Workshop Overview
EatWild invites you to participate in a three-day field skills development workshop at the Singing Lands Ranch in the heart of BC’s Grassland country. Participants will have the opportunity to learn and practice the necessary field skills to have the knowledge and confidence to become successful hunters. Singing Lands Ranch offers an amazing place to experience and learn about wildlife and their habitat.
Our goal is to ensure that HFSW Graduates have a systematic approach to finding game, the basic skills to confidently harvest an animal, and have the knowledge to take care of their harvest. This is a comprehensive field skills course. Participants will have the opportunity to build skills in orienteering, finding game, habitat identification, stalking game, basic hunting methods, field butchering, field shooting, hunting camp set up, and much much more.
Workshop Location
The Hunter Field Skills Workshop is held @ Singing Lands Ranch, Deadman Valley.
When You Arrive / Agenda
You must arrive on the evening before Day 1 of the workshop. You are welcome to arrive anytime during the afternoon. Feel free to arrive early and get to know Singing Lands Ranch and lend a hand as we prepare for the workshop. There will be a pot of stew on the fire, so you can count on being fed whenever you pull in. Please try to arrive before 10pm if possible so we are all well rested for an early start. This means leaving Vancouver before 4pm! The workshop begins at 8am on Day 1. If you know that you will arrive past 10pm, please let us know and we will give you specific directions to where your bunk is. We will get checked-in and enjoy an evening around the campfire.
Breakfast and EatWild workshop orientation:
- Overview of course and field exercises
- The foundations of hunting – “Keeping it legal and safe”
- Overview of where you can go hunting in BC and what you can hunt for
Morning field exercises:
- Learn to get around in wilderness - orienteering with map, compass, and GPS
- Get to know the land – understanding terrain and habitat
- Finding wildlife - understanding animal behaviour and spotting animals
Afternoon Field Exercise:
- Learn hunting techniques – still hunting, blinds, and tree stands
- Find a spot to build a blind – evening hunt with a camera
After dark we will be hosted in the lodge for a gourmet EatWild dinner. Dinner will include a variety of BC harvested food including elk, wild mushrooms, and wild salmon. Dinner will be follow by a short review of course content and field exercises.
Morning field exercise:
- Learning to hunt with a mentor. Sneaking around and finding deer
- Survival and safety – emergency shelter, building fires, and calling for help
- Setting up a hunting camp
Afternoon field exercises:
- Field dressing and handling game
- Butchering
Dinner, just like Saturday night but most likely we will eat halibut! Slide show on wildlife identification, habitat assessment and terrain assessment.
Daybreak:
- Go for a hunt with a camera!
- Head out on your own and find a deer. Take a picture to share with the group
Late breakfast
Firearm safety and shooting practice:
- Learn to shoot and build confidence with firearms
- Learn about firearm safety and range etiquette
- Field shooting exercises
- Safe transport and firearms storage
- Gun care and cleaning
Late Lunch
Share a few pictures from the week and head home!
What Folks Are Saying About The Hunter Field Skills Workshop
"Fuckin' A! No, seriously.... I will tell anyone that will listen, EatWild was an INCREDIBLE experience."
"Magic and learning. I left keen for my own experiences, but also wishing there were further follow up workshops like this I could sign up for. The course reminds us where we come from, what we are missing in our workaday lives, who we are in nature and how important it is to make time for storytelling and intergenerational experience. And please please let Erin know this - she's a fabulous host, and makes the ranch feel like home. I walked away feeling like a kid with a big old crush on both EatWild/ the workshop and Erin/ Singing Lands."
"I knew little about the skills hunting actually requires before coming to EatWild. Dylan and the rest of the crew didn't care, they gave patient and clear instruction. The EatWild weekend was the highlight of my 2 week vacation."
"The course gave me what I did not think was possible, the confidence to successfully hunt and prepare an animal in a respectful and ethical manner. The first-hand knowledge available to me was incredible and I would recommend this course to anyone with a passion for the hunter gatherer lifestyle."
"I have come out of this workshop feeling prepared to get out and hunt on my own. This has played an important part in my chances of success as an ethical hunter. Thanks Everyone!"
Upcoming Hunter Field Skills Workshop Dates
Registration and Costs
We are offering our Hunter Field Skills Workshop for an introductory rate of $890 / person. This includes 3 nights accommodation, all meals, field guide, and course instruction. This is a unique opportunity to be in a spectacular place, eat amazing food, and learn everything you need to know to be a successful hunter.
We highly encourage carpooling and help to organize this closer to the event.
NOTE: A discount of $80 is available for those who wish to camp instead of staying in cabins.
