Is hunting a dying pass time?

[Yoder]

It's about a lot more than that. It's not just saying "Here, you go to xyz @ 123.45.678". It's about taking time to treat your fellow human being like a neighbor and a friend. Like inviting someone over to have a beer and watch a football game, talking to someone you see out pulling weeds out of their front flower bed, swapping different foods when you're both grilling out in the backyard, having the new guy at work or church out with you to your local minor league baseball or high school football game. You know, basic human decency and goodness. Is that not taught in this state? Like when you're a kid and a new kid at school sits down at the lunch table you move over and say hello instead of clamming up and sticking with your existing clique of friends? Or is it as you're telling me expected as customary to just be an ---hole?

Nobody that I know would tell a complete stranger where his favorite hunting spots are. Shit, my uncle won't even tell me where he hunts until the season is over. I'll give people suggestions on types of areas to look for. And tell them what land you are allowed to hunt on but that's about it. Some people turn out to be real idiots in disguise.

[Yellowfin]

Did you even read what I wrote?

That would be reasonable were it not that here complete stranger seems in practice to mean not closely related and/or known from early childhood. And again, it's not just the not telling--am I not getting that point across?

This is a large reason there is so much suicide among veterans: other people forming their lives without them then not letting them in. Too many people simply act or think there's no time for anyone that isn't already there. There's no empty seat at the table for anyone walking in to sit at.

[free]

Too many people simply act or think there's no time for anyone that isn't already there. There's no empty seat at the table for anyone walking in to sit at.

This is an interesting statement. Thank you for providing something to ponder today.

[the deer hunter]

I have been hunting for almost 30 years now. I started mostly with squirrels with an inherited Winchester Model 12 shotgun from my grandfather. Where I'm from a lot of people hunt. As far as this year's deer season on the first Saturday whenever doe came in me and my recently recruited hunting bud we're hunting from my camp on Penn View Mountain. The camp gives us access to the opposite side of the game lands from which the parking area and most of the people are so everyone kind of pushes the deer to us more or less. I passed up on a doe because I already got one in muzzleloader and one in archery season so I am looking to get a buck even though I have one more doe tag. Turns out there was no buck following the doe. But we must have heard and no exaggeration at all 50 shots throughout the course of the day. So hunting is still strong in some areas definitely. my dad did not hunt and my grandfather had a stroke whenever I was 5 so he did not teach me to hunt. My best friend's Uncle showed us how to field dress a squirrel and how to sight in a rifle and that is pretty much all the mentoring I ever got. Pretty much had to figure it out on my own and boy it took a long time to get to where I am now with a reasonable expectation of getting a deer each year. My hunting history is dotted with two and three year periods with no deer. Anyway I got my longtime friend into hunting so that I would have someone to go out with he had only been deer hunting once or twice. Also this hunting season I helped to Mentor my friends 12 year old son. It was kind of fun too try to impart some knowledge into someone so young. For me finding a place to hunt has never been a problem when I was growing up I lived in the country and was able to hunt right from my own home even my bedroom window if I so desired I actually got a buck with my leg in a cast from the window whenever I was a teenager. There is a ton of Army Corps of Engineers land all around here that is great for hunting. And the game lands are not bad either but you always run into a lot of people who piss you off. Nothing more annoying than being in your spot and waiting an hour before daylight to have some bumpkin come strolling through the woods at 7:30 and scare away your deer. But I must say this is less annoying on public land where everyone has the right to be then it is on private land when those people aren't supposed to be there. But I'm going to say that hunting probably is starting to die out compared to what it used to be the millennial generation are definitely mostly snowflakes and certainly don't have the fortitude to freeze to death in the woods when they could be home playing a video game or something. I can certainly remember being a snowflake compared to my friend's father who was the ultimate Hunter he could stand motionless next to a tree all day covered in 3 inches of snow and never move anything but his eyeballs all day. He would always give us a hard time. Gloves??! He would say as if it was the most ridiculous thing in the world. God forbid you try to sit down on something LOL. I'm sure he would have a few words to say if he were still around and he saw me in my pop up hunting blind with propane heater and comfy chair with a storage container as an end table with a steaming cup of coffee on it. But that is how I was able to get my first archery deer ever this year. My only regret about the hunting blind is that I did not get one sooner LOL. Happy Hunting to all.

[punxsutawneypete]

Another little cousin went deer hunting with his dad and granddad (my uncle) this year. Since my medical issues have ended my deer hunting, I'm giving my cousin my deer hunting coat to grow into. Best way I could think of to help the next generation of hunters besides continuing to buy a license.

[wamba]

One foggy evening last fall, little girl and I spotted over 60 deer within 5 minutes at 4 different spots. One spot we were able to pull over and watch them for a while, they didn't even seem to care that we within 20 feet of them.

That is the problem. There are plenty of deer where you can't legally hunt them. Maybe the Game Commission should capture the deer where you can't hunt them and release them on Game Lands where I can't find them. Just kidding. I know it is not practical to do that, but sometimes I dream of a Game Commission that listens to hunters. Just kidding. I know that won't happen in my lifetime.