Every year it seems that a select few individuals are ALWAYS notching tags. These people do this year in and year out. It doesn’t matter if they are hunting black bears or elk, they get it done, no matter the circumstances. How do they do it though? I am sure this is a question we have all asked ourselves at least once. What is different about these consistently successful hunters and everyone else? Is it their calling techniques or glassing skills? Maybe, it is their equipment that is responsible for their success? While those things can definitely aid one in being successful, it isn’t any of them. So what is it? In my humble opinion, I believe that the “secret”, if you will, is hanging out in between their ears. They have a positive attitude, loads of tenacity, and a colossal urge to never give up. All things that are mental.
The fact that I am even writing about this troubles me. I think that it needs to be said though. There should be no such thing as hunters vs. hunters, but sadly it is something that has definitely shown its face. Why? I haven’t got the foggiest. Honestly, I don’t remember any of this from when I was a boy. Maybe, with how easy it is nowadays to communicate with other people via the internet and hide behind a computer screen, the issue is becoming more prevalent. It seems like outlets like social media have decapitated any semblance of a filter. Whether it be people criticizing someone for the type of weapon they choose to hunt with or someone hunting for meat vs. someone that is a trophy hunter, this ugly disease has seemed to weed its way into our small and threatened community.
In light of Born and Raised Outdoors’ new video, Expectations, being premiered at the Full Draw Film Tour this year, I thought it would be a perfect time to review their DVD entitled, Uncommon Ground. This story follows 6 friends through an entire elk season, taking place in Oregon and Wyoming, during September, the month that every archery elk hunter dreams about. 6 guys, 12 tags, 2 states, a guest appearance by Wayne Endicott, and the first backcountry mouse hunt probably ever recorded.
It seems that the more time goes on the more I hear about people harvesting game at longer and longer distances. Whether it be shooting a deer at over a hundred yards with a bow or shooting an elk at over a thousand yards with a rifle, their has been a steady increase of the frequency of these stories. Along with these stories usually comes a blitzkrieg of criticism which is inevitably followed by some harsh words. I read it on forums all of the time. Someone posts a story of how they took an animal at X distance and how proud they are of this accomplishment. Half of the people give the guy crap for shooting too far and the other half applaud him for making such an incredible shot. Where do I stand in all of this? Usually, in the middle. Like all arguments, there are two sides, and I understand them both. This topic walks a thin line between ethics and skill, both of which need to cohesively exist is order to make an accurate judgement on what is too far of a shot.
How many times have you heard someone say, “Someday, I’d love to___________” and how many times have you witnessed that person actually fulfill this goal? We are all guilty of it, myself included. There are tons of things that I would love to do someday, but probably never will for one reason or another. Why do these things cease to happen though? I think it is just because we aren’t working towards these goals. Saying something and doing something are two different things. In order to do the things that we want to do “someday,” we must work at them. I’d love to go on a Dall Sheep hunt someday, but I can’t expect someone to just ring my doorbell and hand me a fat check and a tag with a note that reads,”HAVE FUN!” Although this would be nice, it isn’t likely something that is going to happen.
I remember when I first heard about people actually working out for hunting. I thought it was absolutely ridiculous. All I knew about hunting was that you sat in a tree or on the ground and waited for a deer to walk by. What is physically taxing about that and why in the world would anyone workout in preparation for it? My thoughts on the subject changed drastically after I really got into hunting out west though. The animals out here live in some rugged country and if you aren’t physically prepared to even get to where they live, let alone haul one out of the mountains, you are really in for it my friend. Don’t believe me? Have your luck at a spot and stalk western mule deer or black bear hunt. When you get back, you might think differently.
Not too long ago I asked the question,”What are your favorite hunting podcasts?” on social media and was surprised at the amount of feedback that I DIDN’T get from it. I did get someone that answered and said that they had never listened to any hunting podcasts and if I had any recommendations. Of course I gave him a few to check out. That got me thinking that maybe these aren’t as commonly known as I thought and made me want to try and get the word out. Below I will give a brief synopsis of my top 5 favorite hunting podcasts, IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER, and hopefully give people the extra push to get on board and start listening to some like minded individuals chat about hunting.
If it wasn’t for my dad getting me into the outdoors all of those years ago, who knows if it would have caught me like it did. Some people are just naturally drawn to hunting and fishing for one reason or the other, but it is my understanding that most of us were introduced by some type of mentor. Whether it was a father, other family member, or a best friend is irrelevant. What is relevant is that, whoever it was, took the time to light the way for us and pass on the tradition. They are the ones that showed us how to do things like bait a hook or recognize a deer track. I don’t know about you, but I sure as heck wasn’t born just knowing how to do these things.
Before I know it, hunting season is going to be here and I am going to be like a kid in a candy store. There is truly nothing like being out on a hillside, at the mercy of mother nature, with my bow glassing for critters. I wait all year for it. I eat it, sleep it, and breathe it. For this reason, I take practicing with my bow pretty serious during the off season. I remember when I first got into bowhunting and how I would pick my bow up a few weeks before season and start shooting. Every time I did this, it was almost like I had to get used to shooting my bow again, because it had been so long. Nowadays, I practice all year round, be it at 3d archery shoots or just in my backyard. This keeps me sharp all year and keeps me from having to get used to shooting my bow every year. Is this enough to get me ready for the woods though?
The battle between fixed blade and mechanical broadheads is one that will be around as long as bowhunting exists. The decision on which to go with literally plagued me when I really got into bowhunting and archery. Talking to different hunters on the subject was helpful to a point, but kind of frustrating. The mechanical guys swore by mechanicals and the fixed guys swore by fixed blade. Each of them had their own reasons for why they decided to shoot what they shoot. It soon became apparent that I was going to have to figure this out on my own. With lots of reading up on both types of broadheads, the pros and cons of each started to show themselves.
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