Total Beginner

[Ben_BlueOx]

Hi,

Hope you are all well. I’m 34, originally from England, where I grew up fly fishing trout with my dad. I never appreciated those times as much as I should have, and now I’m older, married, with two kids and sharing a different perspective I’m looking to get outdoors more and share some amazing adventures.

I now live in Illinois, but totally new to the hunting world. Right now I have never even held a gun. We have to start somewhere, right, so I have applied for my F.O.I.D card. I’m interested in bow & riffle. My long term goal is to hunt Elk, White tail deer, bison. My goal is for any kill to put food on the table.

I have so many questions. I look forward to reading through the different threads and getting a base knowledge.

if anybody here is also patient enough to educate a total beginner please let me know.

thanks again. I look forward to being part of the community.

 

[Jmnhunter]

Welcome Ben! You make it back to the UK much? I usually have to go 1-2 twice a year to our office in Knaresborough- North of Leeds-- I am meaning to try to find a fly fishing guide the next time I have more time out there!
You are in a great deer state. Some great resources here, I would also suggest listening to Randy's Podcast-- Hunt Talk Radio along with his shows on YouTube if you have not already!

 

[Nick87]

Welcome neighbor! Where at in Illinois?

 

[JohnCushman]

Welcome! You came to the right place.

 

[mdeerjunkie]

Welcome aboard! Hearing a elk bugle through the trees will fire you up! It’s awesome!

 

[Pucky Freak]

Welcome! Ask away with any questions you have, no matter how simple they might seem. You’ll find many people here willing to help.

 

[ZMT588]

Welcome!

 

[VikingsGuy]

Welcome.

 

[Red Fox]

welcome

 

[Ben_BlueOx]

Welcome neighbor! Where at in Illinois?

min in McHenry County so northwest suburbs about 40 mins south of Wisconsin border.

where are you located?

 

[Ben_BlueOx]

Welcome! Ask away with any questions you have, no matter how simple they might seem. You’ll find many people here willing to help.

thanks for that. I might put a list of opening questions in a DM to you if you are ok with that?

 

[Pucky Freak]

thanks for that. I might put a list of opening questions in a DM to you if you are ok with that?

Of course

 

[homers]

Welcome. Everybody starts at the beginning. Try to find someone who already is doing what you want and mentor you along the way. You can try out their guns, shoot some, get educated and handle safely.

 

[Ben_BlueOx]

I have joined this forum now and a few groups on FB, but locally I currently have no connections. My wife’s family will fish but no hunting expertise to learn under.

I’m hoping as I explore more of the scene I will get more connections.

 

[Nick87]

thanks for that. I might put a list of opening questions in a DM to you if you are ok with that?

Mchenry/kane county line.

 

[Western Traveler1]

Welcome, once everything settles you may want to find a reputable archery shop. Many let you shoot different bows or you can pay for range time with their equipment to see how you like it. Most people are surprised at how well they shoot with little training (the curve rises sharply from there ;-)

 

[Ben_BlueOx]

Mchenry/kane county line.

Wow your real close then.

What do you hunt? What equipment are you running? Do you stay in state or travel?

 

[Nick87]

Lots of ducks and geese around home. Big game in most western states. Used to whitetail hunt around home but not so much the last few years, it's not what it once was here.

 

[Ben_BlueOx]

How often do you get to go west? What are you hunting? With what?

I didn’t even think about duck. How often do you get to go out?

How/where do you process meat locally? When you go west, do you bring meat back?

 

[Nick87]

Sent u a pm