Down In The Dumps/first Deer Season I Cannot Hunt. Blah!

[Sludge]

So, this is my first hunting season where I literally do not have the option to hunt. I am pretty down about it, after talking with my Da on the phone today.

Mind you I am not a hunter that is after a trophy, or even a kill. I have always enjoyed the excuse to "take my gun for a walk" and just be out in the wilds. If on the occasion I was given the chance, I would down a nice buck or doe without hesitation though. This helped extend the feeling of well-being hunting gave me, as the days of preparing steaks, and processing and stuffing my trademark sausages, along with a years supply of REAL jerky were always something to look forward to.

Now, voluntarily without firearms, unable to draw a bow, and disappointingly without a crossbow due to expense, I will not be able to hunt this year. My Da described to me his first venture out in the mountains back home today on the phone. He is new to crossbow hunting and had a great time in our old stomping grounds. I really miss that. Not so much the hunting itself in this case, but the "excuse" to hang out with the males from our very large family, hunting by day and enjoying beer and nickle/dime/quarter poker games at night.

Really peeved as I have no clue what to do with myself this season. CAnnot safely be in the woods solo, due to all the damned "flatlanders" out there that have no business owning a potentially lethal weapon, and my own self invoked restriction on weapons. I could throw on some orange and tag along, but it just wouldn't be the same and, I feel, more depressing.

Even worse, I feel like I must resort to mooching to get a few steaks or some jerky. This is not a good feeling.

SIgh.


Anyone have any advice to offer? Not even fishing is an option, the rivers here are far too poluted to bother with.

 

[Anglesachse]

If you like getting out but have decided on a "NO Gun" time at present, how about going anyway.

Tracking, stalking and just watching them get away. Do you need to drop a deer to enjoy the Hunt? I personaly don`t think so. But it keeps you one with nature.

You wouldn`t need to go with others, just jack jones for a day or two. I reckon it would do you good anyway Sludge cocker.

If you are cunning enough, maybe you could get close enough to tag one and make an appointment to hunt next year. You know, choosing your hunting mate for next year. and then Sticking to him/her. Going out of your way to find the same animal?

Yes the Country is big, and there are a lot of deer or what ever. But most animals do have their own roaming grounds so you should be able to locate the same pack again.

Just an Idea.

 

[Ned]

Good advice from Angle. I know exactly what you're saying. And if it's any help, once I knew I was on the road up, I got back to taking a rifle out into the woods.
Like Angle says, watch the local deer, work out their routes, sleeping and browsing places, bucks that will be ready for culling. They 'heft' to an area like sheep and the pattern will be the same for years.
In the meantime, take out a camera-gun. Really, they do exist or you can easily make one from an old stock, any stock.
Decent telephoto lens, electric release and you're in business.
And it's right about not having to shoot. 90% of the time I go out I just tab and tab, watch, and soak up the quiet.
No reason to give that up.

 

[Zipperhead]

Did you own your own gear before? What did you do with that stuff? Can you sell it and raise the cash for a crossbow?

 

[JarHed]

Hey Sludge

That's a tough one my friend. As always, good advice from the guys. Even if it wouldn't be the same, just having an excuse to be in the woods sounds great to me. I'm sure you're family and friends would love to have you along. Just because life changes and we sometimes can't continue with a particular thing doesn't mean we have to cut ourselves off from it completely. Enjoy it for what it is; good time and place with people you like. We all learn to make a lot of adjustments in this life but it doesn't mean we have to lock ourselves away from everything we enjoy. Go for it Bro.

Jar

P.S. I think I could live of deer jerky, yum!

 

[Sludge]

Stupid me! I'm so down in the dumps I forgot to be objective!
Thank you for all the suggestions. The camera is brilliant. I have a fancy DSLR I never use...and this is the perfect solution. I can go out and hunt for pictures, no permit required!

As for my gear, i still have all of it, it is just a few states away with my Da for safekeeping. I just got a job though, so hopefully by next season to get a crossbow.

 

[Ned]

Good one mate. You'll find plenty examples of stock-mounted cameras on the web, if you need a rough arrangement drawing let me know. I should've mentioned you'd need an SLR, you've got that so good!
The nice thing to remember,if it's a good detailed and centred picture, it would easily be a deer taken.

 

[Sarg]

Echo the above. I don't hunt. Would, if I had to. But would just much rather come up on a herd and just watch those magnificent creatures in the wild. Not as populous as they once were, so you look longer, harder but they're there.

Funny thing is I carry a little Nikon in my shirt pocket but if I get a shot, they're an itsey, bitsey little speck on my computer monitor. I have a Canon Rebel but need a decent tele lens for it.

Get out. Fresh air. While you're young before you get too old, like me.

Sarg

 

[Sludge]

Funny, really. the more I ponder this subject, the more I realize my best memories are not "shooting a deer to put in the freezer" related, though I have some good of those too.

Years back I was sitting on a stump having a smoke and a sandwich, and a small black bear came hustling up to me in the deep, heavy snow. It stopped roughly ten feet in front of me, exhausted. Both of us were beat from tromping through the heavy Appalachian drifts all day, me in search of food, him in search of place that didn't have some idiot hunter tromping through and scaring the crap out of him. I wasn't afraid, as Pennsylvania black bear is pretty small as bears go. We stared at it other in silence for almost 15 minutes until the bear caught it's breath and then ambled on to points unknown. Wish I had a camera on me for that one.

I have ordered a mini-tripod off of eBay, and borrowed a wide angle panoramic lens for my Canon. I'll jump out in the field next week and try my luck with pictures rather than bullets. All I need to do now is figure out how to get some venison to make jerky and sausages with...

 

[Tim Cake]

Funny, really. the more I ponder this subject, the more I realize my best memories are not "shooting a deer to put in the freezer" related, though I have some good of those too.

Years back I was sitting on a stump having a smoke and a sandwich, and a small black bear came hustling up to me in the deep, heavy snow. It stopped roughly ten feet in front of me, exhausted. Both of us were beat from tromping through the heavy Appalachian drifts all day, me in search of food, him in search of place that didn't have some idiot hunter tromping through and scaring the crap out of him. I wasn't afraid, as Pennsylvania black bear is pretty small as bears go. We stared at it other in silence for almost 15 minutes until the bear caught it's breath and then ambled on to points unknown. Wish I had a camera on me for that one.

I have ordered a mini-tripod off of eBay, and borrowed a wide angle panoramic lens for my Canon. I'll jump out in the field next week and try my luck with pictures rather than bullets. All I need to do now is figure out how to get some venison to make jerky and sausages with...

I try to avoid shooting bears whenever possible. They are like roving clean-up crews. If the bear is acting aggressively towards me or my dogs, it will get the 7mm magnum treatment. If the bear is minding his own business he gets a "free pass". No sense in killing just for the sake of killing...

 

[tho9900]

Sarg you may have one in mind but if you go looking for a decent tele for wildlife would be more than happy to give recommendations....

I mostly do portrait and pet portrait photography but after reading this I think it might be a good prescription for me...

 

[JarHed]

Even if you have a'basic' tele you can increase the range, dramatically with a multiplier. It can be cheaper than to spring for an 800 or 1000 mm lens. Also makes handling a long lens a bit easier as well. Get a monopod too. Easy to carry and get set quickly in the field. Most of all, Have fun. :D