OK here is my 28 year old take on everything.

I started pheasant hunting with my dad at the age of 15. To be honest I didn' t like it too much then. Waking up early, walking all over creation, hunting with no dogs was not a lot of fun. We would go out a few times over the next few years.

My interest actually picked up again when I entered college. We decided to stop fooling around and get a springer spaniel. Also being away at school and not seeing my family made coming home to hunt even more fun.

Pheasant hunting has become a passion of mine now and I love the time spent with my father and our now 2 springers and a lab.

As for Deer hunting, my old man never did it. I didn' t know the first thing about it. I few years ago I went out at the end of shotgun season with my dad and a co-worker, we were ALL newbies. Needless to say we didn' t see anything!

My wife then introduced me to a co-workers husband who is a big bow hunter and he took me under his wing. He taught me about bows, hunting, deer, the woods, treestands, everything. Bow hunting is VERY intimidating and shall I say almost impossible to just " pick-up" . You need someone to teach you.

I have now managed to get my wifes father, my sister inlaws boyfriend, and 2 close friends into pheasant hunting. Two of them have taken up deer hunting but aren' t serious about it.