Just a general question Michael and would welcome any of your thoughts. I have one good one that I actually read while hunting over a couple of days. "A look at Life From a Deerstand" by Steve Chapman. An older friend of mine gave it to me. I am not a real religous guy but the book was fantastic.
Virginia, this is the way I "want" to hunt. The places I have access to hunt dictate that I do things a little more tactfully though. When I was in Jr. High and High School this is the way I hunted because none of the land around me was leased to hunting clubs. God, I miss those days. I also saw way more deer in those days. I still have the desire to be simplistic in my hunts though.
I must say this is what I try to do, especially this past season. I grab my bow, quiver of arrows and go hunt. Sometimes I take a treestand and sometimes I don't. My day could start off as a deer hunt, then quickly be after a turkey or maybe a rabbit, then back to a deer hunt or even go chase a pheasant. I like to keep it simple as possible. No pressure, thats not why I'm there! The most technical I get now a days is Binoculars!
Thanks Jeff, I will check it out. I am trying to fill the remaining 1% of my brain with some good philosophical info. That will put me at around 4% total brain capacity. BHF--I like it. I need to learn how to hunt different types of game. I am even thinking about getting blunt tips to hunt squirrels in my downtime in the woods. It will give me a reason to learn larger parts of the woods and to get some good exercise walking up and down some big hills. LA...those are some good times hunting like that. I make it a point to get 3-4 good hunts in October where I just walk and stalk. I like to pick the nastiest days when it is raining and quiet so I can just slip around and try to stalk a deer. I have killed one that way and almost another. I missed a big doe at only 7 yards in the middle of a rain storm about 5 years ago. I let a smaller doe walk past me and then drew. I nailed a twig in the way and the arrow blew into the mud. But the hunt was awesome!
Chasing squirrels is a blast, just think, if your hunting squirrels you won't have any downtime, you'll always be hunting something!:D Actually chasing squirrels is a VERY good way to hone your stalking skills. It teaches me some great patience!
Brett, try the book " Where adventure meets discovery" by Mark Thomas-he's one of our own (Jeremiah Johnson). I started reading it and could not put it down! It is a book which will help put things into perspective...Mark's early years were tested. In the end, hunting was the glue which held Mark's life together. You quickly appreciate simple and feel blessed.
To many folks get so caught up in trying to impress others that they really cant help from being uptight. Its a psychological thing, Human nature that holds us back, we are often are own worst enemy. Once u can get to the point where U hunt in a way that u absolutely have no regrets then there is never a worry no need to impress but instead share in the fullfillment. Thats when a guy can really take it all in for what its worth, enjoying every aspect of hunting and can make great memories. There is no such thing as "one" way, we are all indiviuals with completely different personalities. What one values as his highest priority in hunting another may not.
I'll do what makes me happy. I'm not to worried what others think and will readily admit I know nothing about killing big or mature bucks. I do however know how to enjoy the time spent afield.
I guess it's like anything else. It's a matter of what level you want to take your hunting (insert any activity or sport) that brings you the most enjoyment. If you enjoy grabbing your bow, arrows, and killing an animal in the most simplistic way.... then do it. If at some point that doesn't do it for you anymore and you want to try different things or bring your hunting to a different level then do that. Basically whatever level of enjoyment and the means to achieve it that brings you satisfaction being out there. Nobody can tell anyone else how to hunt. I always equate golf and hunting because they are similar in a lot of ways. If you want to grab your grandfathers wooden clubs and 50 year old balls and hit the links trying to shoot the best round you can.... do it. If that's what makes you happy playing around of golf. If you want to get state of the art computerized training, launch pads, lessons, hi tech clubs and equipment and try to become a scratch golfer....... do it. If that's what is going to make you happy. Or, there are many levels in between. Personally I am like others here. I could really care less about what others think of what I chose makes me happy hunting or what I use to do it. I make my own goals and decide the style and equipment of hunting that makes it enjoyable for me. Again... same as golf. Could care less about what my playing partners think of the driver I'm hitting, the golf ball I'm using or the shots I decide to play during a round.
Am I able to keep bowhunting simple? I just spent almost the entire friggen afternoon yesterday tuning my bow to get my broadheads to fly closer to my field points. So I guess that kinda answers the question!
Appoligies Virginiashadow. I only read the first couple posts and I was coming off an argument with a friend about how "simple" his religious beliefs where (ie. There is a God, He is good, you should be good). Reading back through my post, it came off much harsher than I intended. Like I said, I'm all for being as simplified as I can. And I see now that you were referring more to the mentality of the hunt. Just like I believe the more you learn, the more you realize you have to learn, I also believe that the more I simplify, the more I realize how complicated everything actually is. Anyway, Sorry for coming off as harsh as I did. Tracker by Tom Brown, Jr. is a great read! I read many other great books from him too.
Fitz, NO problem at all. I have seen you post before and I knew what you were trying to say...either that or you were angry and coming off a 12 pack! Thanks for the book title. I am looking to get 4-5 books and read em this fall. I hope you guys don't think I am coming off saying those that use technology or anything are making hunting bad or anything. I am just saying, in the end, it really is about picking up your weapon and heading into the woods. Maybe this post was actually directed at myself. The more I think about it, the more I believe I was just yelling at myself in the first post. LOL. Jeff, I have a recurve I bought my father years ago. He never used it. It has a 28 inch draw and it looks beautiful. I am going to bring it down with me and maybe you can help me firgure it out. I don't know what to do with it. I would like to start using it on some days in the woods...next year.
No, if I was coming off a 12pk I would have said "This guy... I Iove this guy! We should all just quit our jobs, and hunt for our food man... Yeah!....":D That book (Tracker) made me shift my whole perception as I walk through the woods... good stuff.
In my early years, yes it was that simple. It was also quite enjoyable. I didn't feel the pressure to succeed, nor did I even have to see deer to have a good time. However, as time has marched on my competitive nature (with myself) has lead me to not accept what I now perceive as failure. I have learned more and bettered myself so that it is not as simple as it used to be because to meet success you have to work for it. As a result there is much more to my hunting now than there was in the early years, but there is also more tangible success. As that success increases so does the desire to achieve more, and so it goes on. I'm not all wrapped up in what others are doing or using so long as it does not interfere with what I am trying to accomplish. I focus on what I need to do and look for what more I can do to increase my success. Do I miss the simplicity of the early days when I could enjoy the hunt for what it is in its purest form? Sometimes, but I also enjoy the rewards that are reaped from the hard work and effort that I now put into the hunt. Those rewards are far greater knowing that I had a hand in putting the pieces together to make it happen rather than simply stumbling on success.
I hunt for ME! I don't care what anyone does or how they do it (as long as its legal) Use what you want and how you want to use it(as long as its legal) and ENJOY yourself!!!! Its pretty simple really!
When I got a little too caught up in over complicating things it was not fun & I put the brakes on that real quick & now just hunt to my level of "complexity" and let things shake out from there.
