Nothing!

[Britsmoothy]

Just to bee clear. I don't always have success afield. Today I walked miles for no pheasants. When I did get a shot big ted misfired .
That said though, did I get some much needed exercise, yes I did. Did I see beautiful nature, yes I did. In fact Jess bumped a roe doe up and the deer stopped under 30yards away watching Jess. I hand signalled Jess to sit and I enjoyed watching the doe. It would of been a since of a shot if I desired to and in season.
I only have a poor video sorry.

So, you don't always have to bag something in order to have a great time.

 

[appalichian hunter]

Thats why its called hunting Brit, even a poor bag day afield is better than no day afield. A lot of hunters do not see the beauty that they are in.

 

[appalichian hunter]

Hi, BRIT getting ready for early muzzleloader season here been watchng a few really nice buck deer, have been seeing them for the last few weeks coming in right around 3-4 in the evening, They are all really nice deer but the one has a drop tine on the left antler and looks to be about 4 years old he will be the main quest. Only 5 days to go and I will be waiting for that fella. Keep yer powder dry.

 

[Jaeger]

So that's what underbrush looks like in England! Now I know! As another deer hunter told me not long ago: "I go for the TOTAL experience..." That sums it up nicely.

 

[Bigpete]

Sounds like my last few goat hunts. Right down to having a deer ( in my case 2 fallow ) at 30m but not being allowed to shoot.

 

[deerstalkert]

the most pleasurable time afield ends with the shot. then that four lettered word "work" begins and the hunt ends.
many times i have held my sights on something, said "bang" and continued on with the pleasure of THE HUNT.

 

[tenngun]

Many times I go and don’t take a shot. I’ve never took a trophy and shoot the closest deer, and first gobler but so many times I sir and watch

 

[user 49399]

My son and I have a saying “it ain’t the fish but the fishing that matters”.

 

[SOLANCO]

I have gone "hunting" with an unloaded gun. Never for birds, though.

As someone once wrote, there is something about the rise that makes me want to "reach out and grasp" the bird.

 

[andy52]

Sometimes I get so involved in the beauty that I forget to take the shot, and as I've grown older, I feel better for it.

 

[Patocazador]

If the season were open, are you allowed to shoot roe deer in your area?

I used to plan on going to Europe and hunt roe and chamois. But at my age the plane trip would probably put me in intensive care.

 

[Brokennock]

"One does not hunt to kill, one kills to have hunted."
-- Jose Ortega y Gasset, Meditations on Hunting

 

[SOLANCO]

"One does not hunt to kill, one kills to have hunted."
-- Jose Ortega y Gasset, Meditations on Hunting

That book should be on the forum's required reading list.

 

[Spikebuck]

If you are a bowhunter or primitive firearms hunter and must kill something on every hunt, you won't stay in those "sports" for long. Longtime participants have already gotten through the stage where the need to kill is paramount to consider it a successful hunt.

 

[pab1]

Days when you don't take any game make the days when you do that much better. On another forum when I shared some grouse hunting pics a member said something like "I wish grouse hunting was that easy here." He doesn't realize how many miles I cover in rugged country for every bird I take. I also have plenty of days where I don't take a thing.

 

[Britsmoothy]

If the season were open, are you allowed to shoot roe deer in your area?

I used to plan on going to Europe and hunt roe and chamois. But at my age the plane trip would probably put me in intensive care.

Yes and no.
These roe have only been here a couple of years. The UK is covered in deer, just except my area .
Cities, railroads and major freeways several miles away have created a deer free island here.
Lockdown during covid changed that and they are slowly moving in.
I am waiting for them to get established before I indulge.
Then there is the law. It is extremely difficult to legally use a muzzleloader.
I have to use a modern breech loader.
Coincidentally I just sold a Winchester 94 and picking up a new old stock Winchester 94 legacy model in 30wcf tomorrow. Never been fired!

 

[bushytail]

I liked your video. The part where Jess came in. I never get tired of seeing your partner. Muzzleloader came in yesterday in Pennsylvania. Saw 3 deer at daybreak, but couldn’t tell what they were. I did have a visitor I haven’t seen in a long time. A walking stick.

 

[Britsmoothy]

I liked your video. The part where Jess came in. I never get tired of seeing your partner. Muzzleloader came in yesterday in Pennsylvania. Saw 3 deer at daybreak, but couldn’t tell what they were. I did have a visitor I haven’t seen in a long time. A walking stick.

Amazing.

 

[Old Timer 48]

I always look forward to your posts! Just being out in the wild is enjoyment. Thank you for posting.

 

[SOLANCO]

Yes and no.
These roe have only been here a couple of years. The UK is covered in deer, just except my area .
Cities, railroads and major freeways several miles away have created a deer free island here.
Lockdown during covid changed that and they are slowly moving in.
I am waiting for them to get established before I indulge.
Then there is the law. It is extremely difficult to legally use a muzzleloader.
I have to use a modern breech loader.
Coincidentally I just sold a Winchester 94 and picking up a new old stock Winchester 94 legacy model in 30wcf tomorrow. Never been fired!

Our whitetail deer have proven extremely adaptable. Enough so to have developed real nuisance value in suburban communities and even within the Philadelphia parks. Adult deer have no animal predator here.

A problem with roads, railroads and freeways is they destroy continuity of cover. That, along with farming and some development means that, even though this is rural, I have a long drive to find continuous cover. The isolated patches around here work well for opportunistic game like deer. Wild turkeys seem to like it too. Used to work well for pheasant but that population mysteriously crashed decades back and never rebounded.

But for grouse, elk or bear it's at least a couple of hours driving.