Alcohol and Hunting

W

Will Beararms

New member
I will start this by stating no one here enjoys an ice cold Corona with lime or Beck's Dark that is allowed to sit in the freezer until right before the point of freezing more than I do. I repeat for the record, a good cold beer is refreshing.

That said, I always flinch when I see Anheuser Busch sponsoring an outdoors show that features the use of deadly weapons. It is a free country and I know AB has done alot to help DU and other worthwhile Hunting Concerns but guns and beer do not mix neither does beer go with compound bows.

Now I know I will strike a sore point with the next statement but I cannot see where any alcoholic beverage has any place on a hunt where weapons are present.

I admit after a day of dove hunting when the gun is unloaded, I have popped a top. I will also go as far to tell you as a younger, more stupid hunter, I have even consumed beer all day while Pheasant hunting with my friends at an undisclosed location in the Midwest.

All this said, I have made it a policy not to have alcohol and weapons in the same vehicle nor to partake of any such substance while on a hunt----------even if it's the end of the day.

I thank God I have not been killed or injured while hunting while booze was present. I am also thankful that I never hurt or killed anyone else. All this said how do you come down on the issue of booze and hunting?
 
Alcohol and hunting is just asking for disaster. I knew some guys years ago that would drink them a cold beer before they hit the woods deer hunting. I stayed as far away from them as possibile. I could only imagine one of them mistaking me for a deer and pulling the trigger. Alcohol has its place and time. If you want to drink your cold ones wait til after the hunt. Drunk hunters have made a bad name for all hunters at one time or another. :p
 
I rarely drink at all, and never when around a firearm. That said (and no flame intended), I feel uncomfortable saying a beer company can't sponsor a firearms related event. To me, saying there is a correlation between a beer distributor and someone who drinks and has a firearms related accident is the same as saying there is a correlation between firearms manufacturers and murders.

For me it comes down to everyone being responsible for their own actions. If Busch tells me to drink up, it's up to me to either do so responsibly or politely decline.
 
I agree that Beer companies can sponsor our efforts. I know this is wishful thinking and I certainly do not think it should be mandated but when they do advertise, I would hope they do the drink responsibly thing. But as has already been aptly pointed out it is up to the individual.
 
"Drunk, uneducated, and armed - a deadly combination." - this was said by a buddy of mine whose family pet was shot by the next door neighbors who could be best described as white trash of Dueling Banjo music situations (Deliverance).

While on survey in East Texas, I passed a number of elevated deer stands that had accumulations of numerous beer cans and other garbage at the base of the trees where the stands were constructed. Beer cans were also inside the stands. What a sport!
 
I'm in strong agreement with all of the above.

That said, imagine you're four hours of walking away from camp, and you settle down for a break and have a luxurious repast of sardines and crackers.

Can there be anything more soul-satisfying than a post-prandial shot of Grand Marnier and a short nap? I thought that's why the Good Lord invented these little air-tight pill bottles.

:D, Art
 
Having a beer or 2 is ok before or after a hunt, but being even close to intoxicated while hunting is unacceptable.

I have on occasion put a beer or 2 in my rucksack and after hiking to my stand drink a beer while I let the woods settle down a bit, but NEVER HUNT IMPAIRED
 
Being included in the past ignornant youth experience statement that's already been made I have to say that plain and simple booze and weapons don't mix I do enjoy driving around on private land and drinking beer I feel like I'm getting away with something. I just don't do it while I hunting anymore.
there is ,however, no better tasting beer than the one after a long day in the field around a camp fire while letting the blood dry on your jeans. And watching your elk quarters cool in a near by tree:)
 
Hey 00-Spy,

All those beer cans under those TX deer stands, were because the "hunters" had a little time to kill waiting for the feeders to go off, and throw out the corn, at the pre-set time of say 5PM. The deer are conditioned to come to this dinner bell at 5:01. And although the "hunters" were a bit tipsy by then, they probably? still hit their deer, since their rifles were sighted-in at exactly feeder-distance, and the sandbagged rifle-rests on the stand's windowsills didn't hurt either!

Funny how a lack of sportmanship manifests itself in more than one way.
 
Folks wanna talk about "stand hunting", I'll tell ya about stand hunting.

LBJ had a small pasture at his ranch, with a deer-proof fence around it. Each fall it was planted with oats. Some employee (probably Secret Service) would close the gate just before first light.

I don't know whether there was an elevator to the "stand", but it was heated and air-conditioned. Carpeted and comfy. Various interested dignitaries would be taken to this Palace In The Park, and when there was enough light, a window would be opened and "Bang!" and the Mighty Hunter would have slain Bambi.

Separately, I've known a heckuva lot of guys who weren't particularly interested in shooting a deer. They mostly wanted to get away from town, away from the wife and kids, and hang out with guys at a deer camp. Not bathe or shave for a few days. Break wind in "public" without fear of comment. Eat "camp food" and drink too much and "enjoy" camp coffee.

They'd sit in a deer blind because it was expected of them.

My father got invited to a lot of leases because he would take Harry Hangover out and let him sleep in the car while my father ambled around to collect Bambi. He'd gut out the deer and have Mr. Hangover tag it. His high-count year was 32 deer, all tagged. Mr. Hangover could then go home to Momma, who'd be all proud of the accomplishment...

That's people, and there is no point in getting all in a swivet over it. :)

Art
 
I will moderate a bit by saying yes after the guns are put up, a beer or three is good around the fire. My dove hunt consists of a comute from Plano, TX about 40 minutes and in that case, I will refrain from libations. Also, due to the fact that we are up at 3:00 am for the S. Arkansas duck hunts operating a 35 HP outboard in what is little more than a swamp with a river attached to it, I like to be at 110% so there's no booze at night to create cob webs in my brain the next morning.

Hey Art, I have found that G.M. is good for alot of things-------------not the least of which is romance and I will leave it at that. :D
 
Darwin Awards are handed out to drinking gunners every year. That is natures way of culling the herd. If all they killed were themselves, ok, but I do get angry at the innocent ones that die as the result of Bubba having a few and then handling guns.
 
I didn't know you could fish without cold beer. As far as hunting goes, I get just as much pleasure frombeing with friends and family in the woods as I do hunting. After the guns are put away, there is nothing better than a beer or drink or three and telling stories with your companions. If you want to overdo it, that takes a lot of the fun out of the next morning's hunt. Just like it was said above, more personal responsibility.
 
Everyone I know that drinks a lot on hunting trips has a gun accident story. One of My cousins goes deer hunting with about a dozen guys. They all joke about how none of them like to get out of bed after the first night on the trip. Two years ago one of the guys shot himself in the foot with a .270.:rolleyes:
 
I can't see how anyone could object to a little party in camp at the end of the day.

That said, it's amazing how much likker outofstate 'hunters' buy in town on their way up to the wilderness. It's a running joke hereabouts.

It's one of the reasons I don't hunt much on public lands anymore.

db
 
Ancient story about a bunch of guys sitting around hunt camp, inventorying the necessities:

One guy asks, What about groceries?" Another guy responds, "We got seventeen cases of beer, and one loaf of bread."

Third fella chimes in, "What we gonna do with all that bread?"

:), Art
 
what slick slidestop said.


enjoying a beer is one think. getting hammered and hunting is another. BUT the most succesful hunters i know are these 3 guys i use to work with who had a camp in south alabama. they smoked a lot of weed before, during, and after the hunt. they got trophy bucks left and right. they just had thier act together. i personally could hunt perfectly fine while in an altered state, but i never would because of the image it portrays to others.
 
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