Off Season Poll: How did you get your start into hunting?

[Sytes]

10 y/o sling shot a squirrel in our backyard. Pops said, "You kill it, you eat it".

 

[Bonasababy]

Family were hunters and fishermen and women long before I was born. As a kid I heard stories from one side of eating lots of different game--some of it more scarce back then than it is today--and was enthralled by stories of my great grandmother on the other side who used to troll the old fashioned way--in a wooden rowboat--and routinely caught lots of fish. I started hunting and fishing all year long at a young age, and while hunting has taken a larger role still do both.

Teachers, the Murie brothers, Leopold and some professors led me to a path that ended up in a related career choice.

 

[SaskHunter]

Didn't come from a family of hunters. I used to watch those Walmart Jim Shockey DVDs and dream about hunting.

Around the same time, my oldest sister started dating a hunter. He was kind of a greasy skid, but he took me hunting a few times. I dragged my dad and a couple siblings to do hunter safety with me. Bought my first couple gun under my dad's name until I was old enough to do it on my own.

 

[gouch]

My dad was almost 41 when I was born. He had done some pheasant hunting when he was in his twenties and on a few occasions throughout his life he had gone deer hunting with his brother but never really got into it. He liked fishing and like to read about both hunting and fishing, so he subscribed to Outdoor Life, Sports Afield and Feild and Stream. Those magazines are what got the fire burning in me. So, when I got old enough to hunt my dad took me hunting and we gradually learned together, what the hell we were doing out there.

 

[SamS]

My family all hunted so I got started very early. Quickly became an obsession which likely was the cause of my divorce years ago. Nothing has changed other than I have a wife that enjoys it it as much as I do now.

 

[rjthehunter]

We needed the meat. Both my parents worked two jobs outside of the ranch work. I started young because it was contribute or starve in our house.

Honestly, when someone is in a tough place like this, I think there should be leanency in the rules. I don't know what the rules would be, but I'd rather read about this vs some 18 year old prick was out there shooting deer and leaving them lay.

 

[Raisin Bran]

Family tradition that goes way, way back. Long blood line of Elk hunters.

 

[Farmer20]

I began hunting and fishing with my dad and grandfather when I was very small. I miss those. Good memories.

 

[shelbycoltd]

muley freak showed up in my shorts.
on YouTube.
he made it look cool.

 

[AFBeyers]

Fellow Hunt Talkers,

I did not grow up in a Hunting family or even a Hunting culture but for some reason I always wanted to go hunting. I begged my my non-hunting mother to take me hunting and finally my whines were answered with a $50 dove hunt in Uvalde, TX when I was 12. My very supportive mother watched me miss a lot of birds that day but I have been hooked ever since. Since then we have shot quite a few things together (deer, birds, alligator) but I eventually started hunting solo.

I imagine I am the minority of hunt talk and the overwhelming majority of you got started hunting with your hunting family members. Maybe your Dad or an Uncle took you to show you the ropes when you were young. Feel free to comment below with how you started your hunting career.

Grew up in South Eastern Montana going along on hunts with my Father and older brother. Plenty of amazing memories chasing after Pronghorn and Mule/Whitetail deer.

 

[Don Fischer]

Grew up with mom and step dad on Long Island, New York. Mom's family from Oregon all hunted same with dad's family in Michigan but never got to meet them till I was 17yr old. Started cause I think it was berd in, taught myself. Started hunting rabbits with my bow and target arrows, didn't do well. Step dad got me my first rifle when I was about 15, mod 93 Sweed in 6.5x55. Went hunting upstate new York, never got a shot. Infact had the rifle a fair number of years and never shot it. Stepdad grew up in NYC and didn't shoot much!

Today I have 7 rifles and 6 shotguns about 10 handguns and have been reloading since about 1967.

 

[beaglegun]

My grandfather hunted quail 3 times a week when KY actually had quail. He took me every single time I asked. No deer or turkey back then. We grew up hunting quail, rabbits and squirrels, and loved it! I guess we didn't know any better