Make dam sure if you shoot a deer especially a large buck that it’s dead...

Felt like I had to add, hunting is hard. And doing the right thing is hard. What those guys did was exciting and fun to newbies. A true sportsman would have done what you wanted to do and should have done. Let him lay. It's hard, but like I said doing the right thing isn't easy. But the satisfaction of doing the right thing and still being successful outweighs anyother feeling while hunting. Sometimes it isn't until after the hunt you realize how much fun you had doing hard work.

 

Well said.

All the orange reminds me of a pumpkin patch. It's the reason I picked up archery. Less people hunting other methods than modern firearm/riffle seasons.

 

Take horses to the high country if you can and weather permitting. You'd be surprised how few hunters you come across.

 

If you want solitude and a hard hunt. "The Bob" in Montana will fit the bill.

I agree with the pumpkin patch though. The last time I ever hunted Antelope I had a round come over the top of my from god knows where. Last time I hunted.

 

Crazy story about your dad. I'm glad he was ok. Those Amigos deserved what they got. I never ever mix booze and guns.

I began hunting in BC. I was raised to be a sportsman. Safety was always first as you say. Respect for the animals was second. We would always try for clean kills, and would never leave a wounded animal behind. I spent 2 days tracking a wounded mule deer a friend had shot. Neither of us would leave the mountain until that deer was down. BC is also about 90% public land and very little of that is farmland. There's a bit of road hunting, but that's mainly on your way into an area. Once you get where you want to go, you put miles on your boots. BC really is the land of the sportsman.

Moving to Alberta was a culture shock when it came to hunting. Gas up the truck, grab a coffee, then drive around all day looking for deer in the fields you have permission to hunt on. Hell, I know alot of people who are doing this shit drunk. Fortunately, nobody I ever hunted with did. Asking permission to hunt on land was a foreign concept to me having grown up in BC. That said, no landowners I've run into charge you to hunt their property. It's either a yes or a no. Most hunters here in AB are in it for nothing more than the killing and the meat, not caring how they get there. Sportsmanship hardly ever enters into their mind. Some of the stuff I've seen and heard from other "hunters" here makes me cringe.

If the right person came along at the right time, I may take up hunting again. If I move back to BC someday, I most likely will. But right now, I just can't seem to get it right in my head to hunt. I've gone back to fishing, the sport I grew up on. I fly fish almost all the time, and always with single barbless hooks. I also only kill a half dozen fish a year, preferring to catch and release. There's something therapeutic about pursuing a sport purely as a sportsman. Maybe it's a form of atonement for that messed up hunting trip.

 

My son (17 years old) just got his buck yesterday evening.. 389 yards and a thru n thru lung shot. Deer took 2 steps and tumbled over .No doubter.

 

PNW kicks ass for hunting! Just like jewsNbrews I do the multi hunt tag for all big game. Had a cougar stock us on the snow trip!
And agreed- it’s all about getting outdoors

My first big bull Elk harvest - I hopped on him too soon straddling his rack and slit his throat because I didn’t want to see him suffer. It was very stupid, and he could have destroyed me. I would never do it again. Thankfully he was on his way out (direct vital shot with 180gr SST pictured below - he dropped 20 yards from where I shot him). It wasn’t a huge rack, but the bull (Rocky Mt) himself was easily 700 lbs+. We couldn’t even position his legs properly to gut him.

Pics of the PNW - cause everyone likes pics right?

 

Awesome!! Congrats!!

 

Holy shit!!!!! Beers and firearms do not mix. Bad idea.

 

Brutal experience. Good hunting partners can be harder to find than a good wife. Haha. Hope you can put it behind you and get back to hunting one day.

Personally, this fall was the most fun I’ve had in a long time. My two teenage boys, new hunters, got their first whitetails. Deer aren’t really something I normally hunt- I’m a avid elk and sheep hunter- but man, helping my kids get their first big game animals was so rewarding. It was more work than I thought it would be, honestly watch and pass on so many deer over the years while pursuing elk... but I think the struggle just made success sweeter for them. I am so fired up for next fall! Hope you can find enjoyment in the hunt again someday.