"If I could" or "Someday I may"

[JT of PA]

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For those who don't know ... I do not hunt. I like most everything about hunting except ... the blood. Sight/Smell ... good chance I'm going down.

However, I really want to hunt two things:

Turkey and boar.

Dream would be turkey with crossbow and boar with spear. I don't know why but boar hunting with a spear seems like one of those things that would be a lifetime memory and in a small part of my mind, "It's just the way it was meant to be done".

I asked a local butcher if I could witness a slaughter. He let me see two live cattle walk in on their own power and exit on meathooks. I was sniffing my smelling salts pretty hard thoughout and had to use a chair for the second one.

Anyone here, start out not a hunter and then develope into one?

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[VixChix]

I hope you get the chance to someday JT!

I don't do other people being sick to their stomach - makes me want to lose it too. I can't stand needles. Can't watch another person get them either. Yet I have no problem giving them to horses and dogs. I can't watch surgeries on TV but I've held skin together for suturing for dogs and horses. Somehow animals are different.

Being a female and getting into hunting back in the early '80's I very clearly remember wondering if I could actually pull the trigger when the time came. After several nights of sleeping in the cab of a truck at -20 and then days of walking through the snow chasing mulies across flat land and coulies I had no trouble shooting them! It was cold enough there wasn't much smell and the sight of the guts didn't bother me at all. Everything just happened and was as it should be.

After a few years I moved to Ontario and didn't have the opportunity to hunt again until 11 years ago. I went through the same questioning - "could I?" Those deer are pretty cute and I sure enjoy watching them... but I was relieved to find out again that I have no hesitation about pulling the trigger when I get a chance.

All of that to say that you won't know for sure if you can do it, until you do it. You might be surprised at yourself!

When I was working on progressing through my ski instructor certification levels I spent a lot of time working on mental imaging. It works! Play as many mental hunting videos (starring yourself) as you can. Fall asleep at night visualizing your hunt as vividly as possible - feel the breeze, the sway of the tree, the rustle of the squirrels, the silent appearance of the deer, your heart is beating so loud you can hear it, you're hardly daring to breathe, waiting, waiting... no shot. Then the whole scenario again - maybe this time raise your bow - decide whether to shoot or not. Imagine every possible scenario, every possible shot angle. When the time comes it will be so familiar you won't have to think - just do.

Shooting 3D helps too - it's pretty fun slaying foam animals!

As for the follow up to the kill - call a buddy! Take it one step at a time and you might find yourself up to your elbows in guts before you know it!

GOOD LUCK! We're all rooting for you!

[ngamokai]

mate if you want to hunt come to New Zealand and ill let you shoot it ill clean it and prep it for you so you dont have to deal with it, no shame in feeling as you do, and more power to you for telling it how it is, I am sure there are many on this form that would do the same there for ya mate.

Matthew

[taz3]

I have yet to hunt, sort of. I used to tag along with my Dad as a youngster, for rabbits, but when I came of age, to use a rifle I lost interest. Dad had a group of buddies that he hunted with annually for moose and as much has he would have taken me, I stayed away to let him have his me time. We did everything else together and hunting wasn't really my cup of tea. I've always enjoyed weapons of any kind, most are illegal up here, but did mention that I would like to own a crossbow some day a while back and low'n behold the Mrs bought me me Phoenix for Christmas out of the blue.

With my Dad slowing down physically, it's one of the things we can do at an easy pace to fill in some of the other activities we used do together. I'm planning on obtaining my license next month and hope to hunt with my Dad this spring. At 46 I'll be starting new as well and looking forward to it.

[flightattendant100]

The actual "killing of the game" is kinda the denouement( sp?, some of you French speakers please help)of the hunt.You could hunt for the rest of your life and not pull the trigger.The planning and pursuit and commoraderie are the bomb! Get to the woods and enjoy .

[vixenmaster]

Well by God Happiness is a big Gut pile, take a deep whiff damn its great to be Alive! Never had any trouble from little on doin any of it. Jus part of the Backwoods livin, done it all my live from about 5 on til now

[secret]

JT this is not posted to flip you out in any way! This is what all of us go through during the process. MY buddy CJ and his first buck.

[UPSMAN]

JT,
I think you could clean a turkey without any big issues. I have cleaned them both ways.(plucking entire bird and then removing all guts. vs removing the breast). I prefer the breasting method for several reasons. It's fast, very little blood at all. You don't expose the guts,which keeps the smell down. And quite frankly, there is almost no edible meat on a wild turkey wing or leg. A wild turkey is not like the domestic butterball that you find in the supermarket. His legs are very muscular and have very little meat on them. I use to save them so the wife could use them for turkey-noodle soup. She said they weren't worth eating (too tough and chewy)so I quit saving them. I think you could easily breast a turkey. Good luck on your effort.
Regards,Dennis

[VixChix]

I stew the legs. First I boil them with some seasonings and wild leeks (conveniently found in the the turkey woods) . I save the broth, then after the legs have cooled I remove the meat - a bit of a labour of love getting it off those tendons. Then I use the broth and meat and make a stew - delish! Am thinking a pressure cooker might do this really well too.

[georgiaboy]

JT i hope you get your wish one day to hunt wild boar with a spear...just practice your climbing skills before you go.
I've been tree'd a couple of time's with a 300 win mag in my hand's!!

[robertyb]

Some of the guys around here that hunt hogs with their dogs will not allow you to use a gun or bow cause of the dogs. They kill the hogs with a knife.

[rayman]

Grew up with it so it's just always been the norm. Not just cleaning all manner of wild game and fish, but butchering farm hogs, chickens, and so forth too. Important to me that my son be exposed to it while growing up.

Never have had the balls to cut hogs though. Just can't find it within myself to remove an animals testicals. Doesn't bother me to hold them down, but always manage to have someone around to do the knife work.

[Bullzeye]

I hunt with a buddy who cannot be near us when we field dress a deer but he loves to hunt so we cut him slack for not helping out lol

[mr meat]

Good luck with the quest! just make sure you have someone with you!

[rayman]

Some of the guys around here that hunt hogs with their dogs will not allow you to use a gun or bow cause of the dogs. They kill the hogs with a knife.

Use to love hog hunting with dogs more than any other type of hunting. It was actually more fun to not kill the hog. We would tie them up and then let them go in a pen to feed up. It is one of those sports that you want to have the right people with you though.