That1uncle1776
Well-known member
Bob has bird flue
Anyone give up another form of hunting all together to just hunt birds instead?
- Thread starter Keep'er Movin
- Start date
I started hunting deer at a young age. As a young lad, I used to drool over Fur Fish Game magazine that I used to buy with my haying money. Come fall, that was the only creature I thought about. Now that I have earned the status of Geeza, a big buck still gets the hear pumping, but I am realizing that my hunting time is much more enjoyable when I spend it with my German Wirehair Pointer and Wire-haired Pointing Griffon. Just just to watch “My Girls” hunt is so satisfying. I do not know if I will give up Whitetail hunting anytime soon, but agree with folks here that describe the work involved with hunting alone and processing the product. Time will tell…
Blondebomber
Member
I did give up all other hunting and went head first into upland. I shot bows for big game and the only thing I ever really killed with my bow was time. I am of the type that likes to move around. I am impatient when it comes to big game hunting, plus all the time scouting, hunting, camping, cleaning, and the money. I would rather walk with my dogs in pursuit of wild birds, with the cell phone in the truck! So peaceful, I enjoy fly fishing and I got into that big time and one of my fishing partners said it best, "it's a mental bath." It is a mental bath hunting birds with dogs, especially by yourself, you don't have to be anywhere but there and no one can find me, bliss at it's finest. There is nothing like a dog pointing or flushing wild birds. It is man working with dog on the same team. I have never hunted coons, bear, or mountain lions with hounds, but I think I would enjoy also because it is active. Maybe a good analogy is poker vs. blackjack. I would rather play blackjack because it is faster than poker, if I did partake in such sinful activity. The ability to hunt in the good Ole' USA is tremendous, you can pursue (if you have the means) upland birds from Sept to Feb-almost a full 6 months. And if you are blessed enough to be endowed with funds and time, one could go south of the equator and hunt even more.
I consider turkey hunting big game hunting since it is almost like elk hunting to me. It is easier to do and a lot less on the pocketbook, but not the same since there normally is no dog. Upland also adds the shotgun. I am into collecting them and find them fascinating. You can get some nice older side X sides for 1/2 the price of an elk expedition. In the off season you can train in the backyard, countryside, with birds(catch pigeons), use quail, and it gives a man a purpose when he has caught up on all the honey-do's, or gives him an excuse to get away from the honey-do's.
God made us all different, thank goodness! But if you're like me, I would suggest going all in on upland birds, forget all the other noise and especially those men that say, "birds, I'm after meat". If they were really after meat they would skip the hunt and go to the local Sam's Club, it's way cheaper. It is all about the hunt and there is much more action, stress free, exercise, comradarie with man's best friend, and beatiful places that can be funded all season long for the price of an out of state elk hunt. To each his own-my 2 cents!
I consider turkey hunting big game hunting since it is almost like elk hunting to me. It is easier to do and a lot less on the pocketbook, but not the same since there normally is no dog. Upland also adds the shotgun. I am into collecting them and find them fascinating. You can get some nice older side X sides for 1/2 the price of an elk expedition. In the off season you can train in the backyard, countryside, with birds(catch pigeons), use quail, and it gives a man a purpose when he has caught up on all the honey-do's, or gives him an excuse to get away from the honey-do's.
God made us all different, thank goodness! But if you're like me, I would suggest going all in on upland birds, forget all the other noise and especially those men that say, "birds, I'm after meat". If they were really after meat they would skip the hunt and go to the local Sam's Club, it's way cheaper. It is all about the hunt and there is much more action, stress free, exercise, comradarie with man's best friend, and beatiful places that can be funded all season long for the price of an out of state elk hunt. To each his own-my 2 cents!
Hunthemup
Active member
Never been a big game hunter. So nothing to give up there. I have been hunting upland from California to Texas, from Montana to Oklahoma and all the prairie states. Since 1971 have owned 11 GSPs. Have 3 now and it's still my passion. I told my sons that when I can no longer hit the hunting fields to get me a track wheel chair to follow the dogs. Come to think about it , I did give up Golf. Haha. The money save was spent on dogs, guns, trips, and dreaming of my next adventure. I did give up Waterfowl as leases and equipment got in the prohibited list. But I have my waterfowl gun for the occasional invitation. It's good to be better at one thing than good at many.
Keep'er Movin
Member
Well, I did it. I sold all my deer hunting rifles, my crossbow, all my stands, my sticks, all my saddle gear. I have one bow left to sell, some clothing, and a few odds and ends. I officially only hunt birds. It will be weird not looking at the deer hunting ads, flyers, and sales anymore. Going to probably have a lot more coin in my pocket moving forward. Looking forward to giving my full time attention to my bird dog Penny.
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Tomahawker
Well-known member
I can’t do passive hunting anymore. Sitting still in ambush is just so boring. Then if your any good you only shoot just once or twice. I wanna ramble and explore. Shoot my gun as much as possible see the country. Stride out with a gun in good country.
Windshooter
New member
After 50+ years of deer hunting, I let it go four years ago. Our deer hunting was rarely boring because western Wisconsin is infested with them and if we didn’t get deer on our morning stands, we would drive them. On the other hand after I retired it bothered me because the Wisconsin gun season would come along and I’d miss a prime week+ of pheasant hunting with my dogs. Seemed like once I would get back to it I had lost the momentum of the season. That and I never seemed to be able to get that second good road trip. Anyone need deer antlers? I’ve got a garage full of them.
I’ve given it some serious thought. Deer hunting just doesn’t have the romance for me that it used to. I like to shoot my recurves, so I’ll still hunt with those but if it were up to me, I’d hunt coyotes and birds only. We just don’t have any birds here anymore. I could put my money into some bird trips. I’m thinking of joining a preserve not far from here so i can evaluate whether or not i want to be a bird only hunter and get a dog. I will have to hunt quite a bit more to make the commitment on a dog. But nothing beats the rush of a covey rise or a pheasant flush for me. Always been that way for me. Only thing that comes close is setting the hook on a big smallmouth in Canada.
benelli-banger
Well-known member
Deer and waterfowl.
Skadergen
Member
Holy $#/+, while I gave up the many of the other forms of hunting, I’ve struggled with the thought of parting with many of my firearms. I’ve toyed with it for years but all I’ve been able to part with is a Super Redhawk in 44mag.
I did take a AR in to see what what it’s worth on trade, and I chose to pass.
Did you sell them in bulk? Do you mind if I ask how? My kids have zero interest in any of them, so essentially they are the end of the line with me anyway.
While don’t care whether I necessarily part with them, tuning them into shotguns would be fine with me.
Keep'er Movin
Member
I post a lot on a local WI site. It's called Lake Link. Its really a fishing site but there is a trading post/classified section that I use. I have collected and sold guns my entire adult life and I have built up a number of guys who are repeat customers. I also had a good friend who is now retired who would let me know when reps would come into the sporting goods store he worked for. They would often bring in demo guns that were like new (mostly shotguns) and they would then discount them HEAVILY and I would then come in and swoop them up and resell them to friends, guys I shot clays with, etc. There are about a dozen guys who purchase 90% of the things I list. Honestly, most of the guns that I sell are sold before they even hit the internet. My buyers ask me to send pics and prices before they go online and usually it's a done deal.
Keep'er Movin
Member
I used to have access to really good private land and if I hadn't lost it, I probably would still hunt deer. However, I've been trying to put a square peg in a round hole for years. Due to my work schedule, I just couldn't get out to the woods in time when I started to hunt public land. I would commute home, grab my bow and stand, walk a mile on public, and by the time I got set up, it would damn near be time to get down. When I purchased my bird dog, I still have the commute, but I also can still get an hour and a half to and hour forty five after work until daylight savings. I like the exercise, I'd rather eat fowl than venison, so its a win for me. Plus, since I am a teacher, I am taking the proceeds from the sale of my gear and putting it towards the purchase of a fishing boat this spring. My wife loves to fish and it's something we can do together. For me, it's about evolving and making my work schedule work for me. For years I tried fighting it, only to be frustrated in the end. Sometime you just have to see there is writing on the wall that you can't ignore.
I decided long ago it was upland for me. When I did deer hunt after 20 minutes or so I would get up and go look for them. Ultimately I would flush a grouse or two and think why the heck am I doing this. I would much rather just hunt the birds. I do enjoy fishing in the off season. I have a big water boat and a smaller Lund for the inland lakes. Last year I did a flyin trip to northern Ontario. I liked it so much I did a second one. This summer I booked 3 trips. The one in July I’m taking the whole clan my son and daughter and their kids. The real passion is the birds and dog work. I’m leaving for Arizona and quail hunting as soon as this system moves out
Goosemaster
Well-known member
I used to be a waterfall fanatic, but I don't really hunt waterfowl anymore, although I do plan on going to Saskatchewan one more time hopefully. I like to turkey hunt and pheasant hunt, and I got invited to go elk hunting next fall, and I might do it. I've never actually hunted big game before.
Roy B
Active member
So much to say about my journey in hunting. When I was in my teens and early 20s (early 80s) I was totally into upland birds but never had a trained dog and just hunted without one.
Later in the late 80s (88ish)a buddy at work talked me into going deer hunting with him and after that first deer I was all about deer and spring turkey hunting.
I stayed committed to hunting deer and turkey for many years and rarely if ever hunted pheasants even though I live in iowa, I was so totally committed to deer and turkey hunting I never even had any drive to hunt upland game.
Fast forward to about 2018ish and birds are all I want to hunt. My son started shooting a few roosters during the November rut. He would climb down from the deer stand and go chase pheasants for a couple hours to break up time on stand. It didn't take to many successful trips from him to convince me to go give it a try. I shot a few that year and realized how much I missed bird hunting.
To make a longer story short I have almost completely given up on deer, although I still love being in the spring turkey woods.
I don't know if I will ever stop bird hunting now. It's all I think about and planning road trips out of state and all the things that go with it keeps me excited. Having a bird dog that loves it as much as I do ain't a bad thing either. Maggie makes it so much fun and I love watching her do her thing!
Later in the late 80s (88ish)a buddy at work talked me into going deer hunting with him and after that first deer I was all about deer and spring turkey hunting.
I stayed committed to hunting deer and turkey for many years and rarely if ever hunted pheasants even though I live in iowa, I was so totally committed to deer and turkey hunting I never even had any drive to hunt upland game.
Fast forward to about 2018ish and birds are all I want to hunt. My son started shooting a few roosters during the November rut. He would climb down from the deer stand and go chase pheasants for a couple hours to break up time on stand. It didn't take to many successful trips from him to convince me to go give it a try. I shot a few that year and realized how much I missed bird hunting.
To make a longer story short I have almost completely given up on deer, although I still love being in the spring turkey woods.
I don't know if I will ever stop bird hunting now. It's all I think about and planning road trips out of state and all the things that go with it keeps me excited. Having a bird dog that loves it as much as I do ain't a bad thing either. Maggie makes it so much fun and I love watching her do her thing!
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Goosemaster
Well-known member
Nice dog
Skadergen
Member
Holy cow, Lake Link, first forum I ever joined had to be between 1990-1995 when I started, we had dial up I remember! Still remember my user name
Goosemaster
Well-known member
I can remember duck hunting, getting up at 0dark 30, putting out decoys on the east Gallatin, waiting in the dark for first light,and the flight of the majestic mallards.I remember my dad waking me up at 5am,and I loved it.I didn't shoot my first goose until I was 30,on the beaverhead river,then I was hooked on the big birds,and ducks took a backseat.I was looking at a grain field that was loaded up with geese yesterday,and thinking what fun it would be to hunt that excellent field.Then I thought about all the work,and plucking geese,and I just watched the big birds come in,and remembered years long past...