Its great... I get to teach my kid how to hunt
Its silly...for many reasons
who cares... I always get my deer so I don't care.
HuntingBC Champ
I totally agree that we need to recruit new hunters and the younger the better but in my opinion, youth seasons don't do that.....dads and moms do. the government doesn't need to give the kids more time, the parents have to take more of THEIR time. Again, just my opinion.Originally Posted by srupp
"Target archery is seeing how far away you can get and still hit the bull's eye;
Bowhunting is seeing how close you can get and never miss your mark."
"A man's got to know his limitations"
HuntingBC Champ
Here's one idea by a forward thinking management to recruit young hunters, and note the date...
Activities for young hunters at Springer Special Pheasant Hunt Youth DayJoin us for shooting practice, dog demos and free lunch during Oct. 20 youth day during Springer Special Pheasant HuntYoung hunters are encouraged to join the Wyoming Game and Fish Department during the Saturday, Oct. 20 Youth Day of the Springer Special Pheasant Hunt for special activities to learn more about pheasant hunting.>How to field clean a game bird
After bird hunting hunting, it's time to clean your quarry; but how? Wyoming Game and Fish biologist Clark Johnson shows an easy step-by-step process for field cleaning.
"Target archery is seeing how far away you can get and still hit the bull's eye;
Bowhunting is seeing how close you can get and never miss your mark."
"A man's got to know his limitations"
HuntingBC Champ
That's my opinion as well...my dad, mom. and grandparents all made time for teaching me to hunt and fish
as soon as I was able. I was more than eager to go even if I didn't get anything. I sure didn't need a special
opening to entice me. My parents took me out of school (after acquiring homework) when they were able to go.
Pack Mule
10 day youth seasons "putting too much pressure on the resource" to the point it's a "conservation concern". Now that is some funny stuff! Sounds like a few members took full advantage of the legalization today.
Kids are busy with school, busy with sports, busy....being kids. Are people that upset that they get a few days to themselves to start the season? 1 step forward, 2 steps back with BC hunters.
"The farther one gets into the wilderness, the greater is the attraction of its lonely freedom."
Senior Member
I haven't posted on here forever but this one got me
My son got his own license when he was 10 but we didn't feel ready to hunt for deer for the last couple of years. It was hard not to push him as I hope he will love hunting like I do, so we were patient. we practiced shooting, he shot some grouse etc. This year (he is 12) he got an LEH mule doe tag for region 8. I thought he was lucky at first but we realized after the fact that the LEH doe tags for region 8 changed to youth only so his odds of drawing were excellent.
The next thing I realized was that he could hunt for any buck during the entire month of September. Last year we went out for a few days during the early September youth season but with school, work and all the other family activities it is tough to get many days out. More like a morning or an afternoon here or there. I knew that he would have a good chance for his first deer with the doe tag but we actually got to hunt more in September together with the focus being on him. That was great.
My son shot his first deer in late September. It was a 2pt mule deer buck in region 8. This means he will not fill his LEH doe tag. Before that I honestly wondered how it was going to happen. road hunt? pile out of the truck, try to get him set up in time on the road and keep calm? No way would I want him to rush or feel uncomfortable. What if he took a bad shot, crippled a deer and got turned off hunting for life? We have talked through all that stuff but it is another thing to experience it. I stressed to him that we would go through all the steps and only when he was ready would he ever pull the trigger. It all seemed pretty challenging. I have been hunting for 7 years now but I still feel like a rookie myself. I don't see that many bucks through the season. how was he going to get one?
we saw a nice 3pt early in the season while we were grouse hunting. We followed it off a road into the woods. It stopped twice and I could have shot it but with him following me and trying to get him set up we didn't have a chance at all. It was super exciting though and we were both happy for the encounter.
When he shot his deer last month it wasn't right off the road like I imagined. We followed it up a steep cut into the timber. on the way up he slipped, stepped on branches, he even stopped to pee. I just shook my head and said go ahead if you have to. of course the wind was blowing straight uphill toward the deer. He kept clanging the shooting sticks on branches and logs. It was not the quietest stalk. When we got up to the treeline I saw the buck and it was looking at us. It was only about 50 yards away. It would watch us, then go back to feeding. We couldn't get a good place to shoot from as the slope and brush were in his way, we needed to get closer. The whole thing must have taken 45 minutes. We kept moving closer, trying to set up the shooting the sticks. The buck would watch us, then go back to feeding, always seeming to be behind a tree at just the right angle. Finally we were set up in a good position were if the buck stepped left or right from behind a tree my son would have a clear safe shot. I told him he could shoot when the buck stepped out if he felt comfortable. The buck took a step out to the right and stopped. My son said now?, I said yes and he pulled the trigger. we watched the buck jump and turn and I could see the shot was fatal. The buck ran less than 50 yards down the hill and expired. It was a powerful experience for both of us. One we will never forget.
My son undoubtedly learned a lot for himself that day, but I learned something for my own hunting too. Why was that deer still standing there? It heard us, it smelled us, it saw us...but it didn't move off. I couldn't help but draw parallels between that young buck and my son. Both made mistakes that day, but that young buck was on its own while my son had me to help him along. Perhaps if that buck had a couple more years in a bachelor group with some older bucks it would have acted differently. It will never get the chance now. It was the perfect deer for my son to take but I also made up my mind that day that I'm not going to shoot young deer anymore.
I'm not judging anyone else for how they hunt, especially for those with limited experience. Believe me I know what that is like. I'm still thrilled to even see a buck. There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking a younger deer, but something is different for me now.
Since my son's deer and the opening of the any mule buck season I have passed on six bucks. This is totally a first for me. They have all been spikes or two points, they have all been standing out in the open close to their moms. These are mostly the deer that go down early in the season. It has been tough to pass on a few of those deer. I know there is a decent chance I might go through this season without filling my tag. But that is what feels right for me now.
Participating in the youth hunt with my son has shifted my own perspective on hunting in a meaningful way. Rather then focusing on right or wrong, good or bad, I would say instead that my understanding has deepened. That is always the type of experience I am looking for when I hunt.
So I'm all for the increased youth hunt. I can see the other side of the argument but I think there is a lot of value for both the youth and their mentors in the youth season. I can't speak for everyone but I am not one of the dads out shooting deer for my kids.
Member
I think a lot of people are forgetting it was hardly five years ago the GOS was a lot more liberal than it is now. mule deer were any buck from sept 10 to nov 20 with a doe season, moose had a calf season (at least in my region anyways) that ran for twenty days... etc. So to say I hunted the regular season when I was a kid is not a good point because the GOS had far more opportunity than these kids “special seasons”.
ADMIN
Great story goodpartner. Please tell me you will post up a pic of your son and his deer
HuntingBC Champ
That's epic right there^^^^
The 1st season for my hunting partner, that I got into, we were walking, then suddenly I saw a deer to our left, no more then
35 yards away, just standing and staring at us.
IT was a small 3 pt WT, but it was legal.
I looked at my partner, and said well, there you go.
Truth was, and my partner knew this, that we were there for elk, but carried tags for that "just in case bruiser" passed by.
His 1st season, so never had taken anything, and now was his opportunity.
He looked at me and shook his head, knodding yes, as to say, ya, I can take it!?
I looked at him, then back at the deer, who had now put its head down to start feeding again, and then looked back at my partner.
I said, yes, you can, he's legal, BUT, do you find this situation "sporting enough"??
He looked at the deer, then back to me, and said, yes, I hear you, lets leave him alone.
He has yet to take his first animal yet.
He has had a couple of chances since then, but still hasn't connected, and its been about 8 years now.
But, he still says to me, even now, that he has no regrets about not taking that buck that day.
HuntingBC Champ
I have been asked if I have kids and I gave 2. They actually come with me and aren’t ready to hunt but they are by my side. When it’s time they can have a gun and be ready to pull the trigger. In the meantime , I am not going to pretend they are hunting in youth season.
Like I said. Not all Dads or Moms during youth season poach. But let’s be honest. I have been getting texts and phone calls from guys I know in this board and one nice PM that understand where I am coming from but don’t want to be a whistle blower.
If the deer population is declining for whatever reason let’s do what we can to look after them. When I was out during 4 point season I had several 2 points follow me ... one walked towards me. Why does this youth season need to be so long on region 8 .
there also seems to be a direct corilation between those who support it and thousands who have youth hunters . I thank my dad for showing me you don’t always win. Sometimes you need to learn from mistakes and also when your hunting with the. If boys you need to play with the big boys. It’s completley unrelated but this is the same reason why at school on sports days they have participan robins only. We are afraid of our kids losing . Quit the pussification of these kids. Get them out there like the rest of us.
Whats next- sockeye fishing when they want and remove bait bans ....
dads who are saying that it’s over because they had to cut there tag.... cmon. That tag would be more special if you got the deer while it wasn’t trying to come see your truck if you had a spare baloney sandwich...
i am nkt not trying to ruffle feathers .... I just think that we need to look at this. 30 days in region 8 is ridiculous
Mountain Huntin Fool
x2.... A lot doesn't surprise me these days but yet I keep opening threads like this up and shaking my head....
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