If you could only pick one method

[TREE ‘EM]

As I age and parts of my body start to fail, I’m leaving my bow on the wall in favor of my rifle.

Anything I can hunt with a dog adds to the experience for me, weather I’m the one who takes the game or holds the lead. Raising, training and successfully hunting with a dog is incredibly rewarding.

That said, I’m a trapper first and foremost, by profession and desire. There is great satisfaction in taking an animal that has a range measured in square miles and getting them to place their foot, head or body within just a few square inches.

If I had to define and pidgin hole myself, Trapper would cover it. I love my dogs and they more than pay for themselves but trapping is what puts a roof over my head and feeds my family.

 

[mwebs]

If I lived where I grew up: shot gun for ducks, geese, pheasants, deer and turkey. Where I live now: Bow for elk and deer.

 

[bbell]

If I was to pick a weapon my choice would be muzzleloader. Have to get closer, so a little like archery, and still have the smell of powder and further range, like rifle. My smoothbore can work for birds and large game.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Falconry
Nothing cooler in my book...
Although, I’d need one big ass eagle to snag an elk.

Seems more like a spectator sport to me.

 

[roosiebull]

I have always admired bowhunters and wished I would have gotten into the sport but my shoulders just aren't up to the brake in the cams, so I'll just envy those hunting with a bow.

if you enjoy hunting how you do, hunting is hunting, there are differences in strategy between types of hunting, and there are difficulties that are inherent in each season.

how seasons are composed (at least in the my state) I would say the difficulty is similar between all weapons and seasons (harvest stats show that as well for the most part)

archery elk season I have a month.... a month with a compound, being well practiced, with a weapon most can accurately shoot 50+yds, it gives a person with time lots of opportunity. and we get to chase them through all stages of the rut.

rifle season is a zoo with people, first season is 4 or 5 days, people all over, and still the coastal jungle, so the range of a rifle can quickly be nullified. it's a different set of challenges, but i would say equal challenges.

i have never rifle hunted elk, but i take people out every year, both seasons, pretty much every day if i'm not on the ocean working, so my perspective is from seeing both sides for many years, and a lot of days in field during both hunts.

deer is a different dynamic, but still archery and rifle hunting them has their benefits and challenges.

hunting is hunting, there are purists who think their way is way harder, or a better way, but it's only that way in their mind, not in real life. hunting is what we make it, and we all have our lists of importance on why we do it.

if you enjoy your styles of hunting, you aren't missing out, and if you had years invested in archery hunting, you would realize it's just another form of hunting, no easier or harder than the rest (relatively)

if someone chose to take their bow on public land during rifle elk season with a rifle tag, then i would say they are certainly doing it the hard way.

it's more about the season than the means to me, which is why i'm glad we don't have to pick one weapon.

 

[nowen22]

Archery equipment for sure. Nothing quite like following an awesome blood trail to an animal you've stalked and killed.

 

[cbat]

My wife and I hunted with Harris Hawks a few years ago in Ireland. Talk about a rush but I am a stickflicker at heart that also loves to trap so there is that.

 

[wymtnpounder]

I really enjoy hunting with my dogs.

 

[Poeschel]

Longbow. Love the lightweight, quietness, and discipline it requires to stay consistent. I got tired of opening the compound or rifle case a week before the season, shooting once or twice and going hunting. See a deer, range it, dial in the bow or scope and shoot it. That was tough, lol.

 

[Robster]

Hunting over hounds with a handgun. Whether it's my encore pistol in .410 for cottontail and hare or a Ruger Single Action for bobcat, fox, coon, coyote, bear, lion or a big knife for hogs. Horseback or on foot. I will spend the rest of my hunting career following a pack of hounds.

 

[FLAK]

I do love a pistol caliber Lever Action or a Traditional Round ball shooting muzzleloader.

 

[Laramie]

I love archery hunting but if forced to choose, I would go with rifle. I was raised to hunt for food and there isn't a more reliable way to fill the freezer year after year. I wouldn't be happy about it though.

 

[Grundy53]

Rifle

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[5MilesBack]

One method only huh? I'd pick aggressive bugling, but not sure how the bighorn sheep are going to respond to that kind of hunting.

 

[roosiebull]

Archery equipment for sure. Nothing quite like following an awesome blood trail to an animal you've stalked and killed.

watching them get wobbly legged and tip over right in front of you does blood trails are over rated. I feel like I did my job the best when you either see or hear them fall over.... I don't "love" sitting there in anxiety trying to figure out if I saw what I think I saw, then following that typical 25-30yds of tracks before the blood starts hitting the ground.

I love when an arrow shot animal doesn't react to the shot at all, it's the ultimate end to a season, they truly didn't know you were there, and didn't know they were dying. I don't like the anxiety of waiting, and if it's an obvious good shot I just can't wait more than 20 minutes (especially late afternoon)

i have as much patience as anyone doing what i need to do to get the shot, but i'm a different person when i shoot one. of course if i'm not sure about the shot, i'll do what i need of course, but i hate waiting and tracking if i'm the shooter.

if someone else shoots, it's a different thing, then i don't mind waiting and like tracking.

 

[nowen22]

watching them get wobbly legged and tip over right in front of you does blood trails are over rated. I feel like I did my job the best when you either see or hear them fall over.... I don't "love" sitting there in anxiety trying to figure out if I saw what I think I saw, then following that typical 25-30yds of tracks before the blood starts hitting the ground.

I love when an arrow shot animal doesn't react to the shot at all, it's the ultimate end to a season, they truly didn't know you were there, and didn't know they were dying. I don't like the anxiety of waiting, and if it's an obvious good shot I just can't wait more than 20 minutes (especially late afternoon)

i have as much patience as anyone doing what i need to do to get the shot, but i'm a different person when i shoot one. of course if i'm not sure about the shot, i'll do what i need of course, but i hate waiting and tracking if i'm the shooter.

if someone else shoots, it's a different thing, then i don't mind waiting and like tracking.

I can agree with that. The death wobble is a great sight to see!

 

[kickemall]

Running it with a dog.

 

[Maverick1]

Running it with a dog.

So, your one method would be doggy style?

 

[Blueticker1]

There's quite a few more houndsman and trappers on here than I expected, I'm pretty sure I cut my teeth on the coax of a wildlife materials yagi or the chain from an old victor 3n. I have been out of hounds for a few years now. I come to the realization that I could either have a damn good pack of hounds or trap more than I ever had, the traps won out but it sure hasn't gotten any easier waking up on a crisp morning and not thinking about loading up dogs and riding rock piles.

 

[Robster]

Blue ticker, I also trap, but the hounds and horses keep me too busy to do anything more than dabble in it.

You welcome at my fire anytime for some hound music if your ever in the area.