You aren't a "hunter"
10-27-2004, 04:58 PM
#2
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 15,451
RE: You aren't a "hunter"
What part of Texas ? The area I lived in if you tried to stalk a deer you would die from cactus stabs.Could not walk anywhere without getting thousands of those ground cacti in your legs.and the there aint noway I,m stalking thru the brush with all them ratlsnakes in South Texas
10-27-2004, 05:21 PM
#3
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Saskatchewan Canada
Posts: 6,921
RE: You aren't a "hunter"
Nothing like opening a can of worms..lol!!
Aranger while I agree with you in regards to people believing this or that is required to "fill your tag" and often the art of hunting can be skewed behind the stuff you have or think you need.
I also disagree that sitting and waiting can all be considered no skill. Their is a big difference between hanging a treestand or building a blind, etc where you hope to shoot a deer and that of choosing a spot you expect to shoot a deer. There are many who hunting isn't a 1 week, month, etc season but a 12 month persuit. There are those who have numerous stands or blinds and who spend countless hours scouting and pouring over terrain. While some choose to employ tactics that we may feel are less "skilled" the fact they have put forth effort in the persuit must be acknowledged. The ones that truly are successful year in year out in various forms are skilled hunter but maybe not in the way you are skilled. It is a skill to look at an area, take the sign and develop a plan that will envoke results. It is as much of a skill (one I certainly don't have) to sit motionless for days on end swinging in a tree or on a cold log, etc. It is a skill to call animal into your location or to stalk them like you did. The list goes on.......
Lest not forgot their are also those who have limited area to hunt or opportunity to hunt or scout they are simply out to enjoy and possibly harvest some venison. One can not exlude them as hunters either and certainly each have skills that bring different forms of results.
I certainly don't agree with every method or form others use personally but that doesn't make them less of a "hunter" in my mind. First and foremost the passion that fuels me I suspect is much the same for a great number of hunters while it may not be as deep or in some cases deeper than that of mine..it is a common ground we share.
The only guys I have little respect for are those who call hunting best viewed from a truck seat and the only time they get a wiff of fresh air is to relieve themself from the endless thermos of coffee. But in the end even these guys are simply ripping themselves from the best part of hunting enjoy the experience and really nature at it's finest.
It is a choice and we should stick together as a group vs put a bunch of lines in the sand (well in my case snow right now[8D]) in which who is more skilled, true woodsman or better. Simply put get out enjoy what hunting has to offer and be thankful for every moment spent chasing the dream.
Side note congrats on your deer and welcome home!
Aranger while I agree with you in regards to people believing this or that is required to "fill your tag" and often the art of hunting can be skewed behind the stuff you have or think you need.
I also disagree that sitting and waiting can all be considered no skill. Their is a big difference between hanging a treestand or building a blind, etc where you hope to shoot a deer and that of choosing a spot you expect to shoot a deer. There are many who hunting isn't a 1 week, month, etc season but a 12 month persuit. There are those who have numerous stands or blinds and who spend countless hours scouting and pouring over terrain. While some choose to employ tactics that we may feel are less "skilled" the fact they have put forth effort in the persuit must be acknowledged. The ones that truly are successful year in year out in various forms are skilled hunter but maybe not in the way you are skilled. It is a skill to look at an area, take the sign and develop a plan that will envoke results. It is as much of a skill (one I certainly don't have) to sit motionless for days on end swinging in a tree or on a cold log, etc. It is a skill to call animal into your location or to stalk them like you did. The list goes on.......
Lest not forgot their are also those who have limited area to hunt or opportunity to hunt or scout they are simply out to enjoy and possibly harvest some venison. One can not exlude them as hunters either and certainly each have skills that bring different forms of results.
I certainly don't agree with every method or form others use personally but that doesn't make them less of a "hunter" in my mind. First and foremost the passion that fuels me I suspect is much the same for a great number of hunters while it may not be as deep or in some cases deeper than that of mine..it is a common ground we share.
The only guys I have little respect for are those who call hunting best viewed from a truck seat and the only time they get a wiff of fresh air is to relieve themself from the endless thermos of coffee. But in the end even these guys are simply ripping themselves from the best part of hunting enjoy the experience and really nature at it's finest.
It is a choice and we should stick together as a group vs put a bunch of lines in the sand (well in my case snow right now[8D]) in which who is more skilled, true woodsman or better. Simply put get out enjoy what hunting has to offer and be thankful for every moment spent chasing the dream.
Side note congrats on your deer and welcome home!
10-27-2004, 05:21 PM
#4
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location:
Posts: 22
RE: You aren't a "hunter"
I currently reside in the "Middle East" ha ha, of Texas. Close to the Longview / Tyler area. Snakes don't bother you if you don't bother them....well, unless you have attack snakes in your woods. I've never had any problems but I've been taught how to handle them in order to move them. Snakes give off a powerful smell when you kill them and that alone can give away your position.
10-27-2004, 05:59 PM
#6
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: USA
Posts: 494
RE: You aren't a "hunter"
Thanks for filling us in that there's a one best way to hunt everywhere. I didn't know that! I'll endeavor to meet your standards for big country Texas hunting on the small plots I hunt in the midwest.
10-27-2004, 06:00 PM
#7
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location:
Posts: 22
RE: You aren't a "hunter"
Skeeter7mm;
I've had the opprotunity to visit your neck of the woods, some of the most beautiful country I've ever seen. Living in an area like that...You are extreamly lucky. Lots of nature there.
I'll stick to "ground Pounding". When I hunt it isn't about getting the kill. I've seen Bucks, Elk, Bear, and other various game that would make most "Hunters" pass out from lack of oxygen. I rairly take a shot though. (Mostly because I'm too lazy to try to pack out an animal that big). For me hunting is more about improving my skills. The only form of hunting that doesn't cost an arm and a leg in equiptment and time is the stalk. When you get close enough to the target of your stalk, after tracking it sometimes for days, that you could reach up and cut it's throat....now that's exciting.
The hunt that I wrote about cost my father-in-law and two friends an average $400.00 each in equiptment and ammo. It cost me 38 cents, and I'm the one that has meat in the fridge. I've heard from too many hunters about how discouraged they have become due to their lack of "LUCK" in their hunts and blamed it on everything from their equiptment to the weather. To me that's just not a good time. You sound like a person who understands what it is that I'm talking about.
A few years ago I took some time to give an associate some tracking pointers and now he get's trophy game everytime he hunts.
I'm not putting down the tree swingers out there, it's just not what I call hunting.
SSG Martin
I've had the opprotunity to visit your neck of the woods, some of the most beautiful country I've ever seen. Living in an area like that...You are extreamly lucky. Lots of nature there.
I'll stick to "ground Pounding". When I hunt it isn't about getting the kill. I've seen Bucks, Elk, Bear, and other various game that would make most "Hunters" pass out from lack of oxygen. I rairly take a shot though. (Mostly because I'm too lazy to try to pack out an animal that big). For me hunting is more about improving my skills. The only form of hunting that doesn't cost an arm and a leg in equiptment and time is the stalk. When you get close enough to the target of your stalk, after tracking it sometimes for days, that you could reach up and cut it's throat....now that's exciting.
The hunt that I wrote about cost my father-in-law and two friends an average $400.00 each in equiptment and ammo. It cost me 38 cents, and I'm the one that has meat in the fridge. I've heard from too many hunters about how discouraged they have become due to their lack of "LUCK" in their hunts and blamed it on everything from their equiptment to the weather. To me that's just not a good time. You sound like a person who understands what it is that I'm talking about.
A few years ago I took some time to give an associate some tracking pointers and now he get's trophy game everytime he hunts.
I'm not putting down the tree swingers out there, it's just not what I call hunting.
SSG Martin
10-27-2004, 06:37 PM
#8
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Harford Co. Maryland
Posts: 1,574
RE: You aren't a "hunter"
ARanger- I found your post to be interesting and I respect what you're saying.
A point that I would like to make however, is that I feel that your success in "stalking" a deer is directly related to the terrain that you're hunting. For instance, stalking open country full of field edges and bean fields is much more likely to produce a nice deer than stalking a heavily-wooded area with eight inches of crunchy leaves on the ground. No matter how you slice it, you can be much more stealth-like on a prairie than you can be in the deep, thick woods.
Something my dad always told me that seems to become more true every day, is that "If you see the deer before it sees you, chances are you'll kill it. If the deer sees you before you see it, you won't." There's a lot of truth to that little saying.
JMO.
A point that I would like to make however, is that I feel that your success in "stalking" a deer is directly related to the terrain that you're hunting. For instance, stalking open country full of field edges and bean fields is much more likely to produce a nice deer than stalking a heavily-wooded area with eight inches of crunchy leaves on the ground. No matter how you slice it, you can be much more stealth-like on a prairie than you can be in the deep, thick woods.
Something my dad always told me that seems to become more true every day, is that "If you see the deer before it sees you, chances are you'll kill it. If the deer sees you before you see it, you won't." There's a lot of truth to that little saying.
JMO.
10-27-2004, 06:46 PM
#9
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Western Wisconsin
Posts: 728
RE: You aren't a "hunter"
Hey ARanger I am 54 years old disabled and cant walk more than 10 yards with out passing out so I have to sit in a truck seat and sip my coffee and wait in hopes that the hunters in the woods scare one out, so far I have been very fortunate and have gotten one every year so I guess by your standards I should change my name to 1dabusswaiter since I dont fit a real hunters standards. I am a disabled Viet Nam vet and I to thought I knew how to stalk and hunt and find my prey but with physical limitations imposed all that went out the window so I do the best I can with what I got. Some have said that I should be home and not out shooting at wildlife since I am not capable of really hunting and my responce is if you really want to take away the only enjoyment I have then you might as well shoot me now cause I live to hunt. Jimmy
10-27-2004, 06:59 PM
#10
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: San Diego, Ca.
Posts: 1,148
RE: You aren't a "hunter"
Nice to hear there are some big bucks in that part of Texas, my wife is from Pittsburg and we'll be moving back to that area in a few years, I was nervous all the big boys were in Southwest Texas!
Metro
Metro