Any “old school” hunters around?

[shooterinthefeild3]

Over the course of 40 years, I grew up hunting the unforgiving cold region of Caribou, Maine, Barre, Vermont and western Massachusetts. Hunted in New York up near Canada, and then have hunted below the Mason Dixon, my point? Ive seen hunting practices really go freaky. This year was the first year I actually hunted from a tree stand! Not on a hot seat on the ground back against a tree.
I’ve seen a decline of true hunting. Putting out feeders, making sure you have an ATV to Drive 200 yards to your heated stand. The over abundance of AR rifles, because let’s face it, you NEED 30 rounds to hunt a deer. What kind of cart to carry your deer out? Really? Best and cheapest: a rope and a hint of body strength, c’mon folks, put a LITTLE work into your hunting. I go to the processor: ungutted deer???? Why: they don’t know how! Ugh! Then the endless rows of camo and cover scents... my hunting gear is usually a pair of jeans or shorts if it’s warm, and a Bruins sweatshirt that’s yellow with black lettering and an old beat up, smelly pair of slip on shoes from LL Bean and get ready to gasp... I actually smoke in the stand! This year I put down 8 deer, every one of them was while OR just after smoking. The industry has you fooled with “Buckmasters” and “pros” of all types, try going backward a bit.
My muzzle loader? A CensoredCensoredCensored CVA Bobcat I got 15 year ago for $65 non adjustable fixed sights, sidelock, patch and round ball
My bow? A Bear Super Grizzly recurve with cedar arrows and fixed 2 blade broadheads, no sights, no tree stand, I sit on a log that I’ve lugged into my hunting area.
Firearms: some fancy, some not. Trigger pull weight? No idea. MOA? How about MOD (minute of deer). And yes I know how to use iron sights. Magazine capacity? Not a concern, one in the chamber and that’s that, if I miss I miss, shame on me, that’s hunting.
Somewhere the sport has gone sour and makes me sad, there isn’t any skill in it. I’d give up hunting if I ever used a crossbow during archery season. Primitive firearms season? Doesn’t exist, with pre measured pellets, in-line with scopes, the thread is split very fine between muzzle loader and modern firearm. I don’t know how people can be happy hunting in a club with feeders where deer come in like Pavlov’s dog and “must shoot a trophy deer”.
Long are the days of shooting a bruiser up in Maine, so cold you put Vaseline on your eye lashes or they’d freeze, and have to drag it out, by yourself, 2 or more miles, my record was approx. 5 miles, and I dragged it out all night.
Hunting was hard, work, misery, and so rewarding, sadly there is the dying breed, deer hunters, proud of the doe, or spike, or 4 point, because we are deer hunters, I don’t know what to call antler hunters. If you can relate, I’m sure you’ll smile.

5 miles? That's a little much.

 

[mark-7mag]

You could always move back to the Northeast and hunt like you used to. However, I agree with some of what you said

 

[Duff]

All this coming from the guy who just posted his buck kill from 70 yards behind his house?

 

[Jack Ryan]

Drag a deer 5 miles? You ever heard of a knife and a pack?

Most people's "5 miles" in the woods means just a couple steps past the end of their roll of flagging tape.

 

[Jack Ryan]

All this coming from the guy who just posted his buck kill from 70 yards behind his house?

... and uses his WIFE's cleaning kit to clean his rifle.

Wonder if she knows he's been in to her purse?

 

[Deernut3]

I get the jest of your post and although I consider myself old school I may have to re-consider, You sir are hard core to the bone.

 

[GaFlLine]

Sheesh man, some of us work our tails off for our bucks in this new generation.

Times have and always will continue to change, your choice to adapt and pursue the opportunity to conquer. Some may decide to wear rubber boots while others stick to wearing LL Bean slip ons...

Crossbow is great for people who are unable to use a compound bow due to a disability

 

[transfixer]

I agree with a good bit of what you say, and truth be told I've killed more deer wearing blue jeans and a flannel shirt than I have wearing camo, but then I've always worn mismatched camo anyway, first ten years I deer hunted I either slept in the bed of my truck or in a tent on the ground. No matter how cold it was, I've gotten old now though, I like my camper and buddy heater, lol
I do still field dress and skin my deer though !

 

[willie1971]

Lots of good points. However, most "old school" hunters I know don't look at internet hunting message boards, especially those in retirement age. generational differences, i suppose

 

[Wooly Bugger]

Not bragging about a 5 mile drag, just saying back in the day we didn’t have the technology, as for hunting 70 yards behind my house? Yup! Not ashamed either, after years of doing it hard, we now have a house with land and by scouting, I found that my ideal spot for a stand was 70 yards behind my house. As for what I have for firearms? I use what is appropriate for the game. I have safari rifles, why? Because ive taken them on safari. I feel as though the ones that replied by calling me an “Obama supporter”, “gotta get my boots”, are those that I struck a nerve with. My intent was that the “art” and “skills” have declined because technology has made it easier. And again, hunting behind my house. Why would I PAY a club or lease when I have free land to use? I’ve been here about 3 years and this season was the first ive hunted because of all the generous land owners that have hundreds of acres that nobody hunts, but, won’t grant permission... unless you pay them. (The deer I dragged 5 miles through the night? I was alone, to quarter and do multiple trips was not an option, after the first trip the local wildlife would have gotten the rest). I need not defend what I do now, I’m getting older, put in my time, and learned by making mistakes, and trial and error. And say what you will, you’d put a stand in your backyard if you had the setup that I have. As far as hunting clubs? Any place that puts antler restrictions, areas that are for special members, and QDMA aren’t worth me forking over 1000-3000 dollars a season for the “price ledge” to do what I do on my own land. Will I hunt the way I used to? Yes, I’ll be going back up to Caribou next November for deer and bear, same place all those years ago, it’s still the same, and I’m looking forward to all the cold, misery, being uncomfortable just for that few seconds all of that goes away and it’s time to pull the trigger, got my rope all set and ready to drag.

 

[kmckinnie]

My dragging days are over as far as distance go. Or at least I hope so.

 

[Stonewall 2]

Not bragging about a 5 mile drag, just saying back in the day we didn’t have the technology, as for hunting 70 yards behind my house? Yup! Not ashamed either, after years of doing it hard, we now have a house with land and by scouting, I found that my ideal spot for a stand was 70 yards behind my house. As for what I have for firearms? I use what is appropriate for the game. I have safari rifles, why? Because ive taken them on safari. I feel as though the ones that replied by calling me an “Obama supporter”, “gotta get my boots”, are those that I struck a nerve with. My intent was that the “art” and “skills” have declined because technology has made it easier. And again, hunting behind my house. Why would I PAY a club or lease when I have free land to use? I’ve been here about 3 years and this season was the first ive hunted because of all the generous land owners that have hundreds of acres that nobody hunts, but, won’t grant permission... unless you pay them. (The deer I dragged 5 miles through the night? I was alone, to quarter and do multiple trips was not an option, after the first trip the local wildlife would have gotten the rest). I need not defend what I do now, I’m getting older, put in my time, and learned by making mistakes, and trial and error. And say what you will, you’d put a stand in your backyard if you had the setup that I have. As far as hunting clubs? Any place that puts antler restrictions, areas that are for special members, and QDMA aren’t worth me forking over 1000-3000 dollars a season for the “price ledge” to do what I do on my own land. Will I hunt the way I used to? Yes, I’ll be going back up to Caribou next November for deer and bear, same place all those years ago, it’s still the same, and I’m looking forward to all the cold, misery, being uncomfortable just for that few seconds all of that goes away and it’s time to pull the trigger, got my rope all set and ready to drag.

If you can drag a deer 5 miles there would be no reason to make multiple trips on a quartered deer. I could quarter and debone the meat and have it packed in the time it took me to drag a deer 1 mile

 

[NCHillbilly]

I grew up hunting like you describe, and have done so most of my life, but I don't worry about it or think that's the only way to hunt, nor is that the only type of hunting I enjoy.

Sometimes I walk miles into the remote mountains and hunt from the ground. Sometimes I hunt with a flintlock rifle. Sometimes I hunt with a wooden selfbow I made myself, cane arrows that I made myself, tipped with flint arrowheads that I made myself.

Sometimes, I drive a cart up to my ladder stand, shoot deer with an AR-15, drive the cart up to them, and haul them back to camp. It's all good. I enjoy all of it. I don't waste much time worrying about how other people hunt.

 

[joe wiechec]

From what I saw in Allagash ,Maine there are plenty of smart hunters using 4 wheelers and snowmobiles to hall out game. I killed my first buck in the hilltowns of Western Mass. with about 2ft of snow and a downhill drag of 3 hundred yards.

 

[swamp hunter]

Ya'll are focused on the 5 mile drag...
I think what he's tryin to say is Folks have forgotten how to hunt..now Hunters are mostly Shooters.
I agree as well. True Hunting is becoming a lost art.

 

[GunnSmokeer]

If it were legal, some people would nail a robotic arm and radio-controlled gun to a tree, go home and watch TV in their underwear, open an app on the smartphone, and "watch" the woods via the wireless camera behind the rifle scope.

If they see a deer, they use their laptop or smart phone to aim the rifle (small DC 6 volt electric motors will turn the gun any direction to aim it) and fire the trigger remotely.

Then they open another app and have a Redneck 4x4 Uber driver find the carcass (GPS coordinates accurate down to 2 meters) and take it to the processor for them, get a receipt, and scan the receipt image back to the "hunter" who is still chugging a beer and scratching his privates in his living room.

 

[rutnbuk]

I hunt behind an old school- does that count? It is tuff- when the homeroom bell rings it usually scatters the deer and I don't see anything after that

 

[NCHillbilly]

I hunt behind an old school- does that count? It is tuff- when the homeroom bell rings it usually scatters the deer and I don't see anything after that

 

[MYRX]

I hunted old school back in 1978 when I first was introduced to deer hunting. Mainly because we were poor students working our way thru college. Today's high tech wasn't invented, and old timers in camp took time to educate us. We had great times, but we were cold a lot, wet a lot, (good hunting clothes back then were an army jacket, blue jeans worn over PJ's). I did learn much from the old timers and can now name most of the trees, bushes, weeds in the woods. We scouted more back then, (maybe too much). Hunting season was short and we had a two deer limit. Do I miss it.....yes and no.

I'm 63, I can't pull a deer 1/4 mile back to a drag road. I like my ATV. I don't hunt over corn, (in my opinion that's murder not hunting). I still scout, I use a couple of game cameras. I am in a club with over 2000 acers. I try to get away from fellow members.
Most of all, at my age, I only hunt mature bucks, (I already have a 152 BC 16 pointer, Thank God everyday for that gift). I say there is nothing wrong with using todays wealth of knowledge, I am a QDMA member because they continue to educate those that take the time to learn. My point, we can't live in the past. But we don't need to be sloppy hunters either. Hunting should be a quest, a journey, a learning experience. You against one of the finest creatures God created. I don't support hunting over baits for anything.

 

[XIronheadX]

I spiked tree's and built stands 30 to 70 ft on private land. I sat in torrential rains at 35 degrees with just an army jacket. I think I threw up from the adrenaline on every deer I had to drag out. I can still smell those fuel sticks in the old hand warmers to this day. I always went the furthest back in the woods. But, I have nothing left to prove to myself or anyone. The world got smart and so did I. I got older. I'd rather sit 25 ft up with my son in a double set. Or in the tower with my 3 yr old granddaughter armed with a camera. Watching over the green strips of food we planted and enjoy the wildlife. I even have a wireless cam so I can be there when I'm not. I may take a heater when it's in the 20's and windy. Matter of fact, I don't even carry a weapon. I save the killin for the hunter I raised. I enjoyed the 150 plus deer that walked by me in Oct. and Nov. It's been a good journey.