What kind of hunter...

[ScottR]

Do you consider yourself?

For instance, not long ago I was exclusively a backpack hunter. Now llamas and horses are a regular part of the equation for me.

The mule deer hunter piece hasn’t changed. How about you?

 

[JimP]

When I first started hunting you couldn't stop me. I would throw a couple of sandwiches into my shirt along with a couple of apples and I was off. I always had a old GI canteen of water and a few candy bars to get me through the day. I would see a place that I wanted to go to and I was gone. I got into a area one year and shot a small 4x4 mule deer. I had a hard time moving that animal and decided to just stash him into some oak brush and bring a friend back the next day to help haul him out. By the time that I got back to my vehicle all I had left was a quart of water after I had filled my canteen from a stream. I had some 4 day old KFC biscuits in my van and man those tasted as good as a T-bone steak.

Then as I got older I slowed down. I still would hike miles every day sitting only long enough to survey the surroundings. I wasn't rich enough to be able to afford binoculars or even a scope on my rifle. The old peep sights did quite well for a very long time on my old 06.

Now I try to limit myself to short hikes, and never further than I want to pack a animal out on my back. I figure that if I want a small buck for the freezer I can shoot one from a road and only have a short drag. My mule deer from a couple of years ago that I got with my muzzle loader was a exception, but I was still within a hundred yards of a road.

Now for elk, as I approach 70 I think that I am done chasing bulls. I have packed more than my fair share out on my back and don't really want to experience that anymore. Now a cow or a calf, if I can get one of either of those within 50 yards of a road I'll consider one of them. The nice thing is that I know of a couple places where that can be done with enough time just watching a crossing.

It's the pits to get old and remember what you used to do and what you were able to do. But it is something that all of us must reason with sooner or later.

 

[mallardsx2]

According to my wife, I'm a "before you can see" to dark hunter and "I always make sure we are walking back in the dark, always..." whatever that means. lol

Probably stemming from my constant complaining that we need to get into our tree-stands 10 minutes earlier and staying until after dark no matter how far we are form the truck. The typical 2 mile walk back to camp through the blow-downs after dark typically doesnt reveal any smiling faces. But thats how I hunt. lol

I have all the gear for all situations. Backpack, truck camp, side by side camp.

I have not been on a hunt with stock. I just dont think I could deal with having to tend to animals on my vacation....and I would rather stand on a greased basketball than ride a horse...

 

[Rich M]

I'm a recreational hunter... 43rd deer season this year. Not as enthusiastic as in the past but I'm sure that sleep will be fleeting the night before opener. Most hunters I know will have a "one that got away" story every season. So, figure that if I scout some and then go and hunt every day sunup til sundown, there should be an opportunity. The trick is making the opportunity a kill as opposed to one that got away.

The rest of my hunting is making sure my 80+ yo father gets out for some ducks.

Got another western hunt or two left in me. Like those wide open spaces. Just take it at my own pace and plug along.

 

[kidoggy]

used to be a trophy hunter . now that I am slowing down I am content to just fill the freezer.

can't say I have ever lost much sleep over an unfilled tag. happy when I kill , content when I do not.

while I still get satisfaction from a brutal packout (after the fact) I also can't say I ever particularly enjoyed that part either.

 

[RICMIC]

I have always been ready to go over the next hill, even when good sense would tell me that I shouldn't. The main difference now that I am in spitting distance to age 69, is that I am not compelled to kill something on every trip. Our plan for this year's CO elk hunt is to backpack a couple miles to our old camp, hunt as far in as the situation dictates, and suffer the aftermath of our decisions. I'll just keep going until I can't, and doubt that I will quit just because I have lost the desire to look over that last hill.

 

[Timber Stalker]

Neat thread, I really never put much thought into it. It’s just something in me. When I was a kid we lived in a place where there were corn fields, brush patches and a creek. We fished that creek all the time, I would get bored if that quickly and sneak off back to the house and take my brothers BB gun and head for the brush patches to shoot tweety birds.
To categorize my self to a style I would have to say I’m a still hunter more than anything.Sitting in one spot for long periods of time without seeing anything is hard for me to do.
I’ve never sat in a tree stand or a ground blind although I’ve told myself for years I would probably kill more it’s just not my style.

 

[ScottR]

I'm a recreational hunter... 43rd deer season this year. Not as enthusiastic as in the past but I'm sure that sleep will be fleeting the night before opener. Most hunters I know will have a "one that got away" story every season. So, figure that if I scout some and then go and hunt every day sunup til sundown, there should be an opportunity. The trick is making the opportunity a kill as opposed to one that got away.

The rest of my hunting is making sure my 80+ yo father gets out for some ducks.

Got another western hunt or two left in me. Like those wide open spaces. Just take it at my own pace and plug along.

This is kind of where my Dad is. He loves being out with me chasing elk, and because I have killed so many elk it doesn't bother me if we have to go pretty slow to try and get him one.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

I'll be 80 this fall and over the years my approach to hunting has changed. Like JimP and a lot of the older guys, I started out quite young. My Dad used to take me duck hunting when I was 7 or 8. He carried me on his back to the blind through the water because I didn't have anything but knee high rubber boots. I had a single shot 20 ga and shot AT the ducks! I also went with him and his buddies deer hunting at that age. I just walked with him because I was too young to hunt big game. We hunted the coastal areas of southern California in August. Hot and up & down the hills are my memories. They also shot a few deer too.

When I started deer hunting with my Dad and his buddies, we still hunted....walked lots and sat down little! Shot my first deer when I was 12 and got a few thru the years. I had been raised on fish and game my Dad brought home, we ate everything. Early on I shot the first legal deer I saw, no matter what. As I grew older, I started to change. After I got married, we still ate everything I got. I also started to get extra doe tags, so I could be a lot more selective on the bucks I took. I also started hunting out of state, primarily deer.

Over the years I have taken lots of deer (probably over 100, I just never counted) and some dandy bucks. I got to the point that I didn't fill some buck tags because I didn't see one big enough to satisfy me. I have been on over 30 wilderness, backcountry horseback deer hunting trips and love that type of hunting more than anything else. As I have aged and my physical limitations increased (replacement knee, ankle & both shoulders) , I don't hike as much as I once did. I probably will not be going on anymore horseback trips, last one was to Thorofare in Wyoming over my 70th birthday. I have a bunch of elk points here in Colorado and just might do one more (guided) to use them. I am a die hard deer hunter, but do like elk and antelope too. I also have taken a couple of moose.

Mostly now it's use the side by side to get near where I want to hunt and then get as far away from the 2 tracks as I can. Probably let the small bucks grow up and look for a good one, depends on how the freezer is and if it's not the last day! LOL!

 

[taskswap]

A meat hunter, and still early in the learning process. Neither of my parents hunted so I'm completely self taught, and I also started late in life. The experience and instincts that a lot of others have has been hard-won for me, old-dog-new-tricks style, but I've been successful and I'm darn proud of myself.

Meat is my strongest driver - I'll leave the big trophy bulls to the rest of you. The way I see the world, hunting allows me to feed my family some of the best, most natural meat there is. I have the same pride putting the meat bags into the cooler as I do stacking firewood: I did this, now we have that, now our freezer is full. Sure, we can afford to buy meat, even good quality sources like our local CSA (which we do - we get all our lamb and poultry there.) But self-reliance is a big motivator for me, and hunting is a perfect fit for that.

 

[tim]

I really like hunting elk off of my bicycle.

 

[go_deep]

I'm a take anyone else who is willing to put in the effort, and happy to see them fill their tag before I fill mine hunter.

 

[Maxhunter]

I'm still pretty hardcore when it comes to hunting at almost 61. It's all I think almost everyday. I really like to back pack and stay 4-5 days in an area far away from any trail head.

I soak in the whole process when preparing for hunting and enjoy it. I like to fill my tags, but I'm picky at times and pass up animals most hunters won't. This helps prolong the season.

A lot guys my age have thrown in the towel and took up other interest. I'll hunt elk until my body says I can't. I can always hunt black bears and whitetails since it's not to physically demanding when I get really old.

 

[BuzzH]

Depends on the tags, species, etc.

But, about 95% of the time...foot soldier.

 

[D_Dubya]

Funny, I consider myself an “Elk Hunter” first even though 90% of my hunting time is spent hunting whitetails and quail on flat ground a thousand miles from elk country - and I’ve killed some really big whitetails. I’m fortunate to be able to have access to prime ground in south Texas but I’m just not that interested in killing whitetails anymore for myself. I did kill one season before last, to nice to pass (didn’t quite net book). My wife and kids love it and we take a bunch of friends and my kids friends every year, we have a big bbq every Saturday down there November- January and I do enjoy that part of it.

I only get to spend about 7-10 days every year chasing elk, and a long weekend trip or two to NM for mule deer if we’re lucky in the draw. I’ve killed a few bulls, all small, all DIY public land. But when I think about what kind of hunter am I? Elk Hunter.

 

[Hilltop]

Opportunistic meat hunter. I enjoy all weapons, all seasons, and any species I have a tag for. I love packing in but also really enjoy spot and stalk from a pickup. Tree stands in the whitetail woods are almost as enjoyable as belly crawling the desert for antelope- I just like to hunt. However, If I had to just pick one more hunt to go on, it would be an archery elk hunt during the peak of the rut.

 

[THelms]

I'm a Hunter

 

[dan maule]

10 years ago I would have considered myself a die hard do whatever it takes kind of hunter. For the last 10 years I would consider myself more of a mentor, focusing more on teaching my kids and helping them fill their tags. My youngest is now 15 so in a couple more years I’ll be back to die hard.

 

[ScottR]

This is exactly what I was hoping for, lots of different insights and thoughts.

 

[Winchester]

Depends who you ask ... my brain or my body.

My brain is still 21 and wants to backpack in 10 miles solo for bull moose, climb a mountain solo for mountain goat, etc, etc all with just a poncho and a couple of MREs. I have done that stuff in the past ...
But now my body is trying to make me hunt closer to camp ... or even a motel !!