Tuzo,Agreed "Undaunted Courage" is a great book!!.I marathon read it,did not put it down till I was done.
I think the greatest difference is most of us have become foreign to the hunting environment.We travel from our jobs,homes,towns,etc to the woods for a visit.
Long ago folks were closer to the land.So,maybe the shopkeeper and innkeeper fed themselves in other ways.As did the farmer,mostly,unless he had opportunity and nuisance.That farmer still lived on the land,among the deer,raccoons,rabbits bears,and whatever else occupied his land.He was outside among them every day.He could name them .
Those who subsisted by way of hunting,fishing,foraging were just far more aware and in touch with the little things.
Deer as an example,a deer herd,undisturbed by opening day chaos,and not overly pressured,has habits.Live with them a while...
Perhaps the common subsistence hunter of the day had more woods sense than professional guides today.