psychobily
New member
HERE HERE! ^^^^ I like the way you think BigBill!!!!
What is Hunting?
- Thread starter jephthai
- Start date
- Status
My routine for opening morning is usually about getting out before light to a pre-selected spot.I have usually scouted it,and sometimes comfort,camo,field of fire enhanced it.It might be as simple as a fence corner choked with tumbleweed.Sitting down on a cactus is not useful,nor is moving around making noise.
I spend my time shivering for the arrival of the sun's warmth,and all my senses are hunting.
I think most of the predator animals on earth spend some of their time this way.
Maybe mid morning my butt is tired and I move.Sometimes I use defilade terrain(antelope season),Sometimes I move slow,stop and observe a lot.
Frankly.I often mapstudy and try to predict the effects of the hordes of hunters moving into the game country with 4wds,ATVs,etc and the masses headed into the woods.I try to use them to my advantage.
I wish I could keep a pet burro.
But,you know,we could compare this to fishing.
Is a kid with his Grandpa sitting by a stockpond or city park lake with a cane pole fishing?.Does it matter if Grandpa stocked bluegills?
Is a vacationer in Colorado catching rainbows from a mountain lake fishing?How long ago did those fish get dumped out of the hatchery truck?
Or is it more like fishing if we use a 190 HP bassboat and 4 footlockers of tackle?
How does tho Orvisite with his split bamboo and black gnat feel about a walleye fisherman bouncing a crawler on the bottom?
Are you going to tell me that the legendary Toad Smith ,with his bucket of chicken and box of Oreos ,waiting for a blue or shovelhead cat to take the slack out of his line wasn't fishing?
Or,is taking the cast net to get something for the low country gravy tonight fishing"
Planted birds are not quite hunting,but the dogs are the point.A bird dog might not get enough wild birds.they get so happy when they can do their job!
I don't think just everything is OK.I have seen pronghorn hunters do the high speed pickup jump and blaze routine.I don't like the drive around and shoot over the hood guys either(and it illegal in Colorado)
I do support the guy with bad legs driving to his stand and sitting in a lawn chair or wheel chair.
I also think we owe the game a clean,quick end.
Can I kill an elk with my PA63 9x18 Makarov?I'll be so cool if I do!! To a point,it is a reasonable pursuit,but at some point it is an irresponsible stunt.
And,IMO,if the crosshairs are waving,your breathing too hard,the wind is blowing,he won't stop walking,its just too darn far,"poke and hope
maybe you'll hit him" is too much risk.I don't take the shot.
I had a local "great white hunter" that I was sharing a ranch with provide an example.We agreed,he had one part of the ranch,we had another.I was watching the herd,a little too far to shoot,maybe 800,900 yds.
Here comes great white,into my area.He shot 17 times,hit his animal 5 times around the edges.he stung a doe that escaped as colatteral damage.
He was all smiles and proud of the horns on his big buck,leg shot,butt shot,gut shot.
And,of course,he rudely ruined my chances.
I just do not have it in me to agree to"Everything legal is right"
Read Robert Ruark's "The Old Man and the Boy",then "Use enough Gun",anything by Ruark,if you want to understand.
I spend my time shivering for the arrival of the sun's warmth,and all my senses are hunting.
I think most of the predator animals on earth spend some of their time this way.
Maybe mid morning my butt is tired and I move.Sometimes I use defilade terrain(antelope season),Sometimes I move slow,stop and observe a lot.
Frankly.I often mapstudy and try to predict the effects of the hordes of hunters moving into the game country with 4wds,ATVs,etc and the masses headed into the woods.I try to use them to my advantage.
I wish I could keep a pet burro.
But,you know,we could compare this to fishing.
Is a kid with his Grandpa sitting by a stockpond or city park lake with a cane pole fishing?.Does it matter if Grandpa stocked bluegills?
Is a vacationer in Colorado catching rainbows from a mountain lake fishing?How long ago did those fish get dumped out of the hatchery truck?
Or is it more like fishing if we use a 190 HP bassboat and 4 footlockers of tackle?
How does tho Orvisite with his split bamboo and black gnat feel about a walleye fisherman bouncing a crawler on the bottom?
Are you going to tell me that the legendary Toad Smith ,with his bucket of chicken and box of Oreos ,waiting for a blue or shovelhead cat to take the slack out of his line wasn't fishing?
Or,is taking the cast net to get something for the low country gravy tonight fishing"
Planted birds are not quite hunting,but the dogs are the point.A bird dog might not get enough wild birds.they get so happy when they can do their job!
I don't think just everything is OK.I have seen pronghorn hunters do the high speed pickup jump and blaze routine.I don't like the drive around and shoot over the hood guys either(and it illegal in Colorado)
I do support the guy with bad legs driving to his stand and sitting in a lawn chair or wheel chair.
I also think we owe the game a clean,quick end.
Can I kill an elk with my PA63 9x18 Makarov?I'll be so cool if I do!! To a point,it is a reasonable pursuit,but at some point it is an irresponsible stunt.
And,IMO,if the crosshairs are waving,your breathing too hard,the wind is blowing,he won't stop walking,its just too darn far,"poke and hope
maybe you'll hit him" is too much risk.I don't take the shot.
I had a local "great white hunter" that I was sharing a ranch with provide an example.We agreed,he had one part of the ranch,we had another.I was watching the herd,a little too far to shoot,maybe 800,900 yds.
Here comes great white,into my area.He shot 17 times,hit his animal 5 times around the edges.he stung a doe that escaped as colatteral damage.
He was all smiles and proud of the horns on his big buck,leg shot,butt shot,gut shot.
And,of course,he rudely ruined my chances.
I just do not have it in me to agree to"Everything legal is right"
Read Robert Ruark's "The Old Man and the Boy",then "Use enough Gun",anything by Ruark,if you want to understand.
Last edited:
jeepstrapped
New member
One of the crazy family stories is that my great uncle jumped out of a tree onto a deer and killed it with his knife.
Legal definition according to Ohio's Hunting and Trapping Regulations:
Hunting means pursuing, shooting, killing, following after or on the trail of, lying in wait for, shooting at, or wounding wild birds or wild quadrupeds while employing any device commonly used to kill or wound wild birds or wild quadrupeds whether such acts result in such killing or wounding or not. It includes every attempt to kill or wound and every act of assistance to any other person in killing or wounding or attempting to kill or wound wild birds or wild quadrupeds.
Your states hunting regs. should have their definition written as well.
For those that preach against hunting food plots:
Do you ever hunt a stand of Oaks/Beechs or other fruit bearing tree's ?
Do you ever hunt close to a corn/bean/alfalfa field or a honeysuckle patch?
Do you ever hunt by a pond or stream by chance?
We all know deer have to have water.
For those ranting against stand hunting:
Have you ever stalked a deer and skirted around it, getting ahead of your quarry and waited in ambush where you thought the deer was going to show up(one of my fav. hunting technique's)?
You may have been guilty of stand hunting
.For those that don't believe in stand hunting OR hunting food plots, I feel sorry for you guys.
You have limited your hunting to stalking deer(remember-no ambush allowed) in the desert or walking straight to deer bedding area and shooting the deer while he's asleep and not browsing that natural food plot he lives in.
Some hunter's don't believe in wearing camo and deer scents.
Others don't believe in hunting with long range rifle's.
If I ever make it out to the Sahara Desert and see a naked guy wondering around, I'll know I've met a true hunter.
This deer hunting business gets more complicated the older I get
psychobily
New member
LMAO, and one time at band camp.....
Crankylove
New member
"Hunting" means different things to different people. It varies based on the game you are after, the area of the country you are hunting in, and the type of land you are hunting on, and your personal likes and dislikes.
For me, the methods I use for hunting deer, elk, and antelope out west, are much different than the way people may hunt in, say, New York, Georgia, or Ohio. Different areas require different approaches. For me, hunting out of a stand isn't really feasible, whereas it may be the only option for someone with no access to public land and is limited to a few acres in a hunting lease. I have a couple hundred square miles to find elk in my hunting unit here, and it requires getting out in the hills and finding the elk. Hiking 10-12 miles in a day is not uncommon, and shots vary from point blank thru the trees, to 300-400 yards across a meadow. In areas with no public land (or very limited amounts or access) to hunt on, using a stand and taking shots at much shorter ranges may be the only way to go about it.
Just because the methods are different, doesn't make any of them better, or worse than the others, just different. Choose the method that suits you and enjoy.
For me, the methods I use for hunting deer, elk, and antelope out west, are much different than the way people may hunt in, say, New York, Georgia, or Ohio. Different areas require different approaches. For me, hunting out of a stand isn't really feasible, whereas it may be the only option for someone with no access to public land and is limited to a few acres in a hunting lease. I have a couple hundred square miles to find elk in my hunting unit here, and it requires getting out in the hills and finding the elk. Hiking 10-12 miles in a day is not uncommon, and shots vary from point blank thru the trees, to 300-400 yards across a meadow. In areas with no public land (or very limited amounts or access) to hunt on, using a stand and taking shots at much shorter ranges may be the only way to go about it.
Just because the methods are different, doesn't make any of them better, or worse than the others, just different. Choose the method that suits you and enjoy.
So am I a hunter? I find (hunt) for places with feral swine... I turn out a dog or 3... When the bulldog has it caught, I go in and grab the hog by the back legs and put it on it's side...
Then I tie it up and haul it home... No guns, no bow, no stand and no camo...
It is then dispatched and butchered at home...
Or am I just farming free range piggies?
Brent
Then I tie it up and haul it home... No guns, no bow, no stand and no camo...
It is then dispatched and butchered at home...
Or am I just farming free range piggies?
Brent
Bud Helms
A long long time ago (35+ years counts as a long long time right?) when I was 14 or 15 years old, I heard a story about an Indian that ran a deer down and caught it for food.
So I decided to try it one day and went out and found a doe, I started walking toward her, when she ran I started jogging after her, after a bit of following I noticed she would stay pretty much in the same area (about ½ mile by ½ mile area) so I started taking short cuts and would get there about the same time or just right behind her. This had her running probably 2 times as far as me all the time so she got more tired than I did.
After about 2½ hours she was getting tired enuf and use to me sticking right with her I was able to get about 3 feet from her (I could almost reach out and touch her) before she would start to run, about the time it got to where I thought I would probably be able to actually catcher her in the next ½ hour to 45 minutes it was getting dark and I had to give up and go home.
Now a lot older, wiser and hurting I would never be able to try this again if I wanted to, and I would not want to unless it was an emergency situation where it was needed for food as I am sure running her that hard and long was not good for her now that I am older and know more.
Michael Grace
A long long time ago (35+ years counts as a long long time right?) when I was 14 or 15 years old, I heard a story about an Indian that ran a deer down and caught it for food.
So I decided to try it one day and went out and found a doe, I started walking toward her, when she ran I started jogging after her, after a bit of following I noticed she would stay pretty much in the same area (about ½ mile by ½ mile area) so I started taking short cuts and would get there about the same time or just right behind her. This had her running probably 2 times as far as me all the time so she got more tired than I did.
After about 2½ hours she was getting tired enuf and use to me sticking right with her I was able to get about 3 feet from her (I could almost reach out and touch her) before she would start to run, about the time it got to where I thought I would probably be able to actually catcher her in the next ½ hour to 45 minutes it was getting dark and I had to give up and go home.
Now a lot older, wiser and hurting I would never be able to try this again if I wanted to, and I would not want to unless it was an emergency situation where it was needed for food as I am sure running her that hard and long was not good for her now that I am older and know more.
Michael Grace
Sounds like many people here believe that the act of hunting is to pursue and "take" game....Also I might add, however us individuals "take" our quarry, by all three means Stand,Still,Driving, and they are all right, The American Indian used all methods,, bottom line here is what You decide is right for you. For me the hunt starts as much as a month before or even early fall when I get serious practice with my weapons of choice, getting my clothes ready, and yes my kids clothes also, because I enjoy it.. Me and my sons start to remember hunting trips of old, I even tell them of a few they never heard..My hunting deer, with my children, is a way to reconnect with them. All year long, I guess I'm not so interesting to them, but come the week leading up to opener, I'm the proffessor of a long lost art or something. One of them always needs my help, with the laundry steps. My daughter gets so excited, leading up to the day, it's magical, the look in her eye. Nope for me hunting is about my family, We stand hunt because wer'e successful this way. If it's wrong, so be it, My lone wolf hunting days are gone hopefully forever!!! You boy's hunt however you want to!!I won't judge. its not our place to judge...
HAPPY HUNTING AND BE DAMN SAFE!!!!
HAPPY HUNTING AND BE DAMN SAFE!!!!Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
I pretty much go along with ZeroJunk. Whatever works is good. I've not seen a cougar heading out across country in hopes something good might happen. They tend to sit, wait and pounce. (They'll also nosh on kitchen-scrap leftovers, but that's another story.)
I know of millions of acres of gently rolling brush country where if you don't sit in some sort of stand, you ain't gonna eat deer meat--except maybe roadkill.
I prefer walking ridges, kicking Bambi out of bed to see if he's worth shooting. That's fun. But I've done a "hunter's doze" snooze on a hillside, arousing to shoot a pretty nice buck.
I figure the terrain and vegetation tells me how I'm gonna hunt.
I know of millions of acres of gently rolling brush country where if you don't sit in some sort of stand, you ain't gonna eat deer meat--except maybe roadkill.
I prefer walking ridges, kicking Bambi out of bed to see if he's worth shooting. That's fun. But I've done a "hunter's doze" snooze on a hillside, arousing to shoot a pretty nice buck.
I figure the terrain and vegetation tells me how I'm gonna hunt.
Double Naught Spy
New member
The differences of opinion seem to go back to George Carlin's notion of driver where anyone who drives faster than him is an idiot and anyone driving slower is a moron. In other words, a lot of folks feel that if you aren't hunting to their standards, then you aren't actually hunting.
In many cases such as the OP, it seems that some smarter methods of taking game aren't considered hunting because of an apparently lack of sweat equity or effort in the process. This seems to go back to the notion of "fair chase."
From http://www.huntfairchase.com/index.php/fuseaction/ethics.why
FAIR CHASE BY DEFINITION
Ironically, the use of firearms which meant they hunter could kill prey from distances at which the prey may not be able to sense the hunter was not considered to be unfair or an improper advantage over the animal, LOL.
Along the lines of Boone and Crockett, however, "lawful pursuit" does not necessarily mean a chase or stalk of said game, but a going out for the purpose of attaining game legally.
Funny thing, I know a lot of duck hunters and absolutely none of them chase ducks in any form or fashion, though I would pay good money to see a bunch of guys in camo running across an open field after flying ducks. Sure, they may have to walk a short distance to pick up a dead duck fallen from the sky or to dispatch one that wasn't a clean kill, but that is hardly what anyone would consider as a pursuit or chase. Yet, nobody seems to think of them as being anything other than hunters, thought they all use some form stationary "lay in wait" tactics just like many deer hunters do with stands and blinds. There doesn't appear to be any sort of rift between duck hunters and those that they consider to be duck harvesters. More irony.
In many cases such as the OP, it seems that some smarter methods of taking game aren't considered hunting because of an apparently lack of sweat equity or effort in the process. This seems to go back to the notion of "fair chase."
From http://www.huntfairchase.com/index.php/fuseaction/ethics.why
FAIR CHASE BY DEFINITION
Ironically, the use of firearms which meant they hunter could kill prey from distances at which the prey may not be able to sense the hunter was not considered to be unfair or an improper advantage over the animal, LOL.
Along the lines of Boone and Crockett, however, "lawful pursuit" does not necessarily mean a chase or stalk of said game, but a going out for the purpose of attaining game legally.
Funny thing, I know a lot of duck hunters and absolutely none of them chase ducks in any form or fashion, though I would pay good money to see a bunch of guys in camo running across an open field after flying ducks. Sure, they may have to walk a short distance to pick up a dead duck fallen from the sky or to dispatch one that wasn't a clean kill, but that is hardly what anyone would consider as a pursuit or chase. Yet, nobody seems to think of them as being anything other than hunters, thought they all use some form stationary "lay in wait" tactics just like many deer hunters do with stands and blinds. There doesn't appear to be any sort of rift between duck hunters and those that they consider to be duck harvesters. More irony.
I tried to make the point with my coworker that "pursuit" doesn't necessarily mean "chase". For example, Information Security is a professional pursuit of mine. He didn't buy it, but I'm pretty sure he's just trying to be ornery.
The big difference between harvesting corn and harvesting game is that you do have to go out to where the game will be. A farmer chooses the spot where his corn will grow. A hunter's choice of blind or stand is logically consequent to the choice of the deer about where to walk
.I also like your point about duck hunters. I suspect the real way to "pursue" the ducks would be in an ultralite plane. Though, I don't think that's a legal method of "take" just about anywhere, right?
Double Naught Spy
New member
I suppose duck hunters could try to swim-chase ducks, but too many duck hunters would drown that way. A few drown every year as it is without engaging in swimming after ducks. Google "duck hunter drown" and check the hits.
Many or most states have regulations against hunting from moving vehicles and many specifically state that hunting cannot be done from aircraft. Some allow hunting from aircraft, but usually only specific species with specific restrictions and I don't think any include the hunting of flying birds from the air as being legal.
, you and your buddy have way too much time on your hands, and way too little to do...30-30remchester
New member
I must admit I did shoot a deer once from a tree stand. It required no skill. I also shot some buffalo here in Colorado, again no skill was required, both simple harvests. My family ate quite well on the buffalo and tree stand killed deer. We out here are spoiled, over 80% of my county and neighboring counties are public land. I am not dissparrageing others. I heard from one young man who only had 40 acres in which to get a deer to feed his family. It is different though from stalking hunters. I guided for elk and deer for many years. Many times we would pick a client up at the airport, house him and transport him in the morning to a designated spot. Then we would drive an elk near enough to him to shoot. At this point I would gut and transport his elk to the skinning shed where I skinned it. After cooking breakfast for him I would take his elk to the taxaderist and the meat to a processor. All the time I had to hear about his superb hunting skills. Well over half of my big game animals I have taken are harvested. I was a cotractor and in the winter, work stopped. My growing family required me to fill the freezer no matter how I did it. I just believe there is a difference between hunting and harvesting. There is nothing wrong with either method.
- Status