Thread: Help a newby hunter.

Great advice here mate, read it and then come back again when you aren't feeling hot headed and read it again some other wise old bugger on here told me that and shhhhh he was right.

I've been big game hunting for 18 months now. With the help from some forum men, I shot my first deer after six or so months on a private property. I learned so much from that trip - not just the practical skills but it also started my emotional journey of hunting. I was addicted at first. I wanted to kill kill kill! I wanted to get out every weekend and have meat up to my armpits. I wanted to be triumphantly be dropping off steaks to my neighbours, friends, anyone that would take it.

Then I started to not come home with meat. Or stories. Or seeing sign. Or anything. I felt like a right dick! I hated hunting purely because I thought I was no good at it. But you know what? Just like they say about exercising...even if you are walking, you're still lapping the lazy bugger who is still sitting on the couch. I snapped myself out of my immature attitude and started getting out there again. Hunting and 'armed tramping', even just day walks with the purpose of honing my navigation, plant identification or pack carrying skills are all successes to me and absolutely vital to my mental and physical well being. I couldn't live without these things.

Keep doing what you are doing and read read read! Other people's successes and failures will all be lessons to you. Youtube videos and well written stories will all be motivation. One of the most fun writers I have found (and consider to be a great success), well lucky for me and you, you can buy his stuff from your local Salvation army! There is a wealth of knowledge on here as well as some utter crap - that is the nature of the world with humans in it - so when you find yourself getting frustrated or going around in circles, get your boots on and turn the computer off!!!!

All the best, William. Recently I stalked two Sika hinds within very close proximity and even though they live to see another day, that was the best hunting experience I have had to date. And now I can say that I have a new addiction - bush stalking those cunning Japs.

Dougie