Loosing the thrill of the hunt?

[bigngreen]

Really enjoyed reading this!! If you have not seen it I think this explains a lot, at least to me! I'm finding I enjoy hunting one animal and looking for that one shot and I'm also really, really enjoying hunting with my daughter and teaching her the basics of field craft, she's still a couple years away from hunting but she's already a decent spotter and she finds game, those young eyes are valuable to have

FIVE STAGES OF A HUNTER Hunters change through the years. Factors used to determine "successful hunting" change as well for each hunter. A hunter's age, role models, and his years of hunting experience affect his ideas of "success." Many hunters may fit into one of the following five groups. In 1975-1980, groups of over 1,000 hunters in Wisconsin were studied, surveyed, and written about by Professors Robert Jackson and Robert Norton, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. The results of their studies form a widely accepted theory of hunter behavior and development. Where are you now? Where would you like to be?

SHOOTER STAGE The hunter talks about satisfaction with hunting being closely tied to being able to "get shooting." Often the beginning duck hunter will relate he had an excellent day if he got in a lot of shooting. The beginning deer hunter will talk about the number of shooting opportunities. Missing game means little to hunters in this phase. A beginning hunter wants to pull the trigger and test the capability of his firearm. A hunter in this stage may be a dangerous hunting partner.

LIMITING OUT STAGE A hunter still talks about satisfaction gained from shooting. But what seems more important is measuring success through the killing of game and the number of birds or animals shot. Limiting out, or filling a tag, is the absolute measure. Do not let your desire to limit out be stronger than the need for safe behavior at all times.

TROPHY STAGE Satisfaction is described in terms of selectivity of game. A duck hunter might take only greenheads. A deer hunter looks for one special deer. A hunter might travel far to find a real trophy animal. Shooting opportunity and skills become less important.

METHOD STAGE This hunter has all the special equipment. Hunting has become one of the most important things in his life. Satisfaction comes from the method that enables the hunter to take game. Taking game is important, but second to how it is taken. This hunter will study long and hard how best to pick a blind site, lay out decoys, and call in waterfowl. A deer hunter will go one on one with a white-tailed deer, studying sign, tracking, and the life habits of the deer. Often, the hunter will handicap himself by hunting only with black powder firearms or bow and arrow. Bagging game, or limiting, still is understood as being a necessary part of the hunt during this phase.

SPORTSMAN STAGE As a hunter ages and after many years of hunting, he "mellows out." Satisfaction now can be found in the total hunting experience. Being in the field, enjoying the company of friends and family, and seeing nature outweigh the need for taking game. Not all hunters go through all the stages, or go through them in that particular order. It is also possible for hunters who pursue several species of game to be in different stages with regard to each species. Some hunters feel that role models of good sportsmen, training, or reading books or magazines helped them pass more quickly through some stages. --------------- California Department of Fish and Game. "California Hunter Education Manual". 1995 (revised edition). Sacramento, California. [p.8]http://www.longrangehunting.com//www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/

 

[Unofficial Gun Addict (UGA)]

Guess I'm somewhere between the Method and Sportsman... I still love strategizing... And always love new equipment, but I enjoy just being out with my brother and/or son. It's peaceful for me to be in the field in a way that even the relaxed and comfortable way of our home doesn't quite feel the same way. I truly love having both in my life... A warm and loving home... And a good field or forest to hunt. Shared with good people... And it's tough to beat either!

 

[Greyfox]

By definition, I would think that habitual participants on this site would have a high percentage of "method hunter" in them.

 

[sp6x6]

Yes I would be a mix of the last three. Had lot opportunity to harvest game prefer my bow.But more important like to be out,and with friends. This year I saw my first lynx and took a nice photo.Shot no elk but I passed several and a broken six pt twice.Packed my 30-30 pre 64 lot after bow season, just like it.The last 3 bulls Ive shot with my 2 Normas add up to 150 yrds. Kinda funny,put a friend of my kids in behind my 338 Norma and he took his first bull 5x5 last yr at 650 yrds.

 

[MMERSS]

Kinda funny,put a friend of my kids in behind my 338 Norma and he took his first bull 5x5 last yr at 650 yrds.

Ditto kinda funny,

I set up a friend's daughter on a 650 yard antelope this year on her first year of big game hunting. She already filled her first antelope tag with her father with a second tag available. The antelope turned and started to walk toward us. Easy comment, "Well, let's see what happens, just sit here and have your rifle ready just in case." After several minutes the antelope did not stop walking. We were sitting in a prairie in the open, like statues. When I could see the antelope's eyelashes with head partly down I let out a "baaah." The antelope froze and looked toward me. Another "baaah" remaining motionless. It was an excruciating stare down. I couldn't blink. The young huntress played my stare down perfectly, ever so slightly placing her rifle in shooting position as the antelope was fixated on the stare down. After what seemed like an eternity and dry eyes the shot finally rang out perfectly placed. My rifle sat on the bipod no more than an easy sling shot from the antelope yet this rifle did not harvest the animal.

This first year huntress harvested the closest antelope to date out of the entire hunting party on her first day of hunting. 650 yards turned spit wad distance. Sometimes the thrill of the hunt is being able to say, "Did that just happen?"

 

[WildRose]

Ditto kinda funny,

I set up a friend's daughter on a 650 yard antelope this year on her first year of big game hunting. She already filled her first antelope tag with her father with a second tag available. The antelope turned and started to walk toward us. Easy comment, "Well, let's see what happens, just sit here and have your rifle ready just in case." After several minutes the antelope did not stop walking. We were sitting in a prairie in the open, like statues. When I could see the antelope's eyelashes with head partly down I let out a "baaah." The antelope froze and looked toward me. Another "baaah" remaining motionless. It was an excruciating stare down. I couldn't blink. The young huntress played my stare down perfectly, ever so slightly placing her rifle in shooting position as the antelope was fixated on the stare down. After what seemed like an eternity and dry eyes the shot finally rang out perfectly placed. My rifle sat on the bipod no more than an easy sling shot from the antelope yet this rifle did not harvest the animal.

This first year huntress harvested the closest antelope to date out of the entire hunting party on her first day of hunting. 650 yards turned spit wad distance. Sometimes the thrill of the hunt is being able to say, "Did that just happen?"

Nice.

 

[600BP]

You still have the hunger to hunt my friend. Last month I came back from Montana (love that place) from hunting mule deer. I took my 6.5x284 and enjoyed the long range shooting. When I arrived back in my home state of PA for the firearms season, I left all the rifles, xp pistols, big bore revolvers, and contenders in the gun safe. My friends laughed at me carrying around a little 4 5/8 inch 44mag, but I had a ball. I think it honed my stalking skills, and yes quite a few whitetails got away simply because of my inability to shoot longer distances. In my opinion its not always what you tag while huting, its also what you learned. Personally, I learned my stalking skills @@@@ . No one is too old to learn or enjoy something new.


Erik

 

[ATH]

I wish I had the luxury to be a method or sportsman stage, but I am anchored first by another stage not defined there - meat hunter. It takes 3-4 good sized deer to feed the 2-3 families I feed each year. Given my work, some years this is a real challenge and others I get there then get to relax and enjoy some method or sportsman hunting.

This year a trip out west was not in the cards (too much work travel). I have a 1.5 hour drive to where I hunt, though I am working on that. I only got 3 mornings hunting in, and due to work travel two were very late in firearms season and one in muzzleloading. I got one doe in each season and never saw a buck.

I'd like to bowhunt more. I'd like to shoot a deer with a revolver. The property owner where I hunt already has an opinion, I can tell, against my long-range shots despite how successful they are (this year was 300+ yards with a 358 wildcat and 175 yards offhand with a smokeless ML). But basically I do what I have to do to take a good number of deer in the few hours of hunting I have available right now.

One day I will have the luxury of hunting several days a week and being able to do what I WANT to do.

 

[zeeman]

This is just an opinion so please only consider it that. I have been in the LR game since the late 1980's here in Pa and Montana and Wyoming. Long range is mostly technology . We have had all the old equipment and now have mostly cutting edge equipment that exists today. We have many LR deer ,elk and bear and antelope kills at extended ranges (1200+) You are right feeling the thrill is gone when you are completely dialed into the LR game. It is a complete triumph of technology over the instincts of the wild game. We have highly capable rifles, lasers, computers , advanced optics and all sorts of other advantages. We have had many unskilled hunters take game cleanly at extended range using our guidance and equipment with no clue how it was accomplished. Our technology and practice shooting at extended ranges makes one very efficient even to an amateur shooter using our guidance.
Also I would say that in the last 5 years there has been a huge jump in technology that has opened up the LR game to many more shooters. The learning curve is shorter than ever and now many hunters take shots that are way beyond their personal skill level. And now drones???
Although I love all kinds of big game hunting..... Bow hunting elk in September in the Bighorns is what hunting to me is all about!!!!!! And I think Theodore Roosevelt may agree!

 

[MMERSS]

This is just an opinion so please only consider it that. I have been in the LR game since the late 1980's here in Pa and Montana and Wyoming. Long range is mostly technology . We have had all the old equipment and now have mostly cutting edge equipment that exists today. We have many LR deer ,elk and bear and antelope kills at extended ranges (1200+) You are right feeling the thrill is gone when you are completely dialed into the LR game. It is a complete triumph of technology over the instincts of the wild game. We have highly capable rifles, lasers, computers , advanced optics and all sorts of other advantages. We have had many unskilled hunters take game cleanly at extended range using our guidance and equipment with no clue how it was accomplished. Our technology and practice shooting at extended ranges makes one very efficient even to an amateur shooter using our guidance.
Also I would say that in the last 5 years there has been a huge jump in technology that has opened up the LR game to many more shooters. The learning curve is shorter than ever and now many hunters take shots that are way beyond their personal skill level. And now drones???
Although I love all kinds of big game hunting..... Bow hunting elk in September in the Bighorns is what hunting to me is all about!!!!!! And I think Theodore Roosevelt may agree!

Bow hunting Missouri Breaks elk is September is additionally one of my favorite hunts to cherish. I would believe Theodore Roosevelt himself would enjoy the current day Missouri viewing his efforts passed forward with wildlife preservation. There is no doubt long range can be adherently technologically driven, however only if we, as a personal decision, let it. I've been shooting long range in different venues for decades. I've witnessed and used the advancement in technology and too have been successful not only with my hunts but additionally with others. Your comments have merit.

One aspect with long range is the personal decision where we let technology trump our method of hunt and decision where we draw the line with "fair chase." For example, where does one draw the line with transportation and "fair chase?" I will drive hundreds of miles to pursue elk on the Missouri. Others will fly for days to pursue game over the globe. Is this long range mode of transportation "fair chase" to the game? This decision lies with the individual where they draw that line then further promote efforts of fair chase when they arrive at their hunting grounds.

My preference of hunting, based off my values, should provide the opportunity for both the physical and mental challenge of the hunt. My mind is running a marksmen marathon when a decision is made to harvest an animal at range. I will use manual backup methods to verify the data provided by electronics. These long range shots are not adherently due to technology but rather thru mental marksmanship as verification. No doubt the computers and range finders allow for quicker and more efficient solutions. However, try the same without or while simultaneously using this technology. After a long range shot my mind is beat, it is whipped. Shouldn't there be a degree of mental anguish with a memorable hunt just as much as the physical anguish? Long range hunting to me can be more of a mental hunting marathon than physical and many times it is both. Bow hunting to me is mostly of physical anguish and just as enjoyable and rewarding.

In the end we are taking a life. I would hope as a society we would all agree to hone skills to make this as quick and clean as possible with the method of hunt we choose. How we take this life and the satisfactions and consequences of failure reflect on the person.

 

[ATH]

Bow hunting Missouri Breaks elk is September is additionally one of my favorite hunts to cherish.

After a long range shot my mind is beat, it is whipped. Shouldn't there be a degree of mental anguish with a memorable hunt just as much as the physical anguish? Long range hunting to me can be more of a mental hunting marathon than physical and many times it is both. Bow hunting to me is mostly of physical anguish and just as enjoyable and rewarding.

I've taken two elk...one at 680 yards with a rifle and one at ~30 yards with a bow....Missouri Breaks. The pressure in the Breaks makes for tough bowhunting.

I can't say which was more thrilling. Both were fulfilling in very different ways. For the long range rifle shot, my brain was alive and moving with the various calculations (range, elevation, angle). The hunt lasted several minutes but it was all-involved. The bowhunt lasted only seconds from when the elk busted out until I shot it, but such a close encounter with a huge animal...trying to get a shot without being busted....was intense.

I'm not sure where people hunt that long range shots are boring, slow, and easy. I haven't encountered that yet. Especially in my native state of Indiana, game are rarely standing calmly for long periods of time to let you work up a solution. Use an app? Forget about it. Lucky to get time to look at your range card and dial turrets. I pass up more shots than I take. The thrill is still there for me. The source of the thrill differs by platform and range though.

 

[KYpatriot]

Unless you are killing game with your bare hands there is no such thing as fair chase. We kill and eat lesser species because we can. There is no living without killing something else. I don't apologize for it, as I didn't choose the natural order. If someone criticizes me for being an apex predator I'll remind them that they are alive because another apex predator does their dirty work for them, and say " you're welcome."

 

[MMERSS]

Unless you are killing game with your bare hands there is no such thing as fair chase. We kill and eat lesser species because we can. There is no living without killing something else. I don't apologize for it, as I didn't choose the natural order. If someone criticizes me for being an apex predator I'll remind them that they are alive because another apex predator does their dirty work for them, and say " you're welcome."

I would disagree. Fair chase has more meaning than method of hunt. Hunting within current laws would be considered fair chase by many. It's how you do your killing. Killing unchecked because we can due to kingdom ranking reaps the same destruction as a poacher.

 

[zeeman]

MMERSS
I agree with many of your statements. One of my LR thrills and reservations is in the few seconds before the shot. When the animal is in the scope unaware of what is about to transpire, can I do my part and make a clean shot placement ?? Can I do justice and give respect to this animal as it is incapable of knowing the impending situation ? Will a wind change or other variable cause a non fatal wound rather than a clean miss?? I have many reservations before the shot . Even when I do my part will it be a clean result??

The existing technology , in my opinion , gives us as thinking humans a significant advantage over the game species. This is not limited to LR but also archery, muzzleloaders , crossbows etc. Technology has greatly increased their efficiency over the quarry hunted. I realize that this is good for more clean kills (hopefully) but it also adds many hunters using technology to shortcut true hunting skills. This is an interesting conversation!!!!!

Zeeman