i feel ashamed guys...
12-02-2008, 08:35 PM
#31
Fork Horn
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Wilmington, DE
Posts: 182
RE: i feel ashamed guys...
I can share my experience.
My entire hunting life (12 to 30) thus far I have found I love everything about the thrill of the hunt. I love the outdoors the challenge of finding and getting within range of deer. This is both bow, rifle, or smoke pole. I have taken 3 buck in my life. Taken no does. I have only shot at 3 or 4 doe ever and they were all in the late season with my flintlock in PA. Personally, I have never felt the real need to shoot doe. I figured I wanted meat but, I also wanted a head on the wall. I do enjoy the meat by the way. NOTE: I have passed up plenty of buck and doe in archery and some in rifle.
Why would I only target buck and not doe? Why would I pass up buck when I was 13,14,15,16 years of age and never taken a deer before? The simple fact is that I learned at a young age that I did not have to "kill" for the sake of killing, eating meat, or bragging (Not that there is anything wrong with any of these). I found that I would actually not get excited in the least over doe or certain buck. Why.. no idea. I just learned to accept it and attempt shots when my blood would sizzle and heart start to race. Now, I would not have it any other way. Will I shoot a doe now? Sure, if my blood gets pumping, I will not hesitate. I'll be proud if it when it happens because I know it was the time.
On more than one occasion, I actually found myself talking myself.... into shooting a deer. One of these times it was a spike buck with half a rack. I had been hunting for years and did not have a deer under my belt. It was first day of rifle in PA and I spotted a doe and this half spike 30 yards from me in my stand. After what seemed like 10 minutes of debating if I actually wanted to kill this deer they moved off and I never had to make a final decision. Would have been my first buck ever.. you would think I would have been excited? About 2 hours later, I spotted another deer in the same spot the other two were. I saw horns. Without any hesitation (elapse time T minus 7 seconds) I had the safety off, hammer back and bang. Another time I debated shooting a deer it was in ML season and I felt like I had to shoot at something as why else was I hunting. I shot and missed a doe. About a hour later, I was walking around and saw 3 doe together about 40 - 50 yards away. Perfect clear shot. I looked at each one and said....good luck making it through winter...I'm not shooting at you.
I typed this LONG story just to share my experience. I only shoot now when the blood gets going. It takes less than a second for me to know if I am going to shoot or not. I go with my instinct and no longer talking to myself about to shoot or not to shoot. In fact, if I hesitate in the least... I catch myself doing that and do not shoot.
This makes me no less of a gun hunter than a bow hunter etc. Has nothing to do with the challenge. In fact, I prefer to hunt with a bow. More intimate. When rifle rolls around. Gun in hand I am just as happy to shoot to kill.
Good luck dealing with what your thinking about. I do not expect other hunters to share the same view point, the above is my personal experience.
My entire hunting life (12 to 30) thus far I have found I love everything about the thrill of the hunt. I love the outdoors the challenge of finding and getting within range of deer. This is both bow, rifle, or smoke pole. I have taken 3 buck in my life. Taken no does. I have only shot at 3 or 4 doe ever and they were all in the late season with my flintlock in PA. Personally, I have never felt the real need to shoot doe. I figured I wanted meat but, I also wanted a head on the wall. I do enjoy the meat by the way. NOTE: I have passed up plenty of buck and doe in archery and some in rifle.
Why would I only target buck and not doe? Why would I pass up buck when I was 13,14,15,16 years of age and never taken a deer before? The simple fact is that I learned at a young age that I did not have to "kill" for the sake of killing, eating meat, or bragging (Not that there is anything wrong with any of these). I found that I would actually not get excited in the least over doe or certain buck. Why.. no idea. I just learned to accept it and attempt shots when my blood would sizzle and heart start to race. Now, I would not have it any other way. Will I shoot a doe now? Sure, if my blood gets pumping, I will not hesitate. I'll be proud if it when it happens because I know it was the time.
On more than one occasion, I actually found myself talking myself.... into shooting a deer. One of these times it was a spike buck with half a rack. I had been hunting for years and did not have a deer under my belt. It was first day of rifle in PA and I spotted a doe and this half spike 30 yards from me in my stand. After what seemed like 10 minutes of debating if I actually wanted to kill this deer they moved off and I never had to make a final decision. Would have been my first buck ever.. you would think I would have been excited? About 2 hours later, I spotted another deer in the same spot the other two were. I saw horns. Without any hesitation (elapse time T minus 7 seconds) I had the safety off, hammer back and bang. Another time I debated shooting a deer it was in ML season and I felt like I had to shoot at something as why else was I hunting. I shot and missed a doe. About a hour later, I was walking around and saw 3 doe together about 40 - 50 yards away. Perfect clear shot. I looked at each one and said....good luck making it through winter...I'm not shooting at you.
I typed this LONG story just to share my experience. I only shoot now when the blood gets going. It takes less than a second for me to know if I am going to shoot or not. I go with my instinct and no longer talking to myself about to shoot or not to shoot. In fact, if I hesitate in the least... I catch myself doing that and do not shoot.
This makes me no less of a gun hunter than a bow hunter etc. Has nothing to do with the challenge. In fact, I prefer to hunt with a bow. More intimate. When rifle rolls around. Gun in hand I am just as happy to shoot to kill.
Good luck dealing with what your thinking about. I do not expect other hunters to share the same view point, the above is my personal experience.
12-03-2008, 07:06 AM
#34
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Milwaukee WI
Posts: 1,161
RE: i feel ashamed guys...
ORIGINAL: my7pointmonster
I shot this doe and walked down with my friend gave him a high five and that was it...
its scary to say it but I felt like since I shot it with my rifle I was "less" of a hunter because of it. I think its time for me to quit rifle hunting all together...
I've never experienced this when I shoot something with my bow...
I shot this doe and walked down with my friend gave him a high five and that was it...
its scary to say it but I felt like since I shot it with my rifle I was "less" of a hunter because of it. I think its time for me to quit rifle hunting all together...
I've never experienced this when I shoot something with my bow...
Not to project this onto anybody else, but personally I feel that if "I" shoot a mature buck with my high powered rifle, I'd just disrespected him. If I'm gonna kill him, I'llat least give him the honor of a slick trick.At one time I limited my gunhunting to only antlerless. Now I'm not even sure if I will pull the trigger on one either.
^not to be taken as elitist attitude. It's personal preference that I push on nobody but myself. It is the lack of adrenaline rushas mentioned by my7ptr that has brought me here. Simply put, why do something if it doesn't bring you joy?
12-03-2008, 07:45 AM
#36
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Heaven is my home, temporarily residing in WNY :)
Posts: 6,679
RE: i feel ashamed guys...
ORIGINAL: buttonbuckmaster
I agree 100%. I shot one of the smallest deer I've ever killed Saturday morning. I shot it becuase my 11 year old son was with me in the ground blind, we sat until almost 10am. He was a tough little guy, staying out in the cold. When the doe came down the trail, I asked him if I should shoot it. He just looked at me funny and said "Isn't that why we went hunting?" 
Minutes later we were field dressing and dragging out "our" doe. We spent that afternoon cutting it up and putting it in the freezer. I'll take a day of hunting like that any day over killing a wallhanger while huntingby myself.
ORIGINAL: GregH
It's all fun for me. I have never felt bad for killing a deer.
It's all fun for me. I have never felt bad for killing a deer.
Minutes later we were field dressing and dragging out "our" doe. We spent that afternoon cutting it up and putting it in the freezer. I'll take a day of hunting like that any day over killing a wallhanger while huntingby myself.
My7 ...... dude ... you take too much crap on here too seriously ....it's a flipping deer ..... don't take a jacuzzi and throw in a toaster now
12-03-2008, 08:17 AM
#37
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: West Tennessee
Posts: 2,333
RE: i feel ashamed guys...
ORIGINAL: PreacherTony
I agree with you guys ... BBM ...you and I are definitely cut from the same rock .....
My7 ...... dude ... you take too much crap on here too seriously ....it's a flipping deer ..... don't take a jacuzzi and throw in a toaster now
ORIGINAL: buttonbuckmaster
I agree 100%. I shot one of the smallest deer I've ever killed Saturday morning. I shot it becuase my 11 year old son was with me in the ground blind, we sat until almost 10am. He was a tough little guy, staying out in the cold. When the doe came down the trail, I asked him if I should shoot it. He just looked at me funny and said "Isn't that why we went hunting?" Minutes later we were field dressing and dragging out "our" doe. We spent that afternoon cutting it up and putting it in the freezer. I'll take a day of hunting like that any day over killing a wallhanger while huntingby myself.
ORIGINAL: GregH
It's all fun for me. I have never felt bad for killing a deer.
It's all fun for me. I have never felt bad for killing a deer.
Minutes later we were field dressing and dragging out "our" doe. We spent that afternoon cutting it up and putting it in the freezer. I'll take a day of hunting like that any day over killing a wallhanger while huntingby myself.
My7 ...... dude ... you take too much crap on here too seriously ....it's a flipping deer ..... don't take a jacuzzi and throw in a toaster now
I have only felt bad about the deer that I've killed with a gun once. It was three yearsago when the "doe" I shot turned out to be a button buck. I got over feeling bad when I cut into those marinated and grilled backstraps though.....
I'll admit that I enjoy the challenge of bow hunting more than gun hunting, but I still enjoy gun hunting, and I'll drop a doe with a rifle in a heartbeat and still be totally content with my successful hunt. Hey, that's just me, and I'm perfectly happy with this arrangement.
12-03-2008, 08:32 AM
#38
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Almost Heaven. Boone Co. WV
Posts: 1,003
RE: i feel ashamed guys...
I enjoy Doe hunting with my gun. I approach it a little differently but I still get excited at knowing if I see it I can shoot it. My family and I like to eat it so I don't have a bad feeling at all when I am standing over a dead doe.
IMHO I cannot understand the ashamed feeling. What are you ashamed of?
Thisto me is just another example of the big buck super hunter, QDM that are seen on TV all of the time rubbing off on a young hunter and making him feel bad for something he should not. [&:]
IMHO I cannot understand the ashamed feeling. What are you ashamed of?
Thisto me is just another example of the big buck super hunter, QDM that are seen on TV all of the time rubbing off on a young hunter and making him feel bad for something he should not. [&:]
12-03-2008, 08:39 AM
#39
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Michigan/Ohio
Posts: 11,682
RE: i feel ashamed guys...
ORIGINAL: HuntinGUS
I enjoy Doe hunting with my gun. I approach it a little differently but I still get excited at knowing if I see it I can shoot it. My family and I like to eat it so I don't have a bad feeling at all when I am standing over a dead doe.
IMHO I cannot understand the ashamed feeling. What are you ashamed of?
Thisto me is just another example of the big buck super hunter, QDM that are seen on TV all of the time rubbing off on a young hunter and making him feel bad for something he should not. [&:]
I enjoy Doe hunting with my gun. I approach it a little differently but I still get excited at knowing if I see it I can shoot it. My family and I like to eat it so I don't have a bad feeling at all when I am standing over a dead doe.
IMHO I cannot understand the ashamed feeling. What are you ashamed of?
Thisto me is just another example of the big buck super hunter, QDM that are seen on TV all of the time rubbing off on a young hunter and making him feel bad for something he should not. [&:]
Gun
Bow
ML
It does not matter
12-03-2008, 08:40 AM
#40
Banned
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: IOWA/25' UP
Posts: 7,145
RE: i feel ashamed guys...
Nothing wrong with rifle hunting not tripping your trigger; doesn't trip mine either and I only hunt with a bow now. We are always evolving and reaching different levels in our life.