The Hunt That Changed My Life
 

What's up guys! I'm new to this site but have about 8 years hunting under my belt! I'm 23 years old and live in a small town in Greene Co., IN. In my time hunting I've learned a lot about myself. Being a hunter is about more than shooting the first critter you see and takes a lot more work than waking up and grabbing your gun. Personally I prefer using my bow but I like the challenge a lot more.

Patience is the number one key! My first year was a fluke. But it really got me interested. I had a buddy that had tried to get me to go for several years and I just didn't have the interest. One November evening we were hanging out and he said, "Let's go. I'm taking you hunting." So he took me to his stand (which I helped set up) and got me situated. He left and went to his ground blind a little ways away and told me that if I see one SHOOT IT! So after getting to the stand at around 6:15 PM I sat anxiously not expecting to ever see anything. But lo and behold a single doe came strolling in 25 yards to my left. With much hesitation I got myself into position and took the shot. Greatly to my surprise the doe dropped in her spot! The level of adrenaline I had at that moment was unmatched to anything I had experienced before! From then on I wanted to know everything there was about deer and began researching them and asking people I knew everything I could squeeze out of them.

To this day, hunting is the most time consuming, yet rewarding thing, that I do! I wouldn't want to spend my time anywhere else if I didn't have to! Moral of the story is that all it takes to get someone interested is that one opportunity to harvest an animal, no matter the species, and you can change a life forever! So if you haven't yet and you get the chance, take a young one with you next time you go and let them experience it, show them the way, and be an example of what a true sportsman really is!

You said you never hunted but your buddy was trying to get you to go but you had no interest, then one day he says come on we are going hunting and you went and killed a deer. What I did not see was that you took a hunter education course and obtained a hunter ed card so you could buy a license or that you had a license when you went hunting with your buddy!

I had taken the course the year before and actually had the license to hunt because my older cousin at the time was also wanting to take me and I decided that it wouldn't hurt to have it. It was legal I just didn't feel it was necessary to add all of that nonsense in there

There ya go, as it's all cleared up! However, I would also caution the newbie OP that taking the required course to hunt and having the proper license to do so, along with the proper permit to shoot the doe are "not a lot of nonsense"! What we don't say many times does not look good and I can fully understand why Oldtimr made the post he did because your short write up did also leave me questioning those same things he brought out. Anyway, welcome to the site and hope you stay around to join in as much as possible. PS: I was born and raised in Lawrence, IN and moved up here to MI in 1962.

Wasn't meaning nonsense as in unimportant just had a lack of wording. But thanks for the welcoming!

Just know, it is not unusual for people to make posts in which, what they say indicates they have committed a violation or violations and they never thought about it until it was brought up. That is why I ask. I am glad you did have a license but your post left that unspoken.

I appreciate it! I'll be sure to clarify better from now on! Thanks!!

Good grief fellas.......Ive never started a hunting story with "I went and bought my hunting license"

Sometimes what may seem to be the unimportant things to us are what is the most obvious to others. On a public forum, where we are always scrutinized for any thing we may or may not do pertaining to the field of hunting. It is always better to state the obvious to avoid any confusion. Over the years we have seen many post they grabbed their gun or bow and ran to the woods to shoot something. And that was precisely what they did, without tags.

Most of these olé coots have been to all the rodeos. Haha

Welcome to the HNI forums and we look forward to more tales of your hunts. Any questions feel free to ask. The only bad questions are the ones not asked.

Who does? LOL! I don't buy a license so I couldn't start my story that way if I wanted to!

Who does, or better, who should? Someone who says he never hunted before and had no interest, sometime between the begining of the story and a friend grabbed me and told me I am going to go hunting and he took me out and put me in a stand and told me if I see a deer kill it and I did.

He was trying to tell a story about how he got hooked into hunting and you are putting him down.

Welcome to the forum! He cleared it up folks, so lay off. Everyone chases new members away and that's why these forums are DYING. Don't believe me? Just check the turn out for this past years firearms deer contest. Again, welcome to the forum! Stick around, there is tons of good information here.
-Jake

Nobody put him down, the OP understands why I asked the question and so would anyone else who thought about it. There was at least one other member who did. Asking a question is not putting anyone down.

I would explain that comment before somebody accuses you of being a poacher! You either have a lifetime license somewhere such that you don't have to buy a yearly license or you don't hunt any more!

I also thought deerdust, our Super Moderator, covered things pretty well in post #9 that nobody was running anyone off the site and things seem just fine with the OP! I also don't see where deer contest entrants have anything to do with members posting on the Forums and I sure don't see where this site is dying, as there are plenty of posts every day to keep me busy reading and/or responding. I, myself, am not one that cares to see contests of any sort when it involves killing animals and will not enter any. I guess it's one of those deals where people can go with whatever floats their boat!

I'm within the legal limits of the law,no explaination necessary, especially to anyone on the internet!

Whatever, as the kids say, and I would certainly hope so, but that comment "out on the internet" with no explanation certainly leaves a lot more up in the air than the OP story when you make posts like that! IMHO it just leaves a poor impression for anyone that would visit this thread and read your posts, but that's just me and maybe no one else could give a rip! The only exemption that I can think of would be that some jurisdictions like PA allow a person to hunt on their own property without a license, but at minimum most require the person to have had and passed a Hunter's Ed Course. If a person qualifies under that clause, it would be for just one area and not all over the country though.

Yes people are running others of with their rude post. Their seems to be a couple that just likes it their way or the high way.

Maybe you should stop and think before you post because the only two rude posts I see on this particular thread are from you after everything was explained and rectified, including comments by a Super Moderator that I felt were right on the money. Posts such as this one that you made after the thread was moving along fine are really only good for one thing and that is to get a fight started and nothing more! What good is that doing for a website? You also really have no idea that anyone is running away from this site and even if some are why that may be. Maybe they came on to get certain information, got it or didn't get it, and just moved on. Let's all just get along and have fun on the site, as there is too much strife in this world as it is to get into petty arguments that no side will win.

Never intended on my post causing such an uproar... Just kinda wanted to share how I got started. lol

It wasn't you causing an uproar, i was people who wanted a contraversy even after a clarification was made

don't worry about the haters, there are a couple on every internet forum that feel everyone is doing something illegal, or unethical and feel they have to interrogate new posters, then state they don't mean anything by it. they never offer up hunting stories but relish in picking everyone else's to pieces.
most of us know that hunter's safety is offered in most high schools during the sofmore year so its a given that folks have the card, especialy young folks. most states let landowners, landowners children, landowners resident tenants hunt/fish on that land without purchasing a lic. and you only need the card for the mostly first time purchase of a hunting lic.
congrats on becoming a hunter.
RR

Yep, as can be seen by another pot stirrer that just made a post expressly for that and for no other reason! Pot meet Kettle!

BINGO!!!!!! We have a winner!........ Some are QUICK to assume.


Outdoor Addiction.......stick around you'll figure out who's gonna give you factual info in a very short time. There are still some guys left on here that you can learn from. At least I've learned from them.

[QUOTE=jerry d;4184937]BINGO!!!!!! We have a winner!........ Some are QUICK to assume.

Duh! I think it was cleared up way back in post #17 and if any posts have been made to stir the pot and create ill will it can certainly be seen by who's doing it after this thread was cleared up many posts ago by deerdust, our Super Moderator, who I hope is watching this thread for the actual pot stirrers, LOL!! Also, MOST states DO NOT allow what has been mentioned and MOST states don't have Hunter's Ed in schools as mentioned in post #22, although a few may.

I hope he is too topgun...you and I have been to this rodeo before and I can assure you my opinion of you hasn't changed.......just wanted to clarify that!

hope dave is watching, nothing in my post except the truth.
RR

5 minute google results

35 states have free online hunter's safety courses
these states offer it in high school (I'm sure there are more, like I said, 5 minutes)
pa, in, ms, nc, ar, ms, nh, ar, md,wv, va
these states allow landowners, children, and tenants, and active military to hunt with no lic.
oh, wv, pa,va,in, mo, md, ks, wa, ne
betcha I can find a lot more within an hour
RR

Heres a few more: TN,OK,AL,KY that took all of 30 seconds.

I know jerry, I'm gonna guess and say over 50% of the states will allow landowner hunting, may look it up since TG hadta send another PM telling me the same ole stuff he comes up with. think I need to get a hold of a mod.
RR

I'd reckon you're right, what's puzzling about it is that an "alleged" knowledgeable hunter seem oblivious to it??????
Got a PM also.......Truth of the matter is I can get along with almost anyone but when a guy should be asking question instead of answering them.....drives me nuts!!!!!
IMO, as posted in this thread, we did loose members cause of this kind of argumentative BS.

Yeah JD and the childish nonsense from the two people keeping the thread going off in left field when all questions have been answered is probabably why someone may leave the site. Childish behavior doesn't make any point except childishness.

If it wasn't for your smarta$$ reply the thread would have never got to this point

touche'
RR

+1 that's were it all started from

No JD, if it wasn't for your and another posters feigned outrage over a reasonable question, this thread would have been over long ago! But if it makes you feel good knock yourself out, perhaps you need it.

its posts like this that is ridiculous, why would anyone just look for a reason to cry foul, then it was everyone elses fault for making a post because everything was clarified on post #?? which would have needed no clarification if some wouldn't have been looking for a reason to flame the new guy, a new hunter kills a deer, congratulate him and be on your way, since I got here in 1998 the forum has been about hunters helping hunters, its what we do, when it switches to old hunters chastising new hunters cause they don't do it to suit them, they can perma ban me, until then I will defend the tradition of HNI
RR

Reasonable question????? More like a STUPID question looking to instigate the OP.

X 10

I'm all for that......................................

I share with you, you share with me !!! :poke:

still trying to get in my will ain't ya?
RR