I know for most of us it's the off season and there are sure to be a boat load of equipment threads. I like talking bows and broadheads as much as the next guy but would love to see more discussions about hunting tactics and general woods knowledge.
I think even in our traditionally minded group it is easy to focus on good shooting and equipment but forget about all the other things that make a good hunter. Even the best shot in the world, shooting the most finely tuned equipment could find himself In the woods after a shot wishing he had spent more time becoming a good tracker. That same person might also suffer the worst of all evils a dead cell phone :D and be wishing he had spent a little time with a compass in the off season.
I grew up in the country and take a bunch of this stuff for granted but feel it's my duty to learn as much as I can and pass that on to my boys.
I have also figured out over the years that reading a book or watching videos on these subjects is great but there is no substitute for actually getting out and doing it. Actually building a fire in a pinch in wet woods is a little more difficult than lighting your fire pit at home. Remembering what plants are edible is a lot easier when you have held them in your hands a few times. Taking part in as many tracking jobs during season no matter what the weapon will always pay off.
During the off season backpacking trips not only keep us in hunting shape but help build a lot of these skills.
These are just a few things that crossed my mind after reading so many "which is the best" or arrow/ bow speed threads. Sorry if I rambling on.
Rob
Rob, I agree 100%. I love taking my boys outdoors and teaching them all the little things I picked up over the years, from working on my uncle's horse farm to the Boy Scouts to to my years in the US military and so forth. My 4 year old is all about sleeping in tents, fishing, riding in our canoe, and being outdoors in general. He's already bugging me for his first bow. We've built fires, pitched tents, built lean-tos, and I've taught him about common animal tracks and he eats it up. It's going to be a lot of fun as they get older.
Here, here! I know in a lot of ways I am still a newbie, not just to trad shooting, but to woodsmanship in general. I am always looking to learn more and love when these types of threads come up. If a day goes by that I didn't learn something (or teach someone something), then it's a day that I WASTED. This applies to all aspects of life (I just really prefer it when I'm learning/teaching about hunting or archery :D ).
So I implore all of you, share your knowledge of all things with us, you never know when something you taught someone might positively impact their life forever!
I started my kids learning certain trees. At the same time I taught them which animals these trees were important too and why. Now I'm doing this with my grandchildren, just like my dad did with me. I have an advantage because of my chosen profession -- Purdue made me learn this stuff and more (Forestry and Wildlife). We had to learn about 120-130 trees and shrubs, field trip quizzes every class for a year.
I'll never forget my first job in Colorado. I had to know only 5 trees in that job. Diversity in the east is so much greater and challenging.
I can only imagine how much a hunter misses when they don't know various oaks, hickories, persimmon, dogwood, honeysuckle (even the pervasive exotic), etc. At least know the "pointy" end-lobed red oak from the round end-lobed white oaks so you'll know which will produce acorns every year and which will only produce every other year. Know that 3 burr oak acorn will keep a squirrel alive on a winter day while it takes 11-13 red oak or walnuts to do the same (it takes much more energy to get to the meat of a walnut).
My oldest grandson didn't seem super interested in learning this stuff, I think he just took it for granted because he was around it all the time. Then his dad (my son) received his bow-killed Kudu and Impalas from the taxidermist. Now he is a monster! He's bought two wildlife i.d. books (Africa) and is constantly downloading photos on our computers, phones, and his i-pad.
He also went on his first deer hunts this past season (not ready for bow yet). He is hooked!
Of course the comfort and survival skills Rob refers too are critical as well. Especially to give the hunter confidence that they are in safe and much control over what happens in the wild.
I'll be getting my oldest grandson a compass this year. We'll use it and an aerial photo of the farm we hunt to do some orienting. We'll also discuss hunting edges, and predicting from the aerial where good deer sign should be.
I have to be careful though in all this "teaching" too make it practical and fun, almost subliminal. Mom and dad are for teaching and discipline, Papaw and mamaw are for fun'n.
You can never learn to much.....time spent in the outdoors, hunting, fishing, hike'n, birding, camping or whatever is all good. Each of those activities can teach you things that you can apply to better your hunting skills. The best part.......it's all fun!!
This thread is a great idea!!!!
:clapper:
Just pulled two stands got two more to pull later this week. While we were there we tried to reflect and learn what we need to do for these spots next year. So busy hunting during season and not wanting to disturb the area, now is the time to learn and teach my son the how and why we picked this tree to hunt. I am a firm believer in during your homework and prep in the late winter / spring.
Good thread Rob...... :coffee:
Good post. I was recently with another guy on a small game hunt. we decided to make a fire and warm up while Daisy ran some rabbits. We were on private property that my family owns, and i have soe things stashed there that I may need...a big bag of Osage chips being one.
While making the fire (it was damp) I used some of the Osage, but not any paper, lighter fluid....other stuff I have stashed. The guy I was with could not understand why I made it difficult on myself. I was using the lighter in my pocket, some weeds and forest duff I scrounged from under logs, and wood I gathered (this really bothered him, as I had a full cord sitting right there under a tarp).
I explained to him that knowing how to build a fire under damp conditions takes practice....and this was practice. He looked at me like I was nuts.
I try and tweak my woodsmanship skills every time I am out.....whether it be fire building, compass work, or just plain scouting.
I love building a fire, just something about it. :campfire:
My Brother and I would read book on Indian lore and such and then we would go out and try it. One of the things that we would do is have one person stand in the woods with their eyes closed while the other person practiced their stalking skills. the goal was to touch the person before he heard you. That really helped us with our stalking...and listening skills. You've got to be traditional to love this kind of stuff I guess.
My goal for this winter while I'm off work is to learn how to make fire in a Primative fashion.
I spent a couple of hrs. one day watching videos on Youtube. Some great learning tools on there.
This topic should be a good one to keep track of. Thanks for starting it Rob.
bretto
On a backpacking trip last year I decided to build a fire with the ferro rod that is on my knife sheath. It had rained and the temps were dropping to freezing that night. My buddies watched from their cozy fire that was started with a campstove. I would like to say it didn't take long and they didn't look at me like I was nuts but success was still satisfying.
(http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/ee391/rjwalton8/S__4081.jpg) (http://s1225.photobucket.com/user/rjwalton8/media/S__4081.jpg.html)
(http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/ee391/rjwalton8/P__4080-1.jpg) (http://s1225.photobucket.com/user/rjwalton8/media/P__4080-1.jpg.html)
Rob, you mentioned staying in hunting shape. This is one of the things I took for granted in years past because the work I used to do kept me in shape but sitting behind a computer will make you soft.
Back before hunting season started last year someone wrote a tread encouraging everyone to get in shape. He said something to the effect that your body was one of the best tools you have in hunting. After reading that I decided to put some concerted effort into doing that. The energy and stamina I had was remarkable. I found myself going hunting more and on days that normally I would have probably passed.
I threw my back out exercising :D in November and had to lay off and heal. I never got back into it. I just got back from a hunt on a WMA I haven't hunted in 15 years. I walked a bunch and honestly - hit the wall a couple of times. In one season I experienced what it was like to hunt in shape and also out of shape.
Trust me- In shape is a whole lot better. :thumbsup: It doesn't take much to make a huge difference and the biggest difference is mental. You "stay in the game" a lot better if your physically strong.
I know what you mean Todd. I stay in pretty good shape with my job but running and backpacking has helped in so many ways.
I hunt large tracts of public land and get pretty far in at times. Not to mention a mortally hit deer always seems to run the wrong way. 25 miles with a 30+# pack during the summer makes dragging so much easier.
Before I would come home dragging butt from work and drink some coffee to keep up with the kids for the evening. Now days when the weather is nice I run a couple miles and have energy the entire evening. No more "I'm too tired to hunt after a hard day" whining.
It also seems it is easier to stay warm on stand when you are in better shape. You don't sweat as much on the way in and your body if functioning as it should.
All this exercise also makes me drink more water which I neglected for years. Proper hydration has more benefits for a hunter than I care to list but we all already know that. Its just hard to stick to sometimes. :coffee:
I'm pretty decent at firemaking, but my wife is an absolute marvel. At a mountainbike festival (camp in) a few years back where it rained for days beforehand, we were the only campsite with a fire. It was all my wife. I was ready with the hand sanitzer and a duraflame log, but she wouldn't have it. It took her a little bit, but she split some smaller logs with the camp axe, took my Mora and shaved out a ton of strips from the dry middle of one, and started her pyramid from there, drying the next size by her tiny fire before adding and increasing the sizes. We had a lot of company at our site. They put her name on the shirt for that year.
I can remember when I was a kid my buddy had a copy of the SAS survival manual. I thought that was the coolest thing ever. No telling how many times I read that thing.
We would build our own shelters and cook fresh caught fish in a pop can over the fire.
I miss those days everything seems to move so fast anymore.
A few years ago we did a great thread on land navigation, I think next to first aid that a refresher would be a great set of learning threads. Practice with a map and compass during summer will be a great benefit to some.
I long for the teaching threads of the past.
Very good post like Roger Norris said!!
Woodsmanship is an art that is slowly fading away.
I am 51 and I have been practicing that art since the age of 16.Just the thought of making a fire with
some birch bark and some small spruce branches using
just some good old strike anywhere wooden matches or
my trusty fred bear sport club old zipo lighter,just
makes me come alive.Woodmanship is the way that nature was intented to be used!!!
MAY THE SPIRIT OF FRED BEAR GUIDE OUR ARROWS.
Good post. I am amazed at the number of hunters that I know that do not know anything about the woods. A lot of them can't ID more than a couple of trees. I can't believe how many hunters only go in the woods during hunting season. The rest of the year they will not set foot in there.
Land navigation seems to be a dying art. I not only hunt, but also regularly backpack and canoe and it surprises how the reliance on GPS has become so prevalent. People don't seem to know how to use a compass nor terrain associate.
I agree with you ALwoodsman and bartcanoe!!
Here are some pics of some of my trips.
(http://i460.photobucket.com/albums/qq321/GUYDODIER/101_0016_zps6d1bf143.jpg) (http://s460.photobucket.com/user/GUYDODIER/media/101_0016_zps6d1bf143.jpg.html)
(http://i460.photobucket.com/albums/qq321/GUYDODIER/002_zpse0ebe501.jpg) (http://s460.photobucket.com/user/GUYDODIER/media/002_zpse0ebe501.jpg.html)
(http://i460.photobucket.com/albums/qq321/GUYDODIER/014_zps20376b31.jpg) (http://s460.photobucket.com/user/GUYDODIER/media/014_zps20376b31.jpg.html)
(http://i460.photobucket.com/albums/qq321/GUYDODIER/012-4.jpg) (http://s460.photobucket.com/user/GUYDODIER/media/012-4.jpg.html)
(http://i460.photobucket.com/albums/qq321/GUYDODIER/002-7.jpg) (http://s460.photobucket.com/user/GUYDODIER/media/002-7.jpg.html)
MAY THE SPIRIT OF FRED BEAR GUIDE OUR ARROWS.
Guyzer, Your post made my day, wonderful pictures, I for one am VERY poor on woodsmanship. Your pictues are a lesson in themselves. Thank you for your post.
Thank you for your nice words fmscan.Woodsmanship is easy to learn and Mother Nature is your best teacher.Just go out into the woods and experiment by yourself.That my friend is the way to go!!
MAY THE SPIRIT OF FRED BEAR GUIDE OUR ARROWS.
I'm lucky I might Be in this wacked out state But I can and do go hunting all year long. Sneaking up on ground squirrels and jack rabbits is great practice fore larger stuff. Worked in a nursery after high school while taking some Ornamental horticulture classes. Drove my hunting buddies nuts telling them what wild flowers was what ect.
Excellent Topic!!!
I love to practice all sorts of wilderness skills with my kids. We try to make a game of it and each week we pick one skill and practice it. The kids love it and we enjoy spending time togther doing them.
When ever we have company over they are amazed when i hand my 9 yr old son a fire rod and his knife and tell him go make a bon fire and get rosting sticks ready. the kids have lit about 40 fires each with nothing but a fire rod and striker and natural materials.
This spring we are going to focus alot on shelter building like debris huts, etc.
We are pretty good with a few wild edibles but this year we are going to learn different ways to cook cattail and make ash cakes from them.
The woods has so many wonderful, yet forgotten things it can teach us.
Awesome pics GUYZER!!
I feel one of my weak points is id'ing the trees and vegetation. I'm fine with most of the tree's, but the shrubs and grasses elude me me, I'm working on it. ;0)
I have always (but not in an unhealthy way!) been fascinated with fire. There is something so primal and magical about it...so, I can make a fire in just about any situation...and always have a bunch of ways to make fire on me when in the woods. My favorite though? Flint, steel and char!
Where I lack? Edible vegetation...
One thing that keeps me from dong as much hunting as I'd like these days is time spent with my son and his Scout troop. My consolation is the satisfaction of sharing camping, woodcraft, ans knowledge and love of nature with youths, and I never regret the time spent - I just wish there were two weekends every week!
Actually- I would like to see TG/mods add a section on Woodsman skills. With some guidelines we could keep a running thread of tips and skills. Would be AWESOME and VERY TRAD in my mind.
Now Rob, I believe you weren't the only one who made a fire without matches on that backpacking trip.
I had forgot about that. Magnesium doesn't count. :D
Ron LaClair has always told me that nothing hones woodsmanship like a trapline. I believe he is correct. It sure gets one "noticing" things in the bush.
I would also like to see a section devoted to helping us learn more about being in the outdoors (not just survival).
I would like to learn more about edible plants and other food sources, how you folks construct and use shelters, especially non pre-made shelters, secrets to making and using fires and everything else.
Sounds both fun and worthwhile.
ChuckC
I would absolutely LOVE a woodsmanship thread! What a fantastic idea! I know there's a ton of stuff I would like to learn. I am terrible when it comes to plant identification. Including trees that I should know the differences between.
Great Thread! I was not raised in an outdoorsy family. Sure I got outside as a kid and had access to the wilderness, but I have been teaching myself outdoorsmanship since I was in middle school.
Me and my little sister used to noodle for trout in streams behind our house as a kid. 6 in one day was our record.
I have taught myself to identify 100 trees by their bark, leaves, location, branch pattern, and other signs... I even used to know their scientific names too :)
I have cautiously learned to identify 16 different types of edible mushrooms over the past 8 years, and they have become part of my fall harvest routine.
Still trying to learn how to start a matchless fire comfortably.
Taught myself how to bowhunt starting four years ago, which is by far my favorite part of outdoorsmanship yet. Though I will admit that without any mentorship it has not been without its frustrations. It continues to be the aspect of my outdoorsmanship that I am the least confident with. I often find myself wishing I had more friends or family members with experience that can help me. I know with patience and experience I will become more comfortable though. I just get impatient sometimes feeling so behind the eight ball at 31 years old :)
Thanks for starting this thread. I am always looking for new ideas and help.
Woodsmanship is something that I am always in need of improvement and is a never ending learning process. Just the simple act of having patience is a fading skill in todays fast paced world.
Bowwild is right. Learning tree names was a big step forward for me. I went to Forest Ranger School for my Forestry learning and having the names opens your eyes incredibly. It's a great navigation aid if you get "turned around". You can recognize trees you saw before.
Guyser, you da man! That's woodsmanship in pictures. Those are cozy camps, for sure.
Fire building HAS to be the main thing and practice is how you get and stay good at it. Being able to see where the fire starter material is in the sopping wet/snow is an ART FORM.