Most memerable hunt

eddy615 · January 14, 2010, 05:31 PM

What is your most memerable hunt that you have been on, lets get some details and pics

Mine was training my (now 1 year old) German Wirehaired Pointer to bird hunt. Just before Christmas My father, two uncles, cousin, Winnie (the dog), and me went pheasant hunting on a preserve. Thanks to the dog we went twelve for twelve. I was so happy that i had impressed and pleased my uncle who was very hard to impress because he has alot of money and has done alot of hunting.

Daryl · January 14, 2010, 06:18 PM

An antelope hunt back in 2005.

I drew with a friend, and then got married a month before the hunt. My (then) new bride and I went up a few days early to scout, and spent the evenings lisenting to a symphany of bull elk bugling as they moved their harems past our camp into the meadows on their way to Dipping Vat Springs.

I called one almost into camp one evening, just messing around.

My buddy came up with his wife the day before the season opened, and he ended up killing his buck the next evening. I was frustrated on a few stalks by sharp eyes and too many hunters, but I finally found a decent, stalkable buck on the third morning.

We left camp that morning riding quads to our intended hunting spot, and my wife and I went ahead of Marc a bit to glass another area near a pond in the bottom of a canyon. We found noth ing near the pond, but I spotted 3 antelope about a mile and a half to the southeast in an open area.

My wife stayed with the quads, and Marc and I dropped down into a low basin between us and the antelope. Halfway across the basin, a bunch of cattle started getting nervous up above us. The antelope couldn't see us, but they could see the cattle, so we sat down and waited them out. When the cattle finally got down in the bottom, we worked our way around them and up into a shallow draw that ran parallel to where we believed the antelope to be. The grass was really short, and there was no cover to speak of, but we were standing up looking over a low ridge about 100 yards away. From the antelope's location, they could only see the tops of our heads if they noticed us.

But they didn't. We spotted them first, ducked down, and I belly crawled up into a small patch of ~10" grass on top of the ridge.

From there I could see two does laying down a couple hundred yards away. the buck was missing, so I just waited there in the grass. 20 minutes later, Marc crawled up beside me to see what was taking so long.

About another 20 minutes later, the buck finally walked up out of a low area between us the his does, and stood facing dead away from me for a bit. Finally he turned broadside to us, looked our way, and when he looked away again to survey the country, I shot him.

It was a textbook finish to one of the most enjoyable hunts I've been on.

I've shown the picture before, but I don't think I've every told the story behind it here.

James R. Burke · January 14, 2010, 08:34 PM

It was with my Dad back in the 60's bird hunting. I will never forget it, it's like yesterday in my mind. There were not many birds back then. We ran into a coviey ( no doubt spelled wrong) of about a dozen or so. I had a bolt 20 ga and Dad had a auto Browning. They kept going up and Dad was shooting a way, I finally got the shotgun up and took a shot. I could not believe it when the bird went down. When I got up to it, it was flapping around about the time Dad said no I already pulled the trigger. What a mess. I believe Dad got two, and I brought home my blowen up bird. I was really proud even though there was only about half of it left.

eddy615 · January 14, 2010, 08:36 PM

Yea i guess you could say a good ringing of the neck would have finished the bird off well and left some meat intact

Scout · January 16, 2010, 08:28 PM

In 95 i went on an archery hunt with my dad and brother. We didn't kill anything but time. My dad died about a year ago and I now realize how valuable that time with him was. That was my most memorable hunt. Now I'm building memories with my sons.

eddy615 · January 17, 2010, 12:18 AM

I have not had a person close to me leave this world yet but just this year i stayed home from gun hunting in Buffalo County WI. BIG BUCK CAPITOL to hunt with my grandfather. We had alot of fun and I was so glad that i got to spend time with him now that he was hang the gun up after 55+ years. Not to many animals can beat the memories we have with eachother chasing them.

cnimrod · January 18, 2010, 05:19 PM

Trying something new is never easy. You get use to doing things a certain way, you're comfortable with it, and doing it differently
doesn't seem worth the effort. Dad introduced my sisters and I to the outdoors by hiking and camping and hunting was just another
way we saw how he enjoyed nature. Once I was old enough I got into hunting. The greatest focus was on deer hunting, like gathering the gear, prepping the equipment and the like. We'd talk strategy based on his years of experience. While we read the latest issue of this and that hunting magazine these talks never seriously considered any of the "latest
crazes" too seriously. You didn't have to spend all that money to have fun. Dad would say , “You just got to love being outdoors, if you only
count on success you'll give up hunting pretty quick.”
When New York opened a turkey season again we didn't jump right into it. We heard from other deer hunters how much fun it was but didn't seriously consider it until we started regularly seeing turkeys while out deer hunting. When we finally decided to give it a go we bought a couple of basic box calls and had some beginner’s luck around dad’s house.
After a few scoreless years I bought a new barrel, choke and camo fittings for my pump gun Dad stuck with his over/under and a little camo tape. At the local sportsman's show I picked up a couple of mouth calls and an instructional tape and started practicing. By the time May 1st rolled around I thought I was pretty decent.
Though limited I could belt out some decent volume and manage a few clucks and purrs I thought might do the trick. Opening day was rainy.
We hunted separately and Dad gave up pretty early without any luck. Later in the morning I managed to call in a jake and took him at about 35 yards.
The next day we decided to stick together and I would show Dad how it was done. We began set up along the edge of a field where we had previously seen a lot of hens. If nothing else it would be fun to see them again. After an hour of calling without response we decided to move a couple hundred yards farther up the hill and sit for a while and then move on if no luck. Dad was skeptical about this "stick and move" strategy but finally said why not. We moved to the other side of the field and gave out a yelp. We were answered with a gobble a hundred yards back into the woods. We played this tom for an hour but all he did was go side to side and finally "faded away". At this point it was getting close to quitting time so we decided to work our way back toward the house. Not with any serious optimism just an "Oh well we tried" feeling.
We stopped at the rim of a steep bowl and sat and called loudly for a spell without any response. With less than an hour of hunting time left we now figured this hunt was definitely over! We slogged through this somewhat swampy area and as we were coming up the slope when I noticed the remains of an old stonewall along the top. I stopped and said "Wait Dad this looks just like the kind of perfect setup I've read about in several turkey mags" “You think so?” Standing there I gave a quick yelp and we were immediately greeted with a booming gobble just the other side of the stone wall. We looked at each other with disbelief and quickly ducked behind the nearest cover. Dad found an old cedar stump but all I found were some spindly little saplings. I chirped lightly and he responded even closer. He was on his way! We still couldn't see him and I got so excited I was loosing the seal on my mouth call and just blowing air. I finally calmed down enough to get out a little chirp and he appeared from my left. I was afraid he'd spot me before he got within range of Dad, I thought for sure he'd pick up my shaking. I was never this excited calling one in for myself. Well fortune prevailed, he continued to the right and got within 20 yards before Dad (after what seemed an eternity) took him with two quick shots from his over under. What a thrill, we were both grinning like kids after our first hunting success.
Great experiences are even greater when you share them with someone you love.

January 16, 2010, 08:28 PM	#5
Scout Senior Member Join Date: August 9, 2009 Location: Central Florida Posts: 510	In 95 i went on an archery hunt with my dad and brother. We didn't kill anything but time. My dad died about a year ago and I now realize how valuable that time with him was. That was my most memorable hunt. Now I'm building memories with my sons. __________________ God bless the U.S. Cavalry

January 18, 2010, 05:19 PM	#7
cnimrod Senior Member Join Date: September 24, 2009 Location: NJ/NY Posts: 152	It's Fun to Share Trying something new is never easy. You get use to doing things a certain way, you're comfortable with it, and doing it differently doesn't seem worth the effort. Dad introduced my sisters and I to the outdoors by hiking and camping and hunting was just another way we saw how he enjoyed nature. Once I was old enough I got into hunting. The greatest focus was on deer hunting, like gathering the gear, prepping the equipment and the like. We'd talk strategy based on his years of experience. While we read the latest issue of this and that hunting magazine these talks never seriously considered any of the "latest crazes" too seriously. You didn't have to spend all that money to have fun. Dad would say , “You just got to love being outdoors, if you only count on success you'll give up hunting pretty quick.” When New York opened a turkey season again we didn't jump right into it. We heard from other deer hunters how much fun it was but didn't seriously consider it until we started regularly seeing turkeys while out deer hunting. When we finally decided to give it a go we bought a couple of basic box calls and had some beginner’s luck around dad’s house. After a few scoreless years I bought a new barrel, choke and camo fittings for my pump gun Dad stuck with his over/under and a little camo tape. At the local sportsman's show I picked up a couple of mouth calls and an instructional tape and started practicing. By the time May 1st rolled around I thought I was pretty decent. Though limited I could belt out some decent volume and manage a few clucks and purrs I thought might do the trick. Opening day was rainy. We hunted separately and Dad gave up pretty early without any luck. Later in the morning I managed to call in a jake and took him at about 35 yards. The next day we decided to stick together and I would show Dad how it was done. We began set up along the edge of a field where we had previously seen a lot of hens. If nothing else it would be fun to see them again. After an hour of calling without response we decided to move a couple hundred yards farther up the hill and sit for a while and then move on if no luck. Dad was skeptical about this "stick and move" strategy but finally said why not. We moved to the other side of the field and gave out a yelp. We were answered with a gobble a hundred yards back into the woods. We played this tom for an hour but all he did was go side to side and finally "faded away". At this point it was getting close to quitting time so we decided to work our way back toward the house. Not with any serious optimism just an "Oh well we tried" feeling. We stopped at the rim of a steep bowl and sat and called loudly for a spell without any response. With less than an hour of hunting time left we now figured this hunt was definitely over! We slogged through this somewhat swampy area and as we were coming up the slope when I noticed the remains of an old stonewall along the top. I stopped and said "Wait Dad this looks just like the kind of perfect setup I've read about in several turkey mags" “You think so?” Standing there I gave a quick yelp and we were immediately greeted with a booming gobble just the other side of the stone wall. We looked at each other with disbelief and quickly ducked behind the nearest cover. Dad found an old cedar stump but all I found were some spindly little saplings. I chirped lightly and he responded even closer. He was on his way! We still couldn't see him and I got so excited I was loosing the seal on my mouth call and just blowing air. I finally calmed down enough to get out a little chirp and he appeared from my left. I was afraid he'd spot me before he got within range of Dad, I thought for sure he'd pick up my shaking. I was never this excited calling one in for myself. Well fortune prevailed, he continued to the right and got within 20 yards before Dad (after what seemed an eternity) took him with two quick shots from his over under. What a thrill, we were both grinning like kids after our first hunting success. Great experiences are even greater when you share them with someone you love.

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January 14, 2010, 06:18 PM	#2
Daryl Senior Member Join Date: July 11, 2008 Posts: 2,350	An antelope hunt back in 2005. I drew with a friend, and then got married a month before the hunt. My (then) new bride and I went up a few days early to scout, and spent the evenings lisenting to a symphany of bull elk bugling as they moved their harems past our camp into the meadows on their way to Dipping Vat Springs. I called one almost into camp one evening, just messing around. My buddy came up with his wife the day before the season opened, and he ended up killing his buck the next evening. I was frustrated on a few stalks by sharp eyes and too many hunters, but I finally found a decent, stalkable buck on the third morning. We left camp that morning riding quads to our intended hunting spot, and my wife and I went ahead of Marc a bit to glass another area near a pond in the bottom of a canyon. We found noth ing near the pond, but I spotted 3 antelope about a mile and a half to the southeast in an open area. My wife stayed with the quads, and Marc and I dropped down into a low basin between us and the antelope. Halfway across the basin, a bunch of cattle started getting nervous up above us. The antelope couldn't see us, but they could see the cattle, so we sat down and waited them out. When the cattle finally got down in the bottom, we worked our way around them and up into a shallow draw that ran parallel to where we believed the antelope to be. The grass was really short, and there was no cover to speak of, but we were standing up looking over a low ridge about 100 yards away. From the antelope's location, they could only see the tops of our heads if they noticed us. But they didn't. We spotted them first, ducked down, and I belly crawled up into a small patch of ~10" grass on top of the ridge. From there I could see two does laying down a couple hundred yards away. the buck was missing, so I just waited there in the grass. 20 minutes later, Marc crawled up beside me to see what was taking so long. About another 20 minutes later, the buck finally walked up out of a low area between us the his does, and stood facing dead away from me for a bit. Finally he turned broadside to us, looked our way, and when he looked away again to survey the country, I shot him. It was a textbook finish to one of the most enjoyable hunts I've been on. I've shown the picture before, but I don't think I've every told the story behind it here.

January 14, 2010, 08:34 PM	#3
James R. Burke Senior Member Join Date: January 3, 2009 Location: U.P. of Mich/Quinnesec Posts: 1,897	It was with my Dad back in the 60's bird hunting. I will never forget it, it's like yesterday in my mind. There were not many birds back then. We ran into a coviey ( no doubt spelled wrong) of about a dozen or so. I had a bolt 20 ga and Dad had a auto Browning. They kept going up and Dad was shooting a way, I finally got the shotgun up and took a shot. I could not believe it when the bird went down. When I got up to it, it was flapping around about the time Dad said no I already pulled the trigger. What a mess. I believe Dad got two, and I brought home my blowen up bird. I was really proud even though there was only about half of it left.

January 14, 2010, 08:36 PM	#4
eddy615 Member Join Date: January 17, 2009 Location: Stevens Point, WI Posts: 84	Yea i guess you could say a good ringing of the neck would have finished the bird off well and left some meat intact

January 17, 2010, 12:18 AM	#6
eddy615 Member Join Date: January 17, 2009 Location: Stevens Point, WI Posts: 84	I have not had a person close to me leave this world yet but just this year i stayed home from gun hunting in Buffalo County WI. BIG BUCK CAPITOL to hunt with my grandfather. We had alot of fun and I was so glad that i got to spend time with him now that he was hang the gun up after 55+ years. Not to many animals can beat the memories we have with eachother chasing them.