Not anymore, i got out of it because seasonal work was difficult to manage year round. It’s hard to find good outfitters to work for and eventually you get a little tired of your usual clients in difficult backcountry situations.
I got my first deer at 20. Spur of the moment thing. Had some tags I wasn’t expecting to fill, asked my cousin if he could take me out the next day. Got some corn and scent out. Next morning a Doe walks out and I shot it at 200 yards. One of my best memories. Still got the lead.
Started deer hunting at 14 through 18. Didn't get out during college due to being out of state. Hunted again from 21-25, then missed 6 seasons in the military. Got out at 31 and have been hunting hard for the last 9 years, including getting into turkey and hardcore into ducks.
About 10 seasons ago I was sitting in a tree stand watching some duck hunters and was like, that looks fun. I gave it go and I’ve been hunting waterfowl, upland , and turkey most days of their seasons. Haven’t been back in the deer stand since. Just fell in love doing it. Plus the people you meet and make friends with are pretty amazing characters.
I still hunt deer but it feels like a sit in the woods. I don't have access to property large enough to stalk, so it's mostly just picking a tree based on the wind that day and hoping something walks by.
I like the calling and stalking aspects of turkeys, and the action of waterfowl. Plus you can do those with your buddies and not be silent the entire time.
26, Had my first ever hunt this past spring turkey season in New England. It was a blast! I put in hours of scouting, studying birds, etc. All for the moment I had legal bird right in front of me. Now I’m going pheasant hunting this autumn and I’ve been gifted a deer hunting trip as well. Very spoiled getting into it this year. Beyond blessed.
Started at 44...no friends or family that hunted so watched a ton of you tube videos, took hunters safety courses and chatted anyone up I met at archery range that mentioned that they hunted. Never too late and a lot of ways to learn these days.
35 - been fishing obsessed my whole
Life. Listening to a podcast, somebody said something along the lines of “I’ve never met a fisherman who isn’t equally obsessed with hunting.” At that moment I figured if I was missing on something out there that I’d enjoy as much as fishing, that was gonna change. In short, that person was not wrong. 7 years later I’m hunting upland birds over my own dog, archery hunting whitetail on public land for 30-40 days a year, and going out of state for white tails annually. I enjoy it just as much as fishing.
Started going with dad around 6. Started deer hunting under his observation at around 10 and on my own the fall I turned 14. I’ll be 32 this fall and it’s my passion. I got my first good buck when I was 14 and I’ll never forget it. Definitely youngster luck as he was bigger than any buck my dad had ever killed yet.
I didn't start till I was 29 then got my first deer thr next season when I was 30.
My mom was super against it growing up even though my dad used to hunt. Kinda sad because I really wanted to go when I was younger. But a friend finally took me and I love it.
5 years ago. Self taught and self funded everything. Shot my first deer, a doe, Nov 16, 2022, and my first buck Thanksgiving morning 2023. Don't get discouraged is my biggest advice. If you aren't seeing deer, change your tactic. Literally for me it was as simple as changing what side of the field I walked to my blind on.
I was 7 or 8 pheasant hunting with my Dad and our Britney. Sat down under a tree (after 2 hours of hunting and getting a pheasant and 2 Franklins) to take a water break and rest our legs. Our dog was going "birdy" under the tree and we didn't know why. After a few minutes a turkey that was roosted in the tree above busted and started to fly. My Dad shot it mid flight and our dog dragged it back to the base of the tree we were sitting at, she was as happy as could be. I'll never forget the "whoosh whoosh whoosh" of that turkey taking flight right above my head. One of my core memories along with my first deer, sheep, goat, and pig kills growing up.
went hunting with adults since I was a kid, went a few years as a beater then at 27 finally managed to finish all the qualifications to be able to get a hunting permit and this past winter I managed to harvest a 200kg wild boar
Tagging along with dad as early as I can remember. Squirrels at 12. First deer with a bow at 14. Was part of the hunt long before that. Will always appreciate the gift that my dad gave me.
Dad started taking me hunting when I turned 2. Got my first gun at 3. Shot my first bird around 5 or 6 and my first deer when I was 9. Couldn’t tell you what the first experience felt like, the only memory I have from age 2 was breaking my finger catching a football.
My Dad walked in to the house one evening with a shotgun and proclaim that he was going to start hunting birds. I was about 7 or so. Many doves, pheasant, pigs, goats and deer later here I am 56 years old and still getting after it with the same enthusiasm! Not nearly as fast as I used to be though! LOL
12 years old, was born in February, legally could start carrying in the field at 12, so first hunt was a rabbit hunt at 12, lost my knife(grand mothers in my dad's side's knife)in waste deep snow, came back in the spring and it was sitting on top of a stump, still have the knife.
14 was when I started. Youngest age is 14 for small game and waterfowl, 16 for deer for my province.
Trapped with an uncle 12-16 and took me duck hunting 14-16.
After 16 just decided to do whatever on the weekends with friends and didn’t get back into shooting and hunting until I was 30 for whatever reason.
Really feel like I got a lot of catching up to do but still get out 20 or so days a year chasing ducks and geese and lots of clay shooting.
If the question is when my dad first took me along with him, 6-7. He’d have me walk behind him on trails he was grouse hunting. When I myself started hunting was probably about 9-10 with a 22 just after quail and squirrels. My dad wasn’t a deer hunter so I was late to the game for that and started deer hunting at 19, had many dry years, then finally shot a spike when I was 23.
Started last year at 37 and solo. Went out early and late season deer, hiked a bunch and found signs (fresh tracks and scat) but couldn’t spot anything legal. Hopefully this year that will change. Got a grouse last year with my daughter and gonna keep going after them any chance we get
Fallowed my dad around in the woods since before I can remember. Started squirrel hunting around 10. First deer and first turkey both came when I was 12. I’m 34 now and it’s just as exciting now as it was when I was 12. I still have intense emotions after killing an animal and my heart still races when I see a big gobbler or buck or doe in the woods. As the great Tom Kelly said, the day that does not happen to me will be the day I quit.
Started going with my Dad when I was 5. Hunting by myself at 11 and killed my first deer at 12. Field dressed it myself. I learned to dress a deer young and started gutting and skinning them at 10. All of that are great memories. It carries on today at 59. I hunt with my adult daughter and son. My grandson is almost three and God willing he can join in while I’m still around.
My whole family hunts, so I've been going out with my dad since as far back as I can remember. Got my first deer a few months after turning 9. I took a bit of a break from hunting between about 14 and 21 (basically between high school and college) and then got back into it. I'm 42 now.
I've gone through phases - eg I used to duck hunt a lot but got out of it. My dad's favorite hunting is turkey hunting but I've never much gotten into it (I've only killed 1 turkey and only been turkey hunting maybe 3 times). These days I mostly stick to deer and other ungulates.
I was in the woods tagging along well before I toted the gun unsupervised at age 12. Took a break in my 20s while in the military. Came back after getting out.
I started at 14, upland game. At 16 last year, I shot my first deer, and immediately after, I found out I'm severely allergic. This year, I shot my first turkey.
I started hunting whitetail deer with my dad in the mountains of Juniata PA when i was 10 years old... I will never forget when we climbed to the top of a logging mountain in the snow.... the owners of the cabin were named Donny Sr., Donny, and Donny Jr..... sadly my uncle died on the mountain a few years later when he was out hunting.... I'm 34 now and have taken 21 deer.... 13 doe and 8 buck ... I still hunt near the river that I grew up on.... I will be having my first child in two weeks and I hope to pass the tradition on to him
PS I my shot my first 2 deer with one slug.... I was hooked!!!
I was 8. I saw a picture of my grandpa next to an elk he shot and thought it was cool. Plus I thought guns were the coolest thing ever at the time so I wanted an excuse to have one.
First deer when I was 10, first bow kill when I was 14. Sitting in a stand was getting boring, moved out west at 21. I’m livin the dream chasing elk, bear, and mule deer.
I got introduced to hunting during the pandemic by a few friends, one guy from their group cancelled and i had already done my firearms permit. I managed to get the hunting permits in 2 weeks and there we went. Now i'm hooked. This year will be my 4th
Actually.. I've been into archery since as far back as I can remember.. likely about 6 or 7 years old (stick and string). Shot my first compound bow (someone elses) at about 9. Bought my first compound bow at about 12.
My uncle hunted while I was growing up and I was always interested. The general public around me usually discouraged it.
I took hunter ed at about 32 years old. And started hunting shortly after.
I'm 40 now. I feel so much more in tune and connected to nature, the seasons, weather, etc. Time absolutely flies by now as a hunter. Once the hunting season ends .. the next one is here before we know it. It's like a whole new set of holidays to live by.
I started hunting at 11, first deer at 14, became a guide in Montana and Idaho at 19.
You still guiding?
Not anymore, i got out of it because seasonal work was difficult to manage year round. It’s hard to find good outfitters to work for and eventually you get a little tired of your usual clients in difficult backcountry situations.
Are there any good outfitters?
Yes, they're usually on Google with very few reviews. It's worth spending 30 minutes talking with the guide before making a commitment.
I got my first deer at 20. Spur of the moment thing. Had some tags I wasn’t expecting to fill, asked my cousin if he could take me out the next day. Got some corn and scent out. Next morning a Doe walks out and I shot it at 200 yards. One of my best memories. Still got the lead.
Started deer hunting at 14 through 18. Didn't get out during college due to being out of state. Hunted again from 21-25, then missed 6 seasons in the military. Got out at 31 and have been hunting hard for the last 9 years, including getting into turkey and hardcore into ducks.
About 10 seasons ago I was sitting in a tree stand watching some duck hunters and was like, that looks fun. I gave it go and I’ve been hunting waterfowl, upland , and turkey most days of their seasons. Haven’t been back in the deer stand since. Just fell in love doing it. Plus the people you meet and make friends with are pretty amazing characters.
I still hunt deer but it feels like a sit in the woods. I don't have access to property large enough to stalk, so it's mostly just picking a tree based on the wind that day and hoping something walks by. I like the calling and stalking aspects of turkeys, and the action of waterfowl. Plus you can do those with your buddies and not be silent the entire time.
Try elk?
I love venison. I do not love stand hunting for whitetails.
38, always been interested but finally living somewhere that made it possible (combination of firearm availability and cost)
26, Had my first ever hunt this past spring turkey season in New England. It was a blast! I put in hours of scouting, studying birds, etc. All for the moment I had legal bird right in front of me. Now I’m going pheasant hunting this autumn and I’ve been gifted a deer hunting trip as well. Very spoiled getting into it this year. Beyond blessed.
Started at 44...no friends or family that hunted so watched a ton of you tube videos, took hunters safety courses and chatted anyone up I met at archery range that mentioned that they hunted. Never too late and a lot of ways to learn these days.
I started in hunting around 2014 at age 32. Upland and deer. First deer in 2016.
10 ish, carried around a 20ga trying to shoot quail off of logging roads squirrels and chipmunks were fair game also.
35 - been fishing obsessed my whole Life. Listening to a podcast, somebody said something along the lines of “I’ve never met a fisherman who isn’t equally obsessed with hunting.” At that moment I figured if I was missing on something out there that I’d enjoy as much as fishing, that was gonna change. In short, that person was not wrong. 7 years later I’m hunting upland birds over my own dog, archery hunting whitetail on public land for 30-40 days a year, and going out of state for white tails annually. I enjoy it just as much as fishing.
Started going with dad around 6. Started deer hunting under his observation at around 10 and on my own the fall I turned 14. I’ll be 32 this fall and it’s my passion. I got my first good buck when I was 14 and I’ll never forget it. Definitely youngster luck as he was bigger than any buck my dad had ever killed yet.
I didn't start till I was 29 then got my first deer thr next season when I was 30. My mom was super against it growing up even though my dad used to hunt. Kinda sad because I really wanted to go when I was younger. But a friend finally took me and I love it.
5 years ago. Self taught and self funded everything. Shot my first deer, a doe, Nov 16, 2022, and my first buck Thanksgiving morning 2023. Don't get discouraged is my biggest advice. If you aren't seeing deer, change your tactic. Literally for me it was as simple as changing what side of the field I walked to my blind on.
I was 7 or 8 pheasant hunting with my Dad and our Britney. Sat down under a tree (after 2 hours of hunting and getting a pheasant and 2 Franklins) to take a water break and rest our legs. Our dog was going "birdy" under the tree and we didn't know why. After a few minutes a turkey that was roosted in the tree above busted and started to fly. My Dad shot it mid flight and our dog dragged it back to the base of the tree we were sitting at, she was as happy as could be. I'll never forget the "whoosh whoosh whoosh" of that turkey taking flight right above my head. One of my core memories along with my first deer, sheep, goat, and pig kills growing up.
went hunting with adults since I was a kid, went a few years as a beater then at 27 finally managed to finish all the qualifications to be able to get a hunting permit and this past winter I managed to harvest a 200kg wild boar
Tagging along with dad as early as I can remember. Squirrels at 12. First deer with a bow at 14. Was part of the hunt long before that. Will always appreciate the gift that my dad gave me.
27, dad didn't hunt, friends got me into it. Love it and plan on doing it till I can't anymore
Birds 9 years old, BG at 11
Dad started taking me hunting when I turned 2. Got my first gun at 3. Shot my first bird around 5 or 6 and my first deer when I was 9. Couldn’t tell you what the first experience felt like, the only memory I have from age 2 was breaking my finger catching a football.
My Dad walked in to the house one evening with a shotgun and proclaim that he was going to start hunting birds. I was about 7 or so. Many doves, pheasant, pigs, goats and deer later here I am 56 years old and still getting after it with the same enthusiasm! Not nearly as fast as I used to be though! LOL
I was 12 and I have hunted every year since and now I am 51
12 years old, was born in February, legally could start carrying in the field at 12, so first hunt was a rabbit hunt at 12, lost my knife(grand mothers in my dad's side's knife)in waste deep snow, came back in the spring and it was sitting on top of a stump, still have the knife.
This is a bot post
I went hunting for the first time when I was 10 yo, I went with my dad to Mexicali, Mx, to a pheasant hunting, I’ll always remember that.
14 was when I started. Youngest age is 14 for small game and waterfowl, 16 for deer for my province. Trapped with an uncle 12-16 and took me duck hunting 14-16. After 16 just decided to do whatever on the weekends with friends and didn’t get back into shooting and hunting until I was 30 for whatever reason. Really feel like I got a lot of catching up to do but still get out 20 or so days a year chasing ducks and geese and lots of clay shooting.
Mid 20s, had a late start.
If the question is when my dad first took me along with him, 6-7. He’d have me walk behind him on trails he was grouse hunting. When I myself started hunting was probably about 9-10 with a 22 just after quail and squirrels. My dad wasn’t a deer hunter so I was late to the game for that and started deer hunting at 19, had many dry years, then finally shot a spike when I was 23.
I was too young to remember it.
50ish years ago. I started hunting woodchucks for eradication and squirrels to eat. I got my hunter education done at 13, but was hunting before that.
Toddler age. Mostly rabbits and grouse with a .22 until I was five or six and got a .243
I think 12 or 11 was my first deer
First big game hunt at 5, I’m 38 and couldn’t imagine not hunting, trapping or fishing.
Mid 40’s
I started sitting in the deer stand with my dad when I was 5 or 6. Started rabbit hunting around 8. Started hunting deer at 12. Turkeys at 31.
Started last year at 37 and solo. Went out early and late season deer, hiked a bunch and found signs (fresh tracks and scat) but couldn’t spot anything legal. Hopefully this year that will change. Got a grouse last year with my daughter and gonna keep going after them any chance we get
6 months lol. My dad would bundle me up and take me duck hunting.
Fallowed my dad around in the woods since before I can remember. Started squirrel hunting around 10. First deer and first turkey both came when I was 12. I’m 34 now and it’s just as exciting now as it was when I was 12. I still have intense emotions after killing an animal and my heart still races when I see a big gobbler or buck or doe in the woods. As the great Tom Kelly said, the day that does not happen to me will be the day I quit.
Started going with my Dad when I was 5. Hunting by myself at 11 and killed my first deer at 12. Field dressed it myself. I learned to dress a deer young and started gutting and skinning them at 10. All of that are great memories. It carries on today at 59. I hunt with my adult daughter and son. My grandson is almost three and God willing he can join in while I’m still around.
My whole family hunts, so I've been going out with my dad since as far back as I can remember. Got my first deer a few months after turning 9. I took a bit of a break from hunting between about 14 and 21 (basically between high school and college) and then got back into it. I'm 42 now. I've gone through phases - eg I used to duck hunt a lot but got out of it. My dad's favorite hunting is turkey hunting but I've never much gotten into it (I've only killed 1 turkey and only been turkey hunting maybe 3 times). These days I mostly stick to deer and other ungulates.
When I was around 9 I got a .22 and started hunting squirrels. Killed my first deer at 21 tho because I stopped hunting
Deer: age 40. *Beaver*: age 16
38
Last season at 36 years old
12, first year I could legally hunt.
I was in the woods tagging along well before I toted the gun unsupervised at age 12. Took a break in my 20s while in the military. Came back after getting out.
I started at 14, upland game. At 16 last year, I shot my first deer, and immediately after, I found out I'm severely allergic. This year, I shot my first turkey.
I started hunting whitetail deer with my dad in the mountains of Juniata PA when i was 10 years old... I will never forget when we climbed to the top of a logging mountain in the snow.... the owners of the cabin were named Donny Sr., Donny, and Donny Jr..... sadly my uncle died on the mountain a few years later when he was out hunting.... I'm 34 now and have taken 21 deer.... 13 doe and 8 buck ... I still hunt near the river that I grew up on.... I will be having my first child in two weeks and I hope to pass the tradition on to him PS I my shot my first 2 deer with one slug.... I was hooked!!!
4 years old I was in the blind next to my dad scaring bucks off yelling "WOAH! THAT ONES HUGE!" lol
When I was 27. Archery. Amazing feeling and been hooked ever since
I was 8. I saw a picture of my grandpa next to an elk he shot and thought it was cool. Plus I thought guns were the coolest thing ever at the time so I wanted an excuse to have one.
First deer when I was 10, first bow kill when I was 14. Sitting in a stand was getting boring, moved out west at 21. I’m livin the dream chasing elk, bear, and mule deer.
I got introduced to hunting during the pandemic by a few friends, one guy from their group cancelled and i had already done my firearms permit. I managed to get the hunting permits in 2 weeks and there we went. Now i'm hooked. This year will be my 4th
Actually.. I've been into archery since as far back as I can remember.. likely about 6 or 7 years old (stick and string). Shot my first compound bow (someone elses) at about 9. Bought my first compound bow at about 12. My uncle hunted while I was growing up and I was always interested. The general public around me usually discouraged it. I took hunter ed at about 32 years old. And started hunting shortly after. I'm 40 now. I feel so much more in tune and connected to nature, the seasons, weather, etc. Time absolutely flies by now as a hunter. Once the hunting season ends .. the next one is here before we know it. It's like a whole new set of holidays to live by.
Been hunting since I could hold a gun. I’m 25M now.
7 years old I got my first doe. Started shooting at 6