Crappy First Hunting Season. Was it worth it?

Well Bud in your initial post you certainly sounded like you want to give up hunting because you didn't kill any thing. Judging by what the other posters have said I'm not the only one who thought that.

Let me tell you about my hunting season. On my first hunt of the year back in October I went off my dirt bike and buggered up my ankle. After surgery they told me I shouldn't put any weight on it for 8 weeks. I missed a week long moose trip with my hunting buddy up north. He and the guys he was with got moose. My other hunting buddy and 2 other friends of ours all got a moose on their trip. These are good hunting buddies and it can take awhile to find friends like these. I have moose in my freezer all packaged up and it didn't cost me a penny. That's what real huntng buddies are like. One of these buddies figured out a way that we had to make a business trip up to the Peace country. Although I wasn't walking too well and needed a cane to get around we went hunting ( my second trip of the year ) this buddy knew that if we shot any thing he would have to do the lion's share of the work. But he knew I am a hunter and how much it means to me to get out, As the freezers were full we passed on small bucks and does although we could of filled our tags. We didn't kill a damn thing and it was a great trip and one I will be forever grateful for. Here is a picture of me holding the antler we knocked off a buck. Do I look sad because I didn't get to kill it? Nope, it was a great story and one we will repeat around around a campfire for many years while sipping on a rye. As many here have stated it takes time to become a good hunter and it takes time to hook-up with good guys. Enjoy the ride, it's the trip that is all the fun not the destination.

KTK

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How dare you speak of the Peace and get me all upset...

Another year left on my contract here in Sask and I'll be back there.
Provided by that time you can stil sell a house here in Canada.

Hoping to get in some hunting back behind the Kakwa and North of Peace River later this winter. Also told family in Ft Nelson and GP that we'd be there this winter too. It is so damn difficult being 12 hours drive away.
 
grab your kayak
take a tent and sleeping bag
drive north

work a lake for a week.

you'll get a moose. probably a bear. maybe a deer.

getting something "legal" during a hunting season isn't all that hard if you put in the effort.

but I've never felt bad about comming home empty handed. I think I'd quit hunting if I did.

next year, if you remember, I have room for another kayak on my roof ;)
 
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Amphibious said:
grab your kayak
take a tent and sleeping bag
drive north

work a lake for a week.

you'll get a moose. probably a bear. maybe a deer.

getting something "legal" during a hunting season isn't all that hard if you put in the effort.

but I've never felt bad about comming home empty handed. I think I'd quit hunting if I did.

next year, if you remember, I have room for another kayak on my roof ;)
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Sold the kayak and got my guns. I did that cause I sold my truck cause I couldn't work and needed money. Hard to get a kayak around with no wheels. I could rent one for a week ;) if I haven't purchased one by then and I have access to another truck again and I'll do my best to remember for next year.
 
I'm not familiar with your area. but unless it is a bucks only season, Does make
pretty fine eating too. Does are just as hard to shoot too lol. maybe not as hard to find though.
For all you guys that went off on the "its the hunting not the killing". I agree with you but come the last couple days of the season I try my best to fill my tag. steak and sausage are an important part of my diet
Kimzter
 
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Amphibious said:
I used to put my playboat on the Ottawa city bus to get down to the bridge to surf. where there is a will, there is a way!
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I live in kamloops (AKA TWIN RIVERS JUNCTION) I live along the North Thompson and tried paddling up the north river once and didn't try again the south is a different story. The city transit here is a joke so if you have no transport your out of luck and with out any vehicle of your own you can't get up the 2000-4000 feet to a lake with a boat on your back. There was a will but no way.

kimzter said:
I'm not familiar with your area. but unless it is a bucks only season, Does make
pretty fine eating too. Does are just as hard to shoot too lol. maybe not as hard to find though.
For all you guys that went off on the "its the hunting not the killing". I agree with you but come the last couple days of the season I try my best to fill my tag. steak and sausage are an important part of my diet
Kimzter
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Region #3 Bucks only season or I'd have dropped my entire bag limit the first day out on both mulies and white tails.
I know 4 MU's in this region better then the back of my hand as rishu_pepper can attest to and still got skunked. I've had some awesome trips out and have gotten so close to some does I could have reached out and touched them with my gun barrel and they didn't even knowing I was there.
 
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The journal is a good idea, especially if you hunt multiple MU's. Keep track of the time of day, the weather and what you saw for game. Make notes of things like water (creeks, dug-outs) as these may not be available each year depending on the weather. Prior to next year review it and think about the tactics you used (rattling, calls)....maybe change them up a bit. Early on in my hunting career I was determined "this would be the year" and I would take a monster animal. And with that mentality I hunted until the season was finished, overlooking many fine does that would have filled my needs nicely. All that pressure came from nowhere but myself, and once I started to question what I was trying to accomplish things became much easier, mentally and game-wise.

KTK makes some good points in his last post - it really is about the journey, and along the way there will be old friends, new friends, work, life events and even some good laughs and memories. When you knock that first deer down and you're cleaning it in front of a patient coyote and a couple of ravens you'll realize what we're all talking about here.

Hang in there.
 
My son in law lives in Surrey and has been hunting deer for 3 years now and hasn't fired a shot yet. He hasn't gotten discourged yet. He enjoy's being out in the bush, he's always telling me about the new things he has seen and heard.
 
Kayaker, Sorry to hear about your poor season. Happens to everyone. Kamloops and area has some top notch deer hunting. I spent many years in the 100 Mile area up and over from you.

Even in an area with lots of deer it is posible to get skunked. Don`t give up. Learn from your mistakes. If you are getting close to lots of does you probably are using good technique but may need to change the altitude a little. At some times of the year the bucks like to stay apart from the does and will often gravitate towards higher areas. As the rut approaches they will move around looking for love.

I know you said you don`t have wheels right now but if that changes you may want to consider a road trip to the Charlottes. The deer population there is the highest of anywhere in the province. You can make a lot of boo-boos and still get a deer...or 5. The QCI is probably the only place in BC with a summer deer hunt. Nothing better than a nice morning hunt, then off for some fishing and crabbing...then off for the evening hunt....my favorite summer vacation!

With the added bonus of the best venison anywhere. I have eaten venison all my life and the first time I tasted a coastal blacktail I could not believe how good it was.

Anyhow, don`t give up. Pick your hunting companions carefully. In your situation you may be well advised to seek out a retired gentleman whose schedule may be as flexible as yours is right now.

Good Luck

John
 
Ken The Kanuck said:
Well if you figure the pleasure is in the killing and not the being in the bush then you should probably give it up.

KTK
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x2

Dont go out there expecting your going to fill your tag. Just because you bought a tag doesnt mean your guaranteed what you paid for said tag.

A hunt to me is getting away from everyone and being one with natural and the beauty of this planet, to relax and to enjoy. It is GOOD for the health. There are so many upsides to hunting that in the end. It doesnt matter if I got skunked because everything else about the hunt was so worth it to me.

Sorry you never got your buck. It is to bad you dont live in the area where I lived all my life. Bucks and Does out the wazoo there! and mighty damn tasty I might add! "corn/soya feed" mm mm good.

Good luck next year and hey, dont give up because you never got a buck. If those are you honest expectations then you really should consider a new sport. But hey, I know how it feels. Just dont expect to get what you want every time you go into the bush!

Cheers:shotgun:
 
Crazy.kayaker said:
was a big waste of my limited funds I have over $100 in tickets and JACK to show for it.
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Unless you shoot a deer in your back yard, rarley will you be saving any money deer hunting by time you take all of your expenses into account. And just because you didn't get anything does not mean you did anything wrong. That's just the way it goes sometimes. When you do bag your first buck it will be a that much more satisfying experience.

Try not to attach a dollar figure to it. It's a hobby and a form of relaxation. Harvesting is just an added bonus.
 
sealhunter said:
Just a question... you get out for hunting but can't work?
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after 2 weeks of work I start taking trips to ER cause I start collapsing and passing out (many reasons more then you want to see trust me) where as hunting you find a place and sit (well I do so I don't relapse).

I've been sick for over 3 years and made multiple attempts to return to work with the same end result Unemployed and 6 month recovery time.
 
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I feel your pain. This was my 40th year hunting and I have been in your shoes many times.

"Was it worth it?" you ask. I would say yes. you saw lots of does. There will be bucks there, they are just harder to see.

Did you participate in the LEH draw? I know there have been some years where I would have eaten tag soup had it not been for getting an LEH doe tag.

Otherwise, you got out there, you have more outdoor experience than most new hunters that I've seen on HBC, just keep at it and next year you'll see that buck.

Do some alpine hiking in August and find some deer, then go back September 1 for the big buck season. What region are you in?
 
As others have already said, it is about the hunt, not just the kill, although killing is an important part of hunting, otherwise it is just a hike in the bush with a gun.

Your first deer is going to be the hardest deer for you to kill, with subsequent animals coming easier. This is especially true if you are doing it alone. I recall hearing a statistic, that new hunters trying to learn on their own with no experienced mentors average 4 to 5 years to kill their first deer. This is mostly due to not knowing where to find animals, wondering if you're doing it right or not, bumbling around making too much noise and alerting them etc. These are all typical rookie mistakes, and the vast majority of those here have made them at some point. The help of a more experienced person simply speeds the learning curve.

I have a coworker who recently moved to Canada, who just got his hunting license here this year. I set him up on 8 different bucks, with at least half being gimme's, and due to him fumbling, he screwed every one of them up. His biggest mistake was that he didn't pull the trigger when he had the chance. Next year, I can't guarantee he'll fill a tag, but he definitely learned he's gotta take the chance when it presents itself and pull the trigger when the time is right.

Don't get down on your lack of filling tags or any of the other pitfalls that occurred. These are simply things that happen. You got out, enjoyed your time in the bush, saw game (which is more than lots of people do, especially those who don't hunt). Learn from the things you did right, learn from the things you did wrong and try again next year. If you can find a more experienced hunting buddy, that will help (I'd volunteer, but I'm not in Kamloops and never hunted that area).

Above all else, enjoy the experience, even the crappy moments will be good memories years down the road.
 
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