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what is the most valuable bit of information that you've learned through out the year's you have spent afield. something that you wouldn't mind shareing with people and something that changed you as a hunter/ outdoorsman. every outing is a different lesson in the school of hunting. just something that stand's out.

something it took along time for me to learn was not to go out everytime you embarked on another journy afield with the attitude you had to kill something or at least to shoot at it. you miss over half the hunting experence when you don't let your eye's open up and enjoy what you get to take part in. enjoy the moment not the bag. memories last a lot longer than a duck breast or a deer tenderloin.

so whats something's you've learned?

The time spent in the woods with friends and family is what t is all about. I used to be all about the bag limit. Not so much anymore.

one tid bit off the top of my head, as a hunter figuring out the importance of keeping a humble attitude and attempting to learn atleast one thing every outting.... mastering your craft

teul2 wrote:The time spent in the woods with friends and family is what t is all about. I used to be all about the bag limit. Not so much anymore.

what he said.......
although I did learn a valuable lesson this year..don't sit downwind from Benny when he had beans or gumbo for supper

always had a good time goin huntin with the friends.. most important thing ive learned is to eat at robert's camp night before and after the hunt...


i'm impressed the boy can cook sum grub

don't crawl up on a log to take a dump just cause "it looks sturdy"....and when taking a dump, for goodness sakes, make sure ALL parts of the wader's are "in the clear"....

there, that's what i've learned

gator

Make damn sure that the brandy and the beer that you bring along is of good quality

Duck

hehe 100th post
aw make that 101

refreshments can be kept at the proper temp by tying it to a string outside of the blind.

SBE
law abiding bird watcher

I have learned many more things than I could ever find time to put down here. One thing that I have come to realize more and more is that hunting should not be a competition and folks need to quit worrying about what their fellow hunters are doing. I'm really speaking in terms of private land, where all the people hunting are supposed to be friends, or at least should know and respect each other. Public ground offers a whole different set of dynamics, and I'm not going into those.

Too many times, I have seen one group get all bent out of shape because they had their hearts set on hunting a spot and another bunch beat them to it. Or, one group gets used to going to a particular area and gets mad when someone else wants it. So-called grownups start acting like children fighting in a sandbox. Believe me, if we're in the same club and you want "my" spot, have at it and I'll go somewhere else. Life is too short to get into a squabble over territory, and I have found that often when I hand over a spot, I wind up trying a new or different area and come out with a limit of birds.

Deer hunters are particularly bad about these issues. Let someone's guest or child kill the biggest buck on the club and next year, the members are voting on huge guest fees, eliminating guests altogether or similar draconian restrictions. Alot of trophy hunters seem to have lost sight of how much fun it is when a nice little buck walks out in front of an eight year old child and he makes his first shot count. Instead, there is muttering about taking "inferior" deer and how if he'd just been allowed to grow another year, how much the rack would measure.

If you want to take a group of your friends to the hole that I usually hunt, jump on it - I'll hunt in another spot or share mine with you. If your kid kills a buck (any buck) I'm proud for him. If your guest kills a trophy that I've been hunting, more power to him - it's his lucky day. I'll get my share of game in the long run.

I'd really like to see hunters get away from this competitive, selfish numbers game that it way too prevalent.

when hunting certian animals i have learned to shoot and ask ? later. ? like are they to far or is his beard long enough. and that your best hunting buddy is always there to tell you how to do what you already know

oh, i forgot........after my grandma's experience w/ the panther, i NEVER go anywhere w/out a camera.....course, there was that time i forgot this rule and actually saw a panther, just didn't have anything for a pic

gator

try to take care of the land no matter where your at........you may not realize it but the outdoors is a big ole church for me. Closer to him there than anywhere.

also have fun. sometimes the game just isn't there and there isnat any reason to let it ruin your day. Thats why they call it huntin not killin.

Take a kid hunting. Keep him in the woods as a kid, and he'll keep himself there as an adult.

the experience of the hunt as a whole is more important than the kill. i'd rather shoot 6 rounds and take 2 or 3 ducks over the decoys than shoot up a box of shells skyblasting.
don't rush the kill, watch and pay attention to you quarry. they'll teach you some very valuable lessons if you'll just watch what there doing, see where it's heading and where it came from.
after i've taken the last bird of the morning i like to see what the ducks, deer, or turkey would have done if i wasn't there shooting at them.
after the harvest give thanks to God for allowing you to be a part of the picture.