Initiation for hunters

B

Boertjie

Inactive
Hi everyone

Do you have "initiation" ceremonies for first time successful hunters in US?

Here in RSA there are many variations of this tradition especially for kids.
One that we have here is to smear a bit of blood on the face at the hunting scene and tonight at the campfire to endulge a small piece of raw liver:barf:

This weekend my 11year old got from 2 shots his first 2 springbucks at 165 m and 120m with a .308 150grain and a much relieved dad!!:)
 

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Boertjie,

Welcome to the TFL.

We had a "tradition" at the deer lease I was on a few years ago. We don't have anything, like what you mentioned (blood on the face & eating liver). I like that idea and will bring it up the the other lease members. we have two members that brought their sons out to hunt last year, but none of the boys had any luck. Perhaps this year.

You have a fine looking son there. You must be a very proud dad. Enjoy your time with him, my 19 year old son really enjoyed the hunting & fishing trips we use to go on. That's until he got into school sports & started to notice the girls. We haven't hunted or fished together in a few years.
 
When I got my first deer, it was a camp tradition that they smear the blood on your face. Although, I was 12, and my father took me to an outfitter in SC because he wanted me to see deer and not freeze. I think it was a good tradition and plan to carry it on. Db, too bad that you no longer hunt with your son. I'm 24, and in the last 12 years, I have missed precisely 1 deer season with my father. That was because I was the captain of my varsity hockey team. My father and I have grown quite close, and there is no greater contributor to that than hunting and firearms. I can only hope that he will be able to hunt with my future kids.
 
Here in the South it's a little blood. And if you miss it costs a shirt-tail.

My wife shot her first deer last year. She knows the tradition and when we found it she let me know in no uncertian terms that I WAS NOT going to do that to her.

As she's of Irish stock, freckles and blue eyes that I've seen glow red in the dark and the temper to go with it, I figured the direct approach was not going to work. I might get hurt.

So while she helped me gut it I managed to get a good swipe of it on her.

Got away with it.
 
In my village when young boys get their first kill or trap their first rabbit, catch their first fish they get to be introduced to the whole village and the visiting village during potlach.

Its a real big deal. The families that are introducing kids start preparing a year in advance. the kids get all new parkas and boots, all hand made. And the parents and extended family are made new qaspeqs, a cotton shirt that looks like an anorak. The families of the kids being introduced buy lots of presents; bolts of cloth, fishing hooks, tools, lots of little things for every one at the potlach.

The parkas are lined with fur with a cloth shell. The boots are usually made from seal skin. Boys things are kind of utilitarian but the girls things are fancy with different furs hand sewn into patterns/designs and bits of fur cut into shapes of animals. Hundreds of hours go into hand sewing the leather parkas and boots and machine sewing the qaspeqs.

Girls have thir own set of critieria for being introduced. There are definite male and female roles.
 
Only ceremony is for first time misses at deer camp. Everyone who misses their first deer must get on their knees in front of the camp fire, and repeat the three magic words, Owha- Tagoo-Siam. After repeating the three words several times, and boughing between each word, the true meaning becomes apparent. " Oh what a goose I am.":D
 
Hmmm how about this....

I really thought she wasnt ever going to speak to me again when I slapped that hot blood in her face and didnt have anything in the jeep for her to wash it off with. Haha. She got over it pretty quick and had to help hold a leg.

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Nice pictures

Hi piercfh,

Great pictures, she does'nt seems to be that much unhappy in the 2nd pic! A nice deer and beautiful hunter, you must surely be very proud. Are there many women hunters in US because here it is really a rare occurrence?
 
I have taken several people who have killed their first deer, and two that killed their first buck. Unless I take a young kid or someone who I would call sir or mam, Im going to get some blood on thier face. I have pictures of several first kills, but those two were the best. ;)
 
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