Total Beginner
 

Hello, and thanks in advance.
I tried looking for information on the net but didn't really find anything.
I never hunted before and I want to start.
here's the story:
I'm an American citizen, yet I never lived there (my mother was American and she moved to Holland)
so I don't really have any address, (my mother's state was New York)
(Is it possible for me to buy a firearm? (taken into account that I'm not moving to the states in the near time ))
What would be the process to start hunting?
Thanks a lot.

For starters....attend a hunters qualification program --- that is --- if it's required in your state of residence.

Welcome aboard! Sounds like an interesting adventure you've been living. We have a member (Mudderchuck) who used to live in California and has now lived in Germany for quite some time. He could probably give you a lot of comparison information for European countries versus America in both hunting and living.

In general, each state sets its' own hunting laws and regulations. Some federal laws can apply on federal lands. It would help if you could narrow down what state you hope to move to someday. All states have a required hunter safety program (to be eligible to get a hunting license) where you can learn a lot of good information and make some good contacts.

It would also be helpful to know what kind of game you're considering hunting, such as big game like deer, bear hogs, small game like rabbits, squirrels, varmints like Rock Chucks, etc., predators like fox, coyote, lions or different birds like ducks, geese, pheasant, quail, etc. You can hunt them all but it helps to get more precise answers if you're only interested in hunting birds for instance and say just birds. Hopefully this is helpful.

do you have dual citizen ship, meaning are you considered an american citizen or not, and NOT maybe just had been born here? there are rules sin which one must do to KEEP citizen ship of a country! or as far as I know there is!
??
as if not, I doubt you qualify to BUY a firearm in the USA,, in order to BUY a firearm in the USA< most ALL legal paperwork requires a LEGAL address in the USA!, and [pending the type of firearm you wish to buy, it can be based on if possible based on WHAT state you reside in!

however, if you OWN a firearm in your current country, you can many times BRING that into the USA for hunting purposes as long as it meets legal status in the firearms rules
, would be just like USA citizens traveling to other countries to hunt and bringing there firearm with them!
you have to go thru the proper channels and paperwork to do so!


HOWEVER
maybe it would be easier to start ARCHERY HUNTING< a lot less hassle than working with a firearm! in all aspects from travel and such! but again, every country has its own rules on what the consider a WEAPON these days! and has travel restrictions based on them! so be back to proper paperwork needing to be filled out and carried!

and you will get a LOT more help if you narrow down what species you wish to hunt and WHERE you would like to hunt it
and, are you at LEAST over the AGE of 21?
next once you narrow down a species and then a STATE in which you wish to hunt, you can go forward with contacting that states game dept and finding out what rules and documents you will need to be able to hunt there
MOST all places require a hunter education card, but being from another country, you MIGHT have to pass a like course here when you get here before you can BUY a lic and tags, OR possibly if you have something LIKE it where your at, they MIGHT allow what hunter safety training you have be allowed, if its up to that states criteria

as is your asking a rather black question and it will be very hard to answer as such with any REAL better help than WHAT IF"S!

also, does your MOTHER have dual citizen ship, if you were NOT born in the USA
as if NOT, I doubt you qualify at all as being a USA citizen here!
just cause one USED to be USA citizen, doesn't mean they stay so for life!
moving to another country, you can give up your rights to a previous country!

I'll be clearer
 

For those wondering, I have dual citizenship (American and Dutch) and I have an American passport (although it expired a long time ago)
I was thinking of hunting Turkey in Upper State New York.
I'm 19 and I have no weapon or hunting license in Holland.
Thanks for all the replies but basically I cant start any process if I don't even
know which state I'm a resident of.
if any one has any idea what the process is I'll appreciate it very much
Thanks.

Here's a couple of links to New York State's Division of Fish and Wildlife. Your question is an unusual one and one that most of us would probably not have any personal experience with. I would guess that what you propose is possible but don't know for sure. If you contact New York's DFW (Division of Fish and Wildlife), they should be able to answer that question for you.

https://www.dec.ny.gov/permits/6094.html
https://www.dec.ny.gov/about/634.html

You cannot consider yourself a resident without establishing residency in whichever State you choose. However, most if not all States allow for non-resident hunting. Residents generally get first choice in lottery permit drawings. And, non-resident fees are generally more than resident fees.

I recommend studying the NY regulations first and foremost. You may find an outfitter who will guide you and provide land access.

Going be time consuming and potentially costly. If you are serious, it will be well worth it. Nothing much more exciting than calling a gobbling male turkey into range and successfully harvesting it.

I still and NOT trying to be a jerk here or likes, , question your dual citizenship status
as the way it typically works, there is a LOT of paperwork that has to be done every so often to upkeep this status, as if your mother didn;t upkeep filling out these forms and filling proper paperwork after about 6 yrs lkiving in "X" country NON USA" they will loose there citizen ship and become one of the country they live in!
this would also effect your status
its NOT once an American your ALWAYS one like deal

MY suggestion to you is go to your LOCAL USA embassy, there should be one some where in your Country! there are one in every country I am aware of
THEY will give you proper current correct info
as till you know this info, planning anything with any hunting,m will be a waste of time and energy!!

you must be 18+ yrs of age to BUY a shotgun in the USA and you MUST have USA address and or ID that proves your a resident of the USA

SO< again, till you can PROVE your status, which a USA Embassy can help you with, , your just spinning your wheels on what you can or cannot do , IF you plan to go down the deal as CLAIMING to be a USA resident(and not saying either way you are or are not)

NOW if you wish to hunt just as a citizen of your HOME country, you can also hunt this way and disregard any USA citizen ship status all together
this route again, you need to contact, game depts in states your considering and and finding out what steps you have to go thru, passport, age, hunting safety course ,proof of having taken one they will accept and honor, , and then the traveling with a weapon, to and from your country to here and back, which will have its own set of rules and will have to be declared at entrance to the USA and also, leaving your home country!

you can ALSO< try contacting some LARGER hunting guide services, they MIGHT be able to offer some better possible experiences with others traveling abroad to hunt with them, but I do NOT know of many that honestly come from other country's to hunt in NY State, its NOT a trophy state to be honest and most that travel far and spend the $$ to do so, tend to go to more trophy minded states!
a simple search of B&C records will list top states, adn you can then try contacting outfitters in these states for maybe any info they can offer on any hunters they have had that came from other countries, maybe they can shed some hands on experiences here for you

but IMO< your asking a lot of things without knowing for sure a LOT of YOUR side info that is a MUST know part of this trip
I again am NOT trying to deter you here, just saying, it sounds like your not up to date with what YOU are as for citizenship and how that works and without knowing this part, the rest doesn't matter to be honest,a s till you know the status of things on YOU 100%< you cannot really go forward on planning a trip!
if you follow me here
I again best advice, is get to BOTH your country's Embassy, and a USA embassy in YOUR country and find out what things are 100% and what steps are needed to START planning a hunt out of country!

before doing this I am going to throw this out just in case<
MAKE sure you talk to your MOM first!
as again, there are LEGAL things she is/was supposed to be doing when living abroad, that if she did correctly, OK< if she didn';t?? However, MIGHT get her into trouble, possible tax issue's and or other things

you can do a simple search on the world wide web, about HOW to live abroad as a USA citizen for long periods of time and you will find , like I stated above, there are steps that HAD to been done to keep USA citizen ship, if she didn't, then that VOIDS her ties to the USA as a citizen and that will also void your's!
this is open basic info , NOT hard to find with looking!

SO again, your status is questionable IMO here, and till you get that found out 100% for sure
you never going to get correct answers

and last, the info here in a FORUM< is NOT the info you want to plan your trip with, as we do NOT do this stuff for a living and any BAD info here and you follow it, can get YOU in legal troubles!
so, talk to officials, at embassy's, and then game dept,'s then government status and such, so you DON"T end up in jail or like troubles!

Did this guy get scared off? I wish I had seen this post earlier. There is hunting in the Netherlands for waterfowl, rabbits and other game birds. I know he expressed interest in turkeys in upper NY state.

He should have been directed to take a "hunter safety course", if not in the Netherlands then in Germany. Then, he can make arrangements to hunt turkeys in NY. I can't imagine that a guide wouldn't have a gun to loan him. All that deal about citizenship and firearms ownership took his question down the wrong road.

The jist of message should have gone something like ..."You want to hunt? Great! No gun? No worries. We'll find one you can borrow for now."