Signed up for my hunting course today....

[Mdnitedrftr]

I finally caved, Im gonna try hunting this year. Ive always been supportive of hunters, and hunters rights, but Ive never had the heart to kill anything that isnt directly threatening my life...I still might not. I might go out there and totally freeze up when I get a deer or turkey in my sights. We'll have to wait and see...

Any of you guys care to share your first hunting experiences or some advice? Id love to hear it.

 

[dixidawg]

Hunting is not necessarily killing something. The hunt is over when the animal is down and recovered. Then the hard work begins.

Some of my most enjoyable days hunting were not days I killed something. You need to learn to enjoy the hunt, and that does not necessarily need include a kill.

 

[kiver]

My first and many other times hunting, I came up empty. I read all the books watched videos, scouted, had my ideal spot and spent the day in absolute bliss. The cold morning air kissing your cheeks, the smell of fallen leaves, and the quiet that is not so quiet but can only be experienced sitting still listening to everything everywhere. Write it up as a learning experience as I was hooked after that first day.

I am scouting a new spot this year and it will be the first time I have hunted in MA since 1998. I got hooked on rifle hunting in the green mountains and will be doing that also this year.

And good luck

 

[arlow]

First off let me say I can totally understand where you are coming from. The first deer I killed I was hit with conflicting emotions. While very excited and happy at finally being successfull, I could not help also being sad at the same time at taking the creatures life. That makes us human. I have shot close to 50 deer and still to this day feel some remorse as I walk up to the animal lying on the forest floor. Always will I imagine.

1) If you buy meat at the grocery store you have killed something. You may not have actually struck the physical blow but your responsible for that animal dying none the less. It is a small gap to bridge to start pulling the trigger yourself, satisfying from a personal self reliance viewpoint as well.

2) Venison tastes so much better than beef.

3) Wild game has no added hormones, antibiotics or other drugs tainting the meat.

4) Hunting is not just about killing. It is the total experience of being in the outdoors, watching the woods wake up around you totally unaware of your presence if you have done your job right.

 

[atmay]

My view on hunting is that I enjoy hiking/camping/outdoorsing in general, and hunting is the same thing, with the added bonus of tasty animals sometimes.

It's about the hunt, not the kill.

 

[masduct]

1) If you buy meat at the grocery store you have killed something. You may not have actually struck the physical blow but your responsible for that animal dying none the less. It is a small gap to bridge to start pulling the trigger yourself, satisfying from a personal self reliance viewpoint as well.

2) Venison tastes so much better than beef.

3) Wild game has no added hormones, antibiotics or other drugs tainting the meat.

4) Hunting is not just about killing. It is the total experience of being in the outdoors, watching the woods wake up around you totally unaware of your presence if you have done your job right.

This + the animal you harvest from the woods was not raised in a factory farm and had the chance to be free and live a true wild life.

 

[cockpitbob]

It's like my Dad's philosophy about fishing. Fishing and Catching are two seperate things. The Catching can suck, but when the air is warm, the beer is cold, the water is smooth and the friends are plentiful, the Fishing is fantastic.

 

[Mdnitedrftr]

This + the animal you harvest from the woods was not raised in a factory farm and had the chance to be free and live a true wild life.

Those are basically the reasons that I used to convince myself to start hunting. Im sure the first time I shoot something, its gonna be life changing moment.

 

[edin508]

Plan on shaking like a leaf with your heart beating out of your chest when you sight in that deer downrange. Oh, it will happen.
Being a bow hunter, it has made me miss shots before.

 

[kiver]

Plan on shaking like a leaf with your heart beating out of your chest when you sight in that deer downrange. Oh, it will happen.
Being a bow hunter, it has made me miss shots before.

then you figure out it is a doe in your cross-hairs and you do not have a permit and have to let it go and you stare at it saying to yourself...grow antlers...grow antlers

 

[glockstones]

I can say I luckily get buck fever after the arrow has found it's mark, Which let me start by saying that doesn't happen very often. As everyone said it is not about killing it is about the whole life style of being in the woods i look forward all year to those short 4 months of real go time. Expect the unexpected my first deer I shot was the third deer I shot at but missed the first 3 attempts, you might think you have the sights lined up but stay calm and look again especially if you are bow hunting one try I hit a branch because i was so focused on the vital area i saw nothing else. The first deer I shot I also never got the luxury of eating, someone else found him gutted him and hauled him out of the woods in the time it took me to track him(about 4 hours and it was confirmed by the finder later he stole my deer I was not happy). But also expect the days you don't shoot to change you the most I have alot of fun days when squirrels come up my tree and bark at me like a dog to get lost, and you will probly also learn quick small things are loud and the big game sneak up on you. All in all just have fun with it I thought alot about taking down an animal at first and felt bad if you wanna do it but are having trouble with the first one what worked for me was make it not personal focus on the shot not the deer, Focus on absolute perfect shot placement and if you run all that over in your head it is just as easy as squeezing the trigger.

 

[arlow]

Plan on shaking like a leaf with your heart beating out of your chest when you sight in that deer downrange. Oh, it will happen.
Being a bow hunter, it has made me miss shots before.

Nothing like a deer takes is own sweet ass time to come in and you worrying about it hearing your heart pounding and your stand rattling because your knees are knocking together so rapidly that acorns are bouncing off your head because the whole damn tree is shaking......

Been there, done that, cant wait to do it again.....

 

[AngryFishH]

..and every time you get down from a tree-stand, up from your blind or otherwise move from your place... that's when you'll spook the biggest buck you have ever seen. I can't tell how many times I stormed back to the truck mumbling about how if I would have stayed just a little longer...

I still sometimes get the "fever" when I see a large buck stroll past. That adrenaline rush is something that non-hunters never get to experience. Along with some of the freshest backstrap cooked over an open fire.

Fish