How did you learn

[marley]

I grew up mostly hunting waterfowl with my dad. We went on the annual Utah general deer hunt every year but we rarely shot anything. I think I shot one spike, two 2 points, and a one horned small 4 point and zero elk between the age of 12 and 29. We would go Friday to set up camp, hunt saturday, and drive home Sunday both weekends of the hunt. We carried one set of tiny, crappy binos (8 power bushnells if I remember right). We just walked and walked.

I didn't get into big game really until after college at 29 years old. I realized that our hunting techniques growing up sucked. I realized that it wasn't just luck. I've learned a ton from guys on this site and really studied guys that were consistently killing huge bucks every year, and lots from the school of hard knocks.

So how did you learn?

 

[Phantom Hunter]

At 64 still learning. My dad did not hunt so I began researching and learning from anyone who knew something about what I wanted to hunt. Back before internet I was an avid reader of anything outdoors. Began to put it all together in my 30’s. Still adding pieces to the puzzle all the time.

 

[twopointdn]

From my dad but it wasn’t until I split off from his style of hunting that I started killing more consistently. He is a meat hunter with any tag in his pocket and is set in his ways with his hunting methods. I still like having my old man in camp, I just do my thing and he does his. It works for both of us. Still learning every year and I have never been great with holding off the trigger when there is a decent buck in front of me, I definitely got that from my dad. I have fun and that is what matters most.

 

[smokepolejohnson]

I got a great start in the 80’s with a firm testimony of Mule Deer from the man who rewrote the record book, as long as it’s translated correctly by Rich LaRocco. And got a taste of special interest Lobbyist groups/ European model of hunting from early 1990’s SFW publications. Still learning and mostly confused, but at least I have my creedmore and a few Hush shirts as well as some over sized hunting decals on the DuraMax to help build a little confidence when by chance I get on the mountain and off MM.

 

[wytex]

Grew up fishing but no hunting, or guns.
Dated a guy that hunted and trapped for a few years and he got me into both.
Moved on and met someone and moved to Wyoming.
Did a guided elk hunt with some local outfitters that have become friends soon after moving here.
Trial and error for the most part after that.
We learn something new every time out it seems, even after 35 years.

Lots of old hunting videos watched and magazines read back then.
Now all that info is right here at your fingertips.

 

[marley]

Grew up fishing but no hunting, or guns.
Dated a guy that hunted and trapped for a few years and he got me into both.
Moved on and met someone and moved to Wyoming.
Did a guided elk hunt with some local outfitters that have become friends soon after moving here.
Trial and error for the most part after that.
We learn something new every time out it seems, even after 35 years.

Lots of old hunting videos watched and magazines read back then.
Now all that info is right here at your fingertips.

I love to see the ladies in it. I hope my daughters will keep it up like you after they move on.

 

[BLooDTRaCKeR]

Dad brought home a deer when I was six. I was hooked after that. Hunted with him every chance I could. Still don’t know what I am doing with deer hunting but I can pack a freezer with bull elk meat every year from gen season hunts. Time is always my worst enemy when it comes to getting out in the hills to study the animals…

It’s been a good 39 years hunting with the old man. That’s really what it’s all about for me. Time with family and friends in the hills….some of the best memories.

 

[marley]

Some are against going on a guided hunt, and that's fine, but I will say that going on a couple guided hunts will teach you really quickly.

 

[Packsaddles]

I grew up on a farm/ranch. I don't remember getting my first gun. We had a 14 sections pasture we rode on by ourselves as soon as we could throw our own saddle on. Like many of you the only real rule we had was be home before dark. We always had a rifle for rabbits and coyotes on the horse. My dad bought all the ammo we could shoot. We didn't hunt mule deer on our place. We would hunt other places just to see some different country. In the 70s, we would see 6-8 bucks together and if we didn't get one, ride 2 more ridges and jump another bunch. Lower rolling hill country with lots of good horse races to get to the top of the next ridge and bail off and shoot.
Now days it's have the pack mule bring the 300RUM and all the glass and spotters you want to the best glassing spots. It has to be over 175 for mulies and 105 for coues to even make a plan unless the grandkids are there. If grandkids go they get their own saddle gun. Shooting coyotes always come before deer hunting on the hunt.
Camp might have up to 30 relatives in it. It was a normal day to have 10 of us leave on horses in the morning and a few walking.
Grandpa went on his last horse elk hunt at 81 and killed his last deer at 84.
It is still a family tradition.

 

[Nebraskahunter]

I killed my first deer at the ripe old aged of 12 with my dad as my guide on public land in Nebraska. I branched off in my early 20’s to hunt waterfowl pretty seriously, but never would miss deer season with dad. In my early 30’s I’d decided I had enough waterfowl and have been focused on mature bucks every since. I’ve read just about every book available on mule deer and there is no question, it’s made me a better hunter. I also, try to surround myself with other guys that enjoy hunting big mature bucks only and learn from them. When used correctly the internet is a great tool for learning. Hopefully the good Lord gives me lots more year’s hunting big bucks.

 

[Swivelneck]

I grew up on a dairy/sheep ranch near the coast in northern California. Most of my time until I was old enough to drive was spent behind the crosshairs of my trusty Browning .22 pump that my uncle Bob checkered and gave me when I turned 8. I honed my early skills on all manner of varmints and killed my first Blacktail buck when I was 12 at a ranch owned by a friend of my old mans. It was a strapping spike fork that proudly hangs on the wall behind my desk in my office.
When I grew up (and to this day), a lot of the Blacktail buck hunting done in our area is done using dogs. Some of you guys have probably got a negative opinion about this, but given the type of terrain and the characteristics of coastal Blacktail bucks during the Aug-Sept rifle season, it is a very effective way to hunt. Chances are if you lived here, you would be doing the same thing.
I killed my first mountain Blackie n my own when I was 19 at my dad and his buddies hunting lease in Mendocino county. We have since bought the land that they leased and our family and friends have spent countless days up there chasing these beautiful creatures.
In my early 20's I picked up a bow and that changed everything. I had had an archery setup since I was a lad, but had never gotten serious about it. My best buddies dad is an avid bowhunter and he talked me into giving bowhunting a whirl. One season chasing bucks with him and I was fully and completely hooked. Thanks Bobby L!
It took me 4 seasons to finally get an arrow in a buck, but the time spent trying was definitely not wasted. Over that time, amongst all the blown stalks and ambushes I finally realized how to truly be a hunter. Besides becoming a lot more deadly, I realized that I got way more enjoyment looking at the ass end of a buck going away that I couldn't close the last 10 yards on, than I ever did popping a buck on a drive hunt.
I certainly do not look down on anyone who hunts the way I was brought up. I grew up pushing canyons with fox terrier/beagle mixes, with a guy in orange perched on every foreseeable escape route. But I personally found that I get a lot more satisfaction out of the solitude and the challenge that comes from hunting on my own.
I am no world class hunter. I do the best that I can with what I got. No trophy hunter here either. All I can say is that I was very lucky to grow up where I did, when I did. I was fortunate to spend a lot of time with my pop and his buddies and am lucky to still be spending time with him. He is gonna be 84 in April and is still elk hunting. I learned as much from those old timers as I ever did in any school.
Both of my boys love the woods and love to hunt, my oldest son especially. Unfortunately young men like them are a dying breed these days, especially where we live. Nowadays, my pals and I are doing our best to bring up this next generation as best as we know how. Hopefully with a little respect for their elders, and a little respect for the land and the animals on it. Hopefully it keeps rolling on down the line when I am gone!

 

[HIcountryman]

My dad showed me how to kill deer out of a treestand in FL. He died in December 2000 and I had to learn some more about where to put a stand and learn new lands bc I didn't feel like my Dad's friends owed me anything so I didn't ask if I could hunt their properties. Killed a couple on my own and moved west in 2004.
Unsuccessfully hunted timber for 5 years before hooking up with a friend's boss who owned some good land and was a killer of some big mulies. Just seeing the rocky habitat and brushy stuff deer lived in flipped the switch for me. I killed 3 deer on his private land before heading out to learn to hunt public land. One other friend showed me some things and I have been pretty successful since. When I wanted to shoot a BIG BUCK, I started reading all the books and planned on backpack hunting. Public Land Mulies by David Long was by far the best for me. Hunting high country mulies by Mike ? Eastman, V. Geist's Mule Deer Country and kirt Darners book all taught me a lot about big buck hunting by backpacking.

 

[tailchasers]

Self taught. Read every magazine and book back in the day. Got an 870 at 15 my Dad took me on one deer hunt and that was more so a ride to my spot where he picked me up on the other end stay warm in the car. 1978 Ford Granada LOL.Then my BIL took me on an organized Iowa deer hunt and it took off from there. Walked a lot of miles prior with limited success but always kept moving forward exploring and learning. Screwed up a bunch!! Got my butt ripped by a few landowners with most azz rippings ending in access to their property. Taught me a great lesson how to talk with landowners. Spent a lot of years shooting pigeons and sparrows with my BB gun but then that really wasn't hunting as much as learning to handle a gun and aim. Self taught archery too and that taught me more than anything about critters and pursuing game for the sake of the hunt. Some exhilarating moments in time. Good stuff!!

 

[c3]

I grew up with a golfer for a dad. Love that man to this day, but I got my fishing and hunting bug from my grandpa. Tons of bass fishing as a kid with a couple squirrel hunts thrown in there.

Moved to Bozeman in 1980 to go to school and fly fish. The 'elkaholism' started shortly there after. For some reason was drawn to shooting bows and have wasted my life trying to kill critters with them.

I made a dumb vow after killing a cow with a bow in the Missouri Breaks, that my next elk would be a bull with my bow. Needless to say moving to Utah in 1985 made that proposition pretty epically difficult. Yeah, I know I suck, but in 2010 I finally drew and killed a great one on my only LE tag for elk in Utah.

Since then I've killed another great bull in Wyoming on an 11 point draw tag and 5 cows now. I know that my game just isn't that strong even though I go on high more than nearly anyone anywhere.

Love hearing all your stories. They inspire to just enjoy and hopefully pass it on the love for the game.

Cheers, Pete

 

[Sparks Shooter]

Learnt on my own over the years. My great grandfather hunted for meat during the depression but I am the first real sport hunter in my family.

Checked out some books from the library that showed me how to field dress and process game. Went down to the creek behind our house and killed my first buck, a forked horn Blacktail.

Killed at least a couple deer each year after that for over 30 years now. Quality has gradually gotten better over time.

I had a lot more fun before I lived in Utah and learned about trophy hunting and measuring inches. ———-SS

 

[feddoc]

I grew up mostly hunting waterfowl with my dad. We went on the annual Utah general deer hunt every year but we rarely shot anything. I think I shot one spike, two 2 points, and a one horned small 4 point and zero elk between the age of 12 and 29. We would go Friday to set up camp, hunt saturday, and drive home Sunday both weekends of the hunt. We carried one set of tiny, crappy binos (8 power bushnells if I remember right). We just walked and walked.

I didn't get into big game really until after college at 29 years old. I realized that our hunting techniques growing up sucked. I realized that it wasn't just luck. I've learned a ton from guys on this site and really studied guys that were consistently killing huge bucks every year, and lots from the school of hard knocks.

So how did you learn?

I started when I was 12. Havent finished learning yet.

 

[SS!]

YOUTUBE

 

[Iddogguy]

I wanted to hunt from day one. That's all a thought about as a kid. Throwing rocks at bird's, sling shots. I wanted to get it done. Ha Ha.

My dad died when I was 10. So, I was at the mercy of relatives to take me. My mom was a very religious women no TV on Sunday, so I'd sneak over to the girl's dorm & watch Curt Gowdys American Sportsman every week. That really got my imagination kicked into high gear.

My uncle took me bird hunting a lot & my cousins' husband would take me deer hunting a couple times a year. I can remember wishing people would take me with them! I couldn't get enough.

I got my driver's license at 14 and was living with my grandma so I started hunting on my own at times & still with my uncle also. Did a lot of hunting in a VW Bug!

Graduated High School at 17 and landed a great job making good money 3 days after graduation. Put in for Moose in Montana & Wyoming that next year and I've never looked back. Been putting in lots of states for over 45 years now!!

By the time I was 19 was doing a lot of hunting. About 23 or 24 went to bow hunting. Never shot a big game animal with a rifle for over 35 years. Now I don't care what I use. Love seeing new country!!!!

I feel like I've lived through the best times a human could! Hope the outdoors keep teaching me new things!

Mark

 

[pburton]

Like Swivelneck above, I grew up on the coast of Northern California hunting black tail. My dad was never much of a hunter, but my grandfather, uncle, and cousins loved to hunt and passed it on to me. From the time I was 12, I was out shooting deer.

In my early 20's I moved to Nevada and have been hunting Muley's ever since. Most of what I have learned came from others that have done it longer than me. Even to this day, I am still learning.

I am at the age now that I am teaching my son and daughter what I have learned. They are both in their 20's and great hunters. My new son in-law grew up in Nevada with a hunting family. He is probably the best hunter I have been around. He is definitely a mountain goat. That kid can walk for days and not tire and has the best eyesight of anyone I have known.

It is all about surrounding yourself with people that know what they are doing and being willing to put the work in.

 

[Soccerdude]

Love this thread so far.

My parents grew up in the west but neither hunted. When I was 11 in West Virginia mountains I watched my best friends dad shoot a 3D deer target off the front porch of their double wide. I was intrigued. A couple weeks later he shot a deer and I watched him skin it out. I went home that night and told my parents I wanted to buy a bow and hunt deer. My dad said "save your money"

9 months later I spent 145.00 dollars on a used PSE bow. My buddies dad got a tree stand set up for me and I missed 3 deer that fall with that bow. Later in the same year I shot a doe with a 30-30 with my friends grandpa driving around his farm. He was the closest thing to a grandpa I had. I started skipping school to hunt with him. Since then he actually has gifted me multiple guns. My buddy didn't love it like I did and his grandpa loved me for wanting to be on the mountain all the time. Those Appalachian mtns taught me about thermals, South facing warm slopes, and acorn flats.
Over the next 10 years through college I really put a hurting on does. I averaged 7 does a year with my bow. I bought my dad a bow when i was 15 so he would drive me to the national forest to hunt. He didn't love it but did it to spend time with me. The whole time I was learning more and more. I visited some family out west as a teenager and my uncle in Utah had quite the trophy room. That sparked my interest in western hunting. Before I moved to Wyoming 4 years ago I lived in Iowa and followed Bill Winke and his guidance. I learned about hunting down wind side of bedding areas in bluff country and killed 5 bucks over 140 on small Iowa public land. The whole time reading about muleys and elk hunting. Since I moved to Wyoming I have been baptized by fire. Jumped in and learn, learn learn about anything I could. Lots of YouTube videos, guys on here, really enjoy the learning aspect and felt the past 2 years starting to figure it out. My whole family hunts now including my old man and my brothers lean on me for knowledge and e scouting. This fall they are applying for deer tags and we will have a traditional style "deer camp" with 4 non resident tags and my boy and I joining them. It's something I have looked forward too for 20+ years. Hopefully it turns into a family tradition every year or so.
I sat in a doctors office today with 1 of my sons and while waiting I was taking screen shots of elk, deer, antelope and he would draw on the picture where he should aim. He is 8 and will be ready when he is 12.
Passing knowledge down to my boys will be fun. I still think of Neal the grandpa that help me fall in love with hunting. He was a good man.

 

[The_Coloradoboy]

I was pretty fortunate to be born into it. Dad and Grandpa had me immersed in it since birth. Honestly has been my passion/obsession as far back as I can remember.

 

[HikeHunt61]

Dad- well the whole family- that is what we did.

I remember other kids talking about vacations to the beach, or Disneyland, or some big city. I don't think I left the border of Wyoming/Utah until I graduated college. Vacation was either hunting, or camping and hiking around places we would hunt.

 

[Outdoordan]

So, I wrote an article back in 2013 about my 2012 backcountry backpack bull, the article was/is called Mothers. It was in the now defunct magazine "extreme elk". The article described my growing up hunting with my Mother, Grandmother and Aunts, because my Father and Mother had divorced. My Dad had grown up looking at hunting as a means to provide meat when he was a kid, because his Father (my Grandfather) was disabled, and they scraped by. My Mother had moved us back to Ketchum, Idaho, which is where I finished high school. We had deep roots in Central Idaho, (My Grandmother's family ranch was purchased to make the first ski resort in America). So, I basically self-taught myself the old fashioned way, without you-tube and videos as mentors. However, having camp cooks, horses, and a gas card (hers) came in handy!

The article:

The other cool thing about this article was that Bradley Cooper was reading this article in the movie "American Sniper". Corey Jacobsen, publisher of "Extreme Elk", did a contest to see if someone could guess which pages he was on in the movie. Turns out he was looking at a stud (of a bull that is). Lol.

 

[1989Cohunter]

A couple family friends gave me a helping hand until I hit driving age. Once that happened it was basically self taught between trial and error and old huntin books. I remember my grandmother buying me the biggest bucks and bulls of Colorado, and I was absolutely obsessed with it.

 

[littlebighorn]

I think the desire for hunting was innate in me. My most prized childhood possession was a BB gun. Like many, my father took me pheasant, dove, and deer hunting when I was young. When I was old enough to go on my own, he stopped going. I'm sure he could see I wanted to be a more serious hunter than he was and he bowed out to go play golf. I learned lots of what I know from Jack O'Connor and outdoor magazines.
I also gained wisdom from new-found hunting companions, but I believe that experience has been my best teacher. To me, every outing is an adventure and a laboratory.

 

[Zeke]

Dad hunted deer, pheasants and a few ducks but all along I knew there was more to be had....and I always wanted more!

Like LBH, it started early, way early and I cannot even recall it actually starting. I always wanted to hunt and shoot and it's never ceased or even slowed after all these decades.

I learned lots from dad, Thanks dad. RIP

I learned a ton (mostly good but, admittedly, some nefarious things) from 3-4 older guys who took me under their collective wings in the 70's. Why they hunted with a bucked-ass kid, I have no idea but it seemed to work very well and we had a blast a killed a ton of stuff together.

During my family production role, I guided my kids and they all ended up hunting and to some degree or another, they all still do.

Now I'm in the familial management role and mentor grandkids whenever I can.

Zeke

 

[Blank]

Self-taught. Born and raised on the East Coast, usually near big cities. Dad and Grand dad fished, but didn't hunt. Had a big farm in Georgia, and they would take me out and let me bang away at rabbits, quail and doves with a 410. Got a DL at 16, took my Hunters Ed by myself, and killed my first deer (spike buck) in a friends apple orchard with a Fred Bear Kodiak bow. Been obsessed with it ever since!

 

[Zeke]

How interesting to read all the varied beginnings. Thanks for sharing with us all about how y’all got started and what drives you to this day!

Fun reading!
Zeke

 

[eelgrass]

When I was about 12 we moved out of town onto 3.5 acres out in the country. My Dad didn't hunt but for some reason I got a pellet gun for Christmas and that started it. A friend of mine was a duck hunter and Dad had a 16 gauge shotgun I could borrow and from then on it just snowballed. A friend of my Dad's invited us to go deer hunting and as luck would have it, I shot a forked horn blacktail on that hunt. I have yet to hunt elk.

 

[ICMDEER]

I've ALWAYS had a passion for hunting and the outdoors. My dad hunted and he taught me a lot. We hunted everything. Upland birds, waterfowl and mammals. I bet we shot semi loads of rodents before I was 16. One of the main things dad taught me was how to shoot accurately and be safe. He taught me ethics and an appreciation for the critters and the resources.

The only vacation my dad took every year was to go deer hunting. It was always a family holiday.

When I was a kid, from maybe 2nd grade to high school, I hunted about every night after school. Every jackrabbit, ground squirrel, trash bird or anything legal was in my sights. I hunted with a BB gun, a 22 and my old 410 shotgun. Anything legal from stray cats to coyotes was fair game. Got my first deer at the age of 12 with a lever action Marlin 35 Remington with a 3 power Leupold scope. How things have changed.

My dad died in 1986. So much has changed since then. Better optics, rangefinders, smart phones, better rifles and certainly more competition for places to hunt and the animals. We used to carry heavy old Army surplus packs with steel frames from WWII when we went hunting. So I have evolved. My dad hunted differently than we do now.

I also learned a lot from friends. One of my best friends, a guy with initials KD, taught me a ton. He's a bit younger than me but we shared a lot of time outdoors and hunted a bunch together. He also guided for us for about 25 years. So we scouted and planned together too.

I've been an outfitter for a long time. It might seem crazy, but I have also learned a lot from hunters. Often, I've learned what not to do, but sometimes I also get good ideas from hunters. Keep your mind open because you never know when a good idea will pop up.

It took me a long journey, but personally I put a lot more value on the experience now than the harvest. I'd much rather hunt country where there are fewer critters and see few people than go to a crowded spot with big numbers of trophies and an orange army. For me, hunting is not a competitive sport. I do it because I love the habitat and the critters and being alone in big country. I'm old but I still enjoy those mountain sunrises alone when scouting more than almost anything. Makes me think of my dad and I can't wait to share them with my grandkids. I hope and pray they get to enjoy the outdoors as much as I have.

 

[Focoelkman]

Awesome thread!!! I can kind of relate to Mothers.
My dad was a POS left us at 10 taking savings bonds and the whole shooting match.
He did buy me my first spin cast combo.
But my mom bought me a daisy pellet gun for Christmas and the old 10 pump was king. Thanks mom!
Thankfully we were in Twin Falls ID and I had a bike too. Lots to do. The crew around the neighborhood was like SandLot. But if I / we wasnt playing sports I was wettin a line. Exploring. Killing anything that moved

Two neighbor guys were big hunters then and I watched them like hawks. Envious when hunting season came around of duck hunting, pheasants and deer hunting trips wherever that was, wherever they went? they’d come home with a nice bag.

Times were tough in the 80s there and my mom had to foreclose on the house and grandparents moved us to SW Iowa. A place to grow.
So fortunate to have a grandpa that taught me right from wrong and introduced me to upland hunting.
He helped me learn the art of dog training, wing shooting and taking care of your equipment.
In high school , My best buddy’s dad gave me his old bear compound bow and put me ina tree stand.
In college I bought my first lab and learned to field trial. That dog . Man.
After college, moved to Colorado with that field trial champion with first career job and self taught in big game. A guy at HP heard I liked to hunt he said he had horses and was a huge elk hunter.
I said let’s F$&@ing go! So in 96 first elk hunt, killed my first bull , ,,,,.said co worked was not a huge elk hunter, turns out had never shot an elk, but it worked out!

The rest is history.

Don’t think ya ever stop learning.

 

[Outdoordan]

Awesome thread!!! I can kind of relate to Mothers.
My dad was a POS left us at 10 taking savings bonds and the whole shooting match.
He did buy me my first spin cast combo.
But my mom bought me a daisy pellet gun for Christmas and the old 10 pump was king. Thanks mom!
Thankfully we were in Twin Falls ID and I had a bike too. Lots to do. The crew around the neighborhood was like SandLot. But if I / we wasnt playing sports I was wettin a line. Exploring. Killing anything that moved

Two neighbor guys were big hunters then and I watched them like hawks. Envious when hunting season came around of duck hunting, pheasants and deer hunting trips wherever that was, wherever they went? they’d come home with a nice bag.

Times were tough in the 80s there and my mom had to foreclose on the house and grandparents moved us to SW Iowa. A place to grow.
So fortunate to have a grandpa that taught me right from wrong and introduced me to upland hunting.
He helped me learn the art of dog training, wing shooting and taking care of your equipment.
In high school , My best buddy’s dad gave me his old bear compound bow and put me ina tree stand.
In college I bought my first lab and learned to field trial. That dog . Man.
After college, moved to Colorado with that field trial champion with first career job and self taught in big game. A guy at HP heard I liked to hunt he said he had horses and was a huge elk hunter.
I said let’s F$&@ing go! So in 96 first elk hunt, killed my first bull , ,,,,.said co worked was not a huge elk hunter, turns out had never shot an elk, but it worked out!

The rest is history.

Don’t think ya ever stop learning.

Awesome! Sounds like you took a similar route. We owned a ranch in Jerome, and I kick myself now for not hunting birds more on it. The pheasant hunting was phenomenal back then. We sold in mid 80's.

 

[Horsecorn]

When I was just a little boy, my dad, uncle, and grandpa would take me camping up on the river every summer and they would shoot three deer and we would make a smoker and hang the meat over the fire we made, and would smoke jerky for 4 days. Good times. And good dried meat.