I have never been hunting, but I would like to start. I'm a MA resident, but I took the online course for a NH hunting license, and I'll take the test and do the field day at some point. I'll try to find a MA hunting course that fits my schedule and that isn't full, but it might be a while for that.
Ideally, I would like to hunt some deer (probably in NH, since my weapon of choice would be a rifle). I would also like to hunt some birds, which I would do with a shotgun in MA (or wherever).
That's where my knowledge stops. I know what I want to do and how to get the licenses to do it, but I don't actually know where to go. And if I can find a deer, I know how and where to shoot it, and I can read all I want about field dressing a deer, but reading and doing are different. Also, I'm used to fishing, where I fillet the fish and put it on ice before I go home. With something like deer, I'd imagine that many people bring the whole animal home and butcher it there. I live in Somerville, so I don't exactly have the facilities for working with large animals in my back yard (which doesn't exist). Are there butchers that I can bring the deer to and get them to deal with it for a reasonable fee?
So what would this community recommend for a situation like mine? Obviously it would be best to find a hunting group that I can tag along with, but are people here or elsewhere usually up for teaching someone?
Basically, what should I do?
Ideally, I would like to hunt some deer (probably in NH, since my weapon of choice would be a rifle). I would also like to hunt some birds, which I would do with a shotgun in MA (or wherever).
That's where my knowledge stops. I know what I want to do and how to get the licenses to do it, but I don't actually know where to go. And if I can find a deer, I know how and where to shoot it, and I can read all I want about field dressing a deer, but reading and doing are different. Also, I'm used to fishing, where I fillet the fish and put it on ice before I go home. With something like deer, I'd imagine that many people bring the whole animal home and butcher it there. I live in Somerville, so I don't exactly have the facilities for working with large animals in my back yard (which doesn't exist). Are there butchers that I can bring the deer to and get them to deal with it for a reasonable fee?
So what would this community recommend for a situation like mine? Obviously it would be best to find a hunting group that I can tag along with, but are people here or elsewhere usually up for teaching someone?
Basically, what should I do?