Who else introduced themselves to hunting?

My father could not 'pull the trigger' on an animal, but he showed me how to trap. My mother always wanted game meat for the table, and my uncles hunted... So, I just got to it & now... I hunt!

Very kind of you to post this Ardent, most folks don't realize that getting into hunting is such a personal choice! And sometimes without a lot of support!

Cheers
Jay
 
The beauty of hunting is that you set your limits and achieving them are not easy... Whether it be harvesting a b and c deer or calling in a turkey or even making that perfect shot on a flushing grouse... Whether you are wielding a 375 h and h or a cooey single shot .22 you are out challenging animals in their own domain and attempting to put food on the table or a mount on the wall...

We set our own challenges and we take them on...

Mentors help... But they are not necessary... Hunting is a noble tradition... Whether our fathers did it or not..
 
Dogleg said:
Lack of fancy guns and equipment wasn't the problem, lack of gas money was. Equipment doesn't matter much if you even can't get there.
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Fair enough dogleg... I was lucky enough to have a family cabin in the quebec laurentians that had 1k acres out the back door (don't get me wrong, dad paid 750 for the place back in the 70's and built it from scratch)... I cut my teeth there...

What I find amazing about this thread is that there are 4 hunters (ardent, cfbmi, sheephunter, dogleg) that have had some amazing hunts in locales I felt were out of reach...

I am not rich by any means but have worked hard and make a good living... This tells me that these hunts are within my grasp... I may take my cape buffalo yet.... :)
 
Folks that have had this tradition and knowledge passed down from family or other mentors perhaps don't all realize how fortunate they are. I am about a year and a half new to firearms but was always very interested in them as a child. I've always enjoyed the outdoors, wilderness camping etc.

Just recently began educating myself on hunting and have returned today from my first big game hunt having harvested a young buck.

The internet has made learning things like this for those of us self taught a lot easier than I imagine it was for many of you guys. I was perfectly prepared for the field dressing having watched it on you tube many times. Of course experience is everything but having people share videos of their experiences with you sure beats learning it from a book.

Fortunate two have three friends who are doing it with me. We had a great trip.
 
Superbrad said:
I am not rich by any means but have worked hard and make a good living... This tells me that these hunts are within my grasp... I may take my cape buffalo yet.... :)
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Find something you can do to make some extra cash...keep squirreling it away and suddenly you are off to Africa. Everyone can afford to go....it's just how badly they want to go that decides if they go or not.
 
Superbrad said:
Fair enough dogleg... I was lucky enough to have a family cabin in the quebec laurentians that had 1k acres out the back door (don't get me wrong, dad paid 750 for the place back in the 70's and built it from scratch)... I cut my teeth there...

What I find amazing about this thread is that there are 4 hunters (ardent, cfbmi, sheephunter, dogleg) that have had some amazing hunts in locales I felt were out of reach...

I am not rich by any means but have worked hard and make a good living... This tells me that these hunts are within my grasp... I may take my cape buffalo yet.... :)[/QUOTE]
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If I had a dollar for every time someone told me I'd never get to go buffalo hunting I'd have made it a lot sooner. This year saw my 22nd and 23rd hit the dirt, but I think I'll start getting serious next year.;) No reason why anyone else couldn't do the same if they want it bad enough.
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It's most definitely doable, my Cape Buffalo trip and first time over in 2010, Zimbabwe, was $7,500 and airfare. That included a Wildebeest, and scores of Impala. I wasn't well established in my career at the time and it took serious penny pinching and budgeting, I had something like $100 or $200 for a tip for the PH too, and it was the experience of a lifetime. The PH, who I was worried would be offended, said "Means a lot coming from you, we get guys over here with nothing but money who throw it around, so I want you to know I appreciate it." They'll help you if they know where you're coming from, he let me hunt the Wildebeest as a freebie. I also sold almost all my guns at the time to go, that helped, and was worth it. Been fortunate in work since and feed the habit.
 
I came from a family of hunters and got a pellet gun for my eighth birthday, but never really got into hunting. My dad, grandpa, and little brother (showed more interest than me) would go hunting, and I would stay home with my mom to look after the farm. My brother and I hunted squirrels, gophers, and the odd grouse as kids, and I shoot the odd grouse now when I get a chance to at work. I have gone hunting a few times, but never got anything myself. We always had a steady supply of beef on the farm, so I know how to dress animals and butcher. I meant to get a deer or moose this year, but still have a freezer full of beef from butchering last year at my parents. Maybe next year, but for me, hunting is about filling the freezer.
Kristian
 
sheephunter said:
Find something you can do to make some extra cash...keep squirreling it away and suddenly you are off to Africa. Everyone can afford to go....it's just how badly they want to go that decides if they go or not.
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Here is a trick I learned some where, never spend a loonie or twoonie. When you get change from buying stuff with cash put the loonies and twoonies in a jar/box/whatever. When the vessel is full you'll have a nice little pile of cash to spend or put towards something fun.
A one pound powder jar holds around 800$ in twoonies if I remember correctly. I've bought a couple of "holy grail" guns this way, gone on trips etc.
 
I too came from extremely humble beginings, I remember the neighbors giving us food for Christmas, cause we didn't have any. That year my xmas gift was a wooden airplane my dad made, for me. I believe somewhere I said earlier that I had a hunting bucket list when I was younger that I never thought I had a snowballs chance in hell of ever realizing. Not only have I had to upgrade that a couple of times, but I've taken animals I didn't even dream of or possibly know of till later in my hunting life. I knew what poor meant, and didn't like it and vowed I would change that in my life and I worked hard and did. Anyone can, make the most of opportunities and WORK, WORK, WORK!!! This is Canada and it is there for anyone who wants it bad enough. End lecture........
My first African Safari, I borrowed the money from the bank and payed it off over the next 3 years, and don't regret it at all. Hell we can all afford a new car or pick up on payments why not your first safari? It seems so much easier to meet obligations than it does to save money. Now I just make more than I can spend and that works out best of all...............so can any of you guys.
 
So much for the idea the safari hunters are all the silver spoon types, or that they need to be lead around by the hand. What I've seen is a bunch of guys that worked and hunted their butts off to get where they are.
 
Dogleg said:
So much for the idea the safari hunters are all the silver spoon types, or that they need to be lead around by the hand. What I've seen is a bunch of guys that worked and hunted their butts off to get where they are.
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I have never thought of safari hunters like that.... although the media portrays them that way I tend to try and form my own opinions... It's nothing for a family of four to drop 10k on a trip to disneyland...
 
Another self taught hunter here. I grew up eating wild meat from an uncle who hunted but my dad had given up hunting before I got to age. As a kid I was shooting and skinning squirrels had there hides tacked to the wall of the garage.After I moved to B.C. I got my pal and some guns mainly just for the shooting,I've always liked shooting and guns. Then I got to thinking I may as well get some meat while I'm at it,did my core and started hunting.

My first deer I shot I hit him right where your taught to but he was still able to run about 300 yrds down a very steep hill. So now I've got this deer on the ground and it's time to dress him,being a lifelong fisherman and former slayer of squirrels I figure how hard can it be. Whip out my knife and got to work,not the prettiest job but I got it done,cut my hand on a shattered rib. There were 7 broken ribs(30-06 deflected or something) from one shot his innards were shredded with bone fragments,how that deer managed to run that far is beyond me.

It took me close to 2 hours to get that deer up the mountain,I would drag 3 feet and it would slide back two. Thought I was going to have a heart attack lol. Then it was a 5 km hike back to my truck, thankfully I was able to drive near where I dragged the deer up the mountain. I was sore for a week but hooked deeply on hunting. That first deer has been the hardest out of all the deer I've shot,haven't had to work like that again until I got my first moose.lol .

Now I've been bringing my son with me since he was 5 so he won't have to experience to sharp learning curve that I did. Man I love hunting.
 
I taught myself to hunt. Dad hunted but about the time I was born he moved and lost touch with his hunting partners so never hunted again. Dad had guns but I never had an opportunity to use them. So I taught myself to use a long bow and when I was 14 killed a deer with it. I had never gutted a deer but I had cleaned lots if fish and read books so I got it done somehow.

I had no clue I needed a hunting license or how to get one so I guess my first deer was poached, too. :)
 
Not sure how to explain it. Wanted to fish and hunt from early on. My immediate family had no interest, but when working on my Uncle's farm, he let me wander around with a shotgun as a kid. He made sure I was safe with the gun but after that I was on my own as far as "hunting" went. The drive to hunt and fish was always there even though no one else was interested. I bought magazines and gear whenever the paper route could afford it. Never looked back.
 
I have a very similar story as you Angus. I also grew up on a farm/ranch but my mother and sept father did not hunt. I got my first BB gun at 12 and there wasn't a frog or small birds safe on the farm. Next was a 870 Wingmaster given to me by a family friend at age 14. Which I then proceeded to join a gun club and learned to shoot trap. But I still didn't get into hunting till about 20 and even then was a slow start. It's hard getting into this sport on your own but I was fortunate to at least have a piece of property to start out on.
 
I was the first one in my family to get into hunting and to own guns really. Just something I always wanted to do, so I had to introduce myself to it and wing it most of the time. I'm not exactly a very successful hunter mind you, but atleast I'm into it.
 
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