Who keeps a journal ?

[Crittergetter]

I started keeping a journal several years ago when I duck hunted, and the last couple seasons of hunting with trad gear I have been jotting down quick notes and I fill in the complete details when season is over and I have more time. I've got several things left to write down still from this last season. Highlighting special hunts, new spots, scrapes, rub lines, ect...
Just curious if anyone keeps a journal.

[Mike Vines]

Been keeping one for quite a while.  I use a new journal for each hunt I go on.   It is not only informational when on a longer hunt...write it as soon as it happens, or try to remember later in the hunt, it's a no brainier.  Your memory isn't as good as you think and when on a longer hunt, the days just sort of flow together...also, it's fun to read over later in life to relive the memories.

[Friend]

I have for thirty years.

:Four hog hunt logs last year

:Seventeen turkey hunt logs from spring a year ago

:Fifty six deer hunt logs last fall/winter

:Thirteen turkey hunt logs this past spring

[Doug_K]

Started keeping a log of my hunts about the same time I switched from compound to longbow, about 4 years ago. Been thinking about doing the same for fishing.

Sometimes it's just a few quick notes, sometimes it's a multiple page story. Seems there is always something remarkable to write about when i'm in the field.

[Red Beastmaster]

Thirty years for me too. I titled my first notebook "Hunting Notes And Lies". I'm about to finish volume IX.

What started out as a hunting log has evolved into a diary of sorts with hunts, shoots, family events, and special things all noted. They are great for recalling a hunt or shoot. Some were with buddies who have since passed on. It is great to remember those days and all the good times we had. I have even settled a "disagreement" with the mother in law after looking up the details.  

Unfortunately, I am not one to take many pictures but I am a real stickler to keep my journal updated. It bothers me to no end until I sit down and catch it up if I get behind even a few days.

[Crittergetter]

I need to do it a lot more. More stories and better details. Id like to think my kids and possibly grand kids will enjoy them when I'm gone.

[bunyan]

I keep one too! Sometimes not as detailed as id like, but I always try to make some basic notes. I always note the date, location, and weather, along with what I see. I also try to note times in and out of the woods, sunrise or set. It's helped me remember what time I need to get upon the morning on more than one occasion!  I've always liked to draw so I might make a sketch of anything I find interesting and then put my notes, observations, and thoughts in around it. I use a small moleskin book without lines. Not cheap but its sturdy and will last for a long time!

[Kamu]

I started one for last years hunts. I try to complete after every outing. I get very detailed in the dates, times, locations and stories. I pulled it out the other day and it was awesome to go back and read the hunts and stories. I think this year I'll try to add a small photo to each story. One thing I need to do is to make sure everyone else can read it. I write horrible. Once a book is full I'm going to put them up for my kids.

[Dendy Cromer]

Yes. I started five years ago. I wish I'd started sooner but...... I buy the cheap .98 cent notebooks from the dollar store and I go through about one notebook per year. I then label it for that year and put it in a plastic file box. One day, someone just MIGHT enjoy reading some of it.

[Gordon Jabben]

I also started a long time ago keeping a hunting log when I got my first longbow in 1983.  It's surprising how many great hunts with good friends are lost to memory without the journal.  I would encourage the young hunters in our group to start keeping one.

[ron w]

Been doing notes and a journal of sorts since the mid 80's. Great to look back and compare game sightings and weather related things. When the rut peaks, how many deer seen and so on. Looking back at my notes the most activity is around Veterans Day in my neck of the woods.

[CRM_95]

I do. I jot down a few notes about every hunt, every time I go fishing or camping, if I have a really good day shooting my bow, notes about rifle loads, groups, etc...so I guess it's more of a hobby journal than just a hunting journal.

[Red Beastmaster]

My girls know how important my journals are to me and to keep them. My granddaughters probably won't be impressed with how many chipmunks I shot in a particular summer but I hope they get a sense of what made me tick. I have many entry's of my thoughts and feelings when the mood strikes me. Good and bad, it's all there.

As an example of how nice it is to reflect, I recently looked up a crow hunt when the subject came up. The date was 6/2/90. My friend Scott and I were on one of our summertime stomps when he shot a crow with his Texas Recurve. We also killed a ground hog and snapping turtle on our safari. Way cool to be able to read about that day 26 years later!

I keep a journal of my African hunts. I have never done it here, but it would be a cool thing to be able to look back on.

Bisch

[Orion]

I've been keeping a hunting journal for about 40 years. Initially, my intent was to compile all kinds of data to look for patterns.  Never really did it very formally, but do enjoy going back and reading some of the earlier years, and usually reread a few years worth of previous seasons before each season to help decide on areas to scout, set stands, etc. It's also a good source to settle camp discussions regarding what happened when.

Also keep a camp log at my cabin.  That one's been going as long as I've had the cabin, 21 years.

I write everything down the same day it happens, sometimes only minutes after it happens.  Memory isn't good enough to fill in the blanks several weeks or months after the fact.

[Zwickey-Fever]

I keep a journal on deer movement, stand placements, game taken, wildlife seen, weather conditions and people I am hunting with to figure out patterns. But I also find it interesting read years later. This year I will be adding photos.

[azhunter]

I keep one. I have a 2 hard bound books that have pages with lines in it. That way the pages stay nice and it will last for my boys to use it. I use it to write notes and areas of all the units I hunt. It comes in handy when I haven't been in an area for a while and want to check the areas and roads I hunted. I also write gps coordinates in it. I keep phone numbers of people that I have talked to about those units, game management employees, ranchers and just people I meet. I realized over the years how easy it is for me to forget details I thought I would remember.

[stagetek]

I've kept one since the early eighties. I enjoy looking back and comparing the years and deer movement. I log the weather, name of the stand, the amount of time spent on it, and the number of deer seen, shot at , hit or missed. The last one is the hardest read.

[MnFn]

I started one quite a few years ago. One thing I did maybe a little differently was l went back to my earliest memories of hunts with my dad and recorded those as well.  

My family may enjoy it as my sisters were never brought along-they had no interest- and my younger brother was too young for the most part.

I enjoy digging it out in the off-season and reading it.  Also, I mentioned it to my son.  I think he is the only one I ever discussed it with for no particular reason.

All he said was  " where do you keep it?". Hmmm.

[acolobowhunter]

I keep a journal for every hunt.  It is fun to go back and read the things you have forgotten about a hunt.  It also helps me when I am writing hunting stories for magazines.  I also keep a journal of all my fly fishing trips, so I know what fly was working and how many fish I caught on that date.