My grandfather used to take me back in the mountains to hunt when I was little. Through him, I learned many things about nature. The rest, I learned on my own, especially when it comes to deer. Tracking became something I am very good at. Things that most will never notice, I pick up almost instantly. Not that I have to track my own kills, they are either DRT or within sight. I have helped many others find theirs, even at night.
Who is or was your hunting mentor
- Thread starter JFrank
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64Rambler
Gold $$ Contributor
I was all of 14 or 15 at the time and worked and shot at the local trap and skeet range in Pomona (Pomona Valley rod and Gun Club, defunct for many years now) and one of the regulars took a liking to me and asked if I was interested in deer hunting. My dad and I had been on several dove hunting trips to El Centro with this man and we (Mom, Dad and me) had been to his house for dinner with his wife several times. Dave was a Detective for LAPD and a former SWAT sniper. My Dad wasn't up for deer hunting yet, but I went with Dave many times to some of the more rugged terrain of the Southern California mountains. We basically only hunted up Shoemaker Canyon https://www.google.com/search?q=shoemaker+canyon+road+tunnel, past the first tunnel and sometimes past the second tunnel. He had a friend in the Forrest Service that gave him a key to the gate at the parking area that saved hours and miles of hiking on the dirt road and cut out a lot of other hunters that wouldn't go the distance. Dave carried a Remington 600 in .308 and I had a Weatherby Vanguard in .30-06. Most of our deer hunts were from near the top of one ridge, across a valley and we'd glass the uphill slope of the next ridge. A close shot was 300 yds and the most important thing he taught me was "look for a mouse, not an elephant". Once that thought set in, it made spotting deer much easier. On one trip, past the 2nd tunnel we saw a buck waaaaayyy up on a slope 2 ridges over, pushing 600 yds away. Too far for his short barreled .308, he asked for my rifle, bullet weight and MV. He settled in, resting on his pack and fired. The buck dropped in place and he handed my rifle back to me and said "your scope is off". So now the reality of this shot. We had to down and up the terrain twice to get to the deer, then pack it out up and down twice more to get back to the road to start our way back to his truck. I've never slept so well. The next weekend I went to the range and sure enough, my POI was a little high and right at 200.
dusterdave173
Silver $$ Contributor
My grandfather
I would spend time with them on his farm--he says --You want to go deer hunting? Ok then you have to get out of bed early--Next morning we dressed , as we walked out the back door he grabbed his shotgun (Only weapon he owned) two buck shot shells and an apple--he says get you an apple--off we went
And that....is all it took to shoot a deer in those days
I look at how much $$$ folks spend to whack a deer and am just shocked--$$$ truck, trailer, Gator, plow for Gator to seed $ antler growing food patch, $1000 worth of hi tech clothing, scents, $$$ boots, expensive rifles, optics, blinds, sausage grinders, toss in a land lease etc etc , cheese cloth bags, $$$ skinning knife, the list never ends---all that and all you need is to be observant, have patience, be quiet, have a good aim and have an apple in your pocket
I would spend time with them on his farm--he says --You want to go deer hunting? Ok then you have to get out of bed early--Next morning we dressed , as we walked out the back door he grabbed his shotgun (Only weapon he owned) two buck shot shells and an apple--he says get you an apple--off we went
And that....is all it took to shoot a deer in those days
I look at how much $$$ folks spend to whack a deer and am just shocked--$$$ truck, trailer, Gator, plow for Gator to seed $ antler growing food patch, $1000 worth of hi tech clothing, scents, $$$ boots, expensive rifles, optics, blinds, sausage grinders, toss in a land lease etc etc , cheese cloth bags, $$$ skinning knife, the list never ends---all that and all you need is to be observant, have patience, be quiet, have a good aim and have an apple in your pocket
Sorry to hear that. I work with guys (at other companies) that are old enough to retire, but won't. They'd likely have to go home if they would retire, and they are trying to avoid going home. They can go to work instead.
Some of the guys don't want to go home pre-retirement, either
Pathetic, unless you can't afford retiring. The guys I refer to are likely not staying employed because of the money.
Danny
Certainly didn't intend to convey anything negative about my Dad....probably didn't phrase that right...I've edited it.
He was the best Father figure and life mentor I could hope for. He loved being with us hunting and fishing, however building was his passion.
We both worked as carpenters with him for our first 10+ working years and those years were the best of my working career. I wouldn't trade them for anything.
Dad retired at 61 and my great regret in life is not continuing his contracting business.
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JEFFPPC
Gold $$ Contributor
I had 2. My best friends dad, Boyd Hall was a WW2 hero. A gunner in a bomber he was forced to parachute multiple times from shot up planes. Captured by Germans but escaped back to Allied lines. Was once strafed by a German fighter hanging in his chute, had a ugly scared up leg. His buddy a retired railroad engineer would take my friend and I ground hog hunting everyday in the summer. He had rules. No shots under 200 yards unless you took them offhand. No hunting them until after Memorial Day. So by the time I could drive, Harvey Meyers could hardly drive, he was 87, I would drive us hunting in his big Buick. A million stories and memories but I learned ethics and the value of hard work.They were MEN.
Self taught.
My Dad took me out squirrel hunting once when I was 12, I killed a squirrel. I guess he figured his job was done, as we never went out hunting together again. He wasn't much of a hunter.
My Dad took me out squirrel hunting once when I was 12, I killed a squirrel. I guess he figured his job was done, as we never went out hunting together again. He wasn't much of a hunter.
You need to convey whatever is accurate. If "dad", for someone (not just for you) was negative, I'm ok with that being mentioned. The title "dad" does not carry a right of not having to be responsible for their actions.
Still, some guys don't want to go home. At some point, even they probably have to, even if it means "losing their identity and purpose in life" (someone mentioned that).
Danny
My early years hunting where really not very successful, I was a heavy smoker so I’m certain that game could smell me a 1/4 mile away. After quitting that terrible habit and moving to Montana, I found deer hunting for meat much easier although rugged hikes are now beyond my health limitations I love tracking through the snow.
I’ve lost several pictures due to phone changes but I still have a few I’ll share.
Grizz & cub, coyote moving swiftly after grabbing a rabbit and Wolf that from the tracks I believe was looking back over his right shoulder or dragging his dinner.
Tame for most hunters but I like tracking..
I’ve lost several pictures due to phone changes but I still have a few I’ll share.
Grizz & cub, coyote moving swiftly after grabbing a rabbit and Wolf that from the tracks I believe was looking back over his right shoulder or dragging his dinner.
Tame for most hunters but I like tracking..
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MQ1
Gold $$ Contributor
Lenny Rock was one of my primary bowhunting mentors who took me under his wing when he saw I needed direction. He set me up with some prime hunting locations, took me along with him to hunt some of his favorite hunting spots, and was in every case a great hunting mentor. He was a bit of a stubborn curmudgeon at times, would only eat at Denny’s, and had an old Bronco that he built to climb trees. RIP, Lenny
MQ1
Ackman
Gold $$ Contributor
Handguns were always my thing. Back in 80's So. Calif. there was a gunshow every weekend within driving distance. Buying and selling was my thing and mostly handguns, sometimes a rifle. I did have a 788 and shot crows on a friend's farm in '83. But much of the 80's I shot handgun silhouette. About '86 I bleieve, I bought a rifle from Ackleyman II and it all began to change. He'd been a benchrester for years, a very seriously hardcore coyote hunter, and harder-than-hardcore small varmint shooter. He introduced me to varmint shooting and shortly I stopped messing with handguns altogether. By '88 I'd acquired several varmint guns and we went to So. Dakota. He had exclusive rights to shoot a 35,000 ac ranch up there. In 6-1/2 days of shooting, I went through almost 3,000rds. That So. Dakota trip in '88 was a wake up to how fun could be had splattering pd's. It started the whole thing. We also made trips for groundsquirrels, and other stuff. He's the one got me started on varmints and that was it, I was hooked and learned a lot. To this day, when I have a question about something he always knows the answer.
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TheOtherZilla
Pull my finger
Me, myself and I, as well as Uncle Sam. My Dad wasn't big on taking us boys hunting. And he wasn't into shooting, other than buying us 22's one Xmas. Boy Scouts had training and a merit badge.
RCE1
Gold $$ Contributor
My late father in law. He was a real OG accuracy shooter and benchrest competitor. Made his own bullets, did barrel work on the QT for many excellent shooters. He was a fanatical varmint hunter. We had some very good trips together hunting ground squirrels where they grow alfalfa. We would take like 10 rifles each. Like golf clubs. He loved the .22BR, 220 Wilson Arrow, .22PPC, .20 Vartarg, .17 Ackley, .17Fireball and .17 Remington. Winchester .22 PowerPoints, of course.
My dad wasn't too into the outdoors, but he took me poaching as a kid.
I then got really into fishing, and that lead to wanting to go hunting. Someone from rimfire central forum took me rabbit hunting and I was hooked. Then I met a couple other people on hunting forums over the years and we became good friends and they taught me a lot. We have spent countless days with the dogs chasing birds.
I then got really into fishing, and that lead to wanting to go hunting. Someone from rimfire central forum took me rabbit hunting and I was hooked. Then I met a couple other people on hunting forums over the years and we became good friends and they taught me a lot. We have spent countless days with the dogs chasing birds.
Brother in law, likely around 1968-69. Remember him saying "let's go look for chickens", I had no idea what a grouse was at that time, we didn't see any. Just after that, I went out hunting ducks with a friend of my dad's, I remember that pretty well, lots of fun, I had to be the retriever in one of the ponds, out in the Chilcotin in BC. Had a blast doing that. Did a lot of chicken hunting with my dad after that, he didn't hunt, he drove, I shot, he liked eating them. Covered a pile of places between 100mi House and Quesnel. I used to hunt squirrels and grouse on the hill behind our place on my own, go trudging up the hill thru a trailer park with the 870 or a CIL/Anschutz singleshot 22.
Albany Mountain
Silver $$ Contributor
DAD He took me out some for small game and a lot Big Game. Lots of techniques and perseverance. I ended up being more dedicated to hunting as he was to fishing. This was a hunting trip probably in 1967-68 in Jackson Wyoming.
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