Tell me about your first big hunt

[speed]

I live in NYC.................I can honestly say that I know next to nothin about hunting.
Sure, I've shot rats and rabbits and some birds while on vacation in gun friendly states with friends or relatives but I've never had the experience of really "hunting larger game"
I am planning on taking a hunter safety course and have talked to some of the guy's at local ranges that told me that I would be welcome to go with them on future trips..."I make friends easily"
I would like to hear from TFLers about their first experiences hunting.
Did anyone start late in their lives?What got you started?What did you learn that can't be taught in school or from books?Did you stick with it?What did you Hunt?......etc............

[speed]

Hi speed,
Since nobody has responded yet....my guess is that nobody want's to tell you about their hunting experience.In other words it's none of your biz.
Why don't you move out of that city you call home and go hunting yourself and stop asking such stupid question's and while you're at it get a life.

[speed]

WHOA!
Relax!..............It's just a question.......I thought some of you might be interested in sharing some stories.
Sorry!

[speed]

Well?
I guess you're wrong .........nobody is interested in sharing their hunting stories with you.
It should be obvious to you by now..............We are more intereted in talking about Glocks and stuff and I don't even know why TFL has a hunting forum to be honest with you.
Bottom line?...............don't ask anyone here for their opininions on hunting since you know nothing about it anyway!
SEE YA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :barf:

[JohnDog]

Hey - I was out hunting on Thursday and Friday Turkeys - 1 , JohnDog - 0. Snowing up in the mountains today (and Avs on the tube!)

My first big game hunt was with family; dad, uncles and cousins. Kinda of a 'right of passage' thing. Would that 14th birthday ever come? Paper delivery and mowing lawns till I had the $$ to buy a Winchester 670 in .270 (read way too many Jack O'connor articles in Outdoor Life). Went hunting mule deer for first time, still remember serious buck fever attack when it came time for the shot.

What I hunt out here in fly-over country: Deer - mostly Mulies, but a couple of Whitetails with Kansas cousins, Antelopes, and my favorite - Elk. Various small game critters, i.e. rabbits, squirrels, grouse, etc. Turkeys - grrrrr - damned Turkeys! Varmints. Mostly rifle/shotgun, but a friend got me started last year in Archery. Going after elk this fall with the bow.

Biggest thing that I can see that you'll need to learn is fieldcraft. Finding out where the beasties are out in the woods, what their habits are, and getting close enough to subdue them with your weapon of choice. Yes, having somebody show you how they do things will help jump start your learning experience, but you can't get around spending time in the woods. Good thing is you can learn alot by just being out in the woods and walking around.

Here is something you can try. Driving along and you spot a deer crossing the road. Stop where you saw the deer, find it's tracks and start following them! See if you can track it till you spot it again. Start it running - see if you can still track it - or see if you can sneak up on it - walking quiet - which way is the breeze blowing??

Or you could hire a guide/outfitter for your first hunt. Tell em what you're looking for in a hunting experience, and learn everything you can.

Hope this helps - JohnDog

Well, only big game I have been hunting is moose. Where I live we mostly hunt in groups of five men and a dog. I started moose hunting last fall, and I have to say it is the most exciting hunting experience I have wittnessed to date. We usually gather in the morning to our hunting cabinet, around 08.00h. My club has about 20 members so we split into 5 groups, all groups have dogs with them.

We have about 20 square km of land, so groups dont interfere with others hunt. The dog owner usually starts downwind while the others form a line to the suspected path of the moose. The moose will usually use same paths everytime, so this is no problem. We also use the dogs like this, the dog will try to stop the moose by barking at it, while the dog has kept the moose busy for about half hour the hunter tries to stalk it from downwind. This is the most exciting part for me. The shooting occurs from very close range maybe from 20 - 50 yards.

What have I learned??? While hunting whit a group I must be very carefull with my line of fire and always obey the rules set by the leader ( don't leave my place until I get word by cellphone or radio ). All this aside, I must say the atmosphere of the hunt is something I can no more live without.

[Dr.Rob]

First thing is you NEVER stop learning. Once you think you have it all figured out, the animals do something you didn't quite expect, or the terrain or weather changes and totally changes your hunt.

My first big game hunt was for deer in Colorado when I was about 13. I was young an impatient and bored and cold and miserable for that first hunt. I knew plenty about shooting, and hiking and such (being a good boy scout) but I wasn't mentally prepared for the cold, the hardship and the bouts of boredom and "waiting around".

Of course thats all changed. "Waiting" around is now noticing every movement, sound and smell that could alert me to game, or just enjoying watching nature happen around you.

I started with a Marlin 30-30 and a 2-7 power scope. It took me two years of hunting to actually SEE a deer, and when I drew down on it.. it didn't have horns. Was I dejected? Hell no.. I recall running back to camp breathless to tell my dad I had SEEN one! To which he replied.. well kiddo if you had stayed put, you may have seen her buck too. Each hunt you will learn something. Each hunt is a new lesson, a new experience and its why we keep going back to the woods.

Sorry if your experience in this forum has been less than stellar, but this forum doesn't get as much attention, espcially since its not big game season in most states. You'll see far more activity the closer to fall it gets. Heck most of us just applied for our licenses.

I've never hunted in New York, but I know you have a LOT of hunters vying for territory to hunt the elusive deer and black bear that live there. You will likely need to find a buddy, or a farmer who will let you hunt on private land. Don't wait until the last minute to go knock on doors. Your Hunter's safety instructor may well be a resource to get you started, or point you in the right direction. Your instructor will DEFINITELY be the guy to help you out with selecting the proper gear (boots, coat, compass etc) since he has a better idea of the terrain and weather you will encounter.

Hope the info helps.

[Dave R]

My first hunt was a small hunt...

I occasionally took my boys to an old sandpit to shoot. Thought about hunting Chukars there, since I had heard they were around. Got my license "just in case".

Took the boys shooting clays on opening day. After the boys shot, I was taking my turn while they threw clays for me.

One of 'em says "Dad, are those birds Chukars?"

Sure enough. A line of 'em walking along the side of the pit about 60 yards away. Apparently, our shooting didn't bother them.

I ran toward them. That didn't seem to bother 'em, either. When I got about 25 yards away, they started to increase speed and head up over the side. So I popped the last one in line. The others kept running. Didn't flush.

The boys were yelling "You got him!" like a 25 yard shot on the ground was a big deal. Picked him up, then we tracked that flock all up the mountain and got exhausted. We found 'em and I popped the last one in line again. Still no flush.

We went home and I looked up recipes. Yummy birds.

Then it occurred to me that I had been carrying a fully loaded pump, and could have taken multiple birds each time I shot. Never occurred to me at the time. That's how green I was.

[Art Eatman]

I guess I started hunting when I got my first Daisy Red Ryder BB gun, about 60 years ago. Other than "time outs" for Army and college, I've pretty much been hunting all my life. Heck, I'm usually looking for Bambi when I'm driving down a highway.

I don't guess any of my hunts have been "big" hunts. I dunno. Guns and hunting are just part of my life, and I'm always meddling around with one or the other or both...

, Art

[Bill Junior]

This isn't my first big game animal but he is my biggest:



My first whitetail was a 4 pointer who about ran me down before I killed him in self defense with a Beretta pump shotgun.

This deer was killed with my Steyr Prohunter 7mm Rem Mag using Win. Power Point, 150 grain.

Bill

[speed]

Bill jr,

I highly recomend that you take a look at the attachment that I included!

[Bill Junior]

speed,

thats a pretty "gnarly" pic!

Bill

[Art Eatman]

Dang, speed, you're pretty good with Photoshop.

, Art

[JohnDog]

Art,

I almost forgot about all the BB gun "huntin" practice. Have times changed or what? What would happen today if four kids were spotted riding bikes with "guns", or sneaking around in the creek bottoms with "rifles". My friends and I used to ride our bikes through the streets of our suburban neighborhood, with BB guns prominently displayed, to spend all day plinking BBs at birds/cans/trash down by the creek. Ah - the 60's - a good time to grow up...

Speed - give that a try. Try stalking practice in Central Park! Plink away at the pigeons with a BB gun. See if you can hide from the police till it gets dark. That should be some good "huntin" practice!

Let us know how it turns out - JohnDog

[speed]

Johndog,
Take my word for it ..............the big apple has changed quite a bit since I was a kid and the story you just told was not uncommon when I was a youngster.

Plenty of times in my youth we would hang out with the older guy's "some much older" down by the Brooklyn,Manhattan or Williamsburg bridges and shoot rats or cans on the waterfront or piers with .22's and sometimes larger calibers.

Most of the time when the Cops would catch us they would just tell us to get lost.

Thems was the days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[speed]

Forgot to mention another urban hunting story.................back when guns were not so evil the "grownups" would shoot the wine bottles out of unsuspecting wino's hands from windows and rooftops with a crossman pellet gun.

Sometimes they would break and once in a while one of these poor fellows would get a wake up call (if you know what I mean)

A little cruel?....Probably.........but when you're 8 years old and you think the guy upstairs is the coolest guy in the neiborhood it's pretty funny.

Hope nobody got offended by my little story

[Art Eatman]

Back around 1950, I took the barrelled action of my 1917 Enfield on the city bus to downtown Austintatious for some gunsmithing work.

A couple of little old ladies (LOLs) looked mildly askance, but no comments...The bus driver said, "Do you mind taking the bolt out?" Of course, I readily did so.

During the ride, I got into conversation with one of the LOLs about "my first-ever real hunting rifle", and it all wound up with a general confab about hunting--LOLs, university students, whatever.

Yeah, better days, then. More realistic about the world we lived in.

Art

[H&H,hunter]

Speed,
I only wish my literary skills were up to par with my memories of my first big game hunt.
It was pronghorn in Northern NM I was 10 years old shooting an old ruger M-77 in .270.
The night before I was unable to sleep a wink but did not feel the least bit tired when the sun came up. It was a gorgeous September morning the sky was a royal blue which contrasted the deep yellows of the abundant wild sunflowers that were in full bloom.
Within the first hour we had seen probrbly 100 head of Anteolope but my dad would not let me shoot until we had the right set up. Wen the right set up came I clumsily jumped out of the truck and missed a standing buck at about 75 yards. that was a little crushing but my enthusiasum was soon rekindled as the Anteolope were quite abundant that year. I don't really remember but I think I missed another buck about 30 minutes latter.
In any case at about 10:00 that morning we came up to an old trick tank and there standing in the middle of it was a lone buck as I steped out of the truck he turned and started trotting off I went prone and shot at the shot he took off at full speed I was crushed another miss!! I shot twice more and hit him in the hind leg turning him just as I was fetting ready to shot again he piled up and went down for the count. The first shot had hit him perfectly behind the shoulder it just took him a while to realise he was dead.
That was over 25 years ago and I still remeber it as if it happened 10 minutes ago.
I also have been hunting and shooting and been around guns all of my life. To me it truley is a way of life .

Speed i hope you enjoyed rading about my first big game hunt because i enjoyed telling it to you.

[El Loco Lobo]

I know this isn't my first hunt but one of the best hunts I've been on in quite a while was with my 3 kids. (2 girls and a boy 9, 7, &5)
It was cool, rainy, and in general kinda cruddy out, but we went any how.
In the area we were hunting I had tags for Mule deer doe, either sex white tail, spike elk, bear, and grouse.(We hunt for dinner in my house) WE all took off from the truck early after noon following some game trails I know. Showing the kids the difference between deer,elk, and moose poop and tracks and answering their questions was a blast. Teaching a 5 year old how to sneak through brush is something all of you should try

we finally got settled in under a big old spruce over looking a large meadow(1/2 acre or so). sandwiches around and i was looking to nap for a piece when my oldest daughter half whispered half yelled "THERE THEY ARE!!" Turned to look where she was looking and there went a nice whitetail buck and 5 or 6 does tail up and gone. Had to laugh after all three of the kids saw the deer they were so excited they couldn't hardly stand it. Their first buck fever We didn't get any game that day but I wouldn't trade it for any trophy elk any one has shot.

[V.Oller]

When I was 16 I "talked" my father into taking me hog hunting in central Fla. He wasn't really a hunter but he did it for me. We were using dogs and flushed a big black boar out of the scrub. Needless to say with 3 dogs yapping at him, he hightailed it towards the water.

Very soon we were in ankle deep water with reeds growing about 6 feet high and visibility at about 3 to 6 feet. It was my turn to take a hog so I was behind the dog handler and my "backup". They had gotten a little further ahead fo me when I heard "He's chargin', he's chargin'!" Guess he got tired of the dogs yapping at him!

Then all of a sudden my "back-up" and the dog handler were past me going in the other direction! I looked ahead and saw a big black blur coming my way and all I could think of was, "He's gonna get away!" so I threw my Mod 94 Winchester .30-30 up and shot him were he was biggest!

Thankfully luck was with young/stupid me that day as the 170 Gr. slug struck him just off center in the forehead. He dropped with horrible gnashing of his tusks.

At that point it occured to me that, yes hes was going to get away but it was going to be thru me! That's when I started shaking a little but still feeling the adrenalin rush as well.

Needless to say my Dad was really proud of how I stood my ground as were the "guides"! If only they knew!

I've taken a LOT of hogs since then with rifle, pistol and knife but that one will always mean the most to me. BTW he weighed 310 lbs. and had 4 inch tusks.

Vince