Old timer deer hunters

[SaskGuy]

I started at 16... that's when i got my driver's license. I had no mentor or family at home to take me out so I took myself. Really I am still hunting in the same fashion 20 yrs later.
Same approach in terms of hunting style and that is often from the ground using natural cover. I still am not afraid to pull out the rifle in Nov just like 20 yrs ago but I've learned that things are much more pleasent weather wise in Sept. and Oct. so I graduated to those warmer season weapons of smpokepole and bow.... deer hunting before the rut is the deer hunting for me.

 

[Shovelbuck]

Cool post!
This will be my 40th season. Started when I was 16 and I had to teach myself. I bowhunted for a lot of years before ever shooting a deer with a gun and I still can hunt with the same Groves recurve that I shot my first deer with. I started like many, shooting a doe then a lot of young bucks, then hunting only big mature deer. That got to the point where it wasn't fun anymore so I now limit myself by using primitive weapons on any deer that I feel like taking at that moment. I still get excited by having any deer in my sights and hope that feeling never leaves.
I've seen a lot of changes in the past 4 decades, some bad, some good. There's been a lot of advancements in tree stands and steps, and although I don't hunt from them, it's a good thing to not see the dangerous 2x4 type of stands nailed to the trees that used to be so prevalent. I'm not a fan of the multitude of high tech gadgets that their users swear by, but to each his own. If it's legal and the user thinks they need it, then so be it.
We have so many choices of what to use and when and where to hunt now days compared to 40 years ago and that is a blessing.
We didn't have the organized anti hunting groups back then, but then we also didn't have the number of hunters we do today. We were looked at as an odd bunch of people wearing army camo and playing with bows and arrows.
I've heard my friends talk of the "good old days" but in my opinion, the good old days are here right now. Enjoy them and have a great hunt folks!:way:

 

[JNRBRONC]

I had no mentor or family at home to take me out so I took myself.

Started when I was 16 and I had to teach myself.

I wonder how many "old timers" are like this? I hunted with a group the first couple of years deer hunting, but really didn't have a clue what I was doing, nor did hardly anybody in the group. That is probably the main reason I left the "party hunting" scene.

Dad took me pheasant hunting, but he wasn't a deer hunter. Most of what I know about deer hunting I picked up through reading magazines and being out in the woods.

 

[bowmaker]

I agree with Shovelbuck. I never even saw a deer until I was 12 or 13 , or about 1961 or 62. It was standing on the edge of a field that I was disking, and it just stood and watched me. It even took me a little bit to figure out what it was. I started actually hunting them around 1971 and shot my first one in 1973 with a shotgun. I had shot a bow before and played around with it but didn't actually start bow hunting until about 1984 when I killed a small 7 point buck. I made one of those horn plaques and it still hangs on the wall. Some of the advances in things like stands and safety equipment I think are great, but as I have stated here before I don't personally like many of the changes. The fighting over land and access to it and the competitive aspect of deer hunting that is so prevalent now. The trespassing and poaching and cheating to be able to kill and brag about all those big bucks is way wrong and is giving that anti hunting groups more reasons to fight us with. Again personally, I don't think we need all the trail cams and food plots and mineral supplements or compound bows with 85% let off or draw locks that people are bragging about making 70 plus yard shots with. Our muzzle loader seasons were established for the primitive type guns that a 100 yard shot was only made by an expert with his rifle, not the current type of guns that are capable of 250 or 300 yards shots by almost any one with just a little practice. Between all the tv shows and the "just gotta have this new widget if you want to kill a trophy" the sport of deer hunting has been terribly over commercialized to the point that I am very sure where it is leading us and it ain't good. I do agree with Shovelbuck that as long as it is legal if you want or need to do it then by all means do it and let your conscience be your guide. I just hope that the need to kill a 180 inch buck never takes away the thrill of seeing a 140 buck walk by for the multitude of deer hunters and that they don't just look at that 140 as a "cull buck" like some "experts" have described it.

 

[beararchery]

It always sounded so much more fun when my grandpa and dad talked about have over a thousand acres to hunt. Now im down to about 40 acres.

I honestly like Where the bows are today, never messed with any older ones though so i dont know. I just hope bow hunting will stay Where it is and quit making everything so high tech. I mean i saw a electronic wind checker on tv, its not that hard to tell wich way the winds blowing.

 

[BOWDUDE]

I can remember my dad deer hunting when I was a kid, they shotgun hunted. Then he bought a muzzle-loader kit ( I think it was a Hawkins???) and that thing weighed a ton.
He would sign up for the lottery, he never received an either sex tag he always got a buck only. They hunted down around Leon.

He never took me deer hunting but we always spent a lot of time at the family farm in Adams county Quail and Pheasant hunting and mom would bake them and grandma would fix the rabbits.

My boss took me deer hunting on public land in 1987 for the first time, my dad was pissed because I drew an either sex tag, shot my first deer that day with a Browning lite 12 gauge with a poly choke.

Got out of the service in 92 and started hunting again, took up bow hunting in 96 I think. As I look back, as far as weapons it has to be bows or muzzle-loaders that has changed the most.

My oldest son shot his first deer last year at 14, I have another one who will be ready soon.

BOWDUDE

 

[msalow]

Great thread!! I started with a shotgun in 1970 like everyone else always got a "buckonly" tag I don't think I ever drew a "any sex" tag in the lottery. I statred bowhunting in about 1974 or so my first bow was a Browning Excellerator round wheel bow w/ 50% letoff Top of the line in those days Shot a 2117 arrow with a zwicky broadhead one heavy animal. I beleive I hunted for about 3-4 yrs before connecting with my first deer it was a 8 point buck had it mounted and still have it scores in the 140ish range. I was lucky my girlfriends (wife now) Dad had a unlimted amount of property we could hunt in Clayton County so I had it pretty good. Camo was a pair of green coveralls and a insulsted pair for winter and a pair of 5 buckle overshoes in the winter I get cold feet just thinking about the cold days on stand with those.
I agree with some that the "good ole days" are now. I really don't like all the leasing going on today but that is what it is all about the "almighty dollar"
Sad but true. Today I have to use a crossbow because of a spinal injury. I still get after them but it is a lot harder to go out but I still have the drive just get tired out more.

 

[Crockett]

Quit!

:way:

Sorry! I'll give you this!! I started in 1978 Killed a 8 in 79! Back when deer were not grown, you just took what came along! No cameras, No feed them in to get a pic! No 8 year olds worrying bout the score!! Life was hard!!!!!!!!!!!! And about 40% let off on bows! If you had a compound!!No videos to let you see how wonderfull the cool guys did it!! It was hell!! TH4 you already know about me!! So I got 3 letters for ya bud!! Let it lay!! On with the stories!

 

[JNRBRONC]

Quit!

Sorry, quitting would only leave the fox in charge of the hen house.

 

[oldgene]

I started when I was 16 in 1965, the biggest change is the deer herd, as some have stated you waited for the mail to see if you got a tag and hoped for an anysex, because if you got a buck tag (which most people did) you were screwed. In four days you were lucky to see deer let alone a buck. Everyone used a smooth bore shot gun and Remington Sluggers, good to 50 yards.

 

[Gladiator]

I started in....heck, I'm 34, so I'm not sure I'm qualified, no matter how early I started.

Love these stories. Thanks for taking the time to post. Reminds me of when I was a young'n some 25 years ago and listening to my grandpa. I remember my dad having "buck-only" tags and grandpa talking about how they never saw deer.

When they took me out when I was finally old enough, I shot my first buck - a basket 10. Score was of no concern and I was about as excited as a boy ever could be... Their "old-timer days" are transferred onto my "new-timer days" and I appreciate their time and effort to pour into a love of mine - which I can hopefully pass on for years to come. Maybe in another 20 years, this forum will still be here and I can reply to this post in the legends forum...

Thanks again...love this thread. :way:

 

[scooter]

started in 65

yea those where the good day's v boards between y's in tree's or just standing on a limb for a few hours, never had a call wish we would have might have been interesting. deer numbers were low and if you seen a couple of deer a nite you done good, i think the last few yrs have spoiled a lot of hunters with the EHD problem now everyone will see how it used to be in a lot of area's.