+ 1 sweet offer there
Try not listen to people who have only hunted occasionally mate, tag along with a wise head.
Don't worry to much about success rates it's part of your learning curve.
I believe a good hunter is someone who can go out when they need a deer for a feed, shoot a deer cleanly at any range without the deer even knowing your there, then your turning into a hunter.
Good luck and have fun
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Last edited by BRADS; 08-10-2013 at 08:04 PM.
As I started hunting on my own I would always put it down to luck wether I would see something or not. Amazingly once I went and bought a decent set of binos my luck seemed at least triple! As I keep going out and figuring out where to look/what to look for and where to stay away from all at different times of the day or year in rain, sun or snow I just keep getting luckier! Keep persisting and enjoy every hunt no matter the conditions or if you see anything and you will be rewarded in the end.
I believe that you make your own luck. Every time you do the things you are told to do by experienced hunters you buy yourself another chance at bagging a deer. The hardest part I found to begin with was doing any of what I have been told with enough persistence for it to pay off.
I got so frustrated with beating the tracks to death without even seeing a deer and even without seeing any sign I stopped.I waited till my heart slowed. My breathing became regular, then I took about 5 careful steps and stopped, looked around, listened and the repeated this over and over. A couple of corners later and a morepork started flying around me looking at me curiously. I remember all the deer hunting videos and them showing birds up close. I carried on. It was almost like the bush was accepting me into it, I was a part of it. 15 minutes later a fallow spiker walked along the track browsing on the odd sapling. I shot it. Was I lucky? YES. But I at least had a chance by doing at least a couple of things right.
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
She loves the free fresh wind in her hair; Life without care. She's broke but it's oke; that's why the lady is a tramp.
Rule 4: Identify your target beyond all doubt
Good thread, this, some great advice, bit of a reality check for me anyway. I'm currently reading Red Deer In New Zealand, by Roger Lentle and Frank Saxton. Quality stuff. And yes, hunting is very addictive, great ain't it?
' I'm currently reading Red Deer In New Zealand, by Roger Lentle and Frank Saxton.'....reading the same book at the moment....its brill....
While I might not be as good as I once was, Im as good once as I ever was!
Rule 4: Identify your target beyond all doubt
Covering small sections of likely deer holding areas very slowly will get you more than covering huge areas walking fast.
Take a few steps,look around,take another step or two then look around another half minute.repeat.Go slower if needed.
I was doing this 2 weekends ago,then sat down to do my shoe lace up for 2 minutes.Stood up and there was a doe sneaking away from where there hadn't been one when I went past. Hunting is not for those without patience.If you don't learn patience you wont get deer.
Just about everything you can learn about your preys habits will help you to find them. Do they like warmth ? do they like grass? what will they be doing early morning as opposed to mid day ? What will they be doing mid afternoon on a baking hot summer day ? What are they eating at certain times of the year and where in the areas you are looking are these to be found ?
If the area you are hunting does hold deer and you are not seeing the deer,then learn the area.Intimately. The worst thing you can be doing when learning to hunt is try different areas every trip.
follow on this point i am looking at getting out hunting deer or pigs im in ragiora and was wondering what areas are good to go out, or more to the point i have looked at the doc website and they list the places to go hunting but witch places arnt worth the time beacuse of low numbers and what places are better to get to know first,
thanks
i havent been hunting for years but about to get back into it, but remember when i started when i was young alot of long walks seeing no animals haha or even better finally seeing animals and being told we didnt come out to get handbags
Right its on. WIlliam has made contact and a dates been set. Standby
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