Do you enjoy being around most hunters?

[MI_Bowhunter]

Interesting question. I wont generalize by saying "most hunters" but I definitely do not like to hunt with people that do not respect the game they pursue and/or are a liability in the woods (i.e. not knowing whats behind their targets, taking shots no matter what, willfully trespassing, etc.).

[pdk25]

I think it is on a case by case basis.  For the past 30 years I have generally preferred to hunt alone, but I have a few friends that I occasionally get together with, Deadbolt being one of them.  Even if I like someone as a person I will usually go hunting alone just because I enjoy it.  I really have never been a trophy hunter, but don't understand animosity directed at those that choose to limit their shots to trophy class animals.  That leaves more lesser animals for you, right?  I also don't understand why some trophy hunters that have shot many animals get so incredibly excited and say things like 'YES,YES, YES!' after the shot.  To me it's kinda like a running back or receiver doing a celebration dance after scoring a touchdown.  Act like you've been there before.  I think if you want a hunting partner you need to find someone with similar outlook and goals as you have.  That being said, the best hunting partners to me are the ones you see when you leave the vehicle and don't see again til after you are done hunting.  So I guess someone who is always on-time and not a pompous #$% would be the best criteria for a hunting partner for me.

[BOFF]

"Do you enjoy being around most hunters?"

Yes, I do, more so than when I was younger, and hunted solo. I find the experience of making new friends, learning new things from others, and sharing hunting memories to be more of the hunt.

Do I enjoy every hunter, no, just as I don't enjoy everyone, nor, does everyone enjoy being with me.

Attitudes towards hunting can, and always will be different. Regardless, we all all hunters, all contribute to our sport, whether you feel the contribution is good or bad, due to our values and beliefs.

We all have different characteristics, and personalities, that make us who we are, just like the animals we hunt and pursue. Sometimes we hunt a species of animal, and don't enjoy that type of hunting, just like sometimes we are around some people, and don't enjoy their company.

However, and I close with these questions? If we don't associate with all types of hunters, who will introduce them to traditional hunting and traditional values?

How will they see the traditional hunter in action, and hear of his/her beliefs, if no one is there for him to see the traditional walk and hear the traditional talk?

Many a person has been transformed by another person's walk and talk.

[Billy]

I can agree with some of the points and I can agree with some of the terminology that some disagree with...
Words have meaning. Sometimes, words are just pictures.
I think..: for the most part; the majority of; a lot of; are some phrases that need to be added to our commentaries from time to time.
Forgive me this; ALL democrats nor ALL republicans are going to march in lock step with their parties.
Likewise, not ALL crossbow hunters are going into the woods 'just to make meat'.
I personally, have enjoyed the company of everyone that I have met through Tradgang. Some are knife makers,arrow makers, flint knappers,stump killers and some just want to be around sticks and strings.
It is, to me; what "you" give that makes the difference in who "they" are. And, if then, they are not someone you get along with...shake hands and go on...

[Steve Kendrot]

TV personalities are a small subset... but the are marketed to the masses. I find about 1 in 10 of the hunters I meet afield (public lands) are people I care to converse with, much less hunt with. Fortunately, the traditional crowd has a much higher ratio!!!

[charles m]

I agree with Matt. The internet has also taken on this mentality as well.  If you visit other web sites(I don't anymore) its obvious  that some people aren't really interested in bowhunting at all, but are much more interested in tearing down other bowhunters.

[wingnut]

The TV guys are not for me.  I like most folks but won't take many on a hunt with me.  It's not the attitude that everyone is talking about though.  It's going elk hunting for two or three weeks and spending all my time trying to bolster the other guy up so that he will have a good time.  I hate to be in camp with people that don't help out and hangdog around when they miss an oppurtunity.

We are there to have fun and enjoy each others company.  I had two different guys elk hunt with me in the last ten years that will never get an invite again.  One guy got so depressed when the hunting got tough, that he bitched all the time and ended up saying that we didn't know what we were doing and packed up and left with 2 days to go.  My partner and I killed a big 6 pt the next day.

The other fellow told a good story before we went so that we believed he knew something about hunting.  When we got there however, we found out that all of his hunting was done in a box blind or treestand.  The mountains overwhelmed him and he didn't follow instructions on getting into shape.  In three weeks he did the dishes once and offered to cook dinner once.  He spent most of the time sleeping while Jason and I did all the work.  At the end of the hunt, he was upset that he didn't get a shot at an elk.

Those are the hunters I don't like to be around.  Give me enthused, prepared and excited to be there til you have to leave for home.

Mike

[Ray Hammond]

I know of one TV guy I'd hunt with anywhere- his name is Tom Nelson. I spent a week with him in Saskatchewan and was very, very impressed with his approach to hunting, his selflessness in situations where he could have likely muscled his way into hot stands and instead pushed for first timers to get in there and get something...and his general demeanor.

He is a humble, down to earth person just like the people I have met from TG, and just like he seems to be on his show.

I don't think Matt was saying anything about what weapon these people used as his barometer of whether to spend time with them or not- he was speaking only of attitude.

I know from experience Matt will hunt with anyone who offers him food. He may not come back if you act like a jerk, fist-pumping the air and talking about "BIG BUCK DOWN, BABY" and that sort of nonsense, but he will hunt with you.

[Paul WA]

I could count on 5 fingers those I either hunt with or would hunt with. Over the years Ive had the opportunity to hunt with some excellent hunters but that seems like another lifetime ago...PR

[BAK]

One of the reasons I frequent these forums is that there are so few other hunters I run into around that I want much to do with.  Unless I can hook up with a couple of trad guys I prefer to disassociate from other hunters altogether.  The focus on technology and rack size are so depressing.

[Curveman]

I can agree with not wanting to hang with the: "antlers-are-everything-I-wanna-be-on-TV-always-looking-for-an-edge attitude" crowd. Somehow though that prompts me to want to thank all of the veteran hunters who have been extraordinarily generous, patient, and inclusive with me over the years. I've encountered a few condescending hunters who were overly protective of their knowledge or acted toward me like I wasn't one of the "cool kids" in a way that I hadn't experienced since high school but they only underscored what great men are they who showed kindness to someone who didn't know much of anything and even did their best to make me feel comfortable by sharing their embarrassing mistakes that they had made when they were first starting out!

Not all of us grew up in hunting families. Some of us, like me, knew absolutely nothing when we first started out. I remember when I first started traditional archery. I literally didn't know that anyone else in my area had any interest in it. I went to my first 3D shoot nearby alone. I was walking along when a guy ahead turned around and said: "Hey, are you by yourself? Well, hell man shoot with us!" I initially declined with the explanation that I'd be spending my day looking for arrows but he said; Great! You'll fit right in!" LOL! By the end of the day he'd not only gave me numerous shooting tips, he had insisted that I borrow one of his bows as: "a better bow to start with!" and gave me a number of arrows he "didn't need anymore!"  He continued to teach me a LOT about how to hunt and we are close friends to this day. I have since learned of the many others he has mentored along in this wonderful adventure!

Just tonight a member of my rod and gun club called me out of the blue to offer me his favorite stand at a nearby wildlife refuge now open for hunting. He said that he had so many private areas he'd gathered permission to hunt over the years and he knew that I hadn't many and "hey, I don't want it to go to waste so let me show you were I put it-there's some nice bucks cruisin' by there!"

I try to be like these guys and there are few people I wouldn't take hunting and no one I can think of that I wouldn't share what little I know with.

[Chuck Mullaley]

I just returned from a week long hunt in Kansas -sharing camp with good friends that I don't get to see very often.  I enjoyed the time and the company very much.  It was a joy to come into camp and share experiences and the deer seen with guys that respect the hunt, the quarry and the comraderie.

Bowhunting, for me, is a personal, singular endevour, but I do enjoy spending time with like minded folks who appreciate the experience and the craft as mch as I do.    

[Bill Carlsen]

Eichler. She has one of those TV series and is the CFO of Muzzy Corp. She has also worked with Congressmen in Wash. DC working for the hunting industry and hunters like you and me. In real life she is very gracious and charming. She has about 150 trad archers come to her family's place in NY each year and for their annual stump shoot...some of the best people in trad archery show up and most of you wouldn't know who they are. And Michelle was very influential in getting Laura to hunt. She simply told her that if an animal presented itself that there was no imperative to shoot it....you had a choice to make at that time. I would like to think that some of the others on these shows are more like Michelle in real life. I'll probably never find that out. But having met guys like you have been good experiences for me and Laura.

[vermonster13]

If we don't spend time around other hunters and share our knowledge, then they may only be exposed to the running hunting ads on television. My place is always open to other hunters at least once.

[Bill Carlsen]

Don't know what happened to the first part of my post but basically I have found that trad bowhunters to be fine people. I was trying to relate how Michelle Eichler was influential on getting my wife, who has shot with me for 15 years, to give hunting a try. I also related how much I enjoyed meeting you and Biggie and all of the others up in Labrador.

I wonder, too, how hunting in the US is going to be for the future. Surely not all of us have the time, money or land to do what we see in the horn porn TV shows. But on the other hand I have learned a fair amount about food plots and taking care of what little land I own.

[Dustin Waters]

I really dont even like to talk about hunting with most people.  My dad, my college roommates and their dad, and maybe one or two more that I can think of.  Even the one or two more can really get on my nerves at times, but they are good people.  I really cant stand it when my wife and I are at one of her hospital christmas parties or what have you, and she says hi this is my husband, he hunts.  Now i have to chat about hunting with a hospital or doctor exec, that will never understand just how I feel about the pasttime I partake in.  My dad and my college roommates are the only ones that will ever understand how I feel, and honestly Id much rather keep it that way.

[vermonster13]

That's a shame Dustin. Those are opportunities to be an ambassador of hunting. A chance to help those who may have nothing but the media and PETA ads to base an opinion on hunting  from another view from someone who does understand what it is truly about.

[Eric Krewson]

I hunt alone all the time now.

I was in several hunting clubs over the years and was really turned off buy the jerks, whack-um stack-um kind of guys that were members.

My last club was different, great older guys, hard workers and always a joy to be around. Unfortunately this club folded when we lost the lease.

I would love to hunt with some of my last clubs former members but our schedules are different and connections are difficult.

I have had other people call me and want to go hunting with me but the bottom line is they didn't know where to hunt and wanted to find out where my hot spots were. Needless to say, I didn't hunt with these type of guys.

[Bowana]

I feel the same as you Matt. I only want to be around hunters who think like me, which are few and far between.

[waknstak IL]

I hunt with my brother and with a close friend and his father. The four of us get along well split the dishes and cooking and other non fun work. I have been hunting with them for 14 years now. I also hunt alone, but like to camp and hunt with others. I've basically learned everything I know about trad from the kindness of those on this site, I really don't know any other trad hunters. Hopefully one day I'll have an opportunity to hunt with some of you.