How far do you carry a traditional hunt?

[tg]

I was checking my traplined 20 years ago and came across a Redtail Hawk that had evidently hit a powerline that ran to a pump sight along the river, I spent an hour dancing around that bird dodgeing th etallons before I was able to thro my Mackinaw over him and get a hold ofhim. The local Humane society was on the way home so I stopped in and went to the office and told them I hade an injured Hawk, they were so pleased that I had taken the time and risk to help an injured animal and the we weant out to my truck to get the bird, when I opened the swinging cargo doors on my canopy and they saw the traps a couple of conns a Beaver and an assortment of muskrats and nutria, the social temperature dropped 50 degrees, not even an ofer of help as I tried to corral that Hawk which now could back himself in the corner and very boldly show me both tallons, after a time I was able to toss a blanket they gave me(reluctantly) over him and hand him to one of the volenteers, the made it clear that they would closely check the bird to determine the cause of his injury, I have never seen such a flip flop in courtisy in my life as I did that day...I called a couple of days later ( it took three calls) before anyone would talk to me once they found who I was, and the bird had died, would I do it again...absolutely, I felt good about my effort and demeanor during the "shunning." I often wonder about them.

 

[Walks Alone]

Well, have only hunt predators and varmints since about 1990, but starting about 5 years ago for the hunt itself I was traditional when hunting them. I disdain camo, so loved the extra opportunities to wear the Vous leathers and gear. Only use mouth calls I made myself to call the preds, and most of my accourtements were also home made by me. Only shoot black and PRB in one of my small bore sidelocks - carry no other modern doodads except the ML for the hunt.

Going traditional adds greatly to the challenge of predator hunting, and to the enjoyment of the hunts.

Still use the pickemup truck to get to the wilds though.

 

[roundball]

Still use the pickemup truck to get to the wilds though.

Its a shame that you feel that you had to make this statement but it's completely understandable given the sniping that occurs...and it's completely appropriate to drive to your location...those rare few who try to drag up the point that you didn't ride a horse to the location, or need to comment that a traditionally oriented TC Hawken has a coil spring for example, are just acting like 12 year olds only trying to provoke controversy...they offer nothing positive...the highlight of their daily contribution is to lay back waiting to critize something...ignore them.

I thought Claude summed it up very well one time in the recent past...he compared participating in something with traditional / period garb to an NFL game...when the players arrive at the appointed location thay get into their period specific gear and live their vocation and conduct their activties wearing that gear...then they take it off and go back home. But they got to and from the location wearing business suits and ties while flying in an airplane.

:thumbsup:

 

[tg]

"...those rare few who try to drag up the point that you didn't ride a horse to the location,"

I would say that around here it is more than a rare few..there are a lot of anti traditionals folks who an attack is probably the only defence they know of to justify their calling the non traditionl stuff they use traditional, like saying their modern bullets are traditional because someone else drives a truck to the woods, so no one can really be traditional, so it is ok to hang the term on whatever one chooses to use.

 

[FishDFly]

My wife is on her back rolling around the floor laughing hystercially.

Oh, my sister-in-law at one time gave me grief about hunting. She worked in downtown Chicago and owned a mink coat. I asked her about the "poor" little minks who gave their life just so she could look nice and oh, did you eat the cute little things after you skined them for the coat?

I received hunting and fishing things from her for Christmas.

RDE

 

[paulvallandigham]

Richard: My brother gave his wife a gorgeous, full length, Fur coat made of Coyote. She wore it whenever she had to travel around the country on business, which was quite often. If any of the PETA people tried to give her grief, she would go right after them, and tell them,

" This is made from coyote, and they are far from being an endangered species, and are a most renewable resource. Stay away from me!"

She would get applause from women standing near her in airport terminals when she nailed these folks. I once was with my wife when she had mittens made from Wolf skin, and a clerk asked her if those were real fur. She sneered when my wife told her what they were, and then gave me a dirty look when she saw we both had parkas lined with coyote fur trim. So, I gave her a little biology and ecology lesson, pointing out that coyote are all over the county and even come into the cities hunting where we were standing. Of course, the stupid woman didn't have a clue about the presense of coyotes, and didn't know that trapping Wolves in Canada is quite legal in many provinces, and is a necessity in some locations. Too much Greenpeace, and too little thought going on. :hmm:

 

[OTHERN]

All
This is a very interesting topic. Myself I have hunted in Wyo with a flinter for 25+ years. Wyo has no muzzleloading season. I do wear orange as it is required. I go completely primitive when I feel like it. Damn cold in Nov in total primitive gear. I wear modern clothes when I feel like it. Depends on How I feel. I still hunt mostly, can't stand to sit and look at the same tree all day. I smell like sweat. I'm a traditionalist at heart.

Othern

 

[Stumpkiller]

After reading all of these comments on using modern tree stands or not, using modern clothes or not etc”¦ Do you ride a mule / horse to the hunting grounds or a modern car / truck? Where is that fine line drawn? :hmm:

Walk. :blah:

Do you use a modern alarm clock to get up on time in the morning?

And I have two &@%#$! roosters (and 17 laying hens) and four &@%#$X2! geese that get me up every morning whether hunting season or not. :haha: And then I have the honor of stoking the firebox to heat the house & water. At least the two turkeys are quiet (nervous survivors of this year's 5 spring Naraganset pullets). Had 10 geese two months ago and the next one of those the wife brings home had better be already frozen and shrink wrapped. :cursing:

 

[gmww]

Very interesting question. I'd like to see it done and documented on TV for historical reasons. I mean everything PC including the canoe etc. It would be cool to see. I've learned more from this forum than I did in school.

 

[rabjr]

I find it sad with the anniversary of the Corps of Discovery recently, more wasn't done concerning this.

 

[Walks Alone]

Its a shame that you feel that you had to make this statement but it's completely understandable given the sniping that occurs...and it's completely appropriate to drive to your location...those rare few who try to drag up the point that you didn't ride a horse to the location, or need to comment that a traditionally oriented TC Hawken has a coil spring for example, are just acting like 12 year olds only trying to provoke controversy...they offer nothing positive...the highlight of their daily contribution is to lay back waiting to critize something...ignore them.

roundball -

Thanks for your comments, you are exactly right and I agree with you 100%. As suspected, it was only added to ward off the negative element so the bulk of the post would take precedence.

I think a lot of folks are missing a huge opportunity if they are not enjoying predator and varmint hunting traditional with their muzzle loaders though. At least in all the states I've hunted P&V in out west for over 50 years, there is either very liberal seasons/bag and possession limits (on some of the furbearers), or many to all of the species are not hunt regulated at all. There are also few, if any, regs on your choice of firearm, bow, etc to hunt with. And the regs don't require hunter orange garb to hunt most P&V's either. Whether calling or spot and stalk, this gives the would be traditional hunter the opportunity to hunt his version of traditional for most if not all of the year. And its very good practice to sharpen your skills for big game black powder hunting too. So IMO, hunting P&V traditional is one of the best opportunities for the ML hunter to wear the garb, walk the walk and do things as we think they did them in times of old.

And FWIW, camo clothing is certainly an unnecessary tool for hunting any kind of fur or feather, including the wariest of predators. I never wore camo for the first 30+ years of calling predators, and again for the last 5-6 or so. Still chuckle when I think of an AZ PM hunt in Jan/Feb some years ago where one fellow climbed on top of a wooden step ladder wearing a Santa Claus suit - called in and killed coyotes to prove the point.

WA

 

[white_tail]

I am enjoying reading all of the different thoughts on hunting, shooting, types of gear, and if you walked / drove to the hunting fields. The common threads that are apparent are. 1) We are passionate about muzzle loading. 2) We enjoy being in the field and talking / typing about it.

Pass it on to future generations. Take a youth hunting or to the local gun range and teach them as you were taught.

 

[John Wasmuth]

Oh, about this,

far. Depending upon the weather, I wear the light weight "Fulk-Shot-EE" or in cooler weather a heavier one. Since it's our own property we don't have an orange regulation here in Texas, so older pattern cloth is used. Always wear clan paint as well. Have a great deer season!