Thread: Taking the Hunt out of Hunting.

I don't disapprove of how others accumulate their meat. There is no right or wrong way, just different ways and kudos to anyone who gets off the couch and heads outdoors.
As the old saying goes, there's more than one way to skin a cat.
Ive had to unsubscribe to 5 or 6 Youtube channels over the last 6 months. I'm sure each subscriber wont miss my subscription one bit and in return I get some of my own time back to use for more productive endeavors.
I subscribe to and watch only a few "Hunting" channels these days, even though there is plenty of choice out there for wild animal harvesting content.
With the way modern technology is going, I see there's no real need to learn the skills of hunting much nowadays to gather meat.
I miss the Nimrod stories from the old FishnHunt forum and his multi day excursions through the bush before Youtube sort of took off.
Sadly there's less of that style and more sit up a hill somewhere, break out various pieces of technology and eventually just line up a target and take a shot.
I'm not hating on that style of meat gathering as it seems to be more popular than ever, its more so the demise of the old ways.
Just like cars are becoming more electrified and gadget overload orientated, so too does hunting err meat gathering it seems. Even more so if you have a Youtube channel.
Just an observation, no hate, its just getting quite noticeable. Culling not included.
Just a natural progression through millennia I suppose.
Hunting is needed less as a skill to harvest deer, but technology is becoming more so.
I guess I'm getting old.

YouTube is somewhat self-selecting. It's easier to film long range hunting than bush stalking (just my opinion).

I think it's a reflection of the high deer numbers now. Plenty of elders will tell tales of traveling to haast and shooting half dozen deer on the road over etc. pinnacles hut on my Somers is built in slaughter gully.old Gerry Orouke told me of seeing mob of ninety hinds there.anothet elder Jim Darcy told me of six hinds living there in sixties. During 80s I never saw deer near it. Last time I was up there,ten years ago I guess I glassed two from close by... Farmland with little sanctuary areas have allowed numbers to increase as have locked up forest areas. What we are seeing on open ground now is a reflection of the larger population.forsure there is a whole generation coming on who haven't had to bush stalk or go without. But some of us still do it.get out and enjoy your hunting,don't stress how others are doing it.the more they hammer the open country the better the bush stalking will be.

as Mickey Duck says don't overstress it just get out there one thing that does not change and thats how alert deer are - the most expensive gear is useless if you stuff up your wind direction or allow yourself to be seen out on a ridge just do it

What piss me off 2 days ago driving up a river bed.Seen a seagull flying off what look like a dead deer 200yds always on open river bed.Two year old spiker,shot thru the sholders 2 weeks ago maybe?.No meat taken off it,bloody waste.There's some lazy bastards around.

I think I probably did 7 or 8 trips before I ever saw a deer. And I was in the company of very experienced hunters. Even tops hunting wed do 3 days as a two person team for a deer. It was discouraging on one hand, and I really wish that newbies didnt have to go through that. I hate to imagine how many young guys gave up. But for those of us that stuck it out it taught us alot.
On the other hand Id love to tell some of those starting out now, to put away some of the gadgets and tech and you will end up becoming a better hunter faster. But times have changed and there are so many more activities that offer quicker gratification and success. Id hate to be a newbie nowadays. Plus I suspect that many starting out just cant afford the cool stuff anyway and are doing it pretty similar too how we did. with the exception of phones.

The untalked about gadget thats changed things the most is google earth. You used to have to go explore, bush bash and feet on the ground to find the little clearings and hidden spots, Now its there for all to see.
I never had to compete with people the way you do now.

https://m.youtube.com/@gonebushnz

It’s not all doom and gloom

Definitely no stress this end. I suffer from some things but stress isn't one of them.
I love the fact that people think they need technology or have to use technology to get deer on the deck.
It means more hunting opportunities for me in the places I hunt, as them using technology pretty much keeps them out of where I roam.

If a young person needs instant gratification in their lives to the point that they must shoot deer quickly starting out and often to keep at it, then are they hunters in the truest sense? Maybe they are or maybe they are just doing it because it seems cool at the time or just trying to keep up with their mates or whats popular at the time among their peers on social media.
It took me 5 years between my first deer and my second when I first started out. Did I ever think about giving up? No. Frustrated yes, but failure just drove determination and desire to be better.
I have the hunting gene ingrained into me too strongly to have ever thought about giving up or wanting to not be able to hunt.

The bush hunting channels are no more or less popular than the long range or shooting channels. This isn't about which category is better or worse because there is no better or worse, just different ways of achieving the same goal.
Its more about how the shooting channels are using so much technology nowadays that there is very little hunt left in my opinion.
This is the reason why I've unsubscribed. There wasn't enough left to keep myself interested.
I see the hunt as the part that holds my interest, not the end result, or having to have a deer down to be deemed a success which the shooting channels seemingly seem to rely on more.

If anything these channels may possibly deter young guys even more so because of the sheer amount of electronics and other stuff needed to seemingly get venison on the ground.
Some of these guys have so much gear and electronics that isn't and wasn't necessary previously when their channels started but apparently is now.

Ive been subscribed to Gonebush for years. Their channel is still on my subscription list.

Don't know, doesn't matter, just spitballin

Go watch young Tasman make cock up n shoot three deer then bone them out and carry pack heavier than himself for hours...it's good for the soul man. He is a machine.

I realised a long while ago that I do not care for watching videos about hunting.

I didn't know know why really, they just used to frustrate me or make me uncomfortable. I figured out the reason after a while: I have not seen any video that can really come close to describing the experience of hunting in any meaningful way. I do not think the medium is the best one for this subject. Writing can get closer to the truth of it. Articles and books can grab at it, and at least get something. But video just can't explain anything very well really.


(Note: You cannot harvest a wild animal. It's not called harvesting a deer, or wild animal harvesting, it's called hunting. The phrasing is a political euphenism.

Don't use euphemisms to pretend you're not hunting, you've got nothing to hide. Saying "harvesting" instead of hunting is an Americanism; over there hunters face political pressure from organised anti-hunting groups. It has pushed them into this form of semantic hiding, which is a weakness. We do not have that in NZ. You shouldn't do it, and there is no need to. (Also, something else to think about, if you use a euphemism then you are trying to manipulate someone by not describing something accurately. Remember it was the Nazis who used euphemisms like "liquidation".) )

I kind off agree. Though I mostly enjoy the vids produced by guys like Tasman who really show much more of the small detail of the adventure of it all.

Philosophical time- Maybe we can call it harvesting- the metaphor has been around for along time- Otherwise what is " The Grim Reaper'?

Place to glass from: Blind, hide or stand
Anywhere further than 10 yards from the car: Mission
Going and getting it: Recovery
Gun: Weapon
Is ya gun safe? Weapons check

Originally Posted by Tahr

Place to glass from: Blind, hide or stand
Anywhere further than 10 yards from the car: Mission
Going and getting it: Recovery
Gun: Weapon
Is ya gun safe? Weapons check

Very much an Army thing.
There seem to be quite a few ex and serving youtubers around.
Can pick them a mile away, Im airforce and have worked alongside them a lot over the last 18+ years

Originally Posted by 9STAGS

Definitely no stress this end. I suffer from some things but stress isn't one of them.
I love the fact that people think they need technology or have to use technology to get deer on the deck.
It means more hunting opportunities for me in the places I hunt, as them using technology pretty much keeps them out of where I roam.

If a young person needs instant gratification in their lives to the point that they must shoot deer quickly starting out and often to keep at it, then are they hunters in the truest sense? Maybe they are or maybe they are just doing it because it seems cool at the time or just trying to keep up with their mates or whats popular at the time among their peers on social media.
It took me 5 years between my first deer and my second when I first started out. Did I ever think about giving up? No. Frustrated yes, but failure just drove determination and desire to be better.

As a recent first timer, I'm hoping that won't be my experience! It took me 18 months for the first, and I didn't even spook a deer for a year after my first trip.

But I love bush hunting. Just getting out there and trying is worth it for me.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

Go watch young Tasman make cock up n shoot three deer then bone them out and carry pack heavier than himself for hours...it's good for the soul man. He is a machine.

And then pull a hand mincer out of his pack and whip the most delicious looking dinner