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So how many hunters out there, what sort of time frame did it take you guys to get the hang of it learn, right way of doing things what to look for. etc.. I am sure some had the up bring from there father or someone they new... But new people to the sport with no hunting back ground at all....
43 years old..been hunting since 8 years old..still learning..the day I stop learning I will be dead.
get out with someone who does know and you will learn faster.
todays up n coming hunters have it better than the generation before...trying to find deer in the 80s was hard work the 90s a little better but not much
If I spooked a deer every 2nd trip I felt we were doing well.
keep getting out and read ,read ,read you will pick up a lot from books eg what to look for and where to look for it, the series by Lentle and Saxton are very good places to start.
I learnt to hunt pigs as a young kid, both stalking with rifle and dogs. For deer I was self taught, it took about 2 years of hard slog before I shot my first deer, from there things just started to work out and got better and better.
Been hunting 7 or so years still learning every time I get out.
Ive been deer stalking about 5 years now, starting to get better results but not half way there:O_O:
Time spent with experienced chaps and picking up tit bits from places like this is invaluable
took me 18 months of aimless wandering in the bush and a NZDA HUNTS course to start having a clue :D
now I pretty regularly get onto sign, seeing animals is a different story.
also depends on the type of hunting you do. concentrating on slips and clearings is an easier way to get into it, bush stalking is a very specialized set of skills.
Been hunting proper 6-7 years, have shot ducks and rabbits on and off for last 34 yes. When I got the bug it was through pig hunting, had to rely on others to go hunting, got the deer bug and git into it pretty much solo, then met some guys but no one that really showed me the ropes so a lot self taught. Now I get great joy out of sharing my learnt skills. Manage to see 1 or 2 deer
I learnt the hard way. I spent months walking bush tracks and making stuff up after stuff up. learn from your mistakes, talk to and listen to other hunters. Eventually you will pick it up and start to get animals.
I went up Snee Road now it is bed time:D
Yeah man, also started chasing deer recently, going it on my own. Each time I come out of the bush I know a little more. Have seen/spooked deer every trip out but yet to put one on the deck. Some of the country you end up in is worth the trip alone.
I have had to remind myself a couple of times to stop exploring and taking pictures of scenery and start bloody hunting.
NZDA is a good place to start.
NZDA hunts coarse is a good start for non hunters.
shot my first in the first couple of months then took six months to get another.
hunted as a kid with old man and uncle .
only started deer stalking by myself 7 to 8 year ago and learnt off mates and lots of solo trips scaring deer .
Still learning every trip.
There is no magic formula you just have to read and soak in as much info you can and get out there and try to you find something that works.
Hard thing to learn is when get somewhere is don't tear off like a madmen and put your scent everywhere look for sign and come back at the right time of day.
Find a couple of spots to hunt and learn the area .
To learn a area you are going to make a lot of trips there most times without success but if you seeing sign or spooking deer you will work it out.
Also remember spots that are easy to get to are hunted often and the deer are cunning and wise to us mere humans.
Somebody on here also had wise words of spend money on fuel to get to the bush rather than flash harry guns and scent free ha ha you cant see me suits.
Yeah I have noticed that of the deer round oamaru. They are much less vocal than the ones further in. They tend to take a bugger off quietly approach rather then a peer round a tree and bark approachQuote:
Originally Posted by Zamkiwi
Took up bush hunting at the age of 55 two years ago....have manage one kill on DOC land in that time, that was a roaring stag, so i am still to 'stalk' a deer successfully in the bush, spooked a shit load and shot & missed two......
still have a shitload to learn, loving every minute if it!!!!!!!!
always the student-always learning.
as mentioned-NZDA hunts course is a must=hunting,navigation,survival,bushcraft....
start slow, ask questions, find someone local to tag along with, listen learn ask questions.
identify those local people on the forums, ask questions,dont be a dick, be humble.
same as fishing, 10% of the hunters get 90% of the animals taken, how they get there is generally persistence,learning,persistence,mistakes,persista nce...
there are a LOT of hunters on here and out in the hills trying to up there percentages, me included.meaning not everyone is good at it or halfway good at it-hence the lifetime learning process. its not an apprenticeship its a lifestyle.
took me 3 years to get a deer for our son.....lots of trying but stars just wouldn't line up..either deer was about to bolt or was too far away, got to see a few shot.he shot at a good stag last year at what Id picked as 150 yards..deer did big lurch and stagger so I didn't fire....was further than we thought more like 250 and shot had gone low, nicking brisket and leg...we tracked for over a km and lost track in misty rain...very very pissed at myself off I tell you, then this spring I managed to stalk him into a big red hind in the thick bush on Public land and he bowled her with 1 shot straight down then got a 2nd on private land a month after and added a 3rd just after that......it doesn't happen overnight but it will happen
he had advantage of experienced guy to take him out.
Never stopped learning.
Effort equals success.
Hunt with those better than you, stay quiet, absorb their skills by observation, get confident in the bush with off track navigation, get to know your weapon like the back of your hand, start small and build up (rabbits first, aim higher later) ...the rest will fall into place.
Enjoy everyday, even if you get nothing.
Best of luck
Kj
+1 basicly what i did but only been deer stalking 6 years. Took 2 years to even see a animal basicly and get one lol. Now have shot plenty, every 2nd trip at least spook one and norally bowl one over every 3rd trip on average. Not bad hunting well hunted DOC blocks around here with low animal numbers. Always learning thats for sure.Quote:
Originally Posted by Micky Duck
I got very lucky and got a deer with my first overnight trip with my centerfire. On DoC land. Saw about 4, shot one.
I am still a complete novice and can't claim to have learned much at all. I can say though that I spent a lot of time looking at maps and google earth to find what I thought might be likely spots.
In subsequent unsuccessful trips i've learned to stay away from hunting areas that also have popular hiking tracks. Or even tracks that aren't that popular. So basically anywhere easily accessible or that's well maintained = bad.