Great thread! I appreciate being associated with such a class-act group of hunters...enjoyed everyone's comments. :thumbsup:
U-Guide (Chris) is right on target with the "stages of a hunter"...I have lived/progressed thru most all of them over my 50+ yrs on earth. As a kid in the "shooting stage" we didn't care what we shot at, heck dirt clods or pop cans were good enough if the game was scarce. Unfortunately, a little later on with some success under my belt I did go thru the "limiting out" stage - the one I am least proud of & a brief obsession that quickly began to drain the fun out of hunting & fishing.
I kind of skipped over the "trophy stage" - by that time having seen enough other hunters (deer hunters in particular) grotesquely possessed by it who would do ANYTHING for mission accomplished (pay ungodly amounts of money, trespass, fight/argue over a downed deer, get mad because somebody else beat them to the punch on a particular patterned animal, practically abandon wife & kids, hunt all 90 days of the season - geez, get a life already) - that was more than enough to cure me.
I now find myself at a season in life to enjoy the overall outdoor experience & the wonders of just being interactively involved in God's creation. I can finally honestly say it doesn't really matter if I get anything or not (but that's coming from someone who already has a lot of fins, fur & feathers under his belt).
For me personally, I think the greatest satisfaction comes from the do-it-yourself learning curve (for both me & my dog). My first partial-year to live in pheasant country I hunted alone 4-5 times, learned a lot & finally bagged a single rooster for the year on the final day of the season (I was elated). This past year (my 2nd season) things really began coming together & overall I averaged 2 birds per trip for the season, but I had to scratch for them most days & hunted all-day long more days than not (the way I like it). One of my most memorable, enjoyable days afield this past yr was a rare totally "skunked" day!
Some days afield it's the solitude, others the camaraderie, maybe a particular sunrise/sunset, a full-moon or star-studded sky at night listening to coyote music, that special bond between a man & his dog, the spirit of adventure, all of the incidental non-game flora & fauna sighted or wildlife antics encountered/observed that makes my day - you never really know what might be encountered the next day, over the next hill or around the next bend!
I think the real problems begin with heavily condensed/edited half-hour shows on Outdoor Channels that set expectations unrealistically high & when substantial MONEY becomes involved. I understand both sides (hunter & guide): On the one hand, when a person pays big bucks for an advertised "cream of the crop" place that is supposed to be head-n-shoulders better than what can be had publicly for free, then he somewhat rightfully expects a lot (especially the working stiff like me who sacrifices what he almost doesn't have in the first place for that special once-in-a-lifetime opportunity). On the other hand, anyone who has already earned his own hunting stripes knows dang good & well that no guide on the planet is getting filthy-rich from his efforts - if anyone doubts, just try setting up your own hunting or fishing operation & any get-rich-quick illusions will quickly be dispelled! The majority of these guys work hard for their money & it is only deep passion for the sport that keeps driving them to eke out an honest living doing what they love!
For the most part, I have managed to get around the whole thing by sticking to simple low-cost do-it-yourself adventures. If I don't spend the moon, then I don't expect it in return. For me personally, I get far more satisfaction anyway from one wild-rooster outwitted on my own than a limit every time at some wipe-my-butt shooting preserve & I would much rather match wits with an average 8 pt roaming free on public or everyday private land than have a 200+ B&C pen-bred-&-raised monster whitetail inside some high-fenced ranch handed to me (I wouldn't give you a nickel for the latter) - but this is just me. That's why there are plenty of different strokes for different folks! Whatever floats your boat or yacht if you can afford it!
Sadly, in an age of McDonalds, video games, & all manner of instant success - I fear that many people are already hopelessly out of touch with what is being espoused here!
Thank God there are still some of you left!!! :cheers:
