How long have you been "hunting"?

[ianpadron]

Boy I sure am jealous of you fellas that started so young.

I took hunters' safety in college, at age 20 after reading Aldo Leopold's Sand County Almanac. I had grown up fishing, but my Dad didn't hunt so was never introduced. My first kill was a beautiful drake mallard on the Wisconsin River near Steven's Point. I would take the bus home to Marshfield from UW-Madison almost every weekend, and use my Dad's truck and God father's trapping skiff to hunt ducks.

I went on my first big game hunt in 2015 at age 22, and have been absolutely addicted every day since.

I've lived out West my entire adult life, and am still bummed I didn't get to experience fall in the Wisconsin woods chasing deer and birds growing up.

Going to make sure my kids have the opportunity early to be hooked!

 

[WoodlandCritter]

I've always been a gun nut and always loved the outdoors. Dad was always taking my sister and I on walks in the local Metroparks or when we'd travel more often than not it was to camp at a State Park or stay in cabin near one of the Great Lakes. But he (or anyone else in my family/social social circle) didn't do a lick of hunting or fishing. My family didn't have anything against hunting, but nonetheless I wasn't even allowed to point any of my nerf/BB/airsoft guns at animals as a kid.

At 18, I decided I wanted to try hunting largely because it was big part of the gun world I didn't have any experience with. Squirrels seemed easy and small so I figured I'd start with that. Boy, never in my life did I think it could be so hard to find a squirrel in the woods. I spent 4 full days afield before I finally bagged one after waiting for 4 hours on my knees next to a tree with a nest. Squirrel finally crawled out right at last light. The adrenaline dump was unreal and I remember trying to steady my breathing as I walked up on it, not knowing what to do with this animal I just killed. I didn't want to pick it up, but I knew I had to take responsibility for my actions so after several minutes of standing staring, I finally grabbed it and took it back to the car. Took me over an hour to get it cleaned, I did an awful job and it tasted horrible. I didn't think I would ever hunt again. But it was fun and I had this nagging itch that I could do better. By the time next year rolled around, I was ready to try again.

Eventually my best friend started squirrel hunting with me and we had a blast. Learned a lot together. We also unsuccessfully coyote and deer hunted a bit. My first year turkey hunting I used my voice to call in a bearded hen which was my first not-small-game animal. Incredible experience.

7 years later, I'm still hunting. Moved to Montana last year for better access to public land (grew up in Ohio which is one of the highest % private land states). My long time girlfriend came with me and has been hunting with me, albeit unsuccessfully so far and I'm really looking forward to feeding my family backstrap from my first ever deer when they visit for Christmas. Looking to the future, when I have kids I can't wait to get them out in the woods for simple walks like my dad took me on that I loved, as well as for the early hunting experiences I didn't get to have.

 

[Tsank]

Big game in Colorado 4 years now. I am 35 and have only shot a deer, no luck on elk yet even though i have gotten really close the last couple of years during muzzloader season. Getting pretty good with calling and its a blast being out in nature with your best friends.

 

[Pony Soldier]

I started bird hunting at nine in 1960. My first deer and elk was in 1963.

 

[Pookie]

shot my first deer when I was 15 with my old mans 303 and I,m still hunting 45 years on

 

[Plainsman79]

Although I don’t remember, from what I’ve been told my grandad made me a styrofoam cutout of a buck deer antlers and all. I guess I would place it all over my backyard and spot and stalk it with my little stick bow. I put about a millions arrows into that buck before it finally fell apart. This would’ve been early 80’s and I would’ve been about 5.

I can remember when I was probably 8-10ish waiting for my dad to come home and call his dad and buddies to tell them how his evening hunt played out. I would sit at the kitchen table and hang on every word he said. I absolutely ate it up. Every time, for years. He would finally take me, but was so worried I was going to fall out of the tree stand, so he would literally tie me to the tree . I didn’t care. I was finally deer hunting!

I’m 46 now and I’ve been hunting every year since. It’s not something I do. It’s apart of who I am and Lord willing, I hope to hunt as long as He lets me.

 

[Amos Keeto]

Although I don’t remember, from what I’ve been told my grandad made me a styrofoam cutout of a buck deer antlers and all. I guess I would place it all over my backyard and spot and stalk it with my little stick bow. I put about a millions arrows into that buck before it finally fell apart. This would’ve been early 80’s and I would’ve been about 5.

I can remember when I was probably 8-10ish waiting for my dad to come home and call his dad and buddies to tell them how his evening hunt played out. I would sit at the kitchen table and hang on every word he said. I absolutely ate it up. Every time, for years. He would finally take me, but was so worried I was going to fall out of the tree stand, so he would literally tie me to the tree . I didn’t care. I was finally deer hunting!

I’m 46 now and I’ve been hunting every year since. It’s not something I do. It’s apart of who I am and Lord willing, I hope to hunt as long as He lets me.

Spent alot of cold, frosty mornings, wrapped in a blanket and tied to the tree!
In the early 50's, they didn't make brogans for feet that small.
Dad would take my "tenny's" off and rub my feet to warm them up!

 

[White Falcon]

67 years, started when I was 12.

 

[Oregon]

My first hunt memory was way different than most. I had/have 5 uncles who all live in England. When I was 7, I was over with my mom visiting family. 3 uncles told my Mom they were taking me rabbit hunting the next day. Mom was mortified at the thought I’d lose it seeing rabbits killed.
Not with guns. They used whippets and ferrets. I don’t remember whippets catching any but the image of finding all the holes and placing nets over, then sending the ferret down the hole is forever burned in my mind. We got 4 that day. I was ruined ever since. That was in 1976. Got my first Crossman 760 the next year and a single shot H&R 20ga in 1981. Critters haven’t been safe since.

 

[majg1234]

Started Squirrel hunting with my Grandfather in KY when I was about 5.We'd go down in the "bottem" behind his house and the Browing 16ga would knock them out of the Hickory trees.

When I was 8 got my first 22 a Winchester 67A.I didn't do much damage to the squirrels with it but Rabbits sitting didn't have much of a chance.Local store keeper would sell me 5-6 shells at a time,don't think tha'd happen now any where

Hunted rabbits with neighbors and their beagles,,used a borrowed Mossberg pump. I was 13-14.

Mom gave me a Winchester 1200 for my 16th birthday (still have it) and after many years was able to get my Grandfathers Browning 16ga from a distant family member.That old 1200 has accounted for untold numbers of Squirrels,Rabbits,Doves,Ducks,Pheasants and such.I now primarily hunt deer,Turkey in the mountains here and Elk out west.

I'll turn 75yo in August ,so i guess about 70yrs all totaled.I've got 2 grandsons that I hunt with now they are in their late 20s' so the tradition will continue in our family