What hunter stage are you in?

[GSPHUNTER]

I'm 75, been there, done that.

 

[SWFLhntr]

Was duck hunting last weekend. Half dozen mallards come in, buddy shoots a nice drake. He says “why didn’t you shoot?” I said “I don’t know, I was just watching them”.

 

[wildnessranger]

As a hobby, I guess I would be happy if I could just bring a buck or a few birds home every time on a hunt.

 

[IDVortex]

Sportsman/method stage.

Should have the option of 'being a troll on RS' too, might have a decent amount of votes for that.

 

[WCB]

Why no "all of the above" selection. Depends on what, where, and when I am hunting.

Predators I want to kill as many (legally) as possible every time out.

Ducks and most geese...I guess I "trophy hunt" I try to pick out drakes only because it actually makes it interesting and the hunt last longer than shooting the first 5-6 ducks that come in. And a limit would also be a goal. However I don't need to go jump shoot or ground swat them just to kill something or get a limit...so mix in "method" I guess.

Exception to above is when I Snow Goose hunt. I don't jump shoot anymore but would if an easy opportunity arises. I like to pass shoot or decoy and I want to shoot a lot of shells and kill as many as I can...So method/limit/sportsman also as I love watching them tornado down and the whole process of the hunt. Normally take lots of pictures of the spring migration and all the other species around.

Big Game I guess I would be considered "Trophy"...why? Because in general killing just a deer, antelope or an elk, is not hard in any way shape or form. Take Whitetails for example (I guess Mulies also). Any hunt I go on I could be tagged out with a doe or random buck within the 1st day or 2 every single time, especially with a firearm. I like the hunt, the process, being out in the elements, take lots of pictures, b.s. at camp etc that would also put me in the "Sportsman's" category.

Turkey...I actually feel a little bad because they are so dumb and easy to kill. That is something I do just because there isn't a lot to hunt that time of year. Took my 5yr old out (4 at the time) and she killed her first bird 2nd morning.

With all the above I participate through conservation programs or work on habitat myself. If I am going on a hunt of course the goal is to kill the targeted species otherwise I would save money and just go on nature hikes. I don't mind the hunting camp aspect but hate the default hunting camp thoughts most seem to have where the hunt is second and the camp is more work than the hunt.
I also have brought and enjoy bringing someone on their first hunt or help them take their first of a certain species. Like to take kids out including my own.

 

[flathead#2]

@58 I think I've entered the sportsmans stage, or something different stage?
Been a big game guy my whole life but I think I've had enough.
Got to the point that I really dont care to sit in a stand any longer.
Trying to do something different now. My son wants to try waterfowl so that
looks like what I'm doing this season. And its much more convenient as we're
20-30 minutes from the water.
I still love to get out, but I need some variety.

 

[outlawstryker]

I've changed over time to where I don't even care if I harvest anymore. Hunting is more about the experience and spending time with friends and family. My favorite hunts are taking out first timers and or inexperienced and help them score their first or help keep hunting alive for future generations.

 

[roadrunner]

I hunt to fill a tag, otherwise I wouldn't waste the time to do it.

 

[SuperDUECE22]

Why no "all of the above" selection. Depends on what, where, and when I am hunting.

Predators I want to kill as many (legally) as possible every time out.

Ducks and most geese...I guess I "trophy hunt" I try to pick out drakes only because it actually makes it interesting and the hunt last longer than shooting the first 5-6 ducks that come in. And a limit would also be a goal. However I don't need to go jump shoot or ground swat them just to kill something or get a limit...so mix in "method" I guess.

Exception to above is when I Snow Goose hunt. I don't jump shoot anymore but would if an easy opportunity arises. I like to pass shoot or decoy and I want to shoot a lot of shells and kill as many as I can...So method/limit/sportsman also as I love watching them tornado down and the whole process of the hunt. Normally take lots of pictures of the spring migration and all the other species around.

Big Game I guess I would be considered "Trophy"...why? Because in general killing just a deer, antelope or an elk, is not hard in any way shape or form. Take Whitetails for example (I guess Mulies also). Any hunt I go on I could be tagged out with a doe or random buck within the 1st day or 2 every single time, especially with a firearm. I like the hunt, the process, being out in the elements, take lots of pictures, b.s. at camp etc that would also put me in the "Sportsman's" category.

Turkey...I actually feel a little bad because they are so dumb and easy to kill. That is something I do just because there isn't a lot to hunt that time of year. Took my 5yr old out (4 at the time) and she killed her first bird 2nd morning.

With all the above I participate through conservation programs or work on habitat myself. If I am going on a hunt of course the goal is to kill the targeted species otherwise I would save money and just go on nature hikes.
I also have brought and enjoy bringing someone on their first hunt or help them take their first of a certain species. Like to take kids out including my own.

this is my exact answer as well

 

[adamm88]

SHOOTER STAGE​

For many who are introduced to hunting at an early age, our satisfaction can be as simple as just being able to see game and get a shot. Seeing game and getting shots are what matters most, and misses are of little concern. Our skills are being tested and refined, including field shooting skills and whether or not to take a shot.

LIMITING OUT STAGE​

The satisfaction of just seeing game and getting a shot is now not enough reward. These are replaced with the need to bring home game, and not just one, but a limit of birds or filling a tag. Limiting out is in the conversation as hunt stories are told. This stage is very much more than just being a hunter, and more about proving oneself as a skilled hunter who get his or her game every time out.

TROPHY STAGE​

Shooting opportunity and quantity of game are replaced by a self-imposed selectivity in the pursuit, and the quality of game taken begins to trump quantity.
The notion of conservation enters one’s thinking. We have seen enough and hunted enough to now realize wildlife, and quality-hunting experiences don’t happen by chance. Getting involved with conservation organizations and being vocal about issues offers it own rewards, as giving back and caring for the resource now adds to the hunting experience.

METHOD STAGE​

While a trophy may still be the benchmark, “how taken” has become more important than “what taken.” With all the technology at a hunter’s disposal, what is really necessary to be successful is employed, and what is not necessary is left behind. Self-restriction now adds to the challenge and rewarding aspects of the hunt.

The chase and a lasting experience move to the forefront over just taking game or only a trophy. An animal taken by more skill than a technological advantage becomes a memorable trophy, regardless of size.

SPORTSMAN STAGE​

All stages are remembered fondly, but the urgency to take game or a trophy fades to the background as the total hunting experience now offers its highest rewards. Planning, practicing, and honing skills are still important, but just being outdoors, reconnecting with family and friends, and taking the time to “soak it all in” happen more and more. Filling a limit or a tag means the hunt is over, as is the experience. Photo memories now include more than just that of game taken. Camp, scenery, old buildings, and other wildlife now appear in the portfolio. Macro becomes micro as every aspect of the hunt is cherished. Trophies taken in the past mean more and are converted from a prize for the wall into memories for a lifetime.

By now, activity in conservation is at its peak. Mentoring young sportsmen, seeing that they enjoy and experience what you have experienced, can replace even your own opportunity at taking game. For many, this the greatest reward in hunting.

I would say im Shooter/Trophy Stage along with Sportsman,

I enjoy taking animals but try to be picker especially when hunting doe(iv killed way too many button bucks that can be taged with a doe tag in pa to admit), I enjoy sitting with my son, as much as i enjoy getting animals one the more enjoyable hunting moment of my life are watching my son kill his buck this year.

 

[taskswap]

I would say "Sportsman" but I skipped the other stages. I wasn't raised in a hunting lifestyle and got into it very late in life (42). But I was never into it for trophies OR desperate to "limit out." For me it's always been Experience #1, Meat #2, all else after that.

 

[rodney482]

 

[stooxie]

I must be in the Gratitude stage: thankful for the land, the deer, the job that allows me the time and the people that allow me onto their property. I fill my freezer and donate all the rest to Hunters For The Hungry.

-Stooxie

 

[Will_m]

Remember when hunting was just hunting?

 

[35WhelenAI]

Thanks for posting this up, I just don't know where I fit.

I'd go with what WCB said, can depend on the time and situation, however, there's so much more overlap. One is not an end, nor is another a beginning.

I'm gonna share some thoughts, no heartburn or disrespect toward what is something that gets us all thinking about who we are and why we do it.

Many elements, for me anyway, that are represented in different stages are part of every stage that I've been through as a hunter. I don't care if it's a trophy or not, even after 30 years. I have a tag, and I like to fill it as properly as possible to do my part with managing game and being a conservationist, as well as to have healthy food in the freezer. I was taught from day one misses are always a concern, because it's what we owe the animal to not miss. Misses happen, however that's usually meaning the shot didn't go where it was aimed, and I don't think there's any one of us that would say it is of "little concern".

Limiting out, when it comes to filling a tag is what I strive for, however, many years I have multiple tags yet choose to take what I need, not what I could take. I would not fit in that category because I don't shoot both a bull elk and a cow elk when I have two tags. Or when living out of state for a year my license said 6 deer but I only took 3 because that is what I needed. To me, I limited out, but not in the sense of the description in order to "prove" something.

Putting conservation in at trophy stage misses promoting a lot of opportunity for folks to do that from the get-go in my opinion.

I can get with the method stage, I get a kick out of the conversations and money spent on the highest end equipment, gadgets, and technology that is talked about on forums. But I don't limit myself to less than what I have historically used.

For the sportsman stage, I think that embodies what we all are at any given time when we are hunting. We are sportsmen, and conservationists any time in the field, IMO. Filling a tag means a hunt is over and the work begins. Once the work is done time spent in camp helping new hunters and others fill their tags by pushing timber, helping with their first field dressing, help them get their game out of the field, being camp mom doing chores so others can spend more time in the woods instead of cutting wood, getting water and cooking is very far from meaning the experience is over for me.

Again, thanks for putting up the poll!

 

[NRA4LIFE]

I don't think I fit any of those, really. At 61 now, I love spending time with family/friends but I like filling a tag now and again. Circle back to last week. I hunted day 1 of the MO season with my 92 year old dad. Unfortunately he took a bad fall that afternoon and was done and we agreed he needed to go back to WI on the 4th day. I managed to kill a nice buck the very next day but was alone. It was bittersweet because I wished he had been there.

 

[jfh]

Beginner, so I’d say Shooter Stage. Spent the past two days in a stand in western Maryland with my son for our first rifle hunting experience. Saw a bunch of doe, but they are not legal yet. An 8-pointer showed up on camera about 45 minutes after we left - after legal shooting time. We will be back!

 

[Jason Snyder]

Remember when hunting was just hunting?

For some of us it still is.

 

[Pony Soldier]

I'm sorry but I don't fit your catagories. The steady point is to fill my freezer with enough elk to last the next season or a little more.

The experience with my partner (my horse or horses) is a huge part of my satisfaction. Seeing miles and miles of mtn habitat and all the animals from squirrels up are important features. Experiences with the weather, the air, the patterns of the elk and their personalities, topography and my ability to keep on keeping on all are critical components of my existance.

 

[tgivens999]

My first year not having a filled buck tag by now I’ve passed multiple deer over 125 inches with a bow at 20 yards but I’m looking for one that is over 145 inches it’s harder said than done