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TaylorRayG
Posts: 5 Deckhand
Looking for Hunting Mentor
TaylorRayG
Posts: 5 Deckhand
Hello, my name is Taylor. I'm turning 30 in a couple days here and decided now's the time to get outdoors and live a more fulfilling life. My father's family is from Savanah, Georgia and we always talked about going hog and deer hunting but never did make it up there for it. I went fishing very often with my grandfather when he was around but since his passing that stopped as well. I completed the free NRA online hunter safety course and am scheduled for the FWC Hunter Safety Course Skills Day on April 14th. I'll be picking up a Bloodhound puppy from Georgia on the 24th and am looking into purchasing a Ruger American Standard .308 (open to recommendations).
Anything I've learned well was taught to me by someone with more experience and knowledge than myself. I feel this applies even more so to hunting, especially when it comes to training hounds and am looking for someone to teach me how to hunt the right way. I'm open to hunt boar, deer, gator or anything really if the opportunity presents itself. I'm currently in Miami-Dade county but am willing to travel if someone is willing to teach me.
I'm willing to follow any precautions you'd like to put in place and am more than happy to help with any lifting, loading or the like. I'm willing to listen and consider myself very teachable. I also know my way around cast iron if you'd like me to bring my 12in.
A little about me:
I'm the oldest of three siblings, we grew up in Jupiter Farms. I worked in sales for a years presenting tax software at trade shows but am now at home taking care of my 2yr old daughter. My mother teaches 3rd grade at a Catholic school and my father has been an electrician all his life; he's passed some of his knowledge on to me (this is why I believe having a mentor is the best way to learn a new skill). He's currently a Captain of the Davie Fire Department and my brother-in-law will be working alongside him there in the next few months. My sister recently became an RN and my brother works for the University of Colorado as an accountant. My Fiancé works as a purchasing agent for a well known name brand clothing company and we just had our 3yr anniversary.
I've been looking forward to going on a hunting trip since my 7th birthday but it just never happened. Time has slowly crept forward as it tends to do and now I'm 30 and still haven't gone out. I want to be able to take my daughter out one day and share real life experiences with her in the beautiful wilderness we have in Florida and hopefully many other places as well. To do that though, I need to be experienced myself and that's not the case right now. And so I have come to ask for guidance and am hoping to find an experienced mentor that can help me forward on the path.
Anything I've learned well was taught to me by someone with more experience and knowledge than myself. I feel this applies even more so to hunting, especially when it comes to training hounds and am looking for someone to teach me how to hunt the right way. I'm open to hunt boar, deer, gator or anything really if the opportunity presents itself. I'm currently in Miami-Dade county but am willing to travel if someone is willing to teach me.
I'm willing to follow any precautions you'd like to put in place and am more than happy to help with any lifting, loading or the like. I'm willing to listen and consider myself very teachable. I also know my way around cast iron if you'd like me to bring my 12in.
A little about me:
I'm the oldest of three siblings, we grew up in Jupiter Farms. I worked in sales for a years presenting tax software at trade shows but am now at home taking care of my 2yr old daughter. My mother teaches 3rd grade at a Catholic school and my father has been an electrician all his life; he's passed some of his knowledge on to me (this is why I believe having a mentor is the best way to learn a new skill). He's currently a Captain of the Davie Fire Department and my brother-in-law will be working alongside him there in the next few months. My sister recently became an RN and my brother works for the University of Colorado as an accountant. My Fiancé works as a purchasing agent for a well known name brand clothing company and we just had our 3yr anniversary.
I've been looking forward to going on a hunting trip since my 7th birthday but it just never happened. Time has slowly crept forward as it tends to do and now I'm 30 and still haven't gone out. I want to be able to take my daughter out one day and share real life experiences with her in the beautiful wilderness we have in Florida and hopefully many other places as well. To do that though, I need to be experienced myself and that's not the case right now. And so I have come to ask for guidance and am hoping to find an experienced mentor that can help me forward on the path.
Replies
My suggestion is to start small. Find the closest public lands to your home and visit them as often as you can. Get familiar with the terrain and habitat. Look at google maps of the areas you are visiting to help understand what the different foliage on maps translates to on the ground. For example, the patch on the map that looks like an open field, is likely all palmettos. Understanding what you are looking at before you get there is important for planning.
Talk to the check station attendants, FWC officers, biologists, etc., whenever you can. I always get little nuggets of knowledge from those who spend much more time on the properties then I ever could. But know some folks are tight lipped and that's ok too. Keep notes of what you saw when out. On one trip, you might see two does, a spike, and a hen with her clutch. Makes notes of what you saw, what time, date, habitat, moon phase, direction of travel, etc. Over time this will help you build a better general understanding of the area.
Yes, you can hike around and eventually you'll stumble into something but understanding the comings and goings will make harvest come that much easier. I've just started becoming successful this 4th year so know it takes time and effort. While out on the property you will meet other hunters. Chat with them when you can, if they are willing. You'll make some friends along the way; I did and continue to.
Just my $0.02
& Good luck
OP, there are a lot of leases within 2 hours of you, if you ever meet someone who is a member of one, labor for the opportunity to take a hog or small game might get you an invite.
gonna do 3 or 4 day trips hog hunting within couple hr drive of you in next couple months when areas open if you dont mind carrying a hog that is turned into a backpack on your back your invited. i will send you a message with all info when gets closer. like a few others said get a shotgun 12 gauge you can hunt everything that way. offer is good but cant promise you wont get a haircut if you fall asleep .