Turning points in your hunting career?
 

I’ve had this discussion before, but I figured I’d bring it up mainstream. Looking back, are there any moments in your hunting past that turned out to be “turning points” (for good or bad) but at the time you didn’t realize it?

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

About the time my dad let me start takeing stands on my own. about11-12ish.

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

The day I stoppedGOING with my Dad and got to HUNT with my Dad.

The day I picked up my first bow.

They day I stumbled across the HNI forums;)

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

There have been numerous defining moments, but most recently is when I jumped that big ole droptine buck out of his bed this past July. It was an "Ah HAH!" moment, and really set a desire in me.

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

The day I met mobow, it's been headed down hill ever since:D

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

LMAO!! And you know what's ironic is.....the day I met you, it's been all headed UPhill........ :D

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

Each time I've realized (through subtle pushes by friends) that this isn't supposed to be "work". I've realized my most prized moments while deer hunting.....shortly after each of these occurrences.

(Thanks Gary and Rob)

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

letting the smaller 120 class Pope and Youngs walk

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

#1 the day my oldest boy came to the stand with me for the first time... that is what got me BACK to hunting after several years away... now i get to share it with my boys... I'm no longer the student, now I am the master!!! (in my best James Earl Jones/Darth Vader voice)

#2 looking forward to my first bow kill this fall (probably a doe or two since we have so many on our land)...

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

The first time I had a deer walk within 10 feet, was my first archery season and I've been in the woods everydayI couldsince then.

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

#1 - Giving my son, when he was 12, my best stand and he called in and killed a 125" 8 pointer.:)


#2 - Hunting mature bucks and winning more than they do.[:-]

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

It hasn't happened yet, but seeing the TOOD in action this springwill be the #1 defining moment for me. That will be the top of the mountain.

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

My worst season.. 2005. What I will always refer to as my transition from deer hunter to mature deer hunter. I learned more about 'me' as a hunter in this year than any other.

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

When I shot and killed a 15 pt. non-typical years ago (1993)I realized that the whitetail deer comes in all shapes and sizes and they are all unique in their own way and that I must pursue them with that frame of mindto truly understand them.

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

When I decided to put my rifles away and go after turkey and big game with archery only.

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

When I made a significant lifestyle change,giving upall football coaching in the summers and fall, then spring/summeractivitiessports like fishing,softball and water skiing..etc..and insteaddedicated my summers, fall, winter and spring to scouting and learning everything I could aboutthe old bucks that find solace in thebig woods/forestshere inNorthern Idaho.

Thats when the big boys started dieing on a consistent basis.

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

When I started bowhunting. I was hooked from day 1 and have never even considered rifle hunting since.

My first Pope and Young eligible deer. Realized how much more fun/challenging it was to target a specific deer that is a little smarter than the average deer in the woods.

My 3 day late recovery on a Pope and Young eligible deer due to poor shot selection on my part. I took solemn oath to self to neverlet size of horns,desire tomeetgoals, or anythingtempt me totake low % shot again. (slight quartering to)

My first bow elk after 4 years of hard hunting and lots of self education and stupid mistakes.

Introducing bowhunting to someone new each of the last two years and sharing their first hunts, theirsuccesses, as well as their failures.

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

Taking a big black bear this year. After I quit shaking I realized that bowhunting really is the closest thing toa perfection that any sport has to offer.


Good Hunting,
Bowflex

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

The day I discovered the deer hunting in illinois:D

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

running back to the truck 15 minutes before dark at 10, and my grandfather watching me do it.that was my first time on stand alone or so I thought, my pop set up 50 yards from me to watch after me as he has done my whole life. Now I beg for 15 minutes more of light each time andhate having to go to the truck because I know that hunt is over. He came back to the truck laughing and explained that my favorite time to tuck tail was also the best time to see a deer. He has always had a way of making my blunders into a life lesson.

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

10yrs after I killed my first deer with a bow,a friend invited me on my first gun hunt in 10yrs.I killed a doe and realized that my passion was archery it was the first time I didn't get the shakes after killing a deer.Archery has been my only passion since.I STILL GET THE SHAKES NOW.I don't kill as many deer now,but having the deer close and watching them is such a rush.
2 changing from a deer killer(always worried if I tag out)to a deer hunter enjoying the time in the woods.I feel that is what archery has given me and that is why it is such a passion for me.

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

Taking up BOWHUNTING, and bowhunting in Illinois. Both winners!!

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

The day I shot my first P&Y buck. 9 pointer scored 139" gross and weighed 250lbs field dressed. After taking that deer back in 2002 it really opened my eyes on QDM and how passing on younger deer is one of the biggest contributer to getting big bucks. Up until that point I really didnt care I would shoot whatever I wanted.

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

The first time I passed on an "average" buck. . .and every time I take a kid hunting.

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

One moment I forgot to mention. The look on my wifes face and when she got her first deer this year. It was absolutely priceless to see the excitement on her face. Awsome feeling.

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

I took my young daughter bowhunting with me and killed a big doe. When I was gutting the doe she says " when you get done can we go to Mcdonalds?" Thats my girl right there.

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

Hunt the dang wind no matter what.

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

2007 for me Mike. Not the worse but learned so much about me and took a close look and watch out 2008. The killer is back!

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

Yes...In 1995 I converted to traditional archery...bare bones....I killed deer with a osage stick with cedar arrows wrapped in deer tendons with flint heads...I went back to compound in 2000. I like to keep my equipment in good shape. However...I do not even bother answering the questions about broadheads, effectiveness, etc....Even though I use a compound again I know that all it takes is..........a hole in the vitals and the animal is dead....

My first kill with flint heads was a doe at 15 yards...the deer died in a distance of 40 feet....I wish more bowhunters would try this......they will develop a whole new respect for what the indians did hundreds of years ago.....Come on guys & girls! You make a hole in the mid section of an animal and it bleeds....if your arrow head flys accurate for you put it in the vitals and forget about the name brand or cutting diameter!....Good Luck to my traditional friends!:D

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

When I took responsibility for my own success or failure approximately 13 to 14 years ago.

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

When I bought some prime hunting land in 1999. That has made all the difference in my hunting enjoyment. Also got me started bowhunting. I still gun hunt though.

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

There has been alot of turning points. The latest has to be the ongoing decision to start a GDM program and turn the tables to create some luck instead of stumbaling across it.It's been apretty good run.

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

I had a turning point occur, yesterday. Lisa and I were heading up to my mom’s house to do some things for her…..and while riding up the highway…..I glanced to the right and saw a deer behind the guardrail…..bedded with its head up. I got up to the next exit and made a big loop. When I got to where the deer was…..I pulled over and got out. When I got back to her….I could tell her right front leg was mangled up pretty badly. She was just bedded there with her head up….panting badly. I had no weapon with me. Nothing. In the meantime she tried to get up and basically rolled down the embankment, under some brush.

I went back to my truck and looked for anything. Nothing. I called the GW (friend)…and he was off duty and out of the area. He called the on-duty officer….who called me…..and I told him where we were. He came and dispatched her.

I can’t tell you how hard it was to look at that deer in the condition she was in. I’ll never forget it.

To relate this incident to this post……I think my effective range just got even shorter. To thin I might have an animal out there that was suffering like this girl was…..bothers the hell out of me. I now there’s no such thing as a “sure thing”……but they’re gonna have to be close for me, from now on.

There’s my turning point…….

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

The first time I took my son with me in the woods and realized for me this is what it's all about,passing it on.

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

The most defining turning point in my hunting was standing behind my son and watching him shoot his first deer. Because it was then that I realized what my father saw when I got my first deer.

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

I bought my first Longbow yesterday!!!!! :)

Last night was pretty cool, I cooked up some backstraps and the boy tried it and liked it! He likes summer sausage and jerky but refused to try it cooked. Not a big steak type fan, he came back for seconds! This was my late season Doe that butchered my self, kinda cool I thought!:)

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

There's something about eating a critter that you butchered up yourself. I always thought the same way!

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

Turning points for me was when I picked up the recurve at the age 3 that dad bought me. Mom and dad couldn't get that bow out of my hand, dad was proud of his son! I can't wait to do the same and give my daughter the option of bow hunting as well if she'll partake in it. My biggest turning point lately was when I switched from compound to recurve some 13 years back. I never knew bow hunting could be this exciting for me!

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

The year that I decided to take the plunge and buy a bow and take up archery hunting. It was a little longer road for me because at the time I didn’t really know anyone that archery hunted so I had to learn most everything myself.

Now it seems weird, but at the time, my decision to buy which bow was totally based on that years archery review in Outdoor Life – I didn’t even bother shooting any bows. I just bought the Editors Best Buy pick…


That year after getting my bow I put successfully harvested a Muley buck from the ground and my hunting has never been the same sense.

RE: Turning points in your hunting career?
 

[ul][*]When I was 15 and got a call from a friend who worked in an outdoor shop saying they just got in aused left handed bow if I wanted to look at it. This was a huge turning point that got me started down the bowhunting path.[*]When I moved to Florida and was no closer than 2 1/2 hours from the nearest available hunting. This made me realize how important hunting was in my life.[*]My return to PA which was driven by my need to hunt.[*]Most recently, graduating from grad school which allowed me to have more time to hunt and the resources to hunt the way I want. This allowed me to commit myself to hunting more mature deer and putting more time in the woods both hunting and scouting than I ever have before.[/ul]