What is the one piece of hunting/shooting advice you would give yourself if you could go back in time

[golferB]

Forget the wind during the rut....

 

[std7mag]

Find private ground to hunt.
If it involves leasing or buying the land, so be it.

I've had many hunts spoiled on public land by inconsiderate people!

 

[PowrB8]

Start applying for points at a young age. You can buy all the gadgets you want but you cannot buy time.

And always walk one more ridge!

 

[Silvershade]

Learn way more before 'buying anything just because'. I have made some bad purchases and dumb luck purchases (that have appreciated in value nowadays). Don't buy that SR1911 lol buy a quality 1911 or 2011 and be done.

 

[Small Lady]

Start a decade earlier.
Learn to control my breathing from day 1.

 

[swampbug]

Always wear hearing protection.

 

[Lenny Foffa]

1. I would save up the "extra" money and buy an even better, finer, rifle and scope.
2. I would get in to hand loading even sooner.
3. Purchase even better boots and clothing.
4.Take vacation time from work and actually GO HUNTING!! Range time is always fun, but all the Equpment I purchased was purchased primarily for Hunting.

 

[Ed Carey]

Have fun, it's a hobby.

 

[MW204]

What an ignorant comment! But for farmers, there would be a lot less wildlife. Nobody cares more about protecting the land than farmers. The better they take care of the land and water the better it yields for them and their livestock. Who hunted the buffalo to near extinction? Who hunted the migratory birds to near extinction? Who hunted elk to the point where their range it what it is today? Hunters no farmers. In the bad years where do animals go to water? Where do the animals get their winter feed? Answers: Form windmill, pond, and/or water tank installed by the farmer. From the crops growing in the field, hay and feed that the farmer uses to feed his livestock. Many of the wildlife that are in the panhandle of Texas Oklahoma, eastern Colorado, western NE, and SD, in huntable numbers solely because of Farmers!!! Let it go back to "nature" and see what happens to the wildlife numbers. They will drop dramatically. Just like they were before the farmer came!!!

True words but there is one thing that a lot of farmer do, which I did myself back in the day too, and that was to plant from fence row to fence row. We could leave some natural growth along the fences that would benefit the wildlife more and use that for a road around the crop. My 2 cents anyway but you got to love the American farmer.

 

[dogbuster0006]

Buy once cry once.
You don't need 2 dozen decent rifles or shotguns just a couple good ones. 2 really nice scopes are cheaper than 2 dozen good scopes.

 

[WYMIKE]

Proper barrel cleaning for the rifle shooting and annealing and cleaning brass for reloading.

 

[MW204]

I have given more rifles away then sold

Me too, I thought I'd make a decent side job building custom rifles but it didn't materialize so lots of family and friends benefitted from my hobby. I knew the wrong folks, good people, but they were like me they didn't have the $$$ to spend on a custom rifle. Lesson learned, but I can still build a shooter.

 

[Moondoggie]

To investors, a market crash is a buying opportunity, 2008 was a garage sale. i bought everything I could, and ate rice and beans. Paid off in the long run.
Woulda paid off more if I had invested more earlier, but I can't complain. If I had not made mistakes, my ex-wife would be a multimillionaire.

^^^
My wife is a Financial Advisor, and after I 'retired', I worked for her awhile. Valuable lesson...do NOT work for your wife, they're bossy enough at home.
A downturn in the market is just a different opportunity. It's kinda like buying vehicles. Bull market = sports cars, bear = Ford and Chevy. Think of products you use every day, no matter if money is tight. Usually large cap that pays dividends, slow and steady, always keep some of these. IMO, 401k's through the workplace are too diversified in a downturn. The bad ones cancel all the good ones, or worse. How many of you would have killed for 8% during 2008-2009. I've heard horror stories about people losing over half their retirement. Annuities make other people money, and I will never own one. Lastly, if your broker tries to talk you out of that dream tractor, or sailboat, or that hunting property you've always wanted, ditch him/her. My guess is they're in it for themselves and not for you.
Customary notice: I am not giving financial advice.

Back to OP, buy more land, buy some land, buy land!

 

[chav0_12]

It's funny, I actually made a lot more money when I was in the army than I do now. I would tell myself to spend that money on things that you want - and there are a ton of military discounts. Shoot more, no a lot more, more than that, still not enough.