Wanna hear my story about being 33 and never hunting before?

[Five Seasons]

I didn't mind the gun hitting my shoulder.  I really barely felt it and I don't even remember the sound that much.  You can call me what you want but firing a gun just feels violent to me.  I'm sure I will get used to it the more I do it and I will spend a lot of time learning how to use a bow. 

 

What do you mean by "wondering if you're correlating it incorrectly"?

 

And I enjoyed almost every minute of it.  Even the days when I saw nothing.  I was out every day of gun season except 2 I think.  Morning and afternoons.  I really enjoy getting out around 6 am and watching the woods wake up.

 

glad to hear you enjoyed it. You'll enjoy bowhunting even more, it truly is in a league of its own compared to gun. I would not call you any names regarding your gun comment. However, the feeling of violence that comes with a gun is normal. It's a tool with 1 goal. To kill. It should always be respected for that and if you're bothered by it, that's fine and I'd encourage you to keep bowhunting.

 

[Five Seasons]

Don't mind the negative comments. Some people feel there's only one way to hunt, their way.

X-Calibur Lighting Systems

http://facebook.com/toolbagusa

 

please point to my negative comment?

[shawnhu]

glad to hear you enjoyed it. You'll enjoy bowhunting even more, it truly is in a league of its own compared to gun. I would not call you any names regarding your gun comment. However, the feeling of violence that comes with a gun is normal. It's a tool with 1 goal. To kill. It should always be respected for that and if you're bothered by it, that's fine and I'd encourage you to keep bowhunting.

I target shoot with my gun more often than I "kill". I bet some of the Olympic shooters would disagree on your comment as well.

X-Calibur Lighting Systems

http://facebook.com/XCaliburLightingSystems

[shawnhu]

please point to my negative comment?

Do you feel I was referring to you? Does the shoe fit?

X-Calibur Lighting Systems

http://facebook.com/XCaliburLightingSystems

[growalot]

Congrats all around...on the deer but the hunt as well...Now on the lighter side.....

Did you go out and buy that tractor brand new to haul him out?....lol.... that is one clean tractor!!

Edited December 15, 2015 by growalot

[airedale]

Welcome to the sport of hunting and congratulations. Try some small game hunting too, it can be a lot of fun.

 

Al 

[Five Seasons]

I target shoot with my gun more often than I "kill". I bet some of the Olympic shooters would disagree on your comment as well.

X-Calibur Lighting Systems

http://facebook.com/ishootairguns

 

but that's not why guns were invented. stop being silly.

 

Do you feel I was referring to you? Does the shoe fit?

X-Calibur Lighting Systems

http://facebook.com/sillylittleboy

 

you quoted his response to me. answering my question or stop derailing the thread.

Edited December 15, 2015 by Belo

[shawnhu]

but that's not why guns were invented. stop being silly.

you quoted his response to me. answering my question or stop derailing the thread.

Was his response to you? I saw him answering other questions not asked by you.

Probably not a good idea to tell others what to do if you have absolutely no control over stopping them.

X-Calibur Lighting Systems

http://facebook.com/XCaliburLightingSystems

[jjb4900]

Just not something I'm used to.  I probably shouldn't use the word violent because that sounds like a crime or something.  I'm still kinda surprised that I did it.  I don't regret it at all.  And yes I'm hooked and very appreciative of my experience and hearing everyones congrats.  I'll Probably come down from this rush by next season.    

shooting a gun that shatters the silence of the otherwise peaceful woods and killing something is pretty violent....I don't have a problem with its use.

[dbHunterNY]

congrats!  despite you're just starting I'd say you're a good hunter.  good hunters capitalize on a little luck to make things happen.  there's a lot more to learn but might or might not be necessary to get the job done depending on your situation.  what you did is definitely an accomplishment.   you can now safely say that when it really comes down to it your family will never grow hungry.  death sucks.  nobody in their right mind should like it.  it's something that needs to happen though during this whole process and is out weighed by all the rest of the experiences and act of sustaining life.

[bendermelissa2]

Well i guess you do. I don't know how to make this story short

33 years old and never hunted until this season. No one in my family has ever been into hunting so it never really appealed to me. in the last 10 years I've always thought I may enjoy hunting but never had time to take the safety course. Recently my 5 year old has been so interested in hunting that I decided I needed to learn so he could have his dad be his mentor even though one of my closest friends is an avid hunter. My friend weather he knew it or not was going to mentor me. I managed to get a safety course finished the day before opening of gun and bought a crossbow so I could practice quietly for a few days. I got accurate enough that I decided to go out sunday am of opening weekend. Spent every morning and afternoon I could sitting quietly after that. Saw lots of doe. 11 walked through one day but I didn't have the range. Even had a small doe walk almost right up to me on two separate occasions but didn't feel right about shooting such small deer.

Finally my friend tells me I have to sight in the shotgun I bought, practice and get up off the ground in a stand. Okay so he sights the 12 gauge in for me. I take a shot at a target at 50yards and hit close enough that I'm comfortable. I don't really like firing the gun so I leave it at that. One practice shot. Please don't judge me or my friend for the lack of practice.

I get in a stand on my property with only a small area that I can hunt legally but I feel comfortable with. I begin using a new trick of rattling fake antlers and using calls. 10 minutes before sunset I wipe my nose and sniffle from the sinus infection and bronchitis I happened to get and decide to climb down when I realized my calling was working because all I saw were white tails running. I stop, call a doe noise and they all stop. I waited 5 minutes and did it again and they started back. One nice doe makes it on my property. She looks up at me, kicks her front hooves at the ground a few time. I stayed very still at the ready. She put her head down and turned. I shoot. I do all the safe things you're supposed to do next and go to the spot where she was. No blood, no fur and dark now. I call my friend and get a flashlight. Found tiny bit of blood 25 or so ft away and start tracking. not much blood but I did find a little frag of bone so I knew I must of hit her somewhere decent. Finally found her with the help of my friend and come to find out it was a high hit through the lung so she had to fill with blood before letting much out. 2nd bullet ever shot besides a .22. My 5 year old came out to the barn while it was hanging and saw it after warning him it was bloody and dead. His reaction surprised me. "awww cool....This is a nice deer daddy. Nice size. good job." what 5 year old is so calm and collected like this. IMG_1462.JPGIMG_1464.JPG

Family liked how it taste so I went back out for Sunday the last day for gun. No rattling but just calling because I figure with all this talk about no deer around I would just try for another doe. As I'm about to leave my stand and call it a morning I hear something in the woods so I hang out and call like a doe. I see antlers for the first time in my life as a hunter. Heart pumps very differently than when I shot the doe and this thing is still deep in the woods I can barely even see him. He heads away so I call the best I can. He turns and I finally get to hear how a buck really grunts. He cautiously heads towards me. Shots go off way in the distance. A large doe comes booking across the field from where the shots fired and right at me in my stand. I call again to stop her. She stands 5 yards from the tree I'm in and the buck now sees her. All of a sudden my sounds were very real to him. He head straight at me and I have to shoot before he gets too too close. He jumps into the brush and only makes it maybe 20 yards away. Shot through the shoulder a little and got a lung. Third bullet ever shot. My friend and his dad come over to help me out. This time my 5 year old comes out to see the entire gutting process. Again very calm and a little excited he said because this one had horns and again was a good size. I gutted both deer myself due to the responsibility I felt in killing these two animals. With the coaching of my friend of course.

Apparently this is a big buck. They told me I need to mount it so I guess I will even though that is not really what I did this for. That is also why you won't see me in a picture with the animal. I did it for my son who has such an interest in hunting and to have good quality meat for my family. Wegmans is right down the street but this meet came from our backyard. How's that for a carbon footprint. Thanks for reading

IMG_1479.JPGIMG_1488.JPGIMG_1489.JPG

Loved reading your story... I also started late in life 45 yrs old, I married a hunter, just love it, and have been very successful like yourself... I now bow hunt too.. This year got my first 8 point

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

[Rockspek]

Congrats all around...on the deer but the hunt as well...Now on the lighter side.....

Did you go out and buy that tractor brand new to haul him out?....lol.... that is one clean tractor!!

 

Lol.  I didn't go out and buy the tractor just to haul him out.  I bought the tractor to benefit everyone this year.  I figured if I got it to move snow that it would never snow this year.  To all the snow haters, you're welcome.  Isn't that how it usually works.  Hauling out the deer was only the third time I've used it yet and the second time was when I got the doe.  I felt it was a good way to start getting it dirty.   

[Rockspek]

I didn't take any comments as negative.  

 

Belo- I did think you questioned how affective my calling was.  I have no doubt that using a call effected my hunting in a positive way.  It will take me a long time to lose faith in my call.  I know it worked.  

[Five Seasons]

Was his response to you? I saw him answering other questions not asked by you.

Probably not a good idea to tell others what to do if you have absolutely no control over stopping them.

X-Calibur Lighting Systems

http://facebook.com/iloseallday

One can only assume if you quote a question that you're responding to them. Thanks again though for still not answering my question.

What did I tell him to do?

Edited December 15, 2015 by Belo

[Rockspek]

Ah nevermind,  I appreciated all comments and took nothing negatively. I didn't post the topic to get people riled up.

Edited December 15, 2015 by Rockspek

[Five Seasons]

I didn't take any comments as negative.

Belo- I did think you questioned how affective my calling was. I have no doubt that using a call effected my hunting in a positive way. It will take me a long time to lose faith in my call. I know it worked.

Time will tell. I'm not disagreeing with you, just noting that until the scientific method is used you cannot be certain it was the reason you harvested the deer. Please don't take my comments as challenging, I just don't want you to think that calling is a large factor in hunting whitetails like it is with turkey. It certainly has and can work.

[Rockspek]

Maybe next year I'll get a go pro.  Would be cool to be able to review what you did and learn from what you don't exactly remember.

[DirtTime]

There are a lot of different ways to hunt. All can be very productive. Calling/rattling, still hunting, stalking, sitting, driving deer, using attractants, food plots etc.................

All have a place and time. I think what Belo meant was don't concentrate all your efforts on one way and ignore all the others. To be a mentor you need to be a well rounded hunter and have some knowledge in at least most common of the ways we can kill a deer.

As for me commenting, asking questions, I will apologize if they were taken as being negative. Even this post isn't meant to be negative or disrespectful, just offering advice on what a mentor is.

 

[Rockspek]

Again I haven't taken anything negatively.  I am having fun checking this thread whenever I get a chance.  And that is a good point.  I had some deer in my area this year.  Other years to come may not work out so well.  I should learn about other techniques (sounds like a new thread) I will continue to read all of your experiences and try to apply.

[bendermelissa2]

Maybe next year I'll get a go pro. Would be cool to be able to review what you did and learn from what you don't exactly remember.

I thought same way, bought one, problem is 20 yds looks like 50 yds... It's a great camera, don't get me wrong..just a suggestion if say you use it for turkey set the camera by the decoy if you use them.. Then you can get cool footage, just be sure to get the one with remote..I do have some neat footage.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

[Five Seasons]

Maybe next year I'll get a go pro.  Would be cool to be able to review what you did and learn from what you don't exactly remember.

 

i tired a gopro. really doesn't work for hunting. spend the money on 3 or 4 game cameras. Then you'll know if you're just hunting a good trail, food source, bedding area etc.

[one3]

Congrats, great story. There is a saying. If you teach your children to  hunt and fish, you do not have to hunt your children.