$1000+ to be cold and wet for five days.

NM_Shooter · October 04, 2011, 09:39:38 PM

My daughter's elk hunt is coming up in a couple of days. This has been an expensive one, since she had no rifle, rain gear / camo, boots. Had to get her through hunter safety, lots of range practice (read : couple hundred rounds of center fire), and of course, tags. Just bought the last of the food and misc gear. Her hunt is only 2.5 days, as she has to get back to school. I am heading back to camp to hunt bear after she is done.

Not sure why I spend this much every year in the hopes of not actually having to pull out of the woods and reduce a 700lb animal to chops and burgers. I think I convince myself that it is more fun than it is. My wife believes me to be insane.

You know what is a sane hunt? Grouse. You can hunt those with a stick, sleep late, and carry your limit in one hand.

Ernest T. Bass · October 04, 2011, 10:06:12 PM

At least you're honest with yourself.

I'm afraid I might be on your wife's side--not that I have anything against hunting.. Just that it's easier to grow your meat in the backyard. I'm sure you'll have a great time, though.

Speaking of meat, we've had a crazy amount of deer this year... We had a herd of about 30 in our friend's field right behind the house the other day. Lots of smaller bucks, too... You'll see a couple every few miles. It would be a good year to hunt, if we didn't already have a cow crop coming in...

October 04, 2011, 10:14:37 PM

Sounds pretty cheap to me . . .

Considering that your sharing a common interest and spending time with you daughter . . . And the future memories you will both have.

//

Native_NM · October 04, 2011, 10:21:49 PM

I've spent big dollars fly fishing near Chama. It would be far cheaper to visit Albertson's or Smith's, but what fun would that be?

Tickhill · October 05, 2011, 04:21:56 AM

Definitely look at it as an investment in your daughter. All kinds of skills will be honed by her hunting, ethical decision making being a huge one these days, plus her learning the consequences of her actions. I hope she enjoys it. Be safe.

October 05, 2011, 04:57:47 AM

It's not the destination but the journey to get there that is worth the effort.

Squirl · October 05, 2011, 05:50:21 AM

I share many of the same sentiments regarding big game hunting. The cost of gear, license, time, and probability don't usually add up for me every season. In this region we just have deer. So take that 700 lbs and reduce it to 100 lbs. It is also the style of hunting that I don't have as much fun with. Freezing my rear off sitting quietly in a deer stand waiting just isn't a lot of fun for me.

I love an upland game hunt. I get a great hike through the terrain. I don't freeze my butt off. It is fast paced and lower in equipment and licensing. Rabbit is the same way. I just have a lot more fun with small game even when I don't get anything.

Some people hunt for trophies, some hunt for subsistence, I hunt more for fun.

Gary O · October 05, 2011, 07:47:16 AM

That's another reason why I fish. But it can run wallet dry too, these days.

Quote from: Redoverfarm on October 05, 2011, 04:57:47 AM
It's not the destination but the journey to get there that is worth the effort.

That's as true as it gets.
That's the why.

My 40 yr old son, my 30 yr old daughter, and my 38 yr old commercial fishing son all gather around this ol' chile and bring to the table those excruciating exhilarating fond memories.....priceless.

Ran into a guy in the grocery store, actually he snuck up behind me. Beaming, he recalled the fishing trip I took him, a couple other kids and mine on almost three decades ago.

There is absolutely nothing better on this earth than fellowship in the outdoors, but if it's with yer offspring, their memories and continued family adventures will be passed on.

This is our true heritage.
The monetary loss is the greatest of investments.

Savor the time with your daughter, Shooter.
Looking forward to the stories.

NM_Shooter · October 05, 2011, 09:09:45 AM

Thanks! I have a blast with my kids. I tend to hang out and do things with them, and having a kid who likes to be outdoors helps me get kitchen passes.

I'm looking forward to this being her first hunt. I've prepped her for how boring stand hunting can be. Luckily the woods are full of birds and small game. She's been hounding me to go hunting for a couple of years now, so I guess she means it. Subsequent hunts will be easier on my wallet. I bought her good gear and sized it so that it should fit her for quite awhile. She says she wants to bird hunt too... maybe next year.

She's already decent at fishing. I have video of her catching this rainbow on a dry fly this past July. She spent a good 10 minutes reviving it. This picture and that video are some of my most prized possessions.

Lake fish don't get off so easy. They get the batter and hot oil spa treatment.

Time spent with her is definitely well spent. Yesterday I had to take her tag application to her high school to be signed. I waited outside her classroom and when the bell rang and she came out, she gave me a big hug in front of her buddies and asked me to stay for lunch with her. I was floored.

October 05, 2011, 10:16:22 AM

I've been trying to figure out how to answer this but everyone else hit pieces and parts. The cost is never recovered in meat for me but that's not why I hunt. I grew up in the mountains with a father that didn't hunt.

I learned myself and the time spent in the quiet, especially during snow storms when the only sound were the snowflakes, are perhaps my fondest memories.
I taught my son to hunt and he still does. My daughter went once and decided she didn't like cold but still talks about that day (fifteen years ago).

Killing game is the last worry I have, I let more walk by getting only their picture taken, than goes to the table. Life is precious, all life and that's something I learned early.

Hunting is a lifestyle that most of us take everywhere we go. It provides peace and appreciation for an earth without traffic or cell phones or muggers. It teaches us to rely on ourselves rather than 911 and to observe before we react.

When we do it with our kids, it creates a bond that lasts the rest of our lives.

Money is just green paper. What you have with your daughter is priceless NM. Not everyone gets that rich!

bayview · October 05, 2011, 02:05:07 PM

Your daughter's beaming smile is worth a million bucks . . .

//

considerations · October 05, 2011, 05:49:30 PM

I don't think "stand hunting" happens much here in western Washington. At least I don't hear people talking about it. My curiosity is piqued. Why does one use this technique?

NM_Shooter · October 05, 2011, 06:21:59 PM

It is a beginner's technique, that works well for anyone. You find an area with likely traffic by the game you are hunting, and you park yourself in a tree stand or chair or stump, and wait for it to walk by.

ScottA · October 05, 2011, 07:12:39 PM

I've seen stand hunters with battery powered TV's watching football while they "Hunt". Pretty funny actualy. I prefer to walk slow and stalk when I spot something. $1000 bucks to get wet with your kids is cheap. Have fun. Try to pretend you're Rambo and make the kids in awe of you. You know...use your hunting knife to open the pork and beans even if you've got an opener in the glove box. Just don't cut yourself in the process...spoils the illusion you know.

October 05, 2011, 08:08:21 PM

"It is a beginner's technique, that works well for anyone."

Thank you for the explanation. I am, if nothing else, a complete beginner in this area. The deer that come through here are pampered, so they will keep my place on their rounds. I hope that if they know this is a place where they can eat and be "safe", then if I ever actually need to, one might be "at hand". AND the theory I had was to park myself on top of an old growth stump I've picked out, and wait. I don't see those deer looking up as much as "out". So, I was right there with the "stand" technique just didn't have a name for it.

Another piece of this is that where the deer walk, so go the cougars. Which are also tasty. I don't know the hunting rules, and all of this musing has been based on the warnings from State and County emergency management that in the event of a regional disaster, this area could be 6-8 weeks out for any sort of "help". In that event, although they are loath to directly state it, the rules are basically; take care of yourself, and your people.

So far what I've done is practice, practice, practice, for multiple reasons. I do have a reasonable expectation of hitting what I aim at. At this time, I don't plan to hunt "for sport", but at some point will go through with a hunter's safety course and learn the rules. It's way more fun to do that sort of thing with at least one other person...so procrastination has been easy.

peternap · October 05, 2011, 08:13:28 PM

Quote from: NM_Shooter on October 05, 2011, 06:21:59 PM
It is a beginner's technique, that works well for anyone. You find an area with likely traffic by the game you are hunting, and you park yourself in a tree stand or chair or stump, and wait for it to walk by.

It's really the only productive way to hunt Deer in Va during bow season. It's too thick in most places to stalk and until the rut starts the Deer are way too alert.

By the time Muzzle Loading season starts I'll be able to stalk plus I'll have a little more range with the rifle. When the regular season begins, I can come out of the trees completely.

NM_Shooter · October 05, 2011, 09:26:05 PM

Considerations, I highly recommend the hunter ed course. My daughter had to take the course, and I decided to take it with her. I've been hunting 37 years now. I kept my mind open, and I learned some things. A lot of it I had to force myself to stay awake through, but all in all it was a well designed course. Most of the participants were under the age of 14.

If you start to hunt, pay close attention to things like ethical shots and proper shot placement.

I've hurt myself pretty seriously in the past (such as firing a nail gun through my left pointer finger), and in retrospect it is amazing how long it takes the pain to build up. I suspect that with a well placed shot, the animal becomes unconscious before it knows it is hurt.

We've spent a lot of time practicing too. I'm hoping that she gets the chance to take an open and steady shot. I won't let her take a shot out of her range, which can vary depending on conditions. A bad shot on an animal is a horrible thing to see, and we have already talked a lot about passing on questionable presentations.

Find out what your maximum take-it-to-the-bank range is and use that as your limit. You should try hunting! I love elk and venison backstrap. Hey... maybe we should start a favorite game recipe thread!

considerations · October 05, 2011, 09:27:48 PM

Are you allowed to hunt with a crossbow there?

peternap · October 05, 2011, 11:11:13 PM

Quote from: considerations on October 05, 2011, 09:27:48 PM
Are you allowed to hunt with a crossbow there?

Me or NM?

??

considerations · October 06, 2011, 07:46:30 AM

RE: crossbows, I'd like to know from either or both of you, I'm just curious.

October 06, 2011, 08:10:25 AM

Quote from: considerations on October 06, 2011, 07:46:30 AM
RE: crossbows, I'd like to know from either or both of you, I'm just curious.

We can and I do:

http://vimeo.com/29967176

NM_Shooter · October 06, 2011, 08:43:39 AM

You can use them during the "any legal sporting arm" or the muzzleloader season.

Squirl · October 06, 2011, 10:15:00 AM

Now legal in PA, not NY. There is usually a special season for archery in most states. It is earlier and has less restrictions than gun, because of the added difficulty. Crossbows have not always been considered as archery because they are not as difficult as a bow. It has been one of the more debated topics for fair chase in my states.

Quote from: NM_Shooter on October 05, 2011, 09:26:05 PM

I've hurt myself pretty seriously in the past (such as firing a nail gun through my left pointer finger), and in retrospect it is amazing how long it takes the pain to build up. I suspect that with a well placed shot, the animal becomes unconscious before it knows it is hurt.

This is an issue I debate sometimes with other people of the Jewish faith. Some (mostly Ashkenazi) individuals follow strict interpretations from rabbis that hunting doesn't conform to Kashrut because of the form of slaughter. I personally have many problems with this, not only from their interpretations of Leviticus, but also what is labeled as Kashrut(Kosher) meat in the U.S. Most of the animals spend a lifetime of suffering in factory farms, only to be killed in a prescribed manner is labeled Kashrut. Hunted animals spend a lifetime of freedom, with no more than a few more seconds of pain before death. Yet some don't see the hypocrisy of the labeling.

considerations · October 06, 2011, 12:18:44 PM

"maybe we should start a favorite game recipe thread!"

Elk shoulder roast, barded with bacon and garlic, rubbed with large crystal salt, sage, and rosemary. In a roasting pan on a rack over watered red wine, occasionally basted with the drippings, lidded for the majority of oven time, then lid off for a light browning. Not "well done", but enough to kill any internal hitchhikers.

Mashed or baked potatoes, glazed carrots, and Yorkshire pudding. Oh and a salad for those that might have the extra room for it.

So far, this is my favorite.

considerations · October 06, 2011, 12:44:40 PM

It appears that one needs a special permit including a note from a doctor certifying specific disabilities in order to hunt with a crossbow in Washington.

I suppose that its use, if approved, would apply only to archery seasons, but the regs here are pretty complex, and I've only just downloaded a copy, all 105 pages, ergh.