JC-1

My son and I have discovered the fun of hunting!! I'm 37 and he's 11. <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

Well... first off - I have purchased our weapons, clothing, ammo, and we've been to a couple public dove leases here in Texas. Our ammo/bird ratio is a pathetic 3-1. Uhh... 3 BOXES to 1 bird. hehe..

How would I go about finding some experienced hunters in the Houston area to go with a couple times to get our skills up to a better performance level?? Or how would I go about learning the skills otherwise?

I'm an ex-marine so handling weapons is not a problem. I've taught my son the proper methods and safety precautions required to be safe. After that - the techniques of hunting are where I am seriously ignorant.


Thanx...

Clark

Houston, TX

Edited by - jc-1 on 09/24/2002 11:24:18

GoTres

JC, welcome to the board. I'm afraid I'm too far north to meet up with you, but I might suggest that you and your son go to the skeet range on a weekday afternoon. Weekdays are better because you stay out of the crowds, but call ahead and make sure there isn't a league shooting that night. Find a field with an experienced puller who can tell you where you're missing and what to do about it, and I would suggest two rounds for each of you. (50 targets) My first guess would be that you aren't following thru on your swing and shooting behind the birds. Explain your situation to the person behind the counter. That way they can put you on a field with good help. Improving your skills will really help you enjoy your hunting, but it will probably take a few trips to the range. Good luck.

Red Hawk

Welcome to the board I would be a hunting buddy but i am a few states East of you only bummer part <img src=icon_smile_sad.gif border=0 align=middle>

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote<font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>Live to hunt, hunt to live, be the eyes of the hawk <hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>

JC-1

Thanx guys... :-)

I did buy some clay targets and one of those hand throwers. Did a little practice and FINALLY figured out the sight picture needed for aiming a shotgun. WOHOO!!! Went from missing with three shells the first 5 or 6 clays to 3 outa 5 first shot clay kills by the end of the case. <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

Basically, I was trained on the old iron sights and a shotgun doesn't have the rear sight. Now I just have to get my reaction times a LOT faster cuz those birds don't give you the setup time a clay target does... Can't holler PULL when you're ready for 'em. hehe...

How far ahead do you shoot? On the straight-in or going away shots I'm good. The crossing shots I'm about 30%. Do you shoot right at the head? Lead 2 inches? 3 inches?




Houston, TX

ed3592

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote<font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
My son and I have discovered the fun of hunting!! I'm 37 and he's 11. <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

Well... first off - I have purchased our weapons, clothing, ammo, and we've been to a couple public dove leases here in Texas. Our ammo/bird ratio is a pathetic 3-1. Uhh... 3 BOXES to 1 bird. hehe..

How would I go about finding some experienced hunters in the Houston area to go with a couple times to get our skills up to a better performance level?? Or how would I go about learning the skills otherwise?

I'm an ex-marine so handling weapons is not a problem. I've taught my son the proper methods and safety precautions required to be safe. After that - the techniques of hunting are where I am seriously ignorant.


Thanx...

Clark

Houston, TX

Edited by - jc-1 on 09/24/2002 11:24:18
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>

ed3592

[
size=4][/size=4]<font color=red></font id=red>

&quot;FORMER MARINE??&quot;

drdan

I would second the idea of going to the skeet or sporting clays range. From what you said you are partly trying to use rifle type thinking and techniques which will mess you up shooting a shotgun. They are entirely different activities. There really shouldn't be a &quot;sight picture&quot; as such with a shotgun. If you are seeing the barrel and bead when you shoot you're doing it wrong. Some shooting instructors will take the bead off when starting a new shooter. Your head is really your rear sight and gun aligment comes from shotgun fit, not sight picture. Your attention and focus should be entirely on your target and on your movement, not on the gun at all. With a rifle the sight picture at time of firing is all important. In a shotgun having the proper movement with a gun that shoots where you are looking is what's important. Have some one watch you shoot. If you are trying to &quot;aim&quot; the shotgun your swing will be a series of starts and stops as your attention goes back and forth from barrel to target. Rifle shooters often have some things to unlearn and can have trouble letting go and just swinging and shooting. It seems at first as if you are kind of &quot;out of control&quot; when you don't aim but precision shotgun shooting comes from something else. I know it seems expensive but you might even consider a lesson from a shooting instructor to get you started right so you don't develop bad shooting habits that will be hard to break later.

As far as hunting start with your state DNR website. There is a lot to learn but fortunately you don't have learn it all to start having a ball. Welcome.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/

Bud Light

Being a Marine myself, I still get a stiffy when it comes to automatic weapons. Got some nice armament at the house but nothing fully auto for I live in IL. I am 33 with a son of 7. Same as you but 4 years earlier. My little guy likes to run the duck and goose calls while we smoke them. I have hunted all my life so am in a different boat than you. Your best bet is to start with the squirrels then move up. Locate all the public land in your area through your DNR. Learn it all and what is there. You can read all you want but nothing comes close to just getting out there and hunting something. Experience is your best teacher. Just go all you can. The little guy will aquire a lifetime of memories in just a few short years. If you haven't the knack for it, he will shortly if you just take him out. You have been trained with all the skills you need for hunting. Now you just need to learn the enemy. Everything has to eat. Everything has to drink. Everything has to sleep. Start with that in mind then you will learn some of their &quot;wants&quot; and other tendencies as you progress. Your boy will learn everything as you do but will still think you the man. He is not going to judge you for he has nothing to compare to. If we were nearer you, we would certainly help you out. And don't forget fishing. Tis the only other sport in the summer except coyote and ground hog. Speaking of hogs, you are in one of the best areas of the country to thump some pigs. 50 cal will cut them down very nicely.

Bud Light

Another thing I have to add. You are not an EX marine. Once a marine, always a marine. There was a master sgt on here a week or two ago that signed off &quot; Not as lean, not as mean. But still a marine.&quot; Pretty much sums it up but I have got leaner and learned to deal with the meaner.

JC-1

<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle> Ok... How about former active-duty marine?

UPDATE: Next time out for the doves after practicing with a hand thrower wasn't much better. <img src=icon_smile_sad.gif border=0 align=middle> So we went and tried a couple rounds of skeet this sunday.

heh... 150 rounds later... some ice for the shoulder... I learned some VALUABLE lessons! 1.) Dove loads kick SIGNIFICANTLY more than target loads. 2.) Both will nail the target.

At the end I was taggin' 15 or 16 for every 25 and was quite pleased! My son was getting about 8 - 10!! I think we're going to try doves again this weekend. Maybe then we'll finally have enough in the freezer for a BBQ!!! YUM! <img src=icon_smile_tongue.gif border=0 align=middle>


Our total take so far for this hunting season - 4 doves, 3 squirrels, and almost a ~50lb pig [piglet?] that tried to scare us to death. hehehe.. We came over the top of a gulley and heard some of the most godawfull squeeeling by the fastest moving bacon I've ever seen!! When you're looking into the trees - you don't expect to see your breakfast running into the bushes hollerin' at the top of its lungs.

On a side note - I think we also saw some turkeys. Not sure exactly.. but we decided to walk down that creek bed for a bit. I switched to slugs in my 12ga just in case we saw momma pig. A couple hundred yds later... 5 of the BIGGEST DADGUM BIRDS I've ever seen flushed on us! I only saw them for a moment before they were into the brush - but too big to be ducks... <img src=icon_smile_cool.gif border=0 align=middle>

WOHOOO!!!

Clark

Houston, TX