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What's more important: Harvest or the Experience
#8661501
08/11/22 01:42 PM
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,319
Slimpickin
OP
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OP
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Posts: 1,319 |
In my younger days, hunting trips was all about the Harvest. Now, I enjoy the experiences and memories more than the harvest itself. Whether sitting in the peaceful outdoors watching the Sun rise or listen to the stories of the ones that got away, I look forward to these times each and every year. My Dad told me years ago that the fun ended, and work began after a harvest. There is some truth to that, but the ability to get out and experience the adventure creates memories of a lifetime. As the new Hunting season begins, what do you look forward to?
Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
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Re: What's more important: Harvest or the Experience
[Re: Slimpickin]
#8661511
08/11/22 01:50 PM
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Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 7,789
Mr. T.
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 7,789 |
In my seventies now. Watching a sunrise, grilling steaks and sitting around a campfire talking to lifelong friends is more important to me than taking a big buck. However, I will take a big buck, and I put in way more pre-hunt effort with food plots, feeders, stands than I ever did when I was young. But you asked what was important to me now and I gave an honest answer.
Cabin rental in Pagosa Springs, Co. Sleeps 10, If interested please PM me.
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Re: What's more important: Harvest or the Experience
[Re: Slimpickin]
#8661517
08/11/22 01:57 PM
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Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 10,487
DQ Kid
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 10,487 |
Both are exciting to me but also can be mutually exclusive. Don't have to have both to be fulfilled and satisfied.
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Re: What's more important: Harvest or the Experience
[Re: Slimpickin]
#8661523
08/11/22 02:05 PM
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 6,866
HuntnFly67
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 6,866 |
I have had some hard, "unsuccessful" hunts that garnered fond memories of experiences that were both pleasant and unpleasant.
And then there are those hunts where a harvest WAS the experience.
I wonder if the experience is appreciated more when we approach the day where we have more hunts behind us than in front of us,
I have hunted for 30-ish years; in my 40s now. Am I at that point? Close. 30-ish seasons behind me and am hopeful I have that many in front of me.
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Re: What's more important: Harvest or the Experience
[Re: Slimpickin]
#8661527
08/11/22 02:08 PM
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Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 6,057
tlk
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 6,057 |
I am at the stage where I have taken many animals and now I am more interested in seeing my grandkids experience the outdoors and hunting. I do still enjoy messing around at the deer lease - setting cameras, checking feeders, etc.
I remember my Dad in his 60's putting down his rifle and picking up a camera. He spent some years still on a lease but just carried a camera to the stand - I can see doing that one day
You can't fix stupid
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Re: What's more important: Harvest or the Experience
[Re: Slimpickin]
#8661535
08/11/22 02:16 PM
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,331
Dave Scott
Pro Tracker
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Posts: 1,331 |
About the same, you need a little of both.
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Re: What's more important: Harvest or the Experience
[Re: Slimpickin]
#8661542
08/11/22 02:22 PM
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,349
Blank
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,349 |
A little of both. Each are enjoyable in their own way. If you totally don't care about the harvest, you may as well quit wasting money on licenses and tags, and just pick up a camera. I enjoy eating wild game, but I'm older now, have enough money to enjoy many different foods, and no longer need my family to subsist on as much wild game as I can stuff in the freezer. All about balance in your life!!
Beer and whiskey, 'cause you can't drink bacon!!
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Re: What's more important: Harvest or the Experience
[Re: Mr. T.]
#8661543
08/11/22 02:23 PM
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Joined: May 2006
Posts: 9,794
ILUVBIGBUCKS
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 9,794 |
In my seventies now. Watching a sunrise, grilling steaks and sitting around a campfire talking to lifelong friends is more important to me than taking a big buck. However, I will take a big buck, and I put in way more pre-hunt effort with food plots, feeders, stands than I ever did when I was young. But you asked what was important to me now and I gave an honest answer. In my mid 50s and say Amen to this Mr. T! I'm not nearly as mad at em as I used to be. I truly enjoy the hunt MUCH more now than I used to and couldn't care less about just killing a deer. Killing 'the' deer is now the goal! lol
High fence, low fence, no fence, it really doesn't matter as long as you're hunting!
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Re: What's more important: Harvest or the Experience
[Re: Slimpickin]
#8661555
08/11/22 02:33 PM
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Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 22,269
Texas Dan
THF Celebrity
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Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 22,269 |
When you get old enough to have memories of hunting with friends and family who have since passed, you sometimes find it difficult to remember the deer you took with them.
It's the experience by far that matters most.
Last edited by Texas Dan; 08/11/22 02:34 PM.
"Some people will never like you because your spirit irritates their demons."
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Re: What's more important: Harvest or the Experience
[Re: Slimpickin]
#8661577
08/11/22 02:50 PM
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 39,565
redchevy
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 39,565 |
I have to say both. I can certainly enjoy a hunt and the outdoors without a kill but I like venison, hogs, fish etc. making sausage is a hobby if you will, so I like to succeed as well.
It's hell eatin em live
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Re: What's more important: Harvest or the Experience
[Re: Slimpickin]
#8661711
08/11/22 05:53 PM
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 483
Hunter Daddy
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 483 |
I started hunting by myself in 1980 at the age of 12. I was with my Dad and uncles and grew up with their knowledge of hunting and am blessed to still be hunting with them today. Its the same family ranch and we poke fun at each other and talk about the "good ole days" every time we're together. We make each other laugh and cooking some of the best damn food you will ever eat. This is what its all about for me now. I'll go out hunting looking for that "Muy Grande" but if he doesn't show then a fat doe will make me happy. I don't need to kill a buck to have a successful season.
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Re: What's more important: Harvest or the Experience
[Re: Slimpickin]
#8661759
08/11/22 06:58 PM
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 19,825
TurkeyHunter
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 19,825 |
The whole experience is what I enjoyed.
To be determined
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Re: What's more important: Harvest or the Experience
[Re: Hunter Daddy]
#8661864
08/11/22 09:49 PM
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,319
Slimpickin
OP
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OP
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Posts: 1,319 |
I started hunting by myself in 1980 at the age of 12. I was with my Dad and uncles and grew up with their knowledge of hunting and am blessed to still be hunting with them today. Its the same family ranch and we poke fun at each other and talk about the "good ole days" every time we're together. We make each other laugh and cooking some of the best damn food you will ever eat. This is what its all about for me now. I'll go out hunting looking for that "Muy Grande" but if he doesn't show then a fat doe will make me happy. I don't need to kill a buck to have a successful season. Family hunts were always the Best! I do MISS those day!!
Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
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Re: What's more important: Harvest or the Experience
[Re: Slimpickin]
#8661878
08/11/22 10:20 PM
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 3,431
TLew
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 3,431 |
I came into the thread expecting the vast majority if not all replies to be the experience. While it seems that is the majority, it's much thinner of a margin than I expected. Guess that tells you what I value, remember, and cherish in and of itself.
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Re: What's more important: Harvest or the Experience
[Re: Slimpickin]
#8661888
08/11/22 10:30 PM
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 11,658
GusWayne
THF Celebrity
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 11,658 |
Harvest is the worst part if you'll hear me out
I love the experience, the preparing, practicing my shot, trimming the trees, making sure feeder is running right, lets move the stand this year, add a camera here, throwing up the binocs at 300 thinking he is the one to realize he needs another year...
I love all that and once harvest, its over for me for that area
And that's why its my worst part
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Re: What's more important: Harvest or the Experience
[Re: Slimpickin]
#8661897
08/11/22 10:40 PM
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 29,609
SapperTitan
Taking Requests
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Taking Requests
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 29,609 |
Experiences are great but they are even greater when you got meat in the cooler. With that said I’ve had many great hunts where I didn’t kill anything. I just enjoy the outdoors.
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Re: What's more important: Harvest or the Experience
[Re: Slimpickin]
#8661899
08/11/22 10:42 PM
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Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 201
10mmillie
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 201 |
The experience is more important than the kill to me. Be it hunting or fishing.
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Re: What's more important: Harvest or the Experience
[Re: Slimpickin]
#8661916
08/11/22 10:58 PM
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 6,287
scalebuster
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 6,287 |
It depends on what I’m hunting. I could care less about killing a deer, I let my boys take care of that. I love to go to camp and have a good time with my buddies and our sons.
If I’m bird hunting it’s all about the dogs and the killing. It’s not much fun walking and watching dogs work hard all day and not find anything. Those miles aren’t near as hard when you’re pointing bird every few 100 yards. I get just as excited over great dead bird work as I do over the points.
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Re: What's more important: Harvest or the Experience
[Re: Slimpickin]
#8661922
08/11/22 11:01 PM
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 31,981
txtrophy85
THF Celebrity
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 31,981 |
I’ve had awesome hunting trips where I didn’t kill an animal but I’m in the woods with a goal to bag an animal so that’s part of the goal. I am not to the point yet where I’m not putting in effort to make a kill
I also enjoy the gutting, skinning and butchering of an animal so that’s not work to me.
I lost my desire to shoot a whitetail a rifle and am not fired up about doing that, but I love to bowhunt them and am really fired up about taking them with traditional equipment, IE a recurve or longbow. I’m very excited about this upcoming season to get some kills under my belt with my Kodiak.
Sometimes you gotta change things up to keep it exciting.
For it is not the quarry that we truly seek, but the adventure.
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Re: What's more important: Harvest or the Experience
[Re: Slimpickin]
#8661929
08/11/22 11:08 PM
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Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 15,731
603Country
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Most years, these days, I’ll put two doe in the freezer, but always the experience is as important as filling the freezer. Got some great memories from the past, and I sure wish I could hunt with Dad just one more time.
And I try to save the best Bucks for the Grandson.
Not my monkeys, not my circus...
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Re: What's more important: Harvest or the Experience
[Re: Slimpickin]
#8661956
08/11/22 11:28 PM
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Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 16,014
Jimbo1
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 16,014 |
About even for me. I sure don't work hard all year at the lease trimming, cutting, feeding, bleeding, sweating, etc. just to watch Bambi come and go. I love hunting with my wife and see her get excited with a DRT shot.
FJB - Lets Go Brandon BBB - Bring Back Better Awake - Not Woke!
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Re: What's more important: Harvest or the Experience
[Re: Slimpickin]
#8661972
08/11/22 11:45 PM
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Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,687
SherpaPhil
Pro Tracker
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Posts: 1,687 |
The experience is the prime motivator for me, but meat is a close second.
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Re: What's more important: Harvest or the Experience
[Re: Slimpickin]
#8661982
08/11/22 11:50 PM
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Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 622
Sparta
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 622 |
That's a tough question. The best time I ever had hunting was on my first elk hunt with one of my best friends last year. It was hard, cold as all get out in the morning and hot in the afternoon. We hunted from sun up to sun down for 5 days. Got close a few times but in the end we came home empty handed. I'm sure I'll remember the details of that hunt for the rest of my life. Now, how much better would it have been if we'd bagged a nice bull right at the last min? LEGENDARY!
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Re: What's more important: Harvest or the Experience
[Re: Sparta]
#8661999
08/12/22 12:13 AM
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 25,324
Creekrunner
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That's a tough question. The best time I ever had hunting was on my first elk hunt with one of my best friends last year. It was hard, cold as all get out in the morning and hot in the afternoon. We hunted from sun up to sun down for 5 days. Got close a few times but in the end we came home empty handed. I'm sure I'll remember the details of that hunt for the rest of my life. Now, how much better would it have been if we'd bagged a nice bull right at the last min? LEGENDARY! 'Met some (young) guys from on here at a DIY elk hunt that have become very good friends. We didn't kill a dam thing. I, personally, smelled a couple of bulls just once. I was walking "drag". I didn't see hide 'nor hair of a single elk. 'Wouldn't trade the experience for the world.
...and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Gen. 1:28
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Re: What's more important: Harvest or the Experience
[Re: Slimpickin]
#8662005
08/12/22 12:22 AM
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Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 14,256
Hudbone
THF Celebrity
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I make more sausage than most everyone on here and it probably cost $50 a pound. After Wurstfest I hunt like fiend. If it was only for those eight deer I am a part of killing, it would not be worth it.
Went on a couple of costly mule deer hunts in Utah and Wyoming. Would not trade those experiences for anything.
I can afford targets. I am not always able to experiences worth remembering.
Just wait till lil Hud starts hunting.
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