What's your favorite part of a hunt?

[Bitterbrush]

Finishing up a difficult pack out of the meat is one of the most satisfying parts.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Not as classy as Bruce’s post but I get it.

I wasn’t going for classy. I was going for truth. Why try to dress it up to impress a bunch of dudes online??? I hen I head out to hunt I’m looking to get an animal down and get some meat in the freezer. I actually think telling lies and saying “my favorite part is being in tune with nature” is far less classy than just telling the truth.

 

[Drenalin]

I wasn’t going for classy. I was going for truth. Why try to dress it up to impress a bunch of dudes online??? I hen I head out to hunt I’m looking to get an animal down and get some meat in the freezer. I actually think telling lies and saying “my favorite part is being in tune with nature” is far less classy than just telling the truth.

I agree with the thought process, but the shot is not nearly most peoples' favorite part and that doesn't mean we're lying. The rest of it is fun enough that the shot is kind of the end of the fun stuff and the start of the work. But yeah, we're there to kill.

 

[Scoot]

I wasn’t going for classy. I was going for truth. Why try to dress it up to impress a bunch of dudes online??? I hen I head out to hunt I’m looking to get an animal down and get some meat in the freezer. I actually think telling lies and saying “my favorite part is being in tune with nature” is far less classy than just telling the truth.

If your answer was the honest answer, then I'd say it was spot on. For me, my favorite is removing myself from my daily life and being part of the surroundings as much as I'm able. That's not "telling lies" and it's not BS- that's 100% truth. It's definitely not said because I care if I impress people online by saying it.

For me, the "blasting critters" piece is secondary. I love to punch tags, and I'm pretty good at doing it, but some of my best hunts have resulted in an unpunched tag. I'm ok with that. But, if filling the freezer is what it's about for you, then I say go fill that freezer and enjoy doing so!

Different strokes for different folks...

 

[goathunter]

Late season rifle when daylight is short, hiking in in the dark is my least favorite part. I like the grind of most parts of hunting but I'm over that one. You feel like a vampire you spend so much time in the dark.

My favorite part, that's a tough one, the hardest hunts are the most memorable. I would say my favorite part is when the hunting is really good and you are into them big time, that's what keeps me coming back. Well that's not true I've had a lot of sucky seasons and I keep coming back anyways.

 

[orkan]

When I lay eyes on something I decide I'm going to kill. Doesn't matter what critter it is.

There's a distinct change in me once the decision has been made. When I'm hunting, I'm enjoying being out all the time. Watching all the critters move. Seeing their patterns. Identifying familiar horns, exploring new areas, noticing all the little quirks of nature.

...but when I make the decision to go into kill mode, everything about me changes. Primal forces take over, and I'm thinking about nothing else but the task at hand.

I can cover more ground in a shorter period of time in that mode, than I ever can in normal life. Feats of strength and endurance that seem off limits other than when I'm in pursuit of my animal. When it's over, everything goes back to normal.

From the time I spot the critter I want, until just after the deed is done... that's my favorite part.

 

[vectordawg]

I really like watching "the woods wake up". The sunrise, birds, squirrels, hopefully deer, all that stuff. That's how I described it to my wife who wonders why I get up before the crack of dawn and strap myself to a tree.

Also, I actually enjoy hanging stands! I just make sure it's done before or after the blazing heat and humidity.

My kids don't hunt and I don't have a "deer camp" so there's no hanging out by the camp fire and swapping stories. That is something I wish I had.

 

[centershot]

Dropping the last loaded pack on the tailgate. Very satisfying.

 

[roadrunner]

Being done, with an animal in the back of the truck.

 

[Lil-Rokslider656]

Being in the same place at the same time as animals; i.e. encounters. For me its extremely satisfying knowing that the research I put in was not a (total) waste of time.

 

[PredatoronthePrairie]

A challenging but fun blood trail

Close second. The moment you see a species your targeting

 

[ODB]

I love seeing the instant results of my decisions good or bad.

 

[BFR]

Been thru all the stages previously listed, now watching my grandkids using what I’ve taught them and seeing their progress and abilities in the woods.

 

[william schmaltz]

The hugs and excitement of my kids upon arriving home after being gone for a week or two. There are a lot of great parts to a hunt, but that's by far the best part.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Generally, my favorite part is the hikes in the dark, to my spot for the morning hunt, and back to camp. But sometimes, looking up at the Milky Way is just unbeatable.

I'm guessing you quickly forget about the part of that predawn trek when your hunting partner starts puking after failing to keep up with you...you human mountain goat. LOL

The shot is not my favorite part and after the successful release of an arrow that hits the vitals, I feel a sense of relief more than anything. Then appreciation and I thank God for that. But it is also when the fun ends and work begins and depending on how you feel, the distance to the truck and terrain to be covered well, I'm at an age that makes the pack out more of a challenge than a source of satisfaction.

That first light period when you are where you planned to be and then spot your target just fills me with electricity. All my worries, cares, obligations...all the shit I carry around with me every day just falls away and I am fully engaged in the moment, a complete predator, at one with the nature that surrounds me. My focus narrows to one thing...taking that animal. Sliding in there to put an arrow into the vitals. It's kinda weird but at the final moment, as i am taking the shot...I go kinda cold. I feel nothing. My focus is that intense. I've been told I am a "stoic" and that my ability to block emotion during critical events is why I am still alive after five motorcycle collisions that destroyed the bikes. I somehow managed to take the exact perfect action at the perfect time to avoid serious injury. Happened while SCUBA diving for lobster once too when I got stuck in a cave and visibility went bye-bye. So for me, taking the shot is kind of a lost moment but seeing my prey before dawn is just an amazing charge. Shot this Canadian moose 6 minutes into legal shooting hours. 2nd best part? Being able to drive up to him after the arrow dropped him before he could get back into the swamp. LOL

 

[Doc Holliday]

Depends on the "hunt".

For sheep hunts I booked years out, it has to be the anticipation and excitement leading up to the hunt. The actual hunt is obviously an adventure like no other, but it goes quickly, and all the moments in it are fleeting, but having a hunt like that on the calendar provides focus and sustained motivation for me that is unlike anything else I have ever experienced. Days, weeks, months, years of non-stop excitement. Then getting back home and sharing that meat with friends and family, and sinking my teeth into it is a gift that keeps giving as well, for awhile.

For whitetail hunts back home, the first and last light are special. Those first unexpected steps in the leaves still make my heart jump every time I hear them. And when nothing is happening, just looking at the 100+ year old oaks all around me, thinking about all that has happened in their lives, and what is yet to come when I am gone....

 

[RS3579]

The sight of the animal and leading up to the shot. Adrenaline is pumping and finally the shot. Awesome feeling.

 

[Corvus Corax]

A lot of the things mentioned above, such as being an active participant in nature, enduring tough conditions and setting a heavy pack on the tailgate. One thing that I really appreciate is how much it reminds you of what you take for granted in your daily life. Clean hot/cold running water, hot food, cozy bed and your family. I’ve sat in my living room after being in a tent for two weeks and it feel so strange.

 

[MuleyFever]

Comradery

This is the part I miss the most. When I lived in WI hanging out with friends or family after hunting and talking about everything and being able to enjoy and be a part of another's success was a lot of fun. Now I am alone all the time and I really miss the camaraderie.

I dont know what my favorite part of hunting is. Watching animals walk by, being in their space and observing them. That may be my favorite part. I really enjoy being out in a vast and seemingly empty place and feeling like I could just disappear out there, some days even wishing I would (metaphorically, not actually go missing). The parts after the shot are rewarding but not my favorite.

 

[Mule3006Elk]

When I'm hunting I love the zone. My mind is so quiet I don't think about anything else. All the life distractions are gone.