How Long Have You Been Hunting ...

[toot]

76 seams to be a repeating age? that is swell because I am in that group. ARTHURITIS does play havoc with my shoulders when my old 10 GAUGE BARKS THUOGH!! but the TREE RATS DO FALL OUT OF THE OAKS.

 

[toot]

I'll be 78 in April. Started tagging along with my Dad and Brother when I was 11. At 12, I had my own shotgun, Winchester 37, 16 ga. I was a city boy. Somewhere along the way, I realized I loved guns more than hunting, but I love hunting. Started flintlock deer hunting in 1975, Pennsylvania's first season, thanks to a good friend, Ed Zetler. My Dad died in '84, my Brother last year. I have never missed a season. A few years I only made one day, but it was flintlock. Mostly now, I get out a few days for Pheasant, and a few days for deer. Usually, I hunt 3-5 hours, from 20 minutes to an hour away from home. I use whatever gun I decide I want to shoot with. My Wife doesn't like me going by myself, but I tell her I have to go, when you stop moving you die.
Sometimes, it just feels good to be out in the woods with a gun. So that's 66 years or so....

Richard/Grumpa

GOD BLESS YOU! AND MANNY MORE.

 

[toot]

remember that a body at rest stays at rest & a body in motion stays in motion!!

 

[toot]

81 yrs old been hunting since i was 10,slowing down a bit now.Still get out there.Griz

GOD BLESS YOU, 81 YEARS.

 

[Stony Broke]

I've been hunting most of my life....my father started taking me out as soon as I could get around good. He was very active hunting pheasants then, and my brothers and I sort of worked like good dogs back then scaring them up and retrieving. I shot my first deer at 15 and nailed 5 of them this year at 75. Since I retired and moved to Texas, not only the deer hunting has been great, but hog hunting can keep a guy going year around. I get out every morning after the hogs and I love it because it gets my old butt out of my recliner and makes me exercise some. I've hunting one chunk of land for 11 years now, and have nailed 789 hogs on it so far. I would love my old body to put up with it until I hit the 1,000 mark !

 

[Walkingeagle]

Since long before the turn of the century, using firearms designed long before the turn of that century.
Walk

 

[sawyer04]

A long time, years and age, just numbers. Hunting in the younger years was to squelch hunger, not so much now, Don't seem to get as hungry in the fall of my life. Enjoy woods walks now, the old 44 New Army, always loaded, even it is over 40 years old ( just numbers) Ole get-um, some where around 40 cal,. seldom loaded unless just want to pot shoot a tin can.

 

[Marshhawk]

I was late to the game as my father did not hunt. I first went hunting, had to be fall of 11 or even 12th grade, so 1992? A friend and his dad took me along....I was the only one to bag a squirrel. I was pretty active for several years, often hunting alone since I couldn't always go with someone or have someone go with me. I haven't hunted since fall of 2010, but that last one was a great hunt. Had a really good time. Bagged one of the two squirrels I saw....one was just too close for a shot with a shotgun.

Here is a pic of that hunt......a friend had invited me. I loaned him a shotgun since his house had burned down and he lost his firearms. Guy couldn't hit anything with it though! Great bow hunter, but no real shooting ability. SMH.

That was the only time I hunted with that Auto 5.

I'm eager to take my mail-order bride (when she gets here) hunting...she says she wants to go.

Is that a Browning A5 I see there?

 

[Marshhawk]

At age 13 us boys were considered "of age" to hunt with a real firearm. In my case it was my granddad's old .410 double barrel (still have it). Started on squirrels and worked up to rabbits, pheasant and finally deer in the early '70s with slug guns. Ugh! (with a several year hiatus in Texas and New York). So, off and on for 55 years.

 

[Buck Conner]

Started at age 6 and hung it up after 60 years. Can not abide still hunting, but do not disdain it. Just love to follow a good dog. Used to be easy with a 6 pound gun, 18 shells and light rations. But now I am too old to buy green bananas and it hurts too damn much.
But I do not love it any less.

Sounds like we both hung it up with the same amount of time on the ground - hunting. I use to hunt Lancaster County all the time when I was younger. Then moved, that was a mistake that I have had to live with since 1965.

 

[3Setters]

There is nothing better than having a good dog that loves to hunt as much as you!I had rabbit dogs and I can close my eyes and see and hear my dogs strike on a scent to this day! I have a strange feeling you have bird dogs? If a man has a good dog, a horse and one good friend he is wealthy!

Yes, I currently have 3 bird dogs, possibly adding a pup in spring and moving out one of my current dogs. My neighbors have beagles, so I occasionally go out with them, though I seldom carry a gun, just like hearing the beagles as they run a rabbit or hare.

 

[IROCZ]

I started when I was 11, 52 now and never missed a deer season. I'm retired and going through my second childhood. Back into black powder and this year I will make it a point to get out for small game. I finally got my own place to hunt and am basking in it. All glory be to God.

 

[rf50cal]

56 years and I still get excited when I see antlers on a deer.

 

[Christophero]

From following my Grandpa as he thinned the groundhog herd in the soybean fields I knew I would be a hunter from those memorable times as a lad. Still remember the first time watching Dad drop a squirrel out of a tree when I was about 6. That was magical. Shot my first deer when I was 22. My family had never considered deer hunting, except me. This is the first year since then I haven't shot a deer, due to an injury in my foot that needed surgery and laid me up all Fall and most of this winter so far. Started out with a TC Renagade in 50 caliber, as Ohio didn't allow rifles and I wanted to be a rifle hunter. Some excellent times afield. Hope to make quite a few more now that my oldest if bit with the bug pretty bad.

 

[Spikebuck]

Started pheasant hunting at age 9. Greg

Greg...I can only imagine the heyday of pheasant hunting that you saw where you live! I don't know about your area, but around here, with the complete anihilation of most pheasant habitat when CRP was exchanged for row crops, they are all but gone.

 

[griffiga]

Starting at 12, it would be 51 years for me. That is if you can call walking around in the woods packing a rifle and a backpack, stopping occasionally for a drink of warm water hunting. I don't know about any of you, but I find it hard to draw out for a hunt in Utah. I long for the days you could buy a tag over the counter. I guess I should be glad I can still pack a gun - that may be outlawed if the regime get their way.

 

[Critter Getter]

Greg...I can only imagine the heyday of pheasant hunting that you saw where you live! I don't know about your area, but around here, with the complete anihilation of most pheasant habitat when CRP was exchanged for row crops, they are all but gone.

For two year in the mid 1970’s Outdoor Life had our county (Adair County, Iowa) listed as the number 1 county in the USA for pheasants. They were thick and we could see 60 on a single rise at times. This year I think i found 4 on our farm for the whole season and was thrilled to death to have my dog point them!! Now we have great deer and turkey hunting. Yes, times have changed! Greg

 

[ADK Bigfoot]

I grew up in an anti-gun, anti-hunting family that moved "to the country" when I was three. Last of five kids, my older brothers and sisters were into all school sports and activities, I just want to be outside. We had seven acres but were surrounded by a tree farm, a dairy farm, and a fruit farm. Ponds and orchards and woods and fields all around. I started "hunting" at about 5, as soon as I was allowed to roam about on my own. I learned to sneak up on crows (always watch for the sentry up in a tree), learned to approach deer with out frightening them (keep your hands inside your body outline and don't stare), and learned to sneak up on a groundhog by sending him to ground and then circling around from the back.

Slingshots were all I was allowed (not really allowed, just did not get caught.) At 17 I convinced my VERY anti father that I was responsible enough for a shotgun. He eventually relented. We never discussed my hobby, but he somehow showed up when a pheasant was in the overn.

One thing led to another and I now have hunted Africa, Alaska, many US states, and Canada. Elk, caribou, grizzly, black bear, deer and countless African plains game. I hunt three states for turkey and deer every year, and have a camp in the mountains where I spend every free day in the fall and winter. My house is full of trophies from successful hunts and pictures from others.

At 67 years old, I spend most of my off-work time either hunting, shooting competitively, or planning for same. One last trip for Cape Buffalo is on the list. If I died on that trip, it would be the perfect ending of a life of sport, challenge, and adventure.

ADK Bigfoot

 

[Snydly]

My dad started me hunting rabbits at age 6,,, so that makes it 64 years come March. BP hunting since 74.

 

[Neel]

Started at 10 years old, 59 years later it's been two years of ML hunting.