Evolving as a hunter over time

[Pucky Freak]

Stages of hunter development: shooting, limiting out, trophy, method, sportsman. I jump around - depends on a lot of different things. I used to take every shot I could at birds. Now I’ll pass on a lot of marginal shots, and skip on shooting over thick cover if I don’t have a dog to find it. The best part is just being afield.

 

[np307]

I guess I'm just hungrier than some of y'all

 

[Nick87]

There's guys I know that have been hunting for 60 years and they still get excited and shoot the first legal deer they see too. There is ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong with that either imo. It's interesting how everyone is different on that aspect.

 

[CowboyLeroy]

I find it to be more devolving than evolving. Like making a steady transition from monos to soft points and from first lite to carhatt hunting clothes

 

[HuntTalk Freak]

I know what you’re talking about, but if anything I went the opposite way this year since having a new born kid at home. I used to purposely drag season out and be pickier than I should because I liked being out there. This year, I felt a little bummed and weird being away from the baby, and found myself trying to fill the tags and get back home quickly.

The kid has made me soft.

That’s been the last two seasons for me. My daughter was born October of last year and I killed my dream buck that November but it was one of the least enjoyable hunts I’ve ever had. All my trips have been a rush to fill a tag.

Watching the wife kill her second deer ever this year was great.

I hunted our extended doe/spike season this week. I had a blast Thursday morning after I decided I wasn’t going to shoot anything. I listened to the owls hooting, the coyotes howling, turkey’s gobbling and ducks flying. Watched several deer including one of the few doe I seen this season. I ended up killing a spike but told my wife it would have been more fun had I not shot anything.

I miss the days of sitting and watching the animals knowing I have time; I’m sure that will come back as the little one gets older.

 

[thusby]

I have been hunting for a long time.
I might be a one off but I have never tired of pulling the the trigger.
I get pissed at myself for pulling it on day one, after waiting 6-18 months for the hunt.
…..but I love the trigger.

 

[MTLabrador]

I’ve changed and gotten a lot pickier since I started hunting. I spend a lot of time hunting bears and I have no interest in shooting 90% of the bears I glass, I just enjoy watching bears. When it comes to elk I’m still just as hungry to shoot one, but I’ve gone from always taking the first legal elk I can find to passing up bulls until I find one I’m happy with.

Put a shotgun in my hands for pheasants and I go right back to being a 12 year old though.

 

[Nick87]

I’ve changed and gotten a lot pickier since I started hunting. I spend a lot of time hunting bears and I have no interest in shooting 90% of the bears I glass, I just enjoy watching bears. When it comes to elk I’m still just as hungry to shoot one, but I’ve gone from always taking the first legal elk I can find to passing up bulls until I find one I’m happy with.

Put a shotgun in my hands for pheasants and I go right back to being a 12 year old though.

Thats the beauty of it imo. How each hunt brings out a different mindset.

 

[SAJ-99]

The last three years I hunted Montana for deer after I had killed a bull in Oregon. Had days I saw as many as 17 bucks, but none were spectacular and I didn’t have to pack them out. Had a great hunt, plenty of meat in the freezer.

I love to take pictures. Feels like I got them without the mess.

 

[Gellar]

I know what you’re talking about, but if anything I went the opposite way this year since having a new born kid at home. I used to purposely drag season out and be pickier than I should because I liked being out there. This year, I felt a little bummed and weird being away from the baby, and found myself trying to fill the tags and get back home quickly.

The kid has made me soft.

I’m the same when I’m out of state hunting or fishing. I feel guilty not being home helping.

 

[Hammsolo]

I know what you’re talking about, but if anything I went the opposite way this year since having a new born kid at home. I used to purposely drag season out and be pickier than I should because I liked being out there. This year, I felt a little bummed and weird being away from the baby, and found myself trying to fill the tags and get back home quickly.

The kid has made me soft.

Nope, I remarried a few years ago to an amazing woman. We’re focused on living life to the full and feeding our family in the best way we can. Free-range critter is the best.

 

[madtom]

Nope, I remarried a few years ago to an amazing woman. We’re focused on living life to the full and feeding our family in the best way we can. Free-range critter is the best.

To be clear, we value the meat too and I shot 3 pronghorn and an elk. I just did it really fast (~4 days total) compared to past years because I missed my son. It was the first fall I’ve felt like hunting wasn’t the most important thing going on. No idea what it’ll feel like next fall.

 

[Nick87]

To be clear, we value the meat too and I shot 3 pronghorn and an elk. I just did it really fast (~4 days total) compared to past years because I missed my son. It was the first fall I’ve felt like hunting wasn’t the most important thing going on. No idea what it’ll feel like next fall.

Doesn't get much easier at least it hasn't for me. Leaving next Friday for 1 week. Been looking forward to the trip all year now that it's here I have mixed feelings about going. Boys are 1 and 3.

 

[Nick87]

I love to take pictures. Feels like I got them without the mess.

The mess (cleaning and processing) is my favorite part.

 

[hank4elk]

Always enjoyed the eating. Meat hunter for the most part.
Someday a 30" mule deer. Within a quarter of an inch,twice.
Maybe that huge bull. Like the ones I passed on after that,that really huge one showed. A few times.

Did not have a tag nor hunt 3 years ago. Helped a bunch of folks.
Last fall I had 5 elk hunts here. Everyone saw elk and or had an opportunity.
I was sick during my deer hunt. I stopped my draw cow hunt 3 days in when my buddy showed up from WI to cow hunt. Lots of eyes. Lots of cows each morning on open ground.
I walked into a small group 2 mornings in a row on my hunt. Right there in front of my house. They went down to the big herd and they just walked away. 450 yards,nah.I passed on doable shots. Don't want to blow them out before Jeff gets here.
2 mornings with my best friend,hunting cows. 2 old guys putting the moves on too many eyes and so close. They just slowly move farther and their off the ranch. I could have filled my tag,easy.
3rd morning Jeff says,"There must be a hundred in this part of the valley". Probably 40 400 yards away. I got a plan,sneak down the road using the minute cover to that one juniper,we have a 200 yard shot. 2 old guys bent over in the open,on a road.LOL
We pulled it off. I drove to the elk and back, cow in the freezer by dinner.

Have not packed in or camped hunting since I got Rio. I have time,some meat in the freezer still. And a new season in a few months. Maybe I will help others again.
I will still hunt my tag alone. Just how I am. And maybe a 7x7 will be there when I have a tag,LOL He'll be 550 yards away and walking.

 

[AlaskaHunter]

Roosters were down this year in NW Montana and now retired,
I hunted every weekday morning and had a self-imposed limit of 1 bird or quit at noon.
It was fun, never saw another hunter and if I missed, well that just extended the morning hunt.
Also jump shooting mallards on spring creeks in January, a marginal shot at a longer flush
could spook a flock of greenheads just around the bend, so only taking close shots was the ticket.

As far as big game back home in Alaska, I'm a meat hunter and will shoot the first legal animal,
not flying in, that may take a week or more of hunting.
My hunting partner has an awesome trophy room, me..not so much.

 

[Hammsolo]

To be clear, we value the meat too and I shot 3 pronghorn and an elk. I just did it really fast (~4 days total) compared to past years because I missed my son. It was the first fall I’ve felt like hunting wasn’t the most important thing going on. No idea what it’ll feel like next fall.

I should have been more clear. I was a few beers in… kids don’t make you soft. They change us, actually make us tougher. Hunting gives me great joy and challenge at times, but nothing compared to raising kids. Who knows what it will feel like next fall? That can be exciting.

 

[noharleyyet]

I should have been more clear. I was a few beers in… kids don’t make you soft. They change us, actually make us tougher. Hunting gives me great joy and challenge at times, but nothing compared to raising kids. Who knows what it will feel like next fall? That can be exciting.

My son has made a better hunter out of me in every aspect.

 

[JustinsDad]

I still like to harvest animals. I respect y’all that are in it to enjoy the outdoors and everything. When I’m hunting I am not there to hike, take pictures or backpack. I’m there to kill something and clean it, cook it and eat it. I have “evolved” in a way, though. I’m no longer concerned if I get the biggest buck or not. Nowadays I tend to take the first descent one I see no matter what I’m hunting. I don’t care if it’s trophy material or not. Smaller animals tend to be better eating that trophies anyway.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Theodore Roosevelt once said something to the effect that as a hunter matures, the desire to put down the rifle & pick up the camera becomes quite strong.

I fired one shell last year. Plenty of opportunities on doodles & grouse, had plenty of opportunity on does & small bucks. I watched my dogs become much better hunters, learned new techniques for big game & got to experience a new hunting culture (MI grouse camp is ridiculously fun, as is the HT grouse-keteers).

It was one of the best seasons I've had in a while & helped stoke the passion yet again. Too often we think that the destination is the goal, and not the journey.

Which is why Fins show resonates with so many of us, I tend to believe.