Trad Gang
Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: VA Elite on October 08, 2015, 12:40:00 PM
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What is it that makes you tick? I mean what is the one thing about bowhunting that you cherish the most? For me, at the ripe old age of 40 (lol) after 25 years of bowhunting, it has to be that sunrise in the crisp morning...I just crave it, in fact i always have. But it wasn't until a few years ago that I realized it was the very thing that brought me to the woods. I always thought it was the rush of the kill, or sight of a big buck or even that shot, but it wasn't. No matter how bad the hunt went, I for some reason always remembered that first 10-15 minutes as the sun creeps above the trees.
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I too cherish the minutes before dawn. They are filled with such promise, except on the rare occasion when a Doe starts blowing before I've settled in!
This is why at least 80% of my hunts are in the AM rather than the late afternoon.
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Yes, watching the world come alive in the morning is a beautiful and relaxing time for me. Just enjoying the time in the woods is special. However, when old big boy comes along and interrupts the morning's serenity, that's O.K., too.
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oh yeh, the ol 10 year old mama doe in the dark will ruin the sunrise every time! with her blowing and stomping and carrying on...
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I love the sounds of the morning. Hearing all the night time creatures heading home before dawn and then listening to all the day time creatures as they wake up. I wish I could express it better but that's all I got.
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good enough my man!
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mornings are truly awesome-and i am an early riser- so its easy, but most of all i just really love the quiet time in the bush, and relish those awesome encounters.
had a duiker within 4' of where i was sitting in africa,he never knew i was there. had a red tailed hawk land on my head and set a while, a skunk fussed around outside my blind for a long while once-
oh yea, a black rhino pushed my girlfriend and i up a thorn tree once -kept us there for an hour- was a nervous climb down and walk back!! they sometimes can hang around some!
just a quick few that stand out amoungst many that i have been privileged to be part of.
anybody spending time in the bush will have amazing encounters- and great stories for the grandchildren!!
just being able to go into the bush is a huge blessing- many can not afford that privilege.
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AMEN!! :archer:
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Seeing the woods wake up!
Although, this is a close second:
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-09/516CE75A-6694-44F4-A4EE-24C06F85E131_zps6wixkazf.jpg) (http://s579.photobucket.com/user/archeryrules/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-09/516CE75A-6694-44F4-A4EE-24C06F85E131_zps6wixkazf.jpg.html)
Bisch
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All the preperation and practice..: then the sight and smell of late October leaves.. The sound of acorns falling like a light rain....
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the early walk to the stand...
the smell of damp fall mornings...
the anticipation of what could be...
campfires with good friends...
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Originally posted by John3:
All the preperation and practice..: then the sight and smell of late October leaves.. The sound of acorns falling like a light rain....
That's me.......also the slow stroll down a woods road, wind in your face, not knowing what you see at any moment. Could be a grouse or a deer, maybe a fox or just a pretty maple tree all red and orange. Cool in the morning and mild at mid day.........That makes it all worth while!
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Bisch, man that looks ridiculously good!
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I've been doing this for a very long time. I was thinking about this very thing as I sat in my stand Tuesday morning. I started out with my brother when neither of us even knew a person who had killed a deer with a bow. The anticipation of "maybe" seeing a deer made it all worth while. As the decades went by that anticipation never waivered but now I'm much more appreciative of everything that goes in to it. The practicing and scouting, teaching grandkids all about it now, the woods, smells and feel. If the thrill of seeing a deer ever goes away, or the awe of knowing I actually killed one with a stick and string leaves me I'll quit. I guess that's why I've never jumped on the trail camera wagon. Not because I think it's bad but because I want the thrill of seeing the deer I'm after when I'm actually hunting it and the fact that there are no deer in the woods that I feel are below me to take since each one is a gift from God.
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"I've been doing this for a very long time. I was thinking about this very thing as I sat in my stand Tuesday morning. I started out with my brother when neither of us even knew a person who had killed a deer with a bow. The anticipation of "maybe" seeing a deer made it all worth while. As the decades went by that anticipation never waivered but now I'm much more appreciative of everything that goes in to it. The practicing and scouting, teaching grandkids all about it now, the woods, smells and feel. If the thrill of seeing a deer ever goes away, or the awe of knowing I actually killed one with a stick and string leaves me I'll quit. I guess that's why I've never jumped on the trail camera wagon. Not because I think it's bad but because I want the thrill of seeing the deer I'm after when I'm actually hunting it and the fact that there are no deer in the woods that I feel are below me to take since each one is a gift from God."
that right there is pure my friend.
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Me, I like evenings best...and have had my best luck then. Maybe why my bow is named "Twilight and Mist". That and the close encounters, like the little forky last year at 3 yards on the ground...let him walk, and would do it again.
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You guys are really making me wish I wasn't traveling today. Getting on a plane to head home now and should have Friday and Saturday to hunt. All of you pretty much nailed it. The shorter answer would be what do I not love about bow hunting.
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Being in the woods, the smell of a camp fire in the cool morning....... but most of all the camaraderie at deer camp.
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I too like evenings better. Ithe Evenings I like best are not the best for deer. I like windy, misty, cold evenings , even a little stormy is nice. Don't know why, but just being in the woods on these type evenings give me a great feeling.
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The sunrises, the sunsets. The woods awakening. The chance to watch animals up close and personal. The possibility and uncertainty that each hunt brings. And doing it on my terms with a stick and string.
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If we're talking conditions, here's my favorite:
I love an early November day with a slight north wind when the clouds hang gray in the sky. Leaves are crunchy on the ground, and there's a chill in the air that keeps you tucked into your coat. It's that time of year in the whitetail woods that you know you can catch an old deer cruising at any time of day. These are the days I live for!
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The kill! once you get a few under your belt, you salivate for the next one.
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I like stump shooting with my wife for first part of the hike to the back end of our hunting area in the afternoon or the last part of the hike back in the mornings.
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I love the sound of "swoosh---thwak"
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For me nothing beats the sounds of crunching leaves and the anticipation of something walking in.....until I realize it's another squirrel.
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a men to that!^^
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Since I been doing this as long as I can remember (which doesn't necessarily mean a long time anymore, but in this case it means around 60 yrs. and a lot more than a couple months of a season) and I can't remember the last time I wasn't already awake before daylight. Plus I no longer can hear birds chirp and very little of anything else, either high frequency or subtle. So the dawning of days kinda run together and may have lost a little edge.
One thing that hasn't however, is the rush that goes through my body and soul at the first up close sight of a mature whitetail buck.
There's just something mystique and surreal about those antlers and that face that keeps bringing me back.
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I am a big fan of the stalk! the adrenaline rush that comes from getting really close to an animal without it knowing is my favorite part of bow hunting.
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Just getting away from the hustle bustle of everyday life....no boob tube, telephone, etc. Out west, love the sunrises and sunsets, the smell of sage and pines. Solitude is invigorating.
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Originally posted by Msturm:
I am a big fan of the stalk! the adrenaline rush that comes from getting really close to an animal without it knowing is my favorite part of bow hunting.
Or having a coyote almost in your lap hunting for the wounded animal.
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There are lots of things that I love about bowhunting.
But I absolutely love to watch the fletching disappear into then ribs.
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For me it is the anticipation of what might happen.
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The sound of an animal coming in the dry Autumn leaves.
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There was a time when killing a deer meant everything to me, and doing it first was even better.
As I got older I tended to reflect on the entirety of the hunt more, and found joy in other things that I saw and heard. Yeah, I still hunt to kill something, but very often, when the chance comes, I choose to wait a bit more and smile at what I saw.
Many find that it is tough to quantify because what makes you tick today, is generally not really what did it ten years ago, and probably won't be the same in another ten.
We change, with age and experiences.
ChuckC.
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So many of you echo exactly how I feel... A cool October day with those dark clouds scudding by, that awesome morning on a hill top when the rising sun touched the aspens and leaves began to fall like rain, birds landing on me or my bow and shrews and ermine running over my boots. And just a few days ago, that majestic bull moose coming out of the forest to the lakeshore.
I haven't even made a kill with a trad bow yet, but just being there fills my soul.
Dave.
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Preparation and anticipation. I get excited sitting during early twilight knowing it is magic time in the Deer woods. I like cooking my kills too...food I killed and cooked tastes the best.
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At this point in life I am content to just be able to go out int the woods and get away from all the craziness life hands us. Yes, I will kill a deer if the right opportunity presents itself but I can still enjoy being surrounded by the sounds and sights nature provides. Been at it awhile and the anticipation still gets me pumped up. Going out tomorrow morning-love to see the sun rise and hear the world wake up. Best of luck to all.
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I just love watching all the critters. I get a kick out of watching the squirrels hop around when the deer movement is slow. Just watching and listening to the woods does wonders for me. I have a stressful job and I have always had trouble turning the switch off and unwinding. The slower and more natural pace of the woods does that for me.
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The smell of the woods in October
The vision of sunrise and sunset
The flight of a well shot arrow, on its way to the spot
After tracking, the instant you find the animal
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I agree with everything mentioned so far. However, one of the best aspects of the hunt that I didn't see anyone mention yet is the blood trailing.
the anticipation of how it will end.
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For me it's how getting out recharges my soul so to speak. I just need some woods time. While I do gun hunt for meat I prefer bow hunting for the challenge.
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For me it's everything ( for anyone that's been at my house you understand ) I live trad bowhunting. The getting gear ready , shooting , scouting , new areas and new animals. I really love hunting the backcountry with you life in your backpack and you have to get it all done on your own ( or with friends ) new big country and no idea what's over the next mountain....
,,,Sam,,
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the scenery in the elk woods. just being in the high country, away from roads, people, and all of the everyday stresses in life and taking in the various flora and fauna are why I do it. elk in the mountain states occupy the most beautiful places...
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I do enjoy a good blood trail also. almost to the point where I want to keep going because the rush of suspense is so high. but I also get a rush when and a huge relief when I see that white belly...
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The shooting and killing are my favorite.
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I love the cold (any month) morning. The crunch, crunch, crunch of an approaching animal. The way my heart beat races when it gets within range. The Canada geese honking overhead, the whistle of duck wings over the marsh. A hawk landing on a branch mere feet from my head, a mink hunting a stone wall. The peace and quiet of a still morning. Just being one with nature for a few short hours a day.