Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 25

Thread: How long before success - your story?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Posts
    598

    How long before success - your story?

    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.
    Couple years later i got a mule deer LEH for buck in 8-11 which was closed to GOS for several years prior to try and build the deer numbers up - but i went dry again.
    Family business and hockey took time during the fall which really limited hunting so until i got a bit older i started to go on my own.
    1985 i was 19 and weekends were occupied by hormones and stupidity which went hand in hand for several years but still did some hunting whenever we could.
    One night in November after the bar closed we gathered up our gear and sober friend and headed up Bear Main until we figured a couple hours of sleep were in order and you can imagine 3 of us in a single cab truck in November was rather cozy. We woke up to find fresh snow and it already light out and quite a few minutes of trying to figure out where we were (and how we got there) we decided a drive into a few spots would be the best choice.
    After stopping for a rather loud bathroom break (Blame hot dog stand outside bar)which my friends figured out which way the wind was blowing - we were underway and not even 100yds down the road was a 2pt mule buck trotting parallel to us about 50yds off the road - 2 quick shots and i had my first buck. Finally success in cutting a tag!!!!
    We couldn't believe the amount of noise we just made and laughing/talking and all along this deer was within 100yds of us and didn't spook away!!!
    Since then i've been lucky getting my game and usually always have meat in the freezer every year. I live in the lower mainland now and its not as easy to get out often during the season so when i do get out i try to make it count.
    Compared to my son and skip ahead 25yrs on his first season / first hunt we got him onto a 2pt mule deer as well when he was about 13 as well and by the time he was 19 he had MD /WT/Elk already.

  2. Site Sponsor

  3. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    In the bush near a lake
    Posts
    7,198

    Re: How long before success - your story?

    When I first started hunting I truly started off with beginners luck

    My first big game hunt was for moose. We arrived at our camp got everything set up and dad asked if I wanted to go out for an afternoon hunt. I said yes so we decided to do a road hunt for the last 3 or so hours of the day. An hour half in a little bull was spotted and down he went

    For my first 5 big game animals all were tagged within a few hours of arriving at the area we chose to hunt lol

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Prince George, BC
    Posts
    164

    Re: How long before success - your story?

    I didn't come from a hunting family, but a couple guys I met through the archery shop got me started when I was in my mid teens. In the first 5 hours of my hunting career, I shot a velvet 3x3 muley with my compound on my first stalk and the rest was history.

    The next few years after that, I did most of my hunting solo, and shot 1-3 animals/year and ever since then, it's usually been 5-15/animals each year. It all started with a school archery program and snow-balled from there!
    Hunter | Hunting/Wildlife Photographer
    www.nicktrehearne.com

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Fraser valley
    Posts
    2,465

    Re: How long before success - your story?

    My great grandfather hunted however no one else in my family did. I had always been an avid fisherman and the thought of hunting quite honestly wasn’t even on the radar. A friend of mine was going a fair bit with his old man and I got to talking with them about it on a couple fishing trips and figured I might as well give it a go. Time in the woods with friends is always fun.

    Went through the process and started doing some hiking and messing around with trail cameras here in region 2 with my buddy and needless to say the bug bit me pretty hard. Opening day came that September and I was fortunate enough to get a small blacktail, followed by my friend getting the other buck it was with about 45 seconds after. We figured might as well keep learning and decided to butcher them ourselves. Awesome experience and I am very thankful those fellas talked me into giving hunting a go!

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Posts
    2,478

    Re: How long before success - your story?

    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.....

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Port Alberni
    Posts
    14,203

    Cool Re: How long before success - your story?

    Folks took me into deer & elk camps on horseback starting when I was four.
    Got well immersed in the hunting & outdoor lifestyle.
    At ten, I was handed a rifle and told "Start pulling your weight".
    I did not manage that one that first year.

    But, I did manage two the next year at eleven years old.
    One good 4x4 and one 2 x 3 - both mulies.
    Since then I have not missed a single year.
    And I have not missed harvesting something each of those 48 years ever since.
    Some years I hunted multiple states, provinces and territories so the bag was rather overly full.
    Some years Africa for fun, but one could not bring home the bacon even then.
    Some years I hunted for others (Arctic Days) and was engaged in a literal bloodbath.

    These years I hunt largely for myself, and keep the harvest down to reasonable levels.
    Even so it seems we are always giving some away just in front of our next hunts...

    Also these days I have found increasing enjoyment teaching younger aspiring hunters the ropes, and helping them collect their "Firsts" in most cases.

    Been a hell of a ride!!
    Would not have wanted it any other way!

    Cheers,
    Nog
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVNNhzkJ-UU&feature=related

    Egotistical, Self Centered, Son of a Bitch Killer that Doesn't Play Well With Others.

    Guess he got to Know me

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Posts
    373

    Re: How long before success - your story?

    Success in my 2nd year hunting I was 15 deer and a black bear form Van Isl in the early 70's was pretty easy then, I hunted with my 18 year old brother we been partners now for 45 years now my sons hunt with us.

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Posts
    307

    Re: How long before success - your story?

    This year was my first year hunting. On my first trip out with my buddy, we got 4 grouse each, and basically didn't see any grouse for the rest of the year. Second or third trip out got me a nice black bear.

    Sadly my luck dried up there for this year. All I got after the bear was 2 missed white tails.

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    somewhere in time......
    Posts
    4,098

    Re: How long before success - your story?

    Sheep hunters tend to spend longer times in the field . . .


  11. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Alert Bay
    Posts
    534

    Re: How long before success - your story?

    First trip, second day, dropped a black bear with my (at the time) model 70 in 7mmRM.

    The following season, nothing. That was a learning experience. Going from "this is easy" to "I can't find one damn animal!". The bad years just make the good years even better!

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •