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What matters most, the animal or the experience? #7712547 01/09/20 02:25 PM
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It was a post I made in another thread that got me to thinking about the overall experience in taking a game animal. Someone had made a comment about shooting their first deer with open sights, which made me think about how any rifle takes on something new once you take an animal with it. That point brings to mind how many hunters take a much wider and more holistic view of the experience in taking wild game. Perhaps the best example might be the guy who gets dropped off with a small group somewhere in the wilderness of Canada or Alaska to hunt elk or moose. I'm sure that after a hunt like that, everything the hunter took with him or her takes on something new, especially if it were a successful hunt.


"Some people will never like you because your spirit irritates their demons."
Re: What matters most, the animal or the experience? [Re: Texas Dan] #7712552 01/09/20 02:34 PM
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The experience, and it's not even close for me.

Re: What matters most, the animal or the experience? [Re: Texas Dan] #7712593 01/09/20 03:05 PM
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It's the experience. I've taken great animals at 200+ yards but it's the ones I took within 30 yards that stand out. Long shots are nice but to have an old bruiser close enough you can hear it chewing is the most amazing experience. I've been asked if I was scared to take a shot and I say nope I'm just seeing how close a shot I can get. I've had deer walk, never to be seen again because I wanted to see how close they would get. I've shot way more animals with my cell phone than I have with a gun just to prove I was close.


Sometimes it's hard being me! But somebody has to do it.
Re: What matters most, the animal or the experience? [Re: Texas Dan] #7712594 01/09/20 03:05 PM
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The experience by far. If I kill it, it's a trophy to me and that's all that counts. I couldn't even tell you what the majority of them score.

Re: What matters most, the animal or the experience? [Re: Texas Dan] #7712595 01/09/20 03:06 PM
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The experience also for me. Every year I take out my longbow for archery elk season, we put up camp and spend a few weeks chasing them around the mountains.
I've had elk at arms length, called in bull moose, taken a few grouse, seen lots of bear sign and no elk with the longbow as of yet.
It's just a great time to be on the mountain and a take would be just the icing on the cake.

For my rifles seasons , meat is key for us. Getting an animal for the freezer , several, is important, but we've seen things that make the experience memorable without a harvest. Some days going home empty handed is not bad , another day to hunt.

I guess in a nutshell it does go both ways but meat is more important than antlers or horns for us.

Re: What matters most, the animal or the experience? [Re: Jgraider] #7712604 01/09/20 03:14 PM
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Originally Posted by Jgraider
The experience, and it's not even close for me.


Yep.

Re: What matters most, the animal or the experience? [Re: Texas Dan] #7712611 01/09/20 03:19 PM
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These days it’s the experience, and I can enjoy the experience 10 times or more for every time I actually take an animal. But, back when I was early married and broke, I hunted for food. It was hunting for the animal, not the experience.

And maybe I’m in it for the memories that came with the experiences. I do have great memories.


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Re: What matters most, the animal or the experience? [Re: Jgraider] #7712697 01/09/20 04:25 PM
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Originally Posted by Jgraider
The experience, and it's not even close for me.


This for me too....as little as I’m able to get out I don’t care if I make a harvest...I’m just glad to no be at work...


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Re: What matters most, the animal or the experience? [Re: Texas Dan] #7712706 01/09/20 04:37 PM
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The experience. Same thing with mounts I have. Some aren’t the biggest trophies but the memory behind them is why I want them on my wall.

Re: What matters most, the animal or the experience? [Re: Texas Dan] #7712714 01/09/20 04:50 PM
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The experience all the time every time........cheers


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Re: What matters most, the animal or the experience? [Re: Texas Dan] #7712735 01/09/20 05:12 PM
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Both pretty even for me. The "experience" without the animal is a camping trip or just sitting in a blind. It really brings all the emotion together with the take of the animal.


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Re: What matters most, the animal or the experience? [Re: 603Country] #7712779 01/09/20 05:47 PM
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Originally Posted by 603Country
These days it’s the experience, and I can enjoy the experience 10 times or more for every time I actually take an animal. But, back when I was early married and broke, I hunted for food. It was hunting for the animal, not the experience.

And maybe I’m in it for the memories that came with the experiences. I do have great memories.


This is pretty close for me as well. I have enjoyed a lot of success and had a lot of big times in the field. These days I seem to get more out of being far more selective about the animals I take and how I take them.


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Re: What matters most, the animal or the experience? [Re: Texas Dan] #7712791 01/09/20 06:00 PM
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This past Fall the wife and I had our first chance to see and hear a bull elk bugle his dominance to a group of cows and two young bulls who were doing their best to steal one when he wasn't looking. I never gave any thought at wishing I had a legal opportunity to take a shot at him.

Last edited by Texas Dan; 01/09/20 06:01 PM.

"Some people will never like you because your spirit irritates their demons."
Re: What matters most, the animal or the experience? [Re: Texas Dan] #7712805 01/09/20 06:09 PM
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The experience. My favorite hunting trip of all time, 1978 archery 10 day, mule deer in Utah with my cousin. Neither of us tagged a deer, but we had a hell of a time trying.

Re: What matters most, the animal or the experience? [Re: Texas Dan] #7712885 01/09/20 06:57 PM
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The experience!


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Re: What matters most, the animal or the experience? [Re: Texas Dan] #7712919 01/09/20 07:18 PM
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Both parts play about pretty equal.

One of my best trips I’ve ever had I did not even see an elk but for whatever reason I had a honest blast.

I’ve been successful on hunts but everything was pretty unremarkable otherwise.

I spent a lot of time in the woods and when I go to hunt I go to hunt which means I usually want to bag something. I’ve had slow days where I wish I would have went to work. Some trips i just want to get away and really don’t care if I shout something.

But to me, like a lot of things in life, you do it enough it becomes routine. I keep continuing to find new experiences and excitement in the sport of hunting by trying new things




For it is not the quarry that we truly seek, but the adventure.
Re: What matters most, the animal or the experience? [Re: Texas Dan] #7712933 01/09/20 07:28 PM
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The animal plays into the experience, but it is mostly the experience. Spot and stalk bow hunt on a 150" buck will be a greater experience than a spot and stalk on a doe. However, the spot and stalk on a doe would be more memorable than a 150 yard rifle shot on a 150" Buck that is standing in the middle of a corned sendero. As txtrophy85 said, sometimes it is all the experience. The trips that I look forward to and have some of the most fun on are Late, late season bow hunts in OK. Bitter cold, most of the browse is gone, and the deer just pour into the pastures to eat the clover. I've never sealed the deal on one during these hunts, but we see ridiculous amounts of deer. We've had some really close calls. Like the doe I stalked into bow range only to find out when I got close that she was really a he who had dropped his antlers early. No shot taken. I'll be leaving tomorrow for the late season OK hunt...and there is snow in the forecast banana banana I have never had the chance to hunt in the snow and I am so fired up about it!

Re: What matters most, the animal or the experience? [Re: Texas Dan] #7712934 01/09/20 07:29 PM
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I would have to say both, I've had times when I've been on the stand for 10 or 15 minutes and had a shooter walk right out, kind of anti climatic and not the most memorable hunts. I've also had a great time when I've hunted all weekend and went home empty handed but have got to say it's a little more fun when you get something

Re: What matters most, the animal or the experience? [Re: Texas Dan] #7713064 01/09/20 10:10 PM
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I know most people say that it is the experience, but if that was the case, I think a lot more people would be hunting with cameras.


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Re: What matters most, the animal or the experience? [Re: Double Naught Spy] #7713147 01/09/20 11:55 PM
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Originally Posted by Double Naught Spy
I know most people say that it is the experience, but if that was the case, I think a lot more people would be hunting with cameras.


The vast majority already do when you consider their cell phones.

As the case with fishing, a photo serves as undeniable proof of how things turned out, not to mention something to recall all the memories. Yes, the actual harvest is just a part of a much bigger story. Although I've never been on one of those wilderness hunts, I would bet when a guy looks at the photo of his harvest he thinks more about everything else that happened before and after the shot was taken.

Last edited by Texas Dan; 01/09/20 11:59 PM.

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Re: What matters most, the animal or the experience? [Re: Texas Dan] #7713156 01/10/20 12:02 AM
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The experience is most important, but the animal has significance in my overall memory of a hunt.

Re: What matters most, the animal or the experience? [Re: Texas Dan] #7713351 01/10/20 04:54 AM
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I like both

Re: What matters most, the animal or the experience? [Re: Texas Dan] #7713401 01/10/20 09:25 AM
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It's both. I got a big buck last year and didn't care this year so my son shot a doe and it was awesome. I finally said we are shooting a doe and he put his phone up and finally was interested. Waiting for a buck that might never come just didn't interest him after 10+ sits.

Re: What matters most, the animal or the experience? [Re: Texas Dan] #7713402 01/10/20 09:36 AM
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Even for me. I REALLY wanted to take a deer this year, but it just did’t happen. I saw several bucks this year while actually in the woods hunting, and other than one all day rain, the weather wasn’t too bad. I had a good experience this year. It could have only been better if I had put meat in the freezer.


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Re: What matters most, the animal or the experience? [Re: Texas Dan] #7713528 01/10/20 02:58 PM
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There is nothing more fulfilling you can do with your clothes on, than shooting a hog or two or three, who's in a full-on run.

The experience, all night long...

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