Any of you guys hunt? Is it a rewarding pursuit to get into? What are your recommendations?

elokr · 2017-08-14T08:53:33+00:00

Hunting is absolutely something everyone who eats meat should do.

elokr · 2017-08-15T00:02:52+00:00

I've done deer, bear, turkey, and duck since I was a kid. I've used rifle, shotgun, bow, and blackpowder. I've always preferred solo multi day bow hunts. It puts a lot of things into perspective. All the menial shit in life just washes away when you are alone in the woods.

[deleted] · 2017-08-14T11:22:08+00:00

Long time bow hunter. It's very rewarding, but it takes some money to get started and you have to have a mentor or throw yourself into learning about it/practicing. The downside is that it is solitary, but that is a double edged sword.

Ezrickkn · 2017-08-14T10:37:31+00:00

I've bow hunted deer since I was a teenager. I live in northern Michigan so I have never had to go far to hunt. It is an internal confidence builder of sorts.

Plan logistics first. Try and find a friend who knows what they are doing for both the hunting and the cleaning. Learn both. If you don't have any friends that are into it try going to an archery range and talking to the guys there. Make sure to practice.

Although I like shooting guns, hunting with a bow feels better to me.

mrpoopistan · 2017-08-14T14:16:16+00:00

I grew up rural and found there are basically two types of hunters:

1) Those who see it as a genuinely spiritual thing.

2) Those who bag their deer every year, post it on Facebook and call it a year for hunting.

If you have even an inkling that #1 might click with you, then you should try it. For any other reason . . . no.

I'm in the "I can get dead animal from the store" camp, FTR. I've had friends who were hardcore about the spiritualism of it. In truth, I'd take a day of fishing over a day of hunting any day, since cleaning and cooking a fish on-site is easy.

TheRecycledMale · 2017-08-14T16:13:12+00:00

I grew up in a small, country town - over half my friends growing up either lived on farms or their family had farms, so access to hunting was easily found. I also grew up at a time when having your shotgun in your car/truck was a normal occurrence (even on school grounds), but times are different. I prefer bird hunting - dove, quail, grouse, etc. - over any other type. But I have done my share of other types of hunting.

All that said, I believe hunting is one of those great guy things to do. Not just the hunting, but the getting together with other men and sharing an experience. If you don't believe in "killing", then my suggestion is getting the benefit of the male gathering through something like target or skeet shooting. It has the same benefit of getting together, without the fuss of having to clean what you kill (which is also part of the experience).

SpinPlates · 2017-08-14T16:20:11+00:00

My goal this fall/winter is to take a Hog with a bow. I'm really excited to get out there.

Kommanderdude · 2017-08-14T20:09:51+00:00

You should fish also.

BestSC86 · 2017-08-14T21:35:34+00:00

If you are talking about real hunting then I think it is can be a fun enjoyable pass time but now on the other hand...

If you are talking this so called deer hunting where fat ass dudes ride 4-wheelers to a tree stand and wait around for a deer to come wandering by then it is a waste of money and time.

It has gotten so bad that people are planting food crops directly under their tree stands. I usually tell them why not just go set up down by the dairy farm and pick off a couple of Jersey cows, the meat is more tender.

And our local bear club spends more time at the local Caribou Coffee than in the woods...they let the dogs out and track them by the beacons on GPS, then when all the dogs come to a stop in one spot...they know that the dogs have treed a bear, they all go get on their 4-wheers, drive to the spot then choose lots as to who gets to shoot the bear out of the tree.

I don't know what the fuck that is but it ain't hunting and it isn't masculine.

[deleted] · 2017-08-14T14:43:08+00:00

I've hunted plenty of birds but I'm going deer hunting for the first time today.

zeeohsixer · 2017-08-14T14:48:34+00:00

I've been hunting for..well if you count rabbits and squirrels 25 years. I've done it all on the east coast and out of your choices (boar or whitetail) I'd start with deer.

You'll need to take a hunters safety course so sign up now and check your ego at the door. Lots of guys end up dead every season because they forget the basics. To your second point, I wouldn't recommend a bow for the first time, there are so many wild cards using a bow that will lead to unnecessary frustration. Hunting wild boar is more of a shooting sport, lots of action but its not the same.

[deleted] · 2017-08-14T16:10:29+00:00

Commenting again I would recommend taking a hunters ed course if you think you might be interested. This will tell you a lot more about the sport.

The first time I got invited hunting I didn't know if I wanted to. I had shot for sport my entire life but never hunted. After taking the course, I gained knowledge but I also became very excited to hunt and realized it would be something that I enjoyed. You can pay after you take the course so take it and if it's not something you'd want to do when you finish it just don't pay. You'll have to take it again though if you ever change your mind.

Title	Any of you guys hunt? Is it a rewarding pursuit to get into? What are your recommendations?
Author	VladvonK
Upvotes	9
Comments	20
Date	August 14, 2017 8:18 AM UTC (8 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/askTRP
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/asktrp/comments/6tl2x4/any_of_you_guys_hunt_is_it_a_rewarding_pursuit_to/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/askTRP/any-of-you-guys-hunt-is-it-a-rewarding-pursuit-to.112438 https://theredarchive.com/post/112438

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