Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
My wife too curiously- plumber indeed. Why do teachers marry guys addicted to adventure? Half my friends of similar mind married teachers or nurses.
Who else introduced themselves to hunting?
- Thread starter Ardent
- Start date
My wife too curiously- plumber indeed. Why do teachers marry guys addicted to adventure? Half my friends of similar mind married teachers or nurses.
Here's another self-taught hunter.
My father never hunted, nor did anyone in his family, save one of his Brother-in-laws.
I never had much contact with that uncle because he lived 1000 miles away.
But guns and hunting have intrigued me from a very young age.
Read plenty of Jack O'Connor and other writers of the day.
Used to cut pictures of guns out of the "Simpson-Sears" catalogue.
In all fairness to dad, he gave me a 22 rimfire plus good instruction on handling and safety when I was 8.
That was my most memorable gift, ever!! I thought I had the world by the tail.
I acquired my own 30-06 at 11, and I was thoroughly launched. [I picked Strawberries and cherries to buy this M17]
Shot my first deer at 12, and never looked back. I went hunting with my best pal and his dad, neither of them had ever shot anything.
Three greenhorns in the woods, looking for deer...and I found one, lol.
On reflection, I consider myself extremely fortunate, to have been born and grow up where I did.
I have hunted everywhere in western Canada from sea level to near 7000 ft elevation.
Now, at an age where I look back at 56+ years of hunting, shooting and almost 50 years of reloading,
I am amazed at how excited hunting season still gets me.
I'm hoping for many more active seasons yet.
Regards, Dave.
My father never hunted, nor did anyone in his family, save one of his Brother-in-laws.
I never had much contact with that uncle because he lived 1000 miles away.
But guns and hunting have intrigued me from a very young age.
Read plenty of Jack O'Connor and other writers of the day.
Used to cut pictures of guns out of the "Simpson-Sears" catalogue.
In all fairness to dad, he gave me a 22 rimfire plus good instruction on handling and safety when I was 8.
That was my most memorable gift, ever!! I thought I had the world by the tail.
I acquired my own 30-06 at 11, and I was thoroughly launched. [I picked Strawberries and cherries to buy this M17]
Shot my first deer at 12, and never looked back. I went hunting with my best pal and his dad, neither of them had ever shot anything.
Three greenhorns in the woods, looking for deer...and I found one, lol.
On reflection, I consider myself extremely fortunate, to have been born and grow up where I did.
I have hunted everywhere in western Canada from sea level to near 7000 ft elevation.
Now, at an age where I look back at 56+ years of hunting, shooting and almost 50 years of reloading,
I am amazed at how excited hunting season still gets me.
I'm hoping for many more active seasons yet.
Regards, Dave.
Probably some weird "opposites attract" thing. It restores balance to the universe.
Or, alternately maybe traditional values aren't that opposite.
I'm in the same boat.
No one in the close family hunts and local hunters on this island have proved to be more competitive then helpful. Seems like everyone resource hordes here to the point of pure greed.
This leaves me to be the family pathfinder in this, which is fine as I'm a self starter and a eager learner but this island seems to provide less opportunities each year given the locked gates and such. It's one of the many reasons I want to move my family off this island... Lack of opportunities on many levels.
No one in the close family hunts and local hunters on this island have proved to be more competitive then helpful. Seems like everyone resource hordes here to the point of pure greed.
This leaves me to be the family pathfinder in this, which is fine as I'm a self starter and a eager learner but this island seems to provide less opportunities each year given the locked gates and such. It's one of the many reasons I want to move my family off this island... Lack of opportunities on many levels.
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Spent a lot of time on the island, half my family lives there and my father's from there, infact my parents moved back to the island a few years ago. There are a lot more hunting opportunities on the island than most other places in the world, so I wouldn't give up. Tons of good blacktail and black bear, just have to travel a little bit. The Roosevelt draw is one of the greatest hunting opportunities in Canada as well, make sure you're putting in for it!
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Probably some weird "opposites attract" thing. It restores balance to the universe.
Or, alternately maybe traditional values aren't that opposite.
So what you're saying is it's possible they pity us, and like a stray animal desire to bring us in and add some modicum of normalcy to our lives. I believe my wife would agree with that.
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Congratulations on the new job Brad! When you're looking at it hard shoot me a message and I have a fellow to recommend, it'll be the experience you're after at a price that makes many of the tame RSA hunts look unbelievably expensive.
Angus
That may mean a lot or a little. I really do hope you weigh in on the "lot" side since I like to see people do well. I got my cousin a job out west so he could afford to move out of his mom's house.
Just another starving Ontario engineer with a Masters, always working, never broke 70 grand in his life. Tripling it changed his whole out-look on life, and he's still in line to double that. Job titles don't automatically equal income, though of course it doesn't rule it out either. The Plumber example before is just one. A friend of mine is a heavy-duty mechanic and is within hitting distance of 200 working for wages. Another who would describe himself as a concrete contractor. He has something like 250 heads from around the world hanging in his trophy room. Pretty nice digs for a guy who once leaned on a shovel for a living and still will. How about the "carpet cleaner" with 40 employees? The rig-pig who hit the big-time? The fuel truck driver who owned and sold two bulk fuel dealerships by the time he was 32 and hasn't worked in the last 30?
These are a few of people I've hunted with, but one of them is me. All just played the cards they were dealt very well. You wouldn't know it by looking at any of them.
It sounds like you've dealt yourself a pretty good hand. Now lets see how you play them.
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Thanks ardent and dogleg... It was pretty much a lateral move... Two kids and a split relationship keep me from going for the big bucks out west but I wouldn't change a thing...
New job is closer to home (ditched a 1 hour commute) and gives me more time with the kids and to hunt...
I am fortunate enough to have modest home on 10 acres bordering 400 acres of permissions and lots of other spots in the area available including some excellent waterfowland predator opportunities...
At the end of the day, when you are in my position you sacrifice a lot for your kids... It would be nice to do something for myself for a change...
New job is closer to home (ditched a 1 hour commute) and gives me more time with the kids and to hunt...
I am fortunate enough to have modest home on 10 acres bordering 400 acres of permissions and lots of other spots in the area available including some excellent waterfowland predator opportunities...
At the end of the day, when you are in my position you sacrifice a lot for your kids... It would be nice to do something for myself for a change...
It's funny you mention tradesman also dogleg... I am really good at what I do and well respected in my field... But as an engineer I am only as good or as bad as the people who work for me... Not enough people remember that...
I have had tradesman that work for me move into jobs out west at a rate of pay much higher than mine... Based on my reccomendation...
It takes all walks of life and money isn't everything... But if you want to hunt the dark continent it sure does help!... Lol
I have had tradesman that work for me move into jobs out west at a rate of pay much higher than mine... Based on my reccomendation...
It takes all walks of life and money isn't everything... But if you want to hunt the dark continent it sure does help!... Lol
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
That's an excellent choice Brad, you have your priorities straight. Don't discount shifts, for instance I work 2 weeks on 2 weeks off, so you work 6 months a year. The engineers I work with are not expected to live local, and they even pay the flights. Probably give you more of everything; time with family, money, and time for hunting. Worth keeping in mind! It's a good life.
Thanks angus... And sorry to derail the thread a bit here... The new job is actually about 8 months old, I just now strted thinking of my bonus as my hunt money... Thanks to this to this thread...
Out west is an option but I will tell you, my boss is like my dad... The atmosphere is fantastic and the pay is amazing (for this area)...
We have a clothing supplier that makes logo branded stuff for our company... When he found out I was a hunter, he came to my office with a fleece realtree jacket and hat just to show appreciation for my work... When he heard my oldest had a birthday coming he sent him a card and a hat just like dads with the card stating "how important" dad was to the company... Class act...
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
There's a lot of things to life, and while I don't totally buy the "Money doesn't buy happiness", as I feel "It really helps though.", I know without a second of a doubt in your situation where I'd be, and you're doing it. Not off track at all, threads about introducing ourselves to hunting, and no reason to me that doesn't mean introducing ourselves to all the different forms of hunting, and the challenges in the way. You're leading an excellent quality of life right close to what matters, with a job it sounds like your enjoy going to. That's pretty darn swell.
Open a separate investment account for it, throw any other "found" money in there, and make it a dedicated hunting fund and you'll be shocked at how fast it grows.
Thanks for the advise sheephunter... You know, there are 3 ideal situations...
1- you are married to a woman that let's you hunt...
2- you are married to a woman that hunts with yoy and is your best hunting buddy...
3- you are married to a woman that encourages your hunting...
Looks like you have number 2 happening so congrats... Question for you though... How do you and the missus get personal time?
We go hunting
We both have real jobs that pay the bills and we each work several others that pay for hunting. There's not much else either of us would rather be doing so we do it. Just got back from date night in the whitetail stand!
