- Jan 18, 2017
- 6
- 1
What stage are you in ?
1) Shooting stage ; The priority is getting off a shot, rather than patiently waiting for a good shot.
2) Limiting-out stage ; Success is determined by bagging the limit. In extreme cases, this need to limit out also can cause hunters to take unsafe shots.
3) Trophy stage ; The hunter is selective and judges success by quality rather than quantity. Typically, the focus is on big game.
4) Method stage ; In this stage, the process of hunting becomes the focus. A hunter may still want to limit out but places a higher priority on equipment and how limiting out is accomplished.
5) Sportsman stage ; Success is measured by the total experience?the appreciation of the out-of-doors and the animal being hunted, the process of the hunt, and the companionship of other hunters.
I believe I reached the sportsman stage about 15 years ago. When I go out west to elk hunt harvesting an elk is great but is secondary to the trip and the experience as a whole. Even after a 'tag-soup' year I still enjoy the hunt and can recall every day in the field and all the aspects of the hunt. My main objective has always been to harvest an animal for the meat. Hopefully it will be a long time before I enter the 6th stage , old age .
1) Shooting stage ; The priority is getting off a shot, rather than patiently waiting for a good shot.
2) Limiting-out stage ; Success is determined by bagging the limit. In extreme cases, this need to limit out also can cause hunters to take unsafe shots.
3) Trophy stage ; The hunter is selective and judges success by quality rather than quantity. Typically, the focus is on big game.
4) Method stage ; In this stage, the process of hunting becomes the focus. A hunter may still want to limit out but places a higher priority on equipment and how limiting out is accomplished.
5) Sportsman stage ; Success is measured by the total experience?the appreciation of the out-of-doors and the animal being hunted, the process of the hunt, and the companionship of other hunters.
I believe I reached the sportsman stage about 15 years ago. When I go out west to elk hunt harvesting an elk is great but is secondary to the trip and the experience as a whole. Even after a 'tag-soup' year I still enjoy the hunt and can recall every day in the field and all the aspects of the hunt. My main objective has always been to harvest an animal for the meat. Hopefully it will be a long time before I enter the 6th stage , old age .