FRESH PERSPECTIVE
Valuable lessons for new hunters, from someone who still remembers what it’s like to head afield for the first time
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Bowhunting opens up your options#3 GET A BOW
Not surprisingly, most people equate hunting with firearms. That means many first-time hunters spend months waiting for the government to complete all the necessary checks to be issued a Possession and Acquisition Licence. That included me. What no one told me was how much quicker and easier it was to start hunting with a bow. Eventually, I realized you don’t need a special licence to buy or own a bow. I also discovered that, in my region, more bow tags are available over the counter, so you don’t need to worry about being drawn.
In many parts of the country, archery season also opens before the general season, and often ends later. In my case, bowhunting has extended my season by up to two months in some management areas, and I’ve been able to immediately purchase tags that would have taken five or more years to get if I’d planned to hunt with a rifle. Sure, archery hunting is more challenging given how much closer you must get to your quarry, but the skills you learn will also help you become a better rifle hunter.
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#4 GO PUBLIC
Asking for permission to hunt on private land comes easily to some people, but not everyone. I’m in the latter camp, and as a result, I’ve lost a few good years of hunting because I didn’t have access to land—or so I thought. I grew up in southern Ontario, where large tracks of huntable public land are uncommon. So, when I relocated to Alberta, I didn’t realize how much opportunity was waiting for me until I started hiking and exploring the backcountry. Add in land that’s privately owned, but publicly accessible, such as conservation sites, and there’s even less reason to fret over asking for permission. In fact, 89 per cent of Canada is crown land. If you’re a new hunter, use it.
When searching for public land to hunt, there are several helpful resources. One is the iHunter app, which shows the locations of accessible crown land. Also check out organizations such as the Nature Conservancy of Canada and Ducks Unlimited Canada, which allow hunting on some conservation lands. And for a complete guide to hunting crown land, see “Go public” in Outdoor Canada’s Fall 2024 issue.