How long before success - your story?

[tyreguy]

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.

[Wild one]

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

[nicktrehearne]

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!

[Wentrot]

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!

[j270wsm]

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.....

[IronNoggin]

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! :D

Cheers,
Nog

[john-brennan]

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.

[Yuritau]

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.

[ACE]

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

[Jordan f.]

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!

[brian]

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.

[Awishanew]

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.

[ajr5406]

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.

[hawk-i]

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

[longwalk]

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.

[buckshot44]

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!

[Rupert Retired]

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.

[RackStar]

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.

[leftfield]

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


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.....

[Redthies]

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?

[tyreguy]

Keep at it - it will come.
Theme of the tread is to show new hunters sometimes it takes a bit of time when you don't get lucky right away. Every day hunting is a learning day, and it can always get better.

Yup, grew up in Kelowna - sure a lot different now.

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?

[Mosin]

Took me about 3 seasons to get a deer, I took my buddy to the same spot 3 weeks later and it was only his 2nd time out and the lucky bigger took a 2x3.

[nature girl]

I think it was my first time out deer hunting that I shot my little spike black tail deer. It was shot in region 2. It was Nov.18 , 1998 or 1999. On a cool drizzling raining day. Even though it was a small spike deer it was still a trophy to me. I sits above my computer. I still remember I had it made into deer salami.


Back when I started hunting I saw way more deer and black bears and very rarely any wolf tracks.

[Iron Glove]

After building our cabin @ 18 years ago my Father in Law handed me his guns, figuring they might get some use at the cabin. For a few years all I did was head into the bush and shoot for fun.
Then our cabin neighbour said that he had taken up hunting, did I want to join him so took the CORE, bought my first real "hunting" rifle and gear.
One sunny AM off we went into the hills above the cabin looking for deer. After maybe 4 or 5 hours of seeing nothing we decided to pack it in and maybe 10 minutes from the cabin I spotted a small buck. Out of the vehicle I jump, get a good rifle rest and take aim. The buck was with 4 or 5 does so I was concerned about the shot and had to wait until it was clear while my buddy is calling out "Shoot it, shoot the damn thing." Pull the trigger, "click". Damn, hadn't chambered a round. :sad:
Deer moves away a bit, follow him, take aim again "bang" and flop. Unload rifle, high fives, we walk to where the deer fell and it's not there. :?: No blood, nothing. Figure it stumbled into a small hollow when I shot then got up and left.
Look around, there he is again, aim, shoot, missed. By this time friend is pissing himself laughing so hard, I'm fuming.
Locate deer again, band, flop, this time dead.
Half an hour later deer is hanging in a tree out back of the cabin while neighbour and another local show how to deal with it.
Few days of hanging in his shed then his young Son showed me how to butcher it.
Figured this hunting thing is pretty easy, can go out on a sunny day, walk around a bit within 20 minutes or so from the cabin and whack a deer, what could be easier?
Next season, rarin' to go but the night before I decided to try to remove a finger with an axe, end of that season.
Still figured hunting was easy but I'm not even going to say how long it's been since the first one that I've even taken a shot. :smile:

[Redthies]

Keep at it - it will come.
Theme of the tread is to show new hunters sometimes it takes a bit of time when you don't get lucky right away. Every day hunting is a learning day, and it can always get better.

Yup, grew up in Kelowna - sure a lot different now.

I’m not really in a “rush”, but at some point it will come together. I just enjoy being in the woods and seeing any wildlife. Putting something in the freezer is great, but really a bonus. I’ve stalked right up to moose, elk, and a grazzillion non legal deer, so I know it will eventually happen. It’s just a matter of right place and time to see the animal I have a tag for in my pack.

Kelowna was great when I was a kid. Tons of great dirt biking and 4-wheeling, fishing, water skiing etc etc. Now the place has sprawled all over our old haunts. It’s traffic etc, and the number of clueless idiots in flat black Lamborghinis and F350s on 24s really makes me hate it there. The easy access to decent hunting and fishing keeps me going back to the area, but I spend as little time in the actual city as possible.