The Dying Art of Hunting

[H4831]

In my mind there is a great distinction between, hunting and shooting. Someone on these threads once referred to, "Hunting gophers." He was quickly corrected and told you don't hunt gophers, you shoot gophers.
In my mind the same can apply to big game. When backroads are driven by vehicle until a moose appears, then the hunter jumps out and shoots it, this is not moose hunting. Sadly, modern day moose "hunters" seem to aquaint hunting, with filling their freezer with meat. Period.
I started hunting when every hunter took to the bush on his two feet, and hunted. Ideal conditions were when a bit of snow covered the ground. One such morning I started out from our house after deer. I soon saw a good buck staring at me from behind some brush, thinking I didn't see him. I slowly raised my rifle and fired at his neck. However, that long barreled 94 was pretty heavy for a barely teenager, and I missed. By end of daylight, I had seen that buck about four times more, never got another shot, but had only ¼ mile to walk back to the house! That is hunting.
Later, I discovered that a bull moose is extremely hard to track down and shoot. My first success at it came when I picked up fresh tracks in the snow at 8:00 in the morning, and shot the bull at 3:00 in the afternoon. After a few times I was able to figure out their strategy, and became quite adept at beating them at their own game.
Ok you guys, how many of you can honestly say you have had similar experiences.

 

[looch]

Moose hunting up at our camp before the roads were put in was "hunting". Nothing like flying in to let you know how deep you really are.

The territory was perfect for this part of the country - many changes in topography confined within a small area: lakes, streams, beaver dams, "mountains" (western guys, stop laughing), thick spruce groves and mixed hardwood / poplar stands.

We had to cross the lake in front of the camp, walk about a km, then run the length of another lake in canoes - about another km, then we in our territory. Hunter number 1 would stay in this area while the rest of us had up to 2 more hours of walking from that point.

We would get to our spots for sun-up and stay until sundown. Of course, there were excursions that started and ended at each of our spots.

Back at camp, we would discuss what we saw - fresh sign, etc and then put in place the next day's strategy.

It was a lot of fun, especially when things would start to heat up - like having moose tracks in your own footprints from that morning. Or when one guy decides he wants to hunt somewhere else that day and upon returning the day after, there's a huge pile of dung 10 feet from his spot.

 

[Ruffed Grouse]

I'm with you all the way. Now I can't say I'll pass up a grouse just because I happened to be driving when I first saw it, but most hunting, and especially big game is different. I got my first moose this year, shot it from a canoe 11 km from the nearest road.

My first year of deer hunting was done all on the ground - messed up on a few great opportunities and eventually got one in mid-December archery. It was a far better first big game animal than if I'd spotted it from the car, jumped out and shot it.

I guess I'd say that I'm primarily meat hunter, but that I primarily hunt for recreation.

Thanks for the post-it's real good to stop and think about why we do what we do.

RG

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[Levi Garrett]

Have had all those wonderful times , hunting is a great outdoor activity , healthy , relaxing, a stress relief just not found in a bottle (pills). Not Booze, its a very special part of the campfire atmosphere.
Having folks get together with pretty much the same schedule, have fun , then rest , so you can have more fun....
Folks you meet or see is a good thing, you could be hurt!, and need help, or you may be able to help someone else out.
Cheers

 

[CROWCA]

If I am driving to my hunting area and an animal is in the field, I will take it in a heart beat.
When is it hunting 10 ft from the car,1/4 mile,5 mile, what criteria do you use.
Some game comes easy some doesn't.

 

[Rumsun's Son]

Walking through the bush is one the most enjoyable aspects of hunting imo.
I love listening to just nothing. The pure essence of the outdoors, the wind rustling through the branches. The trees creaking as the decide which way to lean that day. The occasional sound of a chattering squirrel. Like Levi said, stress relief not found in a bottle.

Of course Crowca made a good point, if I see what Im looking for on the drive to where I want to go, hell yeah, Im getting out and dropping the sucker ASAP. Or if I spot a herd of deer, Ill go towards them.

That very thing happened this year in fact. We were driving down a road this year, and saw a group of 5 deer at the top of the ridge, I got out, while dad ranged them at 378 yards to the top of the hill. I decided to wait til' they went on the otherside of the ridge, at that point, me with my rifle and dad with his bino.'s (it was Youth Season(Last year of it for me to)) and walked the 400 yards to the top, there on the otherside at the base, was the buck I wanted. a nice 4 point meat buck. I put my 06 up and blew his heart out, he ran 25 yards out of pure "I'm not dead yet" adrenaline, and dropped. It took us 3 hours to haul this 170 (140 pounds when we weighed him with the head, innards, hide, or below the knee on any legs) about 800 yards through a scarified clearcut back to the Suzuki. And just because of the hardwork, making me feel accomplishment after that buck was at the meatcutters. That made it a hunt for me, a nice spot, stalk, and kill, even though it would have been an equally good hunt had I not got anything.

Dying Art of Hunting? Not really.
Just an increase in the Art(or lack there of) of Shooting animals, as you so put it.
There are still the hunters who prefer the walk, and the stalk, and the beauty that Canada holds for us as Outdoorsmen (or Women), but at the same time there are those who would rather sit in their truck, and drive the Roads and see only what that allows to see them. And for that, they are less Fortunate.

 

[lone-wolf]

I slowly raised my rifle and fired at his neck. However, that long barreled 94 was pretty heavy for a barely teenager, and I missed. By end of daylight, I had seen that buck about four times more, never got another shot, but had only ¼ mile to walk back to the house! That is hunting.

So if your a better shot, your not a hunter? But if you miss and wander around the woods your a hunter?
I'm just messing, first time hunting deer with my family this year. Sit and wait in the morning/evenings, afternoons wander about looking for signs and new places to sit and wait.

First deer I got was me and my uncle going for a walk to look around.

 

[Suka]

tires

My dad quit hunting in the rocks of SW AB when they gravelled the old trunk road. I quit out there when they paved it. Took my son out there a couple springs ago just so he got to see some of the country. Place looked like a damn quad race track. My old (30 year) sand hills deer "honey hole" hasn't seen me in 3 years.
Trucks were bad enough, personally I wish quads had never been invented. I know lot's will disagree, but that's how I feel.

 

[Longwalker]

There is a cultural change happening in society, urbanization means that people have less direct experience in the outdoors, and unfortunately many will continue to use technology as a shortcut to developing hunting skills. Just look at he proliferation of "long range hunting" topics on forums like this. But hunting is the same, it is us who have changed. We each need to decide how much technology to bring to the hunt. I find myself limiting the technology I am willing to use more and more. It is more satisfying, and I get more out of the hunt.

 

[OldRanger]

Well I finnally got my Hunter Ed and License, Dam If I let anything die(firearm related that is)

 

[Finger Toes]

In my mind there is a great distinction between, hunting and shooting. Someone on these threads once referred to, "Hunting gophers." He was quickly corrected and told you don't hunt gophers, you shoot gophers.
In my mind the same can apply to big game. When backroads are driven by vehicle until a moose appears, then the hunter jumps out and shoots it, this is not moose hunting. Sadly, modern day moose "hunters" seem to aquaint hunting, with filling their freezer with meat. Period.
I started hunting when every hunter took to the bush on his two feet, and hunted. Ideal conditions were when a bit of snow covered the ground. One such morning I started out from our house after deer. I soon saw a good buck staring at me from behind some brush, thinking I didn't see him. I slowly raised my rifle and fired at his neck. However, that long barreled 94 was pretty heavy for a barely teenager, and I missed. By end of daylight, I had seen that buck about four times more, never got another shot, but had only ¼ mile to walk back to the house! That is hunting.
Later, I discovered that a bull moose is extremely hard to track down and shoot. My first success at it came when I picked up fresh tracks in the snow at 8:00 in the morning, and shot the bull at 3:00 in the afternoon. After a few times I was able to figure out their strategy, and became quite adept at beating them at their own game.
Ok you guys, how many of you can honestly say you have had similar experiences.

I'd like to hear more about stalking moose. When I was twenty or so me and and equally inept friend spent an entire day tracking Moose through the snow in the east Kootenays. We were tending horses at a logging camp over the weekend and decided they would work well at skidding a dead Bull if we shot one. Anyway we were on fresh tracks all day that wove off and on and in and out of a road and frozen slough brush and timber. We always felt they were aware of us trudging through the snow but they weren't that far ahead of us. The snow was pretty deep in places and it snowed a little almost every day and the going was tiresome. After hours of fruitless labour we decided to turn around and head back before we got to far from camp. Well when we started back we were on a bush narrow road and as we rounded a corner and could see about 75 yards to the next corner there was the bull looking at us both equally startled. I went to pull up my rifle and he disappeared down the bank before I could shoot. So to ad insult to injury on the way back (and educate us as well) we saw his tracks on top of our tracks as he had come in and out of the bush to check on our progress at different intervals. I guess we were probably following cows and maybe a junior bull or something. I haven't gone after a moose in so long now but I'd love to again. I think maybe I'd watch my back trail a little closer though.

 

[Gunslingr]

I havent even been out hunting yet with my dad for deer or moose because there out of season but this is the kind of hunting I want to do. none of that seee em and shoot em crap. I am in it for the fun of being out tracking the animal down and beating at its own game as H4831 put it, thats what hunting is to me, cant wait to get out this fall!!!

 

[firejim]

I've had a number of hunting buddies come back completely pissed off because they didn't bag their quarry that day. I think that if you're going out and it's a sure thing, it takes a lot of the sport out of it. I really enjoy having to put my wits against whatever I'm hunting. The more tactics, finesse, stealth, and skill I have to use to harvest the game I'm after, the more I appreciate it when it happens. If I wanted to walk around for a number of hours pissed off, I'd head back to the golf course.

 

[Drewz]

3-5 of us go into the porcupine forrest about 20+ miles by quad, setup/build a camp site, dig a fire pit and clear surrounding area, gather firewood, and we are set for 10-14 days. We pack in all the dry and canned gods we can and fresh water jugs. We really enjoy getting away and setting up a couple of stands. When the stands don't produce we start tracking. It is a great time and really helps clear the mind.

 

[hansol]

I can relate to this. I'm a young guy (22), and even I hate quads. They MAYBE have a place in recovery, but so does a pack frame.

My two favourite hunts: (coles notes versions)

I was out in the Porupine hills of Alberta chasing whitetails. I was walking down a natural clearning on a hill, and came out onto an open creek flat. There were 4 does about 300 yards to the east of me, out in a grassy meadow with a few poplars, and bordering onto miles and miles of timber.

Lucky for me, I had my trusty Marlin 30-30 with me, and me being as awesome as I am, would be damned if I could make a 300 yard shot with that rig. So I had to get closer. I stalked along the edge of the creek, getting closer and closer. I was within about 170 yards, but still wasnt happy with the shot. I decided to wait them out. Of course, the wind shifted, and they scented me. I watched them crash into the timber, and figured I would put the ambush on them.

I waited about 15 min, and then started to creep into the pines and spruce. I do a lot of listening when I hunt, and this time was no different. Soon enough I heard footsteps, about 50 yards ahead of me up the hill I was now climbing. I spent 40 minutes taking a few steps, listening. Taking a few more, then stopping and listening some more. Finally I spotted a flash of brown ahead of me in the timber about 15 yards away. I raised my binos and watched, and the "brown" took another step. This time I could make out it's ass-end perfectly. I had just put an hour-long stalk on a mulie doe, and I didn't have a mulie doe tag. I turned around and walked the 4km back to camp in the dark.

My very favourite:

I was a young guy then, and was screwing around with my "new" .22, a savage 64a that used to be my dad's rabbit gun. Out in the bush I heard THUMP THUMP THUMP. I knew exactly what that was, so off I went.

I would walk 20 yards and stop. Then I would hear it again. THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP. I took my fist and beat it against my chest, mimicking the sound. THUMP THUMP THUMP. Then I would get a "call" back, and I would proceed to walk in that direction another 20 yards.

After crossing a creek, a marsh, a tamarack cluster, a poplar clearing, and winding up in a spruce forest, I hear it again: THUMP THUMP THUMP. Only this time I spot a bit of movement. I raise my "new" .22 to my shoulder, and look through the ancient 3x scope. I can see the grouse clearly in my crosshairs. I slowly sit on the ground, as I wanted to be sure of the shot....

CRACK. I jump up! Grouse is down! I grab it and run it back to the house. I bring it into the house to show my family. The family freaks out, all screaming and carrying on about it. (My family are all non-hunters lol). I make a fire, and roast that grouse up. Best hunt ever.

 

[dannymat]

This was my first deer season, was with some friends, we had about 300 acres or so of bush, surrounded by 1000+ acres of farm. We used the quads to get to the edge of the bush, spent the rest of the day on foot until we had to drag things out. I didn't kill a thing, and any deer i saw were way too far, but loved helping track injured animals. And as for waterfowl, got a few geese, but spent about 7 hours in the pissing rain getting soaked to the bone on the last day.
I was cursing, swearing, and not a pleasant person to be with...... but i'll never forget it, and it made for some extra tasty goose.

 

[Finger Toes]

I can relate to this. I'm a young guy (22), and even I hate quads. They MAYBE have a place in recovery, but so does a pack frame.

I'm not big on quads either. You wouldn't get a quad into some places I go on a horse. But some in areas in western Ab can be disappointing to ride in 3-4 hours and then hear the quads start coming up the valley for 15 minutes before they even get there. It's such a racket after so much quiet. I know they have their place but they are getting more common. I was glad to hear some new areas are off limits to motorized vehicles recently.

 

[John Y Cannuck]

We use quads at the moose camp, to get there, and to haul the carcass.
The rest of the hunting, is on foot. It's one of those glorious places where you are hunting the moment you step out the door.
Last year, I tracked a cow and calf without snow, for about five miles. That's not easy, in variable terrain, and I finally lost them on bare rock. The area was burnt over in the 50's, and the ridges are still bare over large areas.
I walk a lot, both for moose, and deer. I also sit, but, moving gets you over more country, and you see some amazing sights.
If you know the area well, and you jump a deer, track it! It usually won't have run far, and if you develop the skills, you can get close again. Snow just makes it easier.
Lately I've started doing this with the crossbow. It takes patients it's exciting, and it can be done.

 

[Republic of Alberta]

The last white tail buck I shot was 10 yards away, laying in his bed. The snow was 2 to 3 feet deep it was -25 and on the last day of the season. I tracked him for a long ways. I was lucky enough that he happened to bed down facing away from his track. 2 trips to pack him out, leave the antlers behind....

SATISFACTION !

 

[H4831]

Finger Toes, You mention having horses to get a moose out. I was in the same position when I was hunting by tracking in the snow. Didn't matter where I went, we could just drag it out the next day, if I got one.
A friend, a few years ago, told me he had tracked a moose all day. Just before dark he saw it and it was a cow! I looked at him in shock, because I thought he was a hunter. I said, "Well, didn't the moose pee?" He said, "It probably did, what has that got to do with it?" I told him if he looked at the mark in the snow, could he tell if it had been him, or his wife, that had peed there? In a few seconds he laughed and said he had never thought of it!
After the snow comes on the ground, moose have a distinct pattern. They feed right after daybreak, then about 9:30 they bed down. They get up again about 3:00 and have another feed. They find the roughest, torn up aarea for their bedding sight, and they always approach the sight by walking with the wind. Moose have a tremendous sense of smell and hearing. That big nose and ears aren't for nothing. Thus, if you follow them they will smell you coming and all you will find is their fresh beds. You most likely will never even hear them leave. Give up on them at that point, because once scared from their beds, you won't get them that day.
Levi, I can see that you and some of the others posting on here certainly have the feel of the bush and it's nice to see that you people are getting far more out of hunting, than just meat in the freezer. Some of my greatest and lasting moments in hunting, have been times when the animal outwitted me.