THEN'S AND NOW'S

[IdahoSmitty]

I just noticed the other day while hiking in for a hunt all of the stuff I have now compared to when I was a kid...For example I remember times when hiking in the dark I used a flashlight instead of my headlamp. I would carry a big ole' maglight in a backpack. The other thing I would carry is a big bottle of gatorade. (instead of having my camelback bladder) I remember on my first "backpack" hunt. (hiked in 10 miles) I had a packframe and I lashed my backpack, stove, clothes, and tent to the frame and brought an extra pair of jeans for the trip!! I remember getting some funny looks but I just thought everyone else was weird. I made fun of the hikers that used hiking poles, thinking "idiots", now I own two sets!!

Can anyone add to this sort of "then and now" idea? I bet there are lot's more "what was I thinking" moments or moments you just look back on a trip and laugh at yourself. Let's hear them!

 

[B_BOP_A_LU_LU]

Back 'then' I knew right where I wanted to be opening morning from prior scouting!

And 'now' all the scouting in the world is worthless due to so much people pressure with continuous & over lapped non stop hunts!

God is Great!
Life is Good!
And People are Crazy!

I love not acting my age,
Damn I love my NASCAR race,
And Hell yes I love my Truck!

 

[Flint]

I remember when people drove cars up into the mountains to hunt deer. One of the first deer I killed was squeezed into the trunk of a Chevy Citation.

When I finally got a truck, it was a little two-wheel drive Izuzu. We once loaded three elk into the back. There were legs poking up everywhere. I am still amazed when I think of the places we were able to get with that vehicle.

Now I drive a one-ton 4-wheel drive crew cab. I'm more careful about where I go because if I get stuck, it's a lot harder to get out.

 

[springbear]

Then: any set of bino was a luxery.
Now: Would not go with out a set of high end on a Bino harness...

Then: "thats got to be 300-400yards" "how far do you think it is"
Now: that bull is 389 yards, dial my scope to 390 yards...

Then: Candy bar, chunk of rope, flashlight and a lighter = enough gear for all day hunt, and a night out if need be...
Now: Damn pack weighs 35 pounds, and still forget something important it seems.

 

[bamacpl]

I remember when a plastic rainsuit would get the job done!....Now its Sitka Stormfront

 

[BUCKSPY]

I remember when the first question someone asked was a statement and that was,"That is a heck of a bull."

Now all the weiner measurers ask, "What's he score?" hoping like hell its not bigger than theirs.

 

[walleye1121]

LAST EDITED ON Oct-22-10 AT 06:53PM (MST)[p]Then: The rifle deer hunt was THE hunt. It was the family outing of the whole year. It was something you just felt in the air as the seasons changed.

Now: Only a couple members in each family have the same tags and there are few deer in the area we used to hunt anyway. Many of the people who were so into the hunt back then have just given it up.

I never thought I would see it happen. I don't know how they get by each year without still feeling it in their blood as the season approaches. I miss hunting with all of them and I miss the unity of the big hunting camp. But I also gave up rifle hunting for bow and muzzleloader.

 

[Foreman4x4]

I remember we used to get out of school half a day on Friday and all day on Monday for the deer hunt.

Kids now days think hamburgers and chicken nuggets grow on trees!

 

[NVREDDOG]

1969 was the year!you could only get about half the way up beaver mtn in a two wheel drive truck,the rest of the way was by a 1941 willys cj2a jeep my grandfather had.As we made our way up the mountain at 2mph in a complete white out frequently having to get out for sake of gettig stuk in the muck we finely reached puffer lake.while fishing in the storm (frezzing my feet off, my $2.99 K-mart pull over boots, i thought were the best)I caught a fish no one could id,we new it was a trout but what kind?The ranger pulled up as i was hitting the cristian bros.brady bottle my dad said would help keep me warm: and asked, if we had a license and had we caught anything?Of course i said yes and asked him if he could tell me what kind of fish this was,he could not(TRUE STORY)After a sip off the brandy bottle he said i would have that fish mounted if i was you to my father,took another sip off the jug,said good luck and hit the road.Four days later he came by our camp,our camp was a 1967 chevy pick up with a 1968 alasken pop up camper a willys jeep, 2 ice chests and a ply wood toilet in the trees.the ranger told us he had foud out what kind of fish i had caught,he said an eastern brook trout.FAST forward==it cost $35.00 to have skin mounted at least that what it says on the back of the little mount(for i am looking at it as i write this)still looks great,The ranger also said thank you again for the shots of brandy up at the lake and in the same breath he said to my dad:you should watch that kid and that brady,i seen him hit that jug hard as i was driving up,and then he laughed and said good luck!I shoot my first deer that day,my dad shot a turkey that same day and my grandfather rolled the jeep over that afternoon(he did not get hurt but was pissed that he had broke that bottle of brandy,so was i,that day was my 12th birthday.I loved those boots. sooooo many memories,now you can drive 45mph to puffer on blacktop. what happend to THE GOOD OLE DAYS!

 

[hossblur]

The usual meeting at grandmas house. Two willys jeeps, 65' ford, and 84(I believe) chev. Sleeting/snow and between us and camp was 10 miles of muddy road chewed up by bulldozers that had just recently chained trees. Chains on all fours on all the vehicles, then tow chains between the outfits. Snow in camp, misserable, cold, and wet. Two days of hunting numerous slide offs and near roll overs, not a deer killed with the open sighted .303, 30-30's and 30-06's. Wranglers and flannel, pop top coors everywhere. Perhaps the greatest weekend of my life(yeah I have wife and kid). No binos, scopes, trailers, atv's, goretex, thinsulate, magnums, rangefinders, etc., and I would trade everything I have for that weekend over.

 

[Largo3]

Orange hooded jacket, jeans, dam cold boots with cotton sox, military canteen, and a snickers bar in the pocket was good for an all day hunt. All the gear was hauled in a 2x pickup that you had to walk in front of so you could throw the big rocks out of the road and fill in the deep holes. If it rained or snowed, you were just there until it dried out. There were only 2 kinds of deer, bucks and big bucks. They all got shot at.

 

[bigmoose]

Then....big cheap heavy 10X50 binos with the real thin strap that gouged your neck.

Now....nice 10X42 SLC binos with the bino harness

Then....loose fitting snow mobiling packs with no support. Can't beleive I didn't break my ankles.

Now....nice insulated Kenetreks with great support

Then....cotton socks and lots of blisters

Now....merino wool socks and no blisters

Moose

 

[Dikndirt]

Man that post about puffer lake and the bottle stirs up memories for me too. Back then- 1971, I took my ford f-100 way up above puffer to the base of mt. holly. Slept in the back on an old box spring we found on the way up. Got up way before light cause we were so dang cold and excited. My brother and I.
Got up in the terraces at first light and soon spotted a big ol buck sneakin up ahead of us. Jacked a live one into my new 25-06 and waited for a good shot. Some cali hunters were watchin this deer off to the side of us and slightly ahead when I finally settled the crosshairs on him and touched 1 off. That buck went down like hit by lightning. My brother was watchin through an old pair of cheap binos and saw it all. We paced off 350 steps on our march up the slope to the dead buck. A big heavy three point lay there with a hole in the base of the skull where the neck connects. Man was I stoked! The cali hunters arrived a few minutes later and said "wow, what a shot and what a nice buck" They looked at my gun and the cheap bushnell banner 6x scope and said they had never heard of a 25-06, but they were gonna go buy one after seein that shot. No fancy equipment no tape measure and hunters who shared the same feelings and enjoyed the comraderie of being in the deer woods hunting...man I really do miss the good ol days!

 

[IdahoSmitty]

>Then....big cheap heavy 10X50 binos with
>the real thin strap that
>gouged your neck.
>
>Now....nice 10X42 SLC binos with the
>bino harness


LOL!! Moose, I was waiting for someone to talk about the thin single strap on binoculars. I cant still remember huffing and puffing up a steep hill and those bino's just-a-swinging from side to side. LOL!! The only relief you got was when you sat down or when using them. I remember tucking an extra sweatshirt behind my neck!! HAHAH!

another one I have: I grew up in South western Washington hunting blacktails. I swear when I was a kid I could march all day long without seeing a deer and be totally soaking wet wearing my double knee carharts! (totally happy) I remember trying to get a leg over a downed log and having to work at it because the pants were restricting movement. I didn't even think about raingear.....WAY to hot for me. Now: the rain gear is on and I am on a high lookout spot glassing!

Keep'em coming guys!!.......Lot's of good experiences out there.
I love hearing about "the good old days" My parents or grandparents or any family friends did not hunt so I did not get to hear any "good ole' days" stories.

 

[Longun]

As previously mentioned I miss EVERYBODY getting excited about hunting and the camping...now you have to hope that SOMEBODY gets a tag...most of the time I hunt by myself and a lot of family members have died off or just lost interest...gotta be a rocket scientist to figure out the hunting regs,draws or units to hunt in with the tag you fortunately drew....

 

[OldMan]

Then - got a tag just before the season. Good anywhere in the state for any open season.

Now - have to apply 6 months in advance for specific unit and season.


Then - You told someone you got your elk and they asked how many points it had and what it weighed.

Now - You tell someone you got your elk and they ask how many points it took to draw the tag and what the elk scored.

Then - wet butt

Now - Gore Tex

 

[moose]

then-open sight 30-30 or if you did have a scope it was a fixed 4 power..
now-high power rifles that shoot 1000 yards and optics to see a six inch spike at a mile away..
then-four point or better
now-if it has horns you better shoot or go without..

 

[Anaconda]

Then, drive to Utah and buy a deer tag, over the counter.
Drive up in to the hills and see a hundred deer a day, and maybe 10 other hunters the whole season.
Now, apply your whole life, finally draw a tag and be over run with ATVs and every hunter bringing 20 "spotters", and maybe see 2 or 3 deer a day.

Then, in cold weather, wear all cotton.
Cotton socks, cotton long johns under cotton blue jeans and cotton flannel shirt, cotton jacket & hat. Survive the season in comfort because you didn't know that "cotton kills".
Now, avoid cotton, because "cotton kills".

Then, kill a spike because they taste good and it's easy.
Now, kill a spike because your "managing the herd" for bigger bucks.

 

[Muleymemories]

LAST EDITED ON Oct-24-10 AT 03:49PM (MST)[p]I remember the days when I would head out with the wool pants, red plaid jacket,soreal boots, hatchet, and knife attached to a leather belt. I might throw a couple candy bars in my pockets and still hunt the timber trying to jump shoot anything that would rise. Binoculars were unheard of! Great memories for sure....

Now its a 35-40lbs pack. Lightweight clothing with high dollar boots. A pair of swaro bino's and enough food and water to last a guy 2-3 days. Still building memories...

ridgeline outdoors

 

[rumproast]

Back then it was "please excuse the boy, teach, he's going hunting with his Dad. He'll catch up when he comes back".
Now its "Please give the excused absenses--not to exceed 8 days per year--to the boy as he is going to a family reunion, and all his assignments will be handed in ahead of time".

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