How many of you are self taught? Or did you learn to hunt from somebody else?

[sky-gunner]

Like the title says, you learn on your own or did you have the knowledge passed on? In both regards what where the positives and negatives from your experience?

[Husky7mm]

I am self taught. No one in my family hunted. It was very tough to get my first aniaml, especailly growing up in the lml when blacktail #s were in the crapper. Every yr i learn a little more and think back on the yr before. "I CANT BELIEVE I THOUGHT THAT WAY OR DID THAT" lol Every year I start out with positive thoughts "this is going to be the best year ever" and it is usually pretty darn good. Moving to reg 4 didnt suck either. My kids will have it alot easyer than I and I hope they will love hunting as much as I do. It looks promising aready.

http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g342/bforce750/P1040645.jpg

[gibblewabble]

My grandfather took me out but I wouldnt say he taught alot (too impatient to teach) and he would never show you an animal as he would shoot it if he saw it and he wouldnt even point out animals. Most of what I learned was through trial and error and I am teaching my son by showing him the animals and occasionally letting him shoot one. I have had alot more luck since I started hunting without him and my uncle says the same about learning to hunt with him.

[Gateholio]

Taught myself.

My dad moved about the time I was born and lost his hunting buddies, never went back hunting, so if I wanted to hunt, I had to teach my self. I started with a longbow since none of the stores would sell rifles to 10 year old kids....

[Rugernator]

Grandfather taught me to fish. Father taught me to fish.. Hunting leaning on my own figuring out what works and reading what people on the net have to say.

Bo.

[Kody94]

Both.

My Pa instilled the love of hunting in me, taught me all the basics and gave me a real solid foundation to work from. I ran with it, and have been self taught in many aspects although I have also learned a lot from other folks along the way. Never stopped learning, and keep learning daily. I am hoping my rate of learning is still exceeding the rate of forgetting. :mrgreen:

[Alone in the wildernes]

Me and my older brother taught our selfs how to hunt, we did not have a clue even what to look for on are first moose hunt. We hunted around all the swamps we could find did not know that they hung out on the hill sides or in the timber or cut blocks had know clue on calling or they could look like a black stump, but they were the best trips.

[835]

Well, it looks like your kids will awnser your question with "My dad taught me" Husky 7mm

My Dad taught me. And we teach each other now. Only now sometimes i get to be right!

[troutseeker]

Dad got me hunting birds and wabbits when I was a kid. Big game I learned on my own when I moved to BC when I was 20.

[newhunterette]

My hubby taught me as well as his hunting buddies. It is nice to know I have such experts to get me through the difficult parts :).

I thrive on learning something new at every turn and every season.

[gibblewabble]

This is what I've managed to teach my oldest so far :mrgreen: and I can't wait to learn more in the east Koots this summer and fall, oh ya and Ryan too.http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss158/gibblewabble/utf-8BSU1HMDAwNDEtMjAxMDEwMjEtMDg0OS5qcGc.jpg

[steepNdeep]

When I started, I only had virtual mentors on Huntingnet.com, Huntshoot.com, Hunttalk.com... no wonder I'm so messed up! ;)

[proguide66]

Self taught , although I did get to go on a handfull of VERY un eventfull 'drive arounds' up Butler Main / Sooke with my 'step uncle' as a kid , comfy seat though no 'hunting' , oh and a gun on the seat incase of 'something'...I think we were 'hunting' deer! :lol:

[835]

Self taught , although I did get to go on a handfull of VERY un eventfull 'drive arounds' up Butler Main / Sooke with my 'step uncle' as a kid , comfy seat though no 'hunting' , oh and a gun on the seat incase of 'something'...I think we were 'hunting' deer! :lol:


Not to make your past any more troublesome,,,,
Do you know how good the blacktail hunting was back then there? Ranger lake and Tugwell were absolutly spectacular. Mossey rockey bluffs everywhere. I loved it back then.

[skibum]

Honestly:

HBC taught

[DGuest]

I was taught by my father and grandfather. Mostly small game back east. Started out shooting squirrels with my pellet gun moved up to hares and grouse with an old cooey .410.

Once they got me hooked I started reading a lot on my own, magazines and places like HBC. Now I mostly hunt by myself unless I am visiting my parents on the Island.

[proguide66]

Not to make your past any more troublesome,,,,
Do you know how good the blacktail hunting was back then there? Ranger lake and Tugwell were absolutly spectacular. Mossey rockey bluffs everywhere. I loved it back then.
I know , but no drvers license or anyone who really HUNTED made it hard...I remember seeing loads of deer on Survey back when it had trees!...shit , if I'da known then what I know now!

[835]

I know , but no drvers license or anyone who really HUNTED made it hard...I remember seeing loads of deer on Survey back when it had trees!...shit , if I'da known then what I know now!

Butler in general was where i went with my dad. I loved it back there, sneakin along the rocky bluffs.

[Hunt'n Guide]

Mostly self taught. But I learned alot over the years from picking up little bits here and there from different people. Some people definitly taught me more than others. It's one of the best perks of guiding, listening and learning from the experiences of people that you would otherwise never meet.

[Cariboo Game Calls]

I started fishing and hunting a bit with my dad when I was around 5-6 years old and although I was much too young to carry a gun I enjoyed those outings and to this day I continue to be an avid fisherman, hunter and clay target shooter.

My dad wasn't a bird hunter but he did own a shotgun and he did take me out duck hunting on one occaision when I was 8 years old. Although that was over 56 years ago I still remember him taking shots at some ducks which seemed to be a mile high. Although he didn't hit anything, that one duck hunting trip impressed me enough that I knew I wanted to try shooting some ducks when I was old enough to handle a shotgun.

By the time I was about 11-12 years old my dad gave me my first shotgun and I used it to hunt grouse near our home. By age 14 my dad would let me take the car down the back roads to Hatzic Prairie near Mission by myself where I hunted Band-tailed pigeons and ducks. I taught myself to shoot that way and I missed my fair share of birds doing so. However, since those early days I've bought and sold a number of different shotguns, I've fired a couple hundred thousand rounds at live birds and clay targets and I managed to become a pretty decent shotgunner.

Self teaching can be a very frustrating way to learn and shooting is one of those things that is tough to learn to do well without a bit of help from someone that knows what they are doing. You can spend a lot of time, waste a lot of energy and blow a lot of money just to end up disappointed in your results.

Sometimes it's much more productive to take a lesson or two from a good teacher, or try and hook up with someone that is accomplished in the sport, game or discipline you wish to learn.

[BradB]

While both my father and uncle were hunters, it was my Grandfather who would take me out in the woods in the fall snaring snowshoe hares and it was my grandfather who made sure I got my hands dirty every time he knocked down a moose. He's 70 yrs old and still traipsing across the Newfoundland bogs setting "rabbit slips." Probably one of the main things I miss about being home is going out on the country with him in the fall.

[Mr. Dean]

Yeah, I'm "self taught".
It's very rewarding when things start clicking.

I'm obsessed in making my goals but don't get discouraged when a trip/hunt doesn't produce - Time is on my side and all the stuff you learn from disappointments is invaluable. IMO, there's no better teacher and patience is a virtue.

There's some GREAT keyboard mentors on HBC; When I get hung up on a situation, I run to them for help in figuring out the 'what's what' of a griping situation. :smile:

[knighthunter]

I'm self taught. My dad wasn't a hunter or fisherman even tho I grew up on the prairie's. I started at about 9 or 10 with my cooey .22 shootin rabbits and chickens. I must of been 16 by the time I started huntin deer and likely 25 before I tackled elk and moose. My first deer rifle was a 30-30 winchester lever that I saved up for and bought at our Marshall Wells store. No such thing as gun registration in them days. The main thing that I lost out on by being self taught was all the errors I made before shooting my first deer. I been hunting for 48 years and some days it feels like I still don't know anything.

[BlacktailStalker]

Self taught.

[nano]

My whole family hunts except my mom, But my grandpa got the addiction started and my dad supplied the substance! But for big game I have been doing a lot of reading and teaching myself which is half the fun. Now its time to teach my brother what I have learned.

[Spy]

I am self taught. No one in my family hunted. It was very tough to get my first aniaml, especailly growing up in the lml when blacktail #s were in the crapper. Every yr i learn a little more and think back on the yr before. "I CANT BELIEVE I THOUGHT THAT WAY OR DID THAT" lol Every year I start out with positive thoughts "this is going to be the best year ever" and it is usually pretty darn good. Moving to reg 4 didnt suck either. My kids will have it alot easyer than I and I hope they will love hunting as much as I do. It looks promising aready.

http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g342/bforce750/P1040645.jpg

LOL Looks like they got the Easter bunny!:-D

[bridger]

i grew up in a hunting family but taught myself how to hunt with horses in the mountains. quite an experience.

[Lone Ranger]

My dad and I used to go out religiously every year, both hunting and fishing, as a very young child up until my early 20s. Mostly due to life and work getting in the way, but I sure those years. We're starting to get back into it now but my mom hates hunting and guns in general, and he's so pussy whipped that its tough to get him out anymore these days :mrgreen: I like bugging him about that too, thats probably why we're starting to go out shooting together now!

We caught a TON of fish but hunting was always another thing all together, probably because it was the only time we'd ever get to talk without being interrupted, so it scared all the deer away! I wouldn't trade those years for nothing though, just being able to spend time alone with my dad - hunting was actually pretty secondary, and besides, we always got enough rabbit and grouse along the way to account for something. My brother never has been very interested in it, so it was our time together (usually a combined roadtrip to the Interior, camping and hunting or fishing).

These days hunting has been with friends, and to be honest I'm learning far more about hunting from them really. Its a whole lot more serious and competitive now for me, which it never was then, but we have been far more 'successful' though. I don't think we ever stop learning, but for me its been a large mix of learning the basics from my dad, fundamentals from friends, and the rest has been filled in from HBC and self taught. I usually do my large hunts with friends and the smaller day trips alone when I just want some peace and quiet. LR

[shawnwells]

Self taught and refined by good buddys...

[Call of the Wild]

My father doesn't hunt and I don't know why but as a little boy I always dream of hunting. At 14 I had an argument with my father so I could take my hunting course, he didn't like weapons back then. I must say he tough me fishing.

I started hunting with a crossbow at 15 for whitetail and rabbit on my own. My brother followed three years later and we learn how to hunt together. Eventually I moved to Alberta and that's where I learned a lot by going hunting at every opportunity. I made good friends and learned a lot from them also and educating myself on every animal I hunt made me a better and more complete hunter. At the end of each season I felt I wanted more and the following years I hunted more and more. Now with mountain hunting I’m realising my dreams.

I showed a kid back home many years ago how to fish and today he goes fishing constantly. Now he's about to start hunting. Can't wait to have kids of my own one day to show them the outdoors and I must say luckily for them it will be in BC!!!!


Spy

Good for you to bring your kids with you. Keep it up

[M.Dean]

Every time I have a great year, bag a few decent Deer, a Moose or bear, I pat myself on the back for being Self Taught, did it myself, learned it all by my self type hunter! But when I have a real shitty year, missed a few 40 yard bucks, didn't see the Moose had 2 points on one side at 75 feet, or, well looking at the pic's of the bear I passed up, then realizing it was dam near as big and black as OJ Simpson, it's then, anyone who ever even talked hunting strategies to me during my life, gets what they so rightly deserve!!! It may have been just a "Hey, you ever tried this", or some thing as innocent as " Ya, sight your rifle in at 4 inches high at 100, that way your dead on at all those 700 yard shots you'll take this season!",!It could be some thing you've posted on here and I don't even bloody know you from a pile of Hobo crap along side the Railway Tracks, anything! I will blame you, long before I even think it could have been any of my fault, you get the full brunt of all the cuss words!! So, on a good year,Yes,I learned it all myself!!! And on a bad year, I never, ever should have listened to you, or you or You, Damit!!!:smile:

[ufishifish2]

Self taught. Having started my career in the woods and seeing really nice bucks/elk/moose during hunting season it finally got to me. I went and got my PAL and CORE and haven't seen a legal animal since!! :)

[Big Lew]

My Father taught me how to handle firearms, and took me hunting several times but didn't really show me how to hunt....we would go to an area he thought likely to have deer, and then walk around until finding one. (lots of deer everywhere 50 years ago.) Once hunting alone, I quickly learned by being observant and trial and error. I am still learning fine points even at age 65.

[Iltasyuko]

Self taught.

[dutchie]

I am not going to say I am solely self taught but a bunch of biddies and myself have been learning all together. Never to old to learn!

I did not grow up in a hunting family, we grew up going fishing.

When I got my PAL and CORE, The first thing my dad said to me was "why would you want to buy everything to go hunting, what happeneds if you don't like it? You know it involves killing a animal?!"

My mom told me that guns were not allowed in the house (she did not know that I already had one!) besides my dad had an old 303 that he kept there.

3 years of me going on hunting trips (the yearly 2 week empire valley trip) and having a blast, my dad got in and hooked.

Now my mom battles with her friends on why hunting is so beneficial. Mom will not go camping or out hunting, but she loves the meat and the stories and pictures!!

Dutchie

[Lone Ranger]

My mom told me that guns were not allowed in the house (she did not know that I already had one!) besides my dad had an old 303 that he kept there.

That reminds me of my dad and I, we were up to about 2 dozen rifles between the two of us by the time I moved out - as far as my mom ever knew, my dad owned a .22, a 12 ga, and a .303... :mrgreen: We were building new safes into the closets downstairs to keep them hidden from her, and to handle our growing collection. I still don't think she even knows why the safes are there, it was just much more simple keeping her in the dark. LR

[stinney]

I had the outdoor experience taught from my dad and grandpa but hunting was not a thing done in the family. So I am a self taught hunter but taught outdoorsperson. Although I must attribute the majority of my knowledge from what I have read and learned from the stories on this forum. So I owe a big thank you to everyone!

[Kyle84]

Taught myself. Threw trail and error.

[The Dude]

Self-taught out of necessity.
A friend gave me an injured Redtailed hawk when I was about 13, so I bought a Cooey .22 for twenty bucks, and would go out and shoot squirrels to feed it. It took off one day through my carelessness, but I used to see him for years, so I'm glad he did well.
From there I graduated to rabbits in the woods around my house, and begged a guy in my Congregation (for I was religious at that time) to take me duck hunting. He introduced me to a bunch of French Canadian Moose hunters (yeah, there's some stories there), and I was taught the Wrong Way for years. LOL
Went on to WT hunting on my own, and years later moved out West, and found that one of my new buddies from Vancouver grew up in the Okanagan and invited me to hunt with himself, his dad, and a few others, who also taught me some bad habits. :D
Over the years since I've lived here I've evolved my ethics and knowledge, and have even gotten into reloading, and thoroughly enjoy both hunting alone, and hunting with my original buddy. We've both evolved as hunters, both skill and ethics-wise, and it's nice to pass up on so many animals as we search for that big Mulie or big Elk together.
Admittedly though, every trip teaches me something, and I'll be learning until they put me in the ground. :D

[hunter1947]

I learned on my own I had a .22 and I would shot ducks and other small game birds this is how I got started back in the days..

[Gateholio]

I am not going to say I am solely self taught but a bunch of biddies and myself have been learning all together. Never to old to learn!

I did not grow up in a hunting family, we grew up going fishing.

When I got my PAL and CORE, The first thing my dad said to me was "why would you want to buy everything to go hunting, what happeneds if you don't like it? You know it involves killing a animal?!"

My mom told me that guns were not allowed in the house (she did not know that I already had one!) besides my dad had an old 303 that he kept there.

3 years of me going on hunting trips (the yearly 2 week empire valley trip) and having a blast, my dad got in and hooked.

Now my mom battles with her friends on why hunting is so beneficial. Mom will not go camping or out hunting, but she loves the meat and the stories and pictures!!

Dutchie

Reminds me of me....

In the more civilized days of the FAC, you used to go to the local police station and fill out a form, pay $10 and they woudl do a background check on you the call to say your FAC was ready. None of this PAL course nonsense...

I turned 18, and applied.

2 days later I was in bed sleeping off a hangover at my parents house and my mom woke me up

"The police just called"

(I was thinking "what did I do bad last night?")

Mom said" Your FAC is ready! DO you know what that is?"

"of course, Mom, I applied for it"

Mom: "Harrumph! Just like your father! Obsessed with guns and power tools!"

That was a great compliment to me, and mom eagerly eats moose meat I give her now....:-D

[BCBRAD]

Tribal memory !

[fearnodeer]

Self taught, grew up working on many farms , ranches in the lower mainland, just read a lot, picked up info whenever i could.

[tonywtc]

this will be my first year, can it be called self taught if I am HBC taught? I have learnt almost everything i know about hunting so far from HBC. You guys are great and have taught me lots.

Thankyou!!!!

[Husky7mm]

LOL Looks like they got the Easter bunny!:-D
Ya no chocolate eggs for thoses little ff'ers this year lol

[CanuckShooter]

My grandfather taught me the ins and outs of firearms safety...most of the rest I picked up from reading the old Field & Stream type magazines that were always around when I was a kid....still walk around with dreams of giant mule deer in my head from those early days of reading....Red Fisher & Scuttlebutt lodge?? [how many of you are that old??]

A couple of my uncles [when they were sober] showed me how to gut, skin, and pack all their animals out.....the rest I learned by trial and error.

[rattling_junkie]

Self taught bowhunter. Well I learned quite a bit from magazines but all the field work was on my own.

[Phreddy]

I was very blessed with a father and grandfather who took the time with me from age 6 or 7 to let me go with them. I clearly remember around 1952 sitting by some scrub brush on the bank of the Serpentine River, near the trestle watching a lone pintail flying towards is and at the last second my grndfather shoving his old Ithaca sxs damascus shotgun in my hand and saying, "Here! You'd better shoot this one." It was the first time I'd ever shot anything other than a bb gun. The duck came down and the hook was set for a lifelong obsession to hunt. A lot of water has passed under that trestle sine then, but it is an experience that remains as fresh in my mind and heart today as it was that day.
I've been extra well blessed by being able to share my love of the outdoors with my two sons. (even though they keep shooting old, diseased game all the time. ;-) )

[The Dawg]

Both.

Learned to shoot with my Uncle and grandfather- got the bug after going out with my Uncle a few times. Challenged the CORE and PAL and passed.

Then since I moved to PG, I have been lucky to get to know and make a few good friends in the hunting community.

I learn something new everytime I am out with Mike (Moosinaround), and Brett. I like to think they learn from me too, but thats probably just a few new swear words :D

[sky-gunner]

Gives me alot more confidence seeing how many people have learned on their own. I too lack hunters in my family, so will be hitting the woods solo this year. I have lots of outdoor experience just not with hunting. Was daunting at first but now after reading these posts, I have alot more confidence. Hopefully that will translate into meat in the freezer.

[cainer]

Buddies got me into it-gave me a few pointers-but then I basically taught myself. Family didn't hunt for more than parking spots back in Toronto-so no help there.
Still, the only animal I have successfully hunted is deer (maybe a couple grouse) so there's lots of room for improvement. Gutted my very first deer in the headlights about 3 years ago-now that was fun;) This year I'm hoping to do the same with my first Elk & Moose- daylight would be nice. But I'm not picky.

[finngun]

i m still learning....soo many things i dont know yet..
but i m willing to learn..and enjoy every hour i can spend
in wilderness--or shooting range.
and i m only littl over 60something...

[Johnny G1]

i m still learning....soo many things i dont know yet..
but i m willing to learn..and enjoy every hour i can spend
in wilderness--or shooting range.
and i m only littl over 60something... I'll go along with that.

[Weatherby Fan]

I was pretty much self taught as my Dad passed away when I was fairly young,he did tell me to always watch your wind,move slowly and sit every so often as he said he always seen more deer sitting having a smoke than walking.
My progression of learning to hunt in the alpine was very slow until I met some fellow and his dad at 6 thousand feet,they were on horseback and I was on foot,I was in about 10 kilometers when I met them,the father looked at me and said how did you get in here ? I hiked ! the old man just shook his head and rode off,
his son however sat down for a coffee and explained what not to do as they were hunting the same area and had been for the past 20 yrs.

Ill never forget that as he pointed me in the right direction with some simple do's and don'ts.

[pnbrock]

i still have no clue.!!!

[BromBones]

Come from a long family line of hunters, trappers, guides, surveyors, etc so it was only natural that I got started out young & was fortunate to learn from a crafty bunch of fellows.

Still doing plenty of learning on my own though :)