NY Harvester

Interesting, I fall into boththe method/sportsman categories.

FIVE STAGES OF A HUNTER

Hunters change through the years. Factors used to determine
"successful hunting" change as well for each hunter. A hunter's age,
role models, and his years of hunting experience affect his ideas of
"success."

Many hunters may fit into one of the following five groups. In
1975-1980, groups of over 1,000 hunters in Wisconsin were studied,
surveyed, and written about by Professors Robert Jackson and Robert
Norton, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. The results of their
studies form a widely accepted theory of hunter behavior and
development. Where are you now? Where would you like to be?

SHOOTER STAGE

The hunter talks about satisfaction with hunting being closely tied to
being able to "get shooting." Often the beginning duck hunter will
relate he had an excellent day if he got in a lot of shooting. The
beginning deer hunter will talk about the number of shooting
opportunities. Missing game means little to hunters in this phase. A
beginning hunter wants to pull the trigger and test the capability of
his firearm. A hunter in this stage may be a dangerous hunting
partner.

LIMITING OUT STAGE

A hunter still talks about satisfaction gained from shooting. But what
seems more important is measuring success through the killing of game
and the number of birds or animals shot. Limiting out, or filling a
tag, is the absolute measure. Do not let your desire to limit out be
stronger than the need for safe behavior at all times.

TROPHY STAGE

Satisfaction is described in terms of selectivity of game. A duck
hunter might take only greenheads. A deer hunter looks for one special
deer. A hunter might travel far to find a real trophy animal. Shooting
opportunity and skills become less important.

METHOD STAGE

This hunter has all the special equipment. Hunting has become one of
the most important things in his life. Satisfaction comes from the
method that enables the hunter to take game. Taking game is important,
but second to how it is taken. This hunter will study long and hard
how best to pick a blind site, lay out decoys, and call in
waterfowl. A deer hunter will go one on one with a white-tailed deer,
studying sign, tracking, and the life habits of the deer. Often, the
hunter will handicap himself by hunting only with black powder
firearms or bow and arrow. Bagging game, or limiting, still is
understood as being a necessary part of the hunt during this phase.

SPORTSMAN STAGE

As a hunter ages and after many years of hunting, he "mellows out."
Satisfaction now can be found in the total hunting experience. Being
in the field, enjoying the company of friends and family, and seeing
nature outweigh the need for taking game.

Not all hunters go through all the stages, or go through them in that
particular order. It is also possible for hunters who pursue several
species of game to be in different stages with regard to each
species. Some hunters feel that role models of good sportsmen,
training, or reading books or magazines helped them pass more quickly
throuFIVE STAGES OF A HUNTER


---------------
California Department of Fish and Game. "California Hunter Education
Manual". 1995 (revised edition). Sacramento, California. [p.8]

cardeer

I just want meat ,but believe in 1 shot per animal.No slop shots takeeb. But I do consider myself a failure if I dont get a deer. I made a pact with myself years ago .If I fail to get a deer in a season I will burn a 100 dollar bill. Where do I fit in.????????

cameronmclain

UUUUUMMMMM. In the "WHY?" category.

I think I'm in all five stages right now. It depends which day it is and what I'm hunting. I think I don't agree with the "5 stage" thing. Can you just hunt because you love it?

kbick

those are pretty acerate though but i would have to say i am a little of everything to be honest, i wanna have alot of chances and take alot of game(i do believe in 1 shot 1 kill though) but i concentrate on trophies first and i am a little sportsman and method too.

Hunter_59

I think this would qualify you as being in the "limiting out" stage and possibly still in the "shooter" stage.

As for myself, I'm in the "method" and "sportsman" stages. Ithoroughly enjoy sitting in the tree and watching nature at work. I have no need to kill something although I spend my time trophy hunting. It's very common for me to go through an entire season and not fill a tag.

buckhunter14

why do we need stages? were all hunters, why can't we just be hunters.

PA Bow/Flinter

That's a pretty good little read there. I don't know where I am. I fall intoall but one of thecategorys for one part or another.

I like to shoot a lot, but I do that on the range, I keep percentages in my mind of how many misses to kills I have.
Right now it's:
4 for 5 on the rifle...one missed running shot that I want to chop my finger for off now. I never should have taken the shot, but I was young and dumb[:@].
2 for 4 for the bow...missed one clean 4 years ago, drilled the second last year, wounded one this year (another bad shot by me[&o]), then drilled the 4th later on this year.
2 for 2 with my flintlock.
I also went 27 for 30 with my rifle hunting groundhogs this past summer. Ranges where between <1 and 200 yds.

Then I limited out once in my hunting career, last year. (3 for three on shots) But I soon learned that 3 deer is more then enough meat for two people.

I have also been through the Trophy Stage as well. This year I passed on numerous numbers of small bucks, and deer in general, just so I could continue to hunt.

I experienced the method stage as well this year. Aside from the three day bear season and groundhog hunting, my rifle never left the safe for a hunting adventure. I only took my bow or flinter out duringthe huntingseasons.

I guess I'm not sure I've hit the Sportman's Stage yet, but I would think I'm pretty close. The last two years or so, I've really noticed a change in my attitude about why I hunt.

So, that's where I am. Kind of all over.

cardeer

cardeer

Why ? To both drive myself beyond my capability and punishment for failing

Hunter_59

cardeer, apparently you're not there yet but someday, hopefully, you will understand that your hunting season is not a "failure" if you don't kill out. Don't get me wrong, I probably was closer to your attitude, when I was younger, than I care to admit. My wife would've skinned me alive though if I had burned a $100 bill every time I ended the season empty handed!