"The Hard Way" ?

[Day Dreamer]

Love to hunt public, It's the only way that I can use my conoe and see some big woods.

[Bowwild]

By the way, if any of your are concerned about archery participation in the future... the tide is turning. The National Archery in the Schools Program is in its 9th year. Last year the Sporting Goods Manufacturing Association reported that archery participation grew 28 times faster in 2008 than in the previous 8 years combined!  Through NASP 7.1 million students have been taught archery at their school by their NASP-certirfied teacher. LAst school alone 1.5 million kids went through the program. The program is now in more than 7,500 schools world-wide; 47 states, 4 provinces and 5 countries. In two weeks NEw Brunswick becomes province #5.  On August 4th Washington DC school system joins NASP.  By the way 56% of NASP teachers say NASP increases a student's interest in bowhunting -- 77% of NASP kids (grades 4-12) have never shot a bow before. NASP will be bigger than Little League baseball in less than 3 years.  For more:   www.archeryintheschools.com

6,784 students participated in the NASP Nationals in Louisville, KY this past May.

[KSdan]

Bowwild- good post.  I would guess we agree.

Bill T- good post.  Be careful though on passing judgment on those who you judge are passing judgment!  Beware of the slippery slope. . .   Have fun scouting and shooting      

I find it interesting that bringing up the discussion about "foodplots" or "compounds vs. trad" seems to take on such a negative connotation.   Seems to me it is just a campfire discussion with opinions about how we see things. . . robust debate is a good thing.

Dan

[Hopewell Tom]

I live on 250 acres and own another 250 acres about 40 minutes away. Nothing came easy, I work on my land with a skidder and powersaw. Not a rich man, just a lucky man. Working a piece of land puts it IN your blood. I love stepping out my back door in the dark of morning and making my way along very familiar trails to sit and wait or still hunt when I've had enough of that.
No bait, no food plots, but I do know travel routes and good spots. Trouble is the deer don't help out much. Getting one on the ground IS the hard way.

[Bowwild]

Congrats to you Hopewell Tom.  I've been in your province twice teaching teachers how to teach archery in schools. Yours was the first of five provinces in Canada to join the National Archery in the Schools Program. Your Dept. of Education runs the program.

[BRITTMAN]

Yes sir we do , me and my Dad like to go to Pongo national Wildlife Refuge once or twice a year and bleive me its hunting the hard way .

[Ragnarok Forge]

Hmmm,

This one raised a bunch of hackles.  I really fail to see why.  Your definition of the hard way is your reality.  My definition of the hard way is mine.

I have heard whitetails are hard to hunt.  For me Mulies and particularly Blacktails are much harder to hunt.  Whitetails can be patterned much easier than the other two. Particularly around crops.  That doesn't minimize the skill it takes to hunt them.  It is just my view that they are easier to pattern and thus hunt and kill.  

I am endlessly amazed at how some take a simple thread stating their view and others take it personally, then others take that personally and the whole thing ballons into your putting me down.

If you don't agree with it post your thoughts but don't take it personal.  Frankly, why do you care if someone else "thinks" their way is harder.

I have lots of guys tell me how hard they work to get whitetails, mulies, black bear, elk, etc... every one of them will tell me it was harder than my hunts.  I can quote big name hunters who call the west coast mountains where I hunt the hardest elk hunt in the west.  I don't bother telling the guys chatting with me their wrong.  I just smile, let them think what they want, and keep hunting in what for me is the only way I like to hunt. With a long stick, a sharp stick, and a string in thick brush and steep terrain.  

Everything else, and everyone elses opinions don't influence my hunting, my ethics, or my thoughts.  To be frank so long as I hunt within my states laws and my own ethics no on elses opinions matter.  It is my way, no one else needs to follow my thoughts or beliefs or even agree with them.  

To each their own method and manner of hunting within the laws where they hunt.  I think we all need to be a bit less touchy and a bit more understanding of others views.  America is the place where we all get to have those and for my part every individual is welcome to them.  I simply refuse to waste my energy on being offended or frustrated with others when I can spend it being happy and getting ready for hunting season.

[beaver#1]

the only people that i know that hunts that way are the ones (myself included) that afford to go on guided hunt or hunt on land that you really dont have to hunt on. also i think it has alot to do with the way you where brought up or the way you where trained as a hunter. i dont think i would go on a guided hunt unless it was somewhere where you had to have one.

[SteveB]

The "what is traditional" question has never been agreed on so now some want to define the "hard way"?

Sorry - my arm isn't long enough to reach my back for a good pat.

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

Originally posted by AdamH:
Like Howard & Fred, does anyone do it the "Hard Way" anymore ,, No High Fences, No Ranches, No Bait Piles, No "My only private Land" Spot, ,,, just hunt Hard ,, the way it should be ?? Anyone ??  It's all I know, and Gratifying ...

It's funny how history get's changed over the years. Read some of Howard and Fred's writings and you'll see plenty of ranches, bait, and private land. You'll also see countless examples of both men using cutting edge technology for their times, especially by Fred.

[leatherneck]

Originally posted by RC:
I never thought a lot about hard are easy. I hunt the way that gives me the most enjoyment. Thats with a longbow anywhere I can. RC

This statement I agree with whole heartedly!!!!

[levibear]

We have a man, a bowyer of some fame, here in southern michigan. He lives near and hunts a large tract of public land.
While others I know are whinning about the lack of deer and to many hunters on this same tract of public land,  he kills some beautiful big bucks. It is about woodsmanship and skill and time spent in the woods  

[L. E. Carroll]

Actually one of those "oldtimers" you mentioned use to take a pack string along with "extra" horses on some of his AK hunts for bear.... He had been known to kill a horse on occasion, and use it as a bear bait....

Gene

[cahaba]

BUFF said: I didn't hunt them on a free place they was given to me by the government

The government don't give hard working taxpayers anything. We pay for it one way or the other.

[BUFF]

The same could be said of food stamps..... OK I will admit I'm Jealous of the folks that live in Wyoming and don't have to lease or own a place to hunt  

[BUFF]

at least until winter

[Terry Green]

Originally posted by Jason R. Wesbrock:
 

Originally posted by AdamH:
Like Howard & Fred, does anyone do it the "Hard Way" anymore ,, No High Fences, No Ranches, No Bait Piles, No "My only private Land" Spot, ,,, just hunt Hard ,, the way it should be ?? Anyone ??  It's all I know, and Gratifying ...

It's funny how history get's changed over the years. Read some of Howard and Fred's writings and you'll see plenty of ranches, bait, and private land. You'll also see countless examples of both men using cutting edge technology for their times, especially by Fred. [/b]

What Jason said.............

[cahaba]

Unlike food stamps the majority of public hunting land is purchased from funds derived from hunting products. I think at present 11% taxes on all gun purchases and other related gear goes to buying and maintaining public land.

[Cory Mattson]

Jason / Terry  - good job pointing out what all of us old timers knew! The original post made no sense to me at all - would not have responded except for the proper corrections offerred - Thanks <>< <---------------------<<<<<<

[LimbLover]

Honestly, this whitetail season was probably the hardest season I'll ever have simply because it was my first hunting season ever. Not just with a bow and I had no clue as to what I was doing at first.

I had only been shooting since May of 2009. Switched to a longbow in December. I hunted four different spots from October through December. Three of them totally unfamiliar public land areas where I pretty much had to walk until I found a funnel or an edge. I hunt on the ground from natural cover. I do not own a truck or anything resembling one so I can't get into most places without hiking and getting a deer home isn't fun.

Most of my hunting is done on cold December mornings as that seems to be the only time of year I can dedicate my weekends to hunting.

On the other hand, I work for a University that is located in a small town with a lot of river valleys and woodlands and was able to hunt on their lands from December 19th on while students were home for the holidays. There were only 9 other hunters and the area was large enough for us to avoid each other. Plus, the deer are hungry and not as pressured. That was the silver lining of my season and where I shot my first deer.

Prior to that one I had a couple of really nice chances on public land but it just wasn't right enough to shoot. This year I'll hit the woods with a season under my belt, more time spent at the range, and better areas to hunt.

I've decided to hunt with wooden arrows this year though.

If we are talking small game - I don't think you can get any harder than partridge or squirrels with a bow. I've yet to connect with either yet.