I remember

[Whitetailhobo]

I remember Our local school would close for the opening day . Wool rich plaid and buying shot shells at the gas station and hardware store. Remember  blaze orange camo  patterns coming into style lol. Life was good it was simple but rewarding.

Edited August 22, 2021 by Whitetailhobo

[Doc]

I remember when I was about 12 years old and built a pretty nice long bow out of a hickory stave, And with some willow arrows, went up in the hay loft of the barn and killed two pigeons, cleaned them and ate them. That was my first bow hunt.....

I remember my first deer hunt with a gun when a high school buddy and I camped out up on the hill in a lean-to for a week.  I missed my first deer that week.

 

[Caveman]

This thread reminds me of a quote from The Office: "I wish there was a way to know you were in the good old days before you actually left them."

As for me, I'm too young to remember the good old days.  But these threads always make me nostalgic for them, even if I was never there.  

Edited August 22, 2021 by Caveman

[Gobbler Chaser]

I grew up as a kid on 1970s Long Island and during that period there was a huge resurgence or increase of hunting. Stores like Leslie Edelman off rt 110 in Farmingdale opened and created alot of interest in hunting with smart marketing and full page ads in NewsDay news paper. Frank Defalco doing seminars at local VFWs. That's when hunting transitioned to blaze orange, almost everyone went to atleast a 4X scope or more, Sorel Rubber bottom boots became a thing and that pull out liner was considered space age. Before that it was Wool hunter red plaid, matching hat, scopes were for pussies, and leaky leather boots is what you wore. I know of dozens of guys at the time who joined the forces in the 70s who've dropped out a long, long time ago never to hunt again. Then it all went to the big Skiing Fad of the 80s

[airedale]

17 hours ago, diplomat019 said:

You know what’s funny about this sentiment. I was born in ‘83 and I did the bulk of my growing up in the 90’s and early 2000’s and i romanticize it when i think about my kids today.   And I was told by my family that when they grew up it was the heyday.   I think its all relative. I loved when i grew up and I wouldn’t change one thing about it, yet you might want to change everything.  Not that you aren’t wrong, but it’s funny to think about how we look at our formative years as “the golden age”. 

As the title of Elmer Keith's book I just got done reading sez "Hell I Was There", I grew up and lived through the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s etc etc and have the perspective of seeing how life was lived first hand and what has evolved. While photos, second hand info do give some insight it is in my opinion the knowledge gained is not even close to actually being there living in those times yourself.

Things were not perfect for sure but a Hell of a lot better than the mess this country has become today.

Al

[Nytracker]

I started hunting in the early 80s. Party permits  were the thing ... almost never got to use them as my uncles would fill them while I was at school . There were deer but not like there was in early 90s. Probably didn't see as many because I was a newbie  hunter.  Gave up on the northern rubber boots for tennis shoes  and plastic baggies. Lighter weight and quieter. Hunted with an Ithaca deer slayer 12 guage . Moved up after first year to brennecki  slugs. A much improvement from the foster slugs.First camo was military  bdu . Still had to wear orange cap gloves  . No day packs ... only what you could stuff in your pockets. No tree stands. Didnt have them  dont think I ever heard of them until later.  First deer I killed from a tree I climed  an oak and set in the crotch of 2 big limbs . When gramps  found out he peeled my ass for doing such a darn fool  thing .

[Larry]

Those were the days we had a group of us would go down to Letchworth on the Saturday and hunt bow then on Monday and Tuesday hunt gun. Lots of fun didn’t get much but had a good time.

[132 eight pointer]

K-Mart sold slugs for .97 cents for a box of 5 in the fall. Most hunters would talk to each other and even ask which way  you were planning on going so no one was right on top of each other on public land (still happens but people are not as friendly ) .Deer hung from trees not hidden in the garage so no one was offended. Gas was cheap but MPG was awful on most 4x4 vehicles. Party permits for antlerless was a pain. No hunting on Sunday, now I look forward to Sunday hunting. People voted and paid attention to where the candidate stood on issues important to them like the 2A and hunting (Does NOT happen enough now). Ammo was bought where it was on sale instead of where a meager supply was in stock for a few days. If you didn't want a deer hide back a processor would deduct $5 from the bill.

[left field]

About five years ago I was driving through Soho in NYC when I saw two guys unloading a deer strapped to the hood of their car. I guess they were going to butcher it in their apt.

No one batted an eye on the street.

[crappyice]

About five years ago I was driving through Soho in NYC when I saw two guys unloading a deer strapped to the hood of their car. I guess they were going to butcher it in their apt.
No one batted an eye on the street.

I hope this isn’t a derailing response as it still has lots to do with change and what impacted it

That’s the funny thing - I never had any negative issues with people when I bring deer home uncovered in my carrier on the back of my car. While I m not in the city, I am only 20 minutes away and have plenty of those “City folks” close by.
Actually most of my interactions with people I see at the hunting program i am in are with non-hunters and hikers. They are great conversations about what we are doing, how i process it, and good i make.
I wonder what role we played in hiding hunting from the public for fear of offending when really it wasn’t/isn’t necessary.

I remember hanging my first buck in my backyard and having to explain to my neighbor that nothing will go to waste including the part of the backstrap I gave him. Now he looks forward to hunting season almost as much as me


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[left field]

I think there's something in how people conduct themselves in person and how they do so online. Maybe it's just the internet that's the problem.

[G-Man]

4 person to a party permit, bucks were allowed back then on them.as well, then doe only , then 2 people to a permit in the early 90s then  only.one.. Having a blast on weekend before Monday opening day playing euchre, visiting other camps, other camps visiting ours, getting the cabin up to temp after a day or.two burning the open fireplace ( when the brick got hot it stayed so much easier to maintain heat) 

The allowance of compound bow users to use a release instead of tabs or.glove, then allowing fiberoptic sights, then lighted.. instead.of.your girlfriends brightest nail polish put on a brass pin.  .. 

[First-light]

25 minutes ago, G-Man said:

4 person to a party permit, bucks were allowed back then on them.as well, then doe only , then 2 people to a permit in the early 90s then  only.one.. Having a blast on weekend before Monday opening day playing euchre, visiting other camps, other camps visiting ours, getting the cabin up to temp after a day or.two burning the open fireplace ( when the brick got hot it stayed so much easier to maintain heat) 

The allowance of compound bow users to use a release instead of tabs or.glove, then allowing fiberoptic sights, then lighted.. instead.of.your girlfriends brightest nail polish put on a brass pin.  .. 

I don't mind the Saturday opener but you are right. It was great having the weekend to do all those things. I also miss the old timers that hunted with us. Nothing like having one of these guys in camp. The only one I have left is my neighbors dad. 85 years old stays in stand all day long. I make sure I go down to his trailer the night before opening day to have a chat and a shot of whiskey. They come from Maryland. Camp is about 200 acres but he always spends his last hunt on my property in the honey hole. He does well there, I get such a kick out of it. A wealth of knowledge. 

[suburbanfarmer]

On 8/21/2021 at 10:16 AM, squirrelwhisperer said:

I have two sons, my little man and my little squirrel...guess which one loves to go fishing and hunting with the old man. I ask the older one all the time to join us but he is more interested in his video games and his girlfriend. 

 

He will eventually come around, at least my 19yr old did. He is just getting the archery addiction this yr.

[The_Real_TCIII]

4 person to a party permit, bucks were allowed back then on them.as well, then doe only , then 2 people to a permit in the early 90s then  only.one.. Having a blast on weekend before Monday opening day playing euchre, visiting other camps, other camps visiting ours, getting the cabin up to temp after a day or.two burning the open fireplace ( when the brick got hot it stayed so much easier to maintain heat) 
The allowance of compound bow users to use a release instead of tabs or.glove, then allowing fiberoptic sights, then lighted.. instead.of.your girlfriends brightest nail polish put on a brass pin.  .. 

Saturday opener killed most of that. Ask any bar or restaurant owner. Some dont even open for breakfast anymore. You're on your own with the release and sights stuff though lol


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[diplomat019]

3 hours ago, left field said:

About five years ago I was driving through Soho in NYC when I saw two guys unloading a deer strapped to the hood of their car. I guess they were going to butcher it in their apt.

No one batted an eye on the street.

Funny lol.  I lived in the bronx about 10 years ago and we had a butcher shop on the block.  I asked the guys in there if they could butcher a deer for me if I needed.   They barely spoke English but we had an understanding.  The told me to skin the deer and bring it in at night lol.  

[diplomat019]

3 hours ago, crappyice said:

I hope this isn’t a derailing response as it still has lots to do with change and what impacted it

That’s the funny thing - I never had any negative issues with people when I bring deer home uncovered in my carrier on the back of my car. While I m not in the city, I am only 20 minutes away and have plenty of those “City folks” close by.
Actually most of my interactions with people I see at the hunting program i am in are with non-hunters and hikers. They are great conversations about what we are doing, how i process it, and good i make.
I wonder what role we played in hiding hunting from the public for fear of offending when really it wasn’t/isn’t necessary.

I remember hanging my first buck in my backyard and having to explain to my neighbor that nothing will go to waste including the part of the backstrap I gave him. Now he looks forward to hunting season almost as much as me


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Working in the inner city I found out that the overwhelming majority of people are more interested in hunting then scared or opposed to it. They’re generally clueless and want to know more about it and I’ve actually had people tell me that they want to start hunting.  Or I’ve brought venison in for them because they want to try it, and bow they request it.  One time I brought a pack of venison stew meat in for the Yemeni bodega owner who I am close with for his family to cook up.  I love taking to them and letting them know the stereotype they have about hunters is far from the truth. 

[left field]

I think there are a lot of new hunters out there. Attend a BCHA beer night and you'll find it's packed with young people wanting to know more about hunting. What you may see - at least with the city ones and those who don't have a family background in hunting - is that they are less interested in gun culture and more into using a gun as a tool to achieve their hunting goals.

Good, bad or otherwise, they're Fudds.

[First-light]

Huge amount of hunters come from the city. I'm talking Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and such. 

Edited August 22, 2021 by First-light

[BizCT]

I think there are a lot of new hunters out there. Attend a BCHA beer night and you'll find it's packed with young people wanting to know more about hunting. What you may see - at least with the city ones and those who don't have a family background in hunting - is that they are less interested in gun culture and more into using a gun as a tool to achieve their hunting goals.
Good, bad or otherwise, they're Fudds.

I think the whole organic and farm to table craze has helped it. 10 years ago people I worked with thought hunting was disgusting. Now people are interested in learning about the health benefits


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[left field]

Very true.

 

[Gobbler Chaser]

On 8/22/2021 at 2:17 PM, The_Real_TCIII said:

Saturday opener killed most of that. Ask any bar or restaurant owner. Some dont even open for breakfast anymore. You're on your own with the release and sights stuff though lol


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The Monday opener was especially nice for guys who travelled. We would come up from LI on Sat afternoon, hit a gin mill sat night, have all Sunday to hang out and have a great meal at a local restaurant 

[Daveboone]

Fewer hunters, but alot more deer taken in recent years. There was a lot more "social " hunters. Many hunters went into the woods just to hang out. Nowadays todays hunters expect results more (for better or worse). In the seventies, you were more likely to see Krag Jorgensons, Lee Enfields, Mausers or Springfields in deer hunters hands than a Remington or Winchester (or whatever), and for many hunters a break open shotgun was the weapon. You used what you had. We considered a year successful if we saw a buck. 

 

[Shoots100]

On 8/21/2021 at 12:45 PM, wolc123 said:

I like the Saturday opener a lot better.  It sucked having to burn a vacation day or skip school when it was on a Monday.  Sure there is less oortunity for pre season drinking and partying now, but it is supposed to be about hunting.

I liked the Monday opener, as it was a reason to get out of school, hang with your deer camp buddies for the weekend, get your gear set set up and go over hunting strategies around the pot belly stove or campfire.

Now it's everyone showing up at all hours Friday night after work, scrambling around Sat am trying to get their shit straight, then blasting to their stands on the ATV's before sunrise.

I take friday off and head up to camp thursday PM to make it comfortable with the other "old guys" (I'm 53) and we talk about this same topic every year, while relaxing around the campfire enjoying a beverage.

Key word relaxing.

 

[Merlot]

Very lucky for me to have extended family that lived in rural wny. Silver Springs/ Castile area, and had the privelige to spend some weeks at my uncles farm, enjoying the simple, but demanding dairy farm life. I was able to learn to shoot a .22 and hunt chucks with my uncle after dairy chores, and as I grew up, my first deer hunting experience was on his land.

My father joined a Rod and gun club, that was formed by his post WW II buddies( the greatest Generation) so that us kids, growing up, would have a place to hunt in the future. The club was jammed with members back in the 70's and 80's for opening day, and as the young guy, always loved the comradery. Now. some 50 years later, all those guys are gone, except a few of us "young" guys still hanging around, but times have surely changed.  The traffic on the 400 was bumper to bumper with guys going out to deer hunt...Now, not so much.

Simpler times perhaps, but good times. My main concerns now are for our countries future, and our son now serving in the army, and his comrades. 

Good luck to those who will head out this fall and please pray for our country..