idahoelkinstructor

Meaning how did you learn to be a successful hunter? Myself for example. My father was and is a rifle hunter, but he always went scouting in September mostly for mule deer here in our home state of Idaho. I went along from the time I was a little boy, when I was of legal age I wanted so bad to archery hunt. After all we were scouting several days during the archey season and I looked at it as lost opportunity to hunt. At age 14 I finaly convinced my dad to let me bow hunt. I was hunting in a unit that was spike bull or cow only. I couldn't shoot the big bulls but boy did I have fun with them. I didn't know the first thing about being a successful elk hunter. Starting out like everyone else, I didn't have a clue how to cow call or make any elk call at all. Little did I know that someday I would sound good enough to share the stage with some of the best elk callers in the world and be ranked 10th in the world by the RMEF. As a side note I still feel that I am not that good becasue 10th feels a long way off of first place. But it will happen someday and I will reach my goal. Also I realize the calling for judges and calling for elk is two different things. Elk are much easier to please and can be fooled with silly cow sounds.[8D]Anyway going back on track as already mentioed I could't shoot the bigger bulls,butno one said I couldn't have fun with them. AndI was more than happy to shootcows and spikes and fill my parents freezer with some excellent meat. With the big boysit was fun to learn what worked and what didn't. If I was successful I had a big bull standing in front of me for a close view. If not I got to see a yellow rump running very fast away from me in the opposite direction. I have had a lot of those in my lifetime but with each one came a learning experience that no matter how small it seemed made me a better hunter. Each year I havebecame better and better at finding and getting close to these beautiful animals.Time wise I have been blessed to take at least two full weeks off for the bowhunting season, twice in the past 10 years I have been lucky enough to have the entire month of September off. So if someone asks me"how did I learn to hunt elk". The answer is easy it was from the elk themself. Sure my dad taught me the basics of hunting, I learned from others about different bowhunting techniques, but the best teacher by far has been the elk themself. They offer up a lesson course that is different each and every year. A wise hunter will take notes and learn everything they can with each season that passes. But its so much to learn that few of us if any can master it all. With that saidI also feel few hunters are experts including myslelf and others who claim to be "theexperts" on the hunting channel and videos. After all don't we all get outsmarted all each season at least once or twice if not many more times. Of course I am using elk in my example becaue that is the animal I know and love. But I bet the same could be said the mighty whitetail deer or what ever your favorite animal is to hunt! Whats you opinion?

ultimag

my dad introduced me to hunting but mostly trial and error on my own

drstalker

"How did I learn to hunt"I would have to say I am still learning,but would say most of what I learned or the way I learned was being out there.The early years of my hunting I didn't have much of any areas to hunt so would hunt a time or two a year,now I'm talking deer hunting mainly,cause I hunted rabbits,pheasant and other critters early on in my youth,but deer was mostly a self taught vocation.I did learn some from books and the internet and a few buds.I've been bowhunting for over twenty five years,and didn't harvest any for the first ten or so,and again it was the frequency of being in the woods and being allowed to hunt.I did study my prey though and was facinated by the whitetail deer.Most would have gave up on deer hunting if they didn't harvest one that early on,but I loved being out in the woods,and seeing all the critters that I did.I most always saw deer,and really learned alot about them by stalking.I'm glad it has happened the way it has for me,I think if I would have harvested a nice racked deer the first year or so when I was younger and didn't the next, it would have been a difficult thing to return to for me.The reason I hunt is for the freezer and "headgear" is just a bonus in my opinion.I also believe that hunters mature as the years go ,and as they age the reasons they hunt and for what they hunt changes.I was a wild man about racked bucks in my early years of hunting but that has changed for me.Now don't get me wrong I will harvest a nice buck if it meanders my way,and I will scout for them,but Idon't have the energy to hunt them as hard as I used to.

Washington Hunter

Trial and error, mainly.

My father introduced me to hunting, and has guided me quite a bit. For the most part I hunt on my own, so a lot of what I've learned came from making the mistakes myself and being smart enough to take something away from each experience.

I learned quite a bit from magazines.

And a great wealth of information has been provided from this very website. I've learned a lot in my 6 years with HuntingNet, and I know that I'll continue to learn as long as I'm an active member.

Finch

Thats the same for me. I got interested in bowhunting a few years back and really got serious last year. I think I may bowhunt all year this year even during rifle. That seems hard to me b/c I have always rifle hunted ever since I could.

The Rev

Watching Jimmy Houston Videos...

chaselton

I learned most from my dad and uncle.. The most you can learn from is personal experience though

JLmoore1956

Basically learned on my own. Not sure why my dad never took us. Think because we lived in a big city and he worked so hard for the family. We did a little fishing but never got out in the woods. I remember shooting my first bow and I think gun in the Boy Scouts. It stuck with me. Know if I had been introduced at a way younger age I would have taken to it like flies to, well you know.......anyway, after I shot that bow I knew I had to have one. Dad did buy first first hunting bow for me, but living in the city and not getting out had to find some folks to go with, etc........ I guess when I really became a hunter was in Germany from 1996-2001, wow, best hunting or any time in my life...... now I am a woodsman and a hunter and more for that experience then anything. Then when I returned I knew I had to return to the bow......year latter took my first doe.......and I am out there when I am not deployed, but have to say I am still developing and learning.....and my woodsman skills get better and better each year, yepper even at 50 I am still learning.....and now, the turkey addiction hit several years ago....... so this fall I and the bow will be out chasing them! [8D][8D][8D]

mauser06

my dad taught me ALOT....i been in the woods beside him all my life since i can walk.....and thats not an exzaggeration...always teaching me and fueling my fire and feeding my desire....now....im 19...and love to hunt more then anything in the world..just dont get to do it with dad all too often anymore...since i turned 16 i started driving and working and was busy......working 2 jobs mot of the time....and dad works alot too so our schedules dont meet up too often....exspecially now that im in college...but when they do meet up we try to get out...even if its shooting or a weekend to the mountains just to get away....

mobow

My dad took me small game hunting when I was young, but to this very day, I have YET to go deer hunting w/ him. I've tried, he just has no interest. We're applying for a muzzleloader draw hunt this year, and if drawn, it'll be the first time we've deer hunted together.

So, to answer the question, deer hunting was 100% OJT. In fact, 90% of what I have learned about hunting in general was OJT. He took me and introduced me, but taught me little to nothing. It may sound like I'm bitter about that, but I'm not, not in the least! Over the years, I've learned something about myself that I believe he recognized early on. I learn best by doing, not by seeing or being told. I honestly believe if he were to have tried to "teach" me how to hunt, I wouldn't be hunting at all today.