Why do you hunt?

[firehawk47]

#4962

Hi guys,

I was wandering why do you hunt with traditional bow? The witchery of archery? The challenge? The closeness of the prey? Fill the freezer? To be unconventional? What are your stories?

[David Coulter]

#36449

Firehawk,

This one is easy to know and maybe not easy to explain. I’ve always hunted. My father taught me to hunt and I just loved it right off the bat. The searching, the looking, the seeing and finding. I love all the skills involved. When I was a kid there were no compound bows. You hunted with a rifle, shotgun or a recurve. I don’t thing I actually knew anyone who hunted with a bow, except my buddy in high school, and we didn’t have a clue. So I put my Browning Wasp recurve in a corner and forgot about it for thirty some years. When I ran into a guy I knew and didn’t know he bowhunted he invited me over to go stumping. Out came the Wasp and I got a couple of arrows and judos and we hooked. I thought briefly about getting a compound. It looked more accurate and maybe would get me ahead of things quicker. That thought faded quickly. A bow is a stick of sorts and a string. I live surrounded by technology and just didn’t want it following me into the woods. Ironically, I use a laminated r/d longbow and ufoc arrows, so I suppose I’m not a purist.

I pull the bow and it pulls me. It’s quiet. I love quiet now more than I love noise. With a trad bow it has to be close. I still hunt with a rifle some, but it’s not the same for me anymore. That stick and sting thing is a passion. It’s something you can learn well enough to enjoy in an afternoon and it’s also something you can spend a lifetime learning more about.

The venison is a wonderful bonus. Living the traditional way has also helped me appreciate the value of the life that gives the meat. I’ll take a fresh road kill now and never would before, because we can use the meat and I feel it’s a disrespect to let it go to waste. Of course, the worms gotta eat, too.

Thanks for this thread. Let’s hear your thoughts, too. best, dwc

[firehawk47]

#37065

I Grew up in a small town (30 000 people). Nobody in my family hunt just a few far uncles. For me hunting was a big person thing. And so it was for my childhood.

I grew up. I’ve met people who hunt at my work and I,ve always been intrigued by hunting. It was something I wanted to do. One guy I knew was compound hunting and I been hooked: the quietness of the woods, the time spend to ‘meditate about life’, time to stop and think… So I wanted to hunt me too.

I waited maybe 9 years, got married and 2 kids (dauther and son).

4 years ago, I was playing video game and I got tired of dreaming my life and I wanted the live my dreams so I built a pvc bow, shot it until it slap in my face. I looked video of archery on the internet, I took a few lessons and I bought and old Bear Tigercat 45# and I shot some arrows (a lot). Last year, I got a hunting initiation licence and I’ve seen plenty of deers, I almost had a shot on a spike (3 pointer) at 7 yards, but I let it go away. He never knew I was there. It was awesome! So I got hooked for hunting.

A few weeks later I went rifle hunting and saw no deer but 1 coyote and I shot it at 40 yards, no challenge, 10 seconds earlier I didn’t know he was there and he’s lying dead… I didn’t like it.

I also try compound bow in a exibition and I also didn’t like it, too much gadget, sights, release, trigger, scope!!! Shoot a rifle instead! So traditional archery is my thing, we hold the weight we pull, no sights, no forgiveness. Everything today is too easy. I want to work to earn what I get. I hunt for pleasure, for hardship, to learn to trust my instinct, rely on myself, Clay Hayes said that hardship forge our charater, and of corse for the beauty of nature (I work a garage, lot of noise, dirt, odor solvent chemical…) so traditional bowhunting is just me against the beast.

When I’ll harvest a deer, I’ll be very proud.

I think that it but not all. Archery is so immersive that I could write about it a lot ( I didn’t talk about tournament and friends and my new Firehawk longbow ((yeah, my user name is my bow, sorry for the lack of inspiration)).

Good hunting,

[grumpy]

#48135

A bad day bow hunting is better than a good day at work.

Aside from that I have to say it is fun, and avoid analysis.

[Col Mike]

#49273

This is why

Got out about 1430 today–cool crisp autumn afternoon–with a surprising SE wind (westerlies are normal) about 7kts damp from the rain and dew last night so walking is quiet and the breeze is subdued in the foliage. Temp is mid 50 but dropping to low 40’s quickly as the sun descends the ridges. About a 1/2 mile walk out the back of our yard to the gas pipeline trail which I follow to Mt road and cross to the gate on farmer John’s place.

As I face north with wind off my right shoulder, harvested 40 or so acres of soybeans to my left, a ten yard wide tree line borders that field to my front, tractor trail all grass about 10yds wide heads due north and to the east of the tree line so to the east is the woods I will hunt about 200 or so acres. As usual when I cross the road round the gate I step into the tree line to my left and just stand in the shadows for about 15 to 20 minutes for me to settle down and the woods to accept my presence. My eyes and ears are focused on the woods to my right up wind. I’m there about 5 min when I hear hoof beats headed my direction, first thought is our neighbor Blaine is out riding his horse–but then thundering out of the woods to my immediate front and 10 yards away runs a fork horn buck straight at me—darn me camera in pocket bow loosely dangling from my hand he (I think spies me in the shadow ) turns sharply back into the woods and before I can blink a 6 point closely on his tail charges right after him not even noticing me–neither tails went up as they run into the gully and up the ridge. Back east and into the wind. So there I stand without even my — in hand–jaw agape and a huge smile on my face followed by a choked laugh. 10 min into the hunt and all that action, never saw anything like it in all my years.

Paused there for another 20 min figuring maybe a bigger buck was after them or maybe a bear spooked em. Nothing. I think they were playing chase as the bucks are still in bachelor groups and no signs of rubs or scrapes on the rest of the 4 hour sneak.

Doesn’t get much better then that. Yep I will be out there tomorrow. Trouble is do I want to be ready with bow or camera? 😆

Good hunting my friends

Mike

[David Coulter]

#25639

Nice story, Mike. Ain’t it the best? The things we see when we just stand still. peace, dwc

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