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Field techniques practice questions for Alberta

By Hunters Guide. Last reviewed September 18, 2026.

These 4 field techniques questions are drawn from the Alberta Hunter Education Practice Exam. They are original practice items written from published Alberta Hunter Education Course curriculum topics, with an explanation on every answer.

Field techniques questions

  1. 1A white-tailed buck stands broadside at a range you are comfortable with. Where does the shot belong?

    1. Through the chest just behind the front shoulder, into the heart and lung area
    2. The hindquarter, since that is where the meat is
    3. The neck, on any animal at any angle
    4. The paunch, because it is the largest target
    Show the answer

    Through the chest just behind the front shoulder, into the heart and lung area

    The heart and lungs sit low in the chest just behind the front leg, and a hit there brings an animal down quickly. The paunch is a bigger target, which is exactly why it tempts people, but a gut shot means a long and cruel track.

  2. 2An elk is quartering toward you with the near shoulder covering much of its chest. What is the right call?

    1. Hold the shot and wait for the animal to turn broadside or quarter away
    2. Switch to a head shot instead
    3. Take it anyway, because any hit in the front half will do
    4. Aim at a rear leg to anchor the animal first
    Show the answer

    Hold the shot and wait for the animal to turn broadside or quarter away

    A quartering toward angle puts heavy shoulder bone between your bullet and the vitals, and it ruins a lot of meat when it does get through. Waiting costs you some chances, and it is also the difference between a clean kill and a wounded animal.

  3. 3You are working on a bull on a mild September afternoon. Why can field dressing not wait until you get back to camp?

    1. Taking out the internal organs lets body heat escape, and trapped heat plus bacteria is what spoils meat
    2. It makes the antlers easier to measure
    3. The only reason is to reduce the weight you have to drag
    4. In September it makes no difference to the meat
    Show the answer

    Taking out the internal organs lets body heat escape, and trapped heat plus bacteria is what spoils meat

    A carcass holds its heat for hours, and warm meat sours from the inside out. Dressing does lighten the load, which is a real benefit and a tempting answer, but cooling the meat is the reason the job cannot wait.

  4. 4You shoot at a moose at last light and it crashes off into thick willows. What comes before you follow?

    1. Mark where the animal was standing and where you fired from, then check that spot for hair, blood, or tracks
    2. Run into the willows immediately while there is still light
    3. Write it off, since an animal that runs was not hit
    4. Wait a full day before looking no matter what the sign shows
    Show the answer

    Mark where the animal was standing and where you fired from, then check that spot for hair, blood, or tracks

    Ground looks completely different once you walk into it, so the two marked spots are what let you find the hit site at all. Charging straight in pushes a wounded animal farther and tramples the sign you need to follow it.

Ready for the full set? Take the Alberta Hunter Education Practice Exam.