ducks, squirrels, turkey, rabbit, and many more (in no particular order).

The equipment all depends on what you plan to hunt. Your basics would be the correct type of firearm/ammo and patience.

 

[electrode1998]

the hunter education classes are very good for new hunters and some old ones could use them too. It is law that anyone born after 1969 take the class, pass the class, and must carry their card as well as their hunting licence on them at all times while hunting.

My daughter carries hers even when we are not hunting, but just doing our prep work for hunting season. This prep work takes several trips a year, but is well worth the effort come hunting season.


Step one is definetly take the class and take it early, they fill up quick!!!

 

[SHOT1]

thanks guys, this is very helpful. I will start with the classes and then go from there, hopefully i'll run into some people that hunt in southern LA and if not i guess i'll figure it out. I'll just have to talk my friends into taking the classes too.