Whats your favorite part of a hunt?

[HalfAce]

Being on point ready to glass when the sky breaks from black to grey in the morning.

 

[SC Living Outdoors]

Every single hunt is different. My favorite part of a hunt will change depending on a multitude of different circumstances.

 

[Europe]

1. planning a hunt

2. hunting

3. celebrating the hunt

2. and 3. for me,

as I was always told, lets do "this", next month, next year and/or lets take ( insert family member or members ) or lets ALSO do "this" when we are ( wherever we were going to be ) on business, and at the moment the planning of the trip was 100% on me.

The hunt and the celebrating of the hunt was a joint effort of family, friends, and new acquaintances ( guides, wranglers, trackers, villagers, family )

Zeroing in a bit more. I loved the "stalk", be it goat, sheep, elk, lion, or whatever animal we were hunting. The evenings around the fire sipping an adult beverage, smelling the cigar aroma, and listening to the men talk about the hunts in their lives ---which included wild life, women, employment, vehicles, etc----- the dream that escaped them, the one they are chasing or the one they caught . Any and all of our family hunts were special to me

except the planning of them

I dont want to revisit the other thread so will mention it here, since several ask. The Tragedy of King George cologne has several different scents. The bottle with the Red Stag on it smells like brandy and cigars ( somewhat ). Others ( Rhino, Bull ) different scents. But if you wear cologne are are tired of Old Spice, give it a try, th lady in your life might like it

 

[Cheesehead]

Taking a deep breath and turning the key in the ignition as I leave work to head west.

 

[wyflyguy]

This has been a really interesting read. Confirmation that everyone is different and has different reasons for doing what they do.

For me, I enjoy the planning, but it's hard to beat spending time in the woods with good friends. Game on the ground is icing on the cake, but having good buddies to share the experience with is what makes a hunt special for me.

 

[noharleyyet]

In order

The Plan & bs'ing with hunt buds prior to and on the way up about The Plan
Boring my well meaning good natured non hunter friends about The Plan
Regaling hunter friends about The Plan

Coffee

Hearing that first bugle whether the day before or opener
Spotting em when the wind's right

Texting a pic

Talking about next year's Plan coming home

 

[HiMtnHntr]

Man, I like it all - from planning to putting meat up. But there's really nothing like getting into game when the season is on. Now that my kids are hunting, I really enjoying watching their reaction to it all.

 

[belshawelk]

bourbon

 

[Slate]

My favorite part of a hunting trip is the enjoyment of camp after a successful kill. Relaxing in camp helping others, eating, and just chilling reliving the hunt. God I love it

 

[Sytes]

Camaraderie around camp, especially around the fire. If juniors are joining us, the enjoyment mentoring - observing them create their experience. It's great around the fire - our youth, boys and a girl are all on the same level and excited experiences shared as we sit and listen to their tales - sometimes a bit of a stretcher... haha!

 

[MarvB]

Often it’s reflecting back later on the hunt itself, time shared with friends, lessons learned right or wrong, thinking back every time a piece of the hunt comes out of the freezer (or isn’t there to come out!), and using that hunt for a jump off point in planning the next one! Good thread!

 

[Panda Bear]

and listening to the men talk about the hunts in their lives ---which included wild life, women, employment, vehicles, etc----- the dream that escaped them, the one they are chasing or the one they caught .

you really made me stop and think about this and you are so right. the campfire conversations with my husband, father and grandfather are some of the best conversations we have.

For us, excluding a whale hunt, we dont plan much, so the hunt is of course satisfying when concluded and even more so if it become more of a challenge than we had anticipated.

I think excluding the camp conversations the best part for me are the meals, clothing, and income we obtain from the animal.

 

[Festus]

I enjoy the planning and the working out to the travel, to the return and everything in between.
But my absolute favorite part has got to be after humping up a mountain in the dark and being out there, whether alone or with best friend(s), and witnessing the world come alive each morning in THE most beautiful and breath taking places on this planet and enjoy something only some of us will ever get to experience.

I spend the rest of the year trying to relive those few mornings in my heart and in my mind.
Words cannot describe and pictures cannot show the experience of being 'out there' witnessing a sunrise.

...although I have tried many many times to describe to family, friends, and coworkers - just ask them...

 

[Otto Matic]

"... Often it’s reflecting back later on the hunt itself, ..."

Do you keep a hunting (outdoor?) journal?
Stupid me, I didn't start mine until 2004 at the age of 54!
It's a real kick to set back and read your own writing.
I am often surprised by the details that I had forgotten.
Since I started, I've filled up 2 journals and I'm working on the third.

 

[Steve in Canton]

The quiet. My life is really stressful, there is nothing better about a hunt than being by myself and having my body decompress from the stress

 

[Foggy Mountain]

To me there are a couple things I like “best” but they’re sorta the same involving anticipation.
I love the getting ready part. Sharpening broadheads, knives, making arrows, packing a day bag or turkey vest. Loading ammunition or shooting.
I also love the walk in. Looking up at the stars. I never use a light and often stop to look up at them, frosty breath steaming the view with ice crystals. Than there’s the view just as daylight is starting to break. You’re imagining what’s about to happen, the far mountain a beautiful view, you’re wondering how many bucks from here to there, watching the trees for turkey silhouettes, listening to the owls in the dark.
Your mind is very free at those moments as well. The concentration of the hunt hasn’t yet started and you get to fully enjoy just being there

 

[GoGriz]

Mine is after climbing a few thousand feet in the morning and watching the sunrise, with no one else around - just the quiet or the woods and the warmth of the rising sun.

 

[WyoDoug]

Mix between naps and finding what is there mineral wise. Have to make sure no claim exists but I typically pick up small scoops here and there inbetween things and pan later at camp.

 

[Johnny Bravo]

Helping others fill their tag when I hunt with others.

 

[Letthemgrow]

Sitting down on the edge of a huge canyon and then glassing all of it. Besides searching for whatever we have tags for, I love watching all the wildlife we turn up. Marmots, magpies, coyotes, or whatever.