I miss the old way of deer hunting.

[Karl Blanchard]

How many of the Instagram hunters are really out there. Sure if you are on social media you are gonna see a bunch of it but I spend a hundred plus days in the field a year in 4 or 5 states and 95% of the guys I run across whether in the field, at a trail head, at the gas station or grocery store are just regular guys out doing something they enjoy.

Hunting is very personal for everyone and we do it for different reasons. Family, friendship, camp atmosphere, etc. Big part of hunting for me personally is the opposite. I want to retreat from people and life. I crave solitude. I also enjoy taking my dad hunting. Kids are coming of age and that adds that much more enjoyment to something I already love.

Like others have said, if you aren't getting what you want out of hunting you must only look in the mirror to see the cause. You want a big camp life, start one. You want to hunt with family more, press it a bit. I know if i didnt prod my father to go he would likely go fishing instead. You wanna backpack hunt, then get the gear and go sleep in the woods by yourself. There will always be an excuse one can think up not to do something 

I got to ask ...what the heck is an "Instagram hunter" and a "flat bill hunter" that I keep seeing be brought up? Man I must be getting old ....I really do miss the old way of deer hunting

terms used for folks who hunt in order to gain status or monetary gain from social media.

[dilleytech]

How many of the Instagram hunters are really out there. Sure if you are on social media you are gonna see a bunch of it but I spend a hundred plus days in the field a year in 4 or 5 states and 95% of the guys I run across whether in the field, at a trail head, at the gas station or grocery store are just regular guys out doing something they enjoy.

Hunting is very personal for everyone and we do it for different reasons. Family, friendship, camp atmosphere, etc. Big part of hunting for me personally is the opposite. I want to retreat from people and life. I crave solitude. I also enjoy taking my dad hunting. Kids are coming of age and that adds that much more enjoyment to something I already love.

Like others have said, if you aren't getting what you want out of hunting you must only look in the mirror to see the cause. You want a big camp life, start one. You want to hunt with family more, press it a bit. I know if i didnt prod my father to go he would likely go fishing instead. You wanna backpack hunt, then get the gear and go sleep in the woods by yourself. There will always be an excuse one can think up not to do something 

Well put. Hunting never really was a social event for me. If I can go spend a few days in the hills and not see anyone that’s perfect.

[idaho guy]

How many of the Instagram hunters are really out there. Sure if you are on social media you are gonna see a bunch of it but I spend a hundred plus days in the field a year in 4 or 5 states and 95% of the guys I run across whether in the field, at a trail head, at the gas station or grocery store are just regular guys out doing something they enjoy.

Hunting is very personal for everyone and we do it for different reasons. Family, friendship, camp atmosphere, etc. Big part of hunting for me personally is the opposite. I want to retreat from people and life. I crave solitude. I also enjoy taking my dad hunting. Kids are coming of age and that adds that much more enjoyment to something I already love.

Like others have said, if you aren't getting what you want out of hunting you must only look in the mirror to see the cause. You want a big camp life, start one. You want to hunt with family more, press it a bit. I know if i didnt prod my father to go he would likely go fishing instead. You wanna backpack hunt, then get the gear and go sleep in the woods by yourself. There will always be an excuse one can think up not to do something 

100% agree I never actually run into those guys in the woods I enjoy family camp type hunts and also solo hunt quite a bit. I am more aware of what I call the flat bill army because my kids best friend was following Hushin and a few others for a while. I do like to watch hunting videos and pretty prevalent there too. Its funny I rarely see the "instagram" hunters in the woods I travel. There is still a lot of big elk camps( mostly families) in Idaho I have gotten to know over the years. Really cool people for the most part. Make hunting what you want!   

[bigmacc]

I feel very fortunate to have been brought up in a family where hunting was as close to a religion as you could get. I do agree it is personal on how we approach it and how we choose to experience it. Once again I feel very fortunate to have experienced it with friends and family, seeing many "firsts" of a lot of young ones and also being involved with some of the "lasts" of a few of the older folks. I have experienced stories told that some may find unbelievable, but have been backed up by pictures in some cases or verified by 10 others that have earned the respect of truth through the years. I have hunted with a handful of others trying to help a younger one get his first buck and I have loaded up at 1 in the morning and left camp by myself not returning for 5 or 6 days. A lot of personal dilemmas and problems have been solved by sitting next to a 1 man fire, at 8000 feet, by myself with a quartered buck hanging in a nearby tree, just sleeping under the stars for 4 or 5 days cleansing the sole in gods country, and then again my dilemmas and problems have been solved by sitting around a fire with 15 of my closest family members and friends. For me I feel I have been blessed, Ive hunted in this state when it was hard to beat, Ive heard stories and seen hundreds and hundreds of pictures of mule deer hunting in this state where I would have put it up against any other state as far as quantity and quality. I know it is hard for a lot of the younger folks on here to comprehend what some of us are trying to convey. Stories of driving to school with your rifle in the truck in case you seen a buck on the way, heck I knew a guy who drove a pop truck in the Methow years ago, he peddled the same flagship brands as me, just different parts of the state. He would call me and tell me stories along with pictures of him in his uniform in the back of his pop truck with a big buck he had killed during his deliveries. Yes this was Washington, it was the Methow, it was Entiat it was excellent Mule deer hunting and its something that unfortunately will not be witnessed again and thats whats sad. When some of the "old guys" get on here and tell these stories of healthy herds and a Game Dept that actually took care of the herds to put forth a quality product for the hunters of this state, we are sharing little bits of hunting history and you know what those stories should be told, they should be shared because some day no one will be around to tell them. Stories of 2-300 deer moving through a draw at daylight on a cold November morning in the Methow was common at one time not that long ago, now it is just that, a story or a memory and thats where I feel bad for the younger hunters, it truly was something to see.

[Karl Blanchard]

Hope it was Pepsi bigmacc. If it was that other brand I don't know if we can be friends anymore

[CAMPMEAT]

I always thought deer huniting was for girls. Elk hunting was a true game changer for guys who never hunted elk and thought deer hunting  was tough.........I do miss the good ol' days of hunting both....

[bigmacc]

Hope it was Pepsi bigmacc. If it was that other brand I don't know if we can be friends anymore

Yes it was Karl, my blood still runs Pepsi blue and always will, 43 years

[Ellensburg]

Too many flat brimmers now days trying to get famous hunting.

Haha! I think I am a flatbrimmer.

[Karl Blanchard]

Hope it was Pepsi bigmacc. If it was that other brand I don't know if we can be friends anymore

Yes it was Karl, my blood still runs Pepsi blue and always will, 43 years

Haha! Good man! I'm 16 down and 27 more to go 

[2MANY]

I've never known any way but the old way.
Does that make me old?

[bigmacc]

Hope it was Pepsi bigmacc. If it was that other brand I don't know if we can be friends anymore

Yes it was Karl, my blood still runs Pepsi blue and always will, 43 years

Haha! Good man! I'm 16 down and 27 more to go 

Absolutely, keep working hard and see if you can pick up that "Ring of Honor award", my wife and I had a blast in NYC, they role out the red carpet for you and money is no object, unreal and a proud moment for me

[bigmacc]

Sorry for getting this offtrack, I,ll make up for it later with another story of the old way of hunting.  A 100 year family history and a guy may have a few

[hardrichard]

Bigmacc......you know who this is brother and I too MISS THE OLD WAY OF DEER HUNTING I shared in a bit of that history you speak of and it was very special its a shame how its changed over there for my  the last good year was 2003 for deer its always good spending time with family and friends in deer camp but there's been a hell of a lot more camp then deer lately  take care my friend.

[Remnar]

  like the handle @hardrichard

[hardrichard]

Thanks Remnar I appreciate it