How long have you been "hunting"?

[Bubblehide]

I've been hunting once.

 

[Nykki]

I started shooting snake's and rabbits with a pellet gun about 8 or 9 and went with my dad on deer hunts. He let me use my mother's 6.5 Swede for deer when I turned 12. Been out almost every year since. I'm now 69.

 

[Schmo]

Killed my first big game, a whitetail doe, at 9 years old with my dad’s Marlin lever 30-30. I’m 27 now, so I started hunting 18 years ago. May have gone with my dad before 9. I now have that 30-30, and plan on using it for at least one more deer

 

[Kauaihunter]

Since around 1976

 

[hoooogan]

Started on Oct 17 this year. Was fortunate to tag a small buck the evening before my BDay (Oct 28).

 

[mighteywhitehunter]

Started shooting slingshots, pellet guns, and .22s when I was 7, started whacking squirrels and birds near my house in the early 90's at around 8 years old. Got my Hunters Education around 1998 so I could hunt quail and deer, killed my first deer at age 18 in 2003, so depending on when you want to start the time 32ish years hunting, with the last 20ish years being mostly focused on biggame and upland birds.

 

[Amos Keeto]

I started to attempt hunting as an adult, but it was mostly just wandering around in the woods with a buddy and hoping something would be dumb enough to stand still. That was early 2000.

I didn’t really learn how to hunt and have much success until I moved to Colorado in 2016. I still don’t really know what I’m doing but I’m much faster at reacting to an animal that will stand still long enough for me to get a shot off.

LOL!
Been at it over 70 years, I STILL have some of those "wandering around in the woods" moments!

#86 - mightywhitehunter

"... tagging along ..." counts in my book!
I spent several years "tagging along".
Consider it "apprenticeship"!
It's where I started learning to be still and quiet!
Last spring turkey season, a buddy took his 4 year old son turkey hunting.
The kid had a toy T-rex that would growl and roar when you turned it on.
He took it to the blind.
Colt has a turkey coming and it's almost in bow range when the kid, bored, hit the switch!
With T-rex growling and roaring the turkey came into range and Colt sealed the deal with a well placed arrow!
Kid went home bragging to mom, "Me and dad killed a turkey!" LOL!

 

[beachbunny]

Half a century

 

[BadDogPSD]

I've been hunting for 45 years.

 

[Amos Keeto]

Plus or minus 89 posts.
I have been mildly surprised at he number of people who were introduced to "hunting" at such an early age!

I'll say it again to anyone coming in late. If you were "tagging" along at 2, 3, 4 years of age...BEFORE you were allowed to actually carry a firearm, THAT COUNTS TOO!
It's us old farts that were introduced at an early age that help keep the sport going! ...mostly by urging other, younger people to participate!

Spread the stories, keep journals, take photos....just keep it going!

 

[Amos Keeto]

Though me and grampa deer hunted and fished quite a bit, I do believe his greatest pleasure was taking me squirrel hunting.
I've NO idea just how many miles me and "The Old Ranger" made and just how many boxes of "Peter's Blue Whistlers" me and him burned through chasing bushy tails.
My grandmother was an absolute artist making squirrel and dumplings!
She would take the biggest, toughest red/fox squirrels in the bag and fry them. Then she ran them through a pressure cooker.
Grampa didn't have any teeth. The Army pulled them in 1918!

 

[mfisher126]

Started a few years back sitting in the woods with my step-dad waiting for a deer to walk by. Never saw or got anything. This year was the first time I shot and killed something (I'm 29). Got an antelope and tried hunting elk but didn't see anything in the unit. Learned a lot this year and I'm excited for next year.

 

[Amos Keeto]

Started a few years back sitting in the woods with my step-dad waiting for a deer to walk by. Never saw or got anything. This year was the first time I shot and killed something (I'm 29). Got an antelope and tried hunting elk but didn't see anything in the unit. Learned a lot this year and I'm excited for next year.

You're young!
Start your hunting journal now before those memories fade away!

 

[mfisher126]

You're young!
Start your hunting journal now before those memories fade away!

I haven't even considered this but think it's a great idea. Thank you!