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Thread: How long before success - your story?

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Duncan
    Posts
    2,983

    Re: How long before success - your story?

    I learned to hunt in my thirties, they were all lean tough hunting years. I spent most of my time teaching myself and chasing blacktails in the Chilliwack Valley. Hard hunting days all around, but good learning. Years went by with barely seeing animals and not even being close to shooting anything. I learned hunting is a tough game. Then I moved out to the island where deer numbers were higher and the terrain more forgiving. I was on animals regularly but I needed to be in close range. So then the education really began. These days I usually get a deer or two but mostly fill my freezer with the sheep I raise. I'd love to get out and hunt something other than blacktails in other areas of the province, but life and a young family get in the way of these adventures for now.

  2. #12
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Posts
    147

    Re: How long before success - your story?

    Started moose hunting 57 years ago. My brother and law and I went out in my canoe to a lake I fished at in summer. I read a book in the library that said moose come out to feed morning, noon and late evening. We saw nothing in the morning so built a good fire and tried to warm up and dry out. My partner said it is near 12 oclock so we loaded up and fired up the Viking 5 horse. We went about 200yds. down the shore and into a small bay. My partner had a 12 gage with slugs and I had a 303 british $12.00 bolt action.

    When we slowed enough that I could get a bead in him I hit it the chest and it never took a step. The reason being I think its feet were stuck in the muck on the bottom. To answer the question we got on on the first 2 times we went out. Sorry for being long winded but I enjoy remembering old times.

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    Walnut Grove
    Posts
    1,075

    Re: How long before success - your story?

    This is my third season and this year I shot my first deer. Like most I was surprised how hard hunting actually is. Each time I have been out I learn more and put more pieces together. Hunting with someone experienced makes a huge difference too. If you can find a mentor your learning curve will be much shorter.

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    skeena river valley
    Posts
    2,014

    Re: How long before success - your story?

    Got my first deer probably 35minutes into my first hunt!

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Posts
    932

    Re: How long before success - your story?

    My first deer was in my teens. One of my older brothers and his friend chased a fat two point hayfield mulie in my direction. Shot a couple deer nearly every year for the next thirty or so years. Past couple of years I let my daughter do the hunting while I do the spotting.

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Nov 2018
    Posts
    4

    Re: How long before success - your story?

    I'm 41, 2018 was my 2nd season holding a hunting license. Last year I didn't really get out, but this year gave it a good old fashioned boy scout effort. I hunted many areas between Lumby, Kamloops, Merritt, Hope & Agassiz (i live in Agassiz). I saw a bunch of does, zero bucks. I did manage to bag one grouse this season, which was my first legit hunting kill. I felt like this was a good learning year, put a ton of KM's on the truck and on foot. I hunted / scouted allot of areas. I am definitely surprised with how hard it is to actually find deer. I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but i'm willing to continue putting in that work, eventually it'll pay off. As this season ended I couldn't help but wonder what I need to do differently to be successful next season. I do appreciate this forum, I've read a ton and enjoy reading about other peoples hunting experiences, both good and bad. Cheers!

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Prince Rupert
    Posts
    271

    Re: How long before success - your story?

    My first deer, we (my Dad, uncle, and brother) had been hunting all day, and were heading back home. We pulled off into a pull-off, I think Dad had to take a piss or something, and there, standing in a gap between the evergreens, was a deer! My brother helped me get set up with the .303 British, I was 14 years old, he was 16. And then I shot it! it was a fawn!! I thought it was a doe, but oh well, meat is meat.

    The better story is my first hunt with my son. My brother and I had put in for a group hunt (with our two sons) for caribou in the Atlin area, and we got 4 tags! So we went there and hunted hard, and finally connected with a caribou for my son, it was an awesome hunt, we had glassed the herd of caribou from the truck, then driven to where they could be accessed, then hiked up to the ridge and started hunting along the ridge in the direction they were heading. We waited in a gully where they should have appeared, then decided that they had stalled out somewhere along the ridge. So we continued along the ridge, and found them, the whole herd (probably about 40 cows and calves)! We crawled up towards them on our bellies, then finally saw the bull, who had laid down in a gully. So we crawled a bit further, then my brother said, OK, let's shoot him, and my son, a 14 years old, laid the gun (a .25-06 Browning Left Hand bolt) over my brother's back, and squeezed off. Immediately, he rolled onto his back, and was holding his ears! I was absolutely alarmed, and said, "what happened? What's wrong?" It turned out, that was the first time he had ever fired a rifle without hearing protection! I had always, of course, supplied him with the appropriate ear-muffs when we shot at the range, and he was a really good shot!

    So we went up to the bull caribou and had to put a coup de grace into it, but still, my son was 13 years old, and so that is my story for this time.

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    Peace Country
    Posts
    2,079

    Re: How long before success - your story?

    I started hunting in my early 20s.
    Always wanted to hunt as I enjoyed the outdoors, fly fishing, dirt biking and hiking.

    Got my PAL and my wife got me a hunting rifle for my birthday. Took the core class that same week and I was off.

    Drew a bull moose tag my first year and that was my first big game animal. I was lucky to have a close family friend take me into the MU and we got lucky. Looking back it was pure luck lol. Every year since I’ve shot moose and or deer. . The healthiest addiction EVER. 90% of my hunting is solo and I love it.

  9. #19
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Abbotsford
    Posts
    301

    Re: How long before success - your story?

    LOL Wow your son already has quite the resume, I see a lifetime of adventure in his path

    Quote Originally Posted by j270wsm View Post
    Not sure how old I was when dad started taking me hunting. I passed my core during the summer when I was 14 and got a spike white tail in October.

    My son started coming hunting with me and his grandfather when he was 4. As a 10yr old junior hunter he shot his first elk on sept 11 then his first 2 deer in November. At 11 he passed his core, shot his first black bear in May, first goat in October and a white tail in November. At 15yrs old he's got one goat, one bear, 4 elk, numerous white tail deer and a very large horse shoe.....

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    Top of the 395
    Posts
    1,691

    Re: How long before success - your story?

    Quote Originally Posted by tyreguy View Post
    Many have been hunting for quite a long time but i'm sure you all will remember your first cut tag. I see lots of new hunters commenting on not seeing much or having little success so before you get discouraged its good to know it will happen.

    So to get it started, I did my Core Hunter Training in 1979 when i was 13 and living in Kelowna. Due to the course being in the fall the first season was a bit of a write off. But i had my very own 303 British to hunt with thanks to Bill Treadgold.
    I was 11 in 1979 and also in Kelowna. Went to school with (and was friends with) Bills daughter. Bought my first rifle at Harvs Outdoor on Pandosy in 1986. It was a 1912 manufacture Model 94 SaddleRring Carbine that I still have today.

    Unfortunately, I didn’t come from a hunting family, but did tons of fishing, camping and off-roading in the Okanagan and Shuswap areas. I finally did my CORE 4 years ago, and have lots of grouse, ducks and a turkey, but have yet to see a single legal deer! I haven’t been super dedicated to deer hunting as I have bird dogs, but dammit, I really would like to at least SEE a legal deer! I have no trouble finding deer, and sign, but just haven’t seen THE deer yet... Next year, right?

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