I find it interesting that many are listing the number of things killed as evidence of the "worth" of their season. It would never occur to me to do that.
How much time spent hunting - that might be a measure. Stuff that happened, odd wild things seen, something learned, gorgeous days spent in gorgeous country, stories around the lunch fire at noon, sunrise, sunsets, excitement about close chances, shots NOT taken, animal behavior stories, the color of early fall, what I saw while glassing, friends I hunted with, horrifyingly tough bush I pushed through, some new territory I walked, all those might be a measure of the worth of my season.
I have not yet fired a shot. Didn't use my elk tag. Couldn't find a big mule buck during the season. The two sons of my favorite hunting partner both got bull moose this season. I was there helping find, track, and outsmart both, and the joy on their faces (first ones for both) was a source of worth. So now I'm not sure I need to shoot a deer. They will give me shares of both moose. My wife and I can eat only so much meat. A sausage deer might be a good idea, but my son may come later, so I better save a tag so I can hunt with him.
What was this season worth so far?
That sounds like a great season! I like the way you think too.
My 2011 "season" started in January in Germany and pretty much continued all year at home. Since the end of August I have hunted 2-4 days each week. Success could be measured in
- the joy experienced by of a couple of 11 year olds on their first hunts,
- The joy I experienced hunting white tailed ptarmigan for the first time, on the very top of a BC mountain with my old bird dog,
- the fun I had assisting a couple of adults with their first hunts,
- having a new puppy find, point and retrieve to hand both huns and pheasants like he was a seasoned veteran and not merely 7 months old,
- The wonder of geese piling in to the decoys at dawn,
- and mallards at dusk,
- finding numerous beautiful bull moose while mentoring a lady friend & first time moose hunter who had a cow tag,
- being able to hunt moose at home for a change instead of going "north" to the bush,
- mentoring my youngest son to help him get his first pheasant,
- taking a friend from Germany for a variety of waterfowl and enjoying his enthusiasm for something we kinda take for granted,
- baiting and waiting for a big bear for the first time in over 20 years,
- taking a first timer elk hunting,
- teaching a class of 17 new hunters and shooters in the Saskatchewan Hunter Ed / Canadian Firearms Safety courses,
- helping "push bush" at moose camp and the good times with buddies there,
oh,
I could count a few wild boar and a roe deer while hunting in Germany last winter, some coyote furs to sell, a bunch of beaver for fur and bounty last spring, various varmints last summer that won't be pestering our farm any more,
AND because I have a big family and we do eat a lot of wild meat, a freezer full of bull elk, calf moose, a couple of mule deer, a big bunch of waterfowl, some yummy pheasants and huns, and a bear.
I think I'll give a whitetail or two away to charity and then call it a year for meat hunting before I turn back to hunting/trapping furs.
It's been a Very VERY good year!
