Losing Interest in Hunting?

audioslave

As above. Fair play to ye...and enjoy the flower sniffing

scartman1

That's a good outcome. You got lots of good advice.

Shooting and the outdoors is best when it is a social thing, and something to be passed on.

Personally, the sheer exercise, the watching of the dogs hunt, going to new beats, encountering challenging and scenic terrain, constantly missing shots, and meeting new and old friends help to keep the shooting fresh for me.

pedroeibar1

dicky82 wrote: »

good few lads have said on here in the past that they swapped the guns for the cameras. they still had the thrill of hunting but the outcome is getting some rewarding pictures.

That is probably one of the best bits of advice you've been given. I was not far off the top end of another sport and it then lost all interest in it. I then went back to the basics of that sport - in shooting terms it was like going from the top end of clays /driven shooting to going out on a walk-up with a black powder flintlock. Concentrating on photographing a pheasant in flight or a woodcock/snipe, and getting a good result with a camera - that's special. And you can bring a kid with a gun and pass on your skills.

kermitpwee

Update!! Something amazing happened at the weekend. I collected my neighbours(we actually have never seen eye to eye but the man is sick) son and went through the safety rules which he knew which was great. Anyway James was so excited, he has been out before but never got a pheasant.
I brought my eldest springer in the hope we could flush a bird for james, flushed a few snipe but he missed. Anyway with 2 hours light left and the dog tired he suddenly started to pick up the pace, he worked like a demon for 20 minutes but couldn't find the bird. I told James that the bird had done a runner and we would move on, he was very upset but we started to move on. Next thing James said why does the dog keep going behind us? Bingo! I awoke from my stupidity. James head back with the dog up along that ditch I said. Off he went, he wasn't gone 120 yards when he flushed the cock, bang! He missed! Another bang and down came the finest cock I had seen in years. Off goes the dog and brings him back to James. I was never as proud and the lad isn't even mine!
I had a lot of things going through my head, one that I now wanted a son! Two that I should let the past go between myself and James dad and three that I wanted his dad in on this action. I rang his dad and told him to put on his willies and jacket(if he was feeling well enough) and meet us in the yard and that James had a pheasant. Met up in the yard and got James, the pheasant, the dog and his dad into a few photos. There were tears shed and a few handshakes.
Its a long time since I felt so good about myself, I owe that to my friends on boards.ie and to hunting. Some posters had told me how it can bring people together. I suppose since I only shoot with my uncle I hadn't experienced the social side of it.
Thanks again for all the advice and for restoring my faith in not only hunting but also human nature.

One or two names have been changed to protect the identity of my neighbours(now friends).

Invincible

kermitpwee wrote: »

Update!! Something amazing happened at the weekend. I collected my neighbours(we actually have never seen eye to eye but the man is sick) son and went through the safety rules which he knew which was great. Anyway James was so excited, he has been out before but never got a pheasant.
I brought my eldest springer in the hope we could flush a bird for james, flushed a few snipe but he missed. Anyway with 2 hours light left and the dog tired he suddenly started to pick up the pace, he worked like a demon for 20 minutes but couldn't find the bird. I told James that the bird had done a runner and we would move on, he was very upset but we started to move on. Next thing James said why does the dog keep going behind us? Bingo! I awoke from my stupidity. James head back with the dog up along that ditch I said. Off he went, he wasn't gone 120 yards when he flushed the cock, bang! He missed! Another bang and down came the finest cock I had seen in years. Off goes the dog and brings him back to James. I was never as proud and the lad isn't even mine!
I had a lot of things going through my head, one that I now wanted a son! Two that I should let the past go between myself and James dad and three that I wanted his dad in on this action. I rang his dad and told him to put on his willies and jacket(if he was feeling well enough) and meet us in the yard and that James had a pheasant. Met up in the yard and got James, the pheasant, the dog and his dad into a few photos. There were tears shed and a few handshakes.
Its a long time since I felt so good about myself, I owe that to my friends on boards.ie and to hunting. Some posters had told me how it can bring people together. I suppose since I only shoot with my uncle I hadn't experienced the social side of it.
Thanks again for all the advice and for restoring my faith in not only hunting but also human nature.

One or two names have been changed to protect the identity of my neighbours(now friends).

That was a great outcome to a day's hunting, the young lad shot his first Pheasant and equally important you and his dad let bygones be bygones and realised that life's too short for holding a grudge. No doubt the young fella will hunt regularly with you from now on

kermitpwee

Ya James is coming out next weekend and is more than welcome, he is keen and has been taught safety very well by his dad but we will keep any eye on him anyway, it's a big responsibility and I am treating it as one. To be honest what has happened at the weekend is surreal, I am still trying to comprehend it.

madred006

kermitpwee wrote: »

Update!! Something amazing happened at the weekend. I collected my neighbours(we actually have never seen eye to eye but the man is sick) son and went through the safety rules which he knew which was great. Anyway James was so excited, he has been out before but never got a pheasant.
I brought my eldest springer in the hope we could flush a bird for james, flushed a few snipe but he missed. Anyway with 2 hours light left and the dog tired he suddenly started to pick up the pace, he worked like a demon for 20 minutes but couldn't find the bird. I told James that the bird had done a runner and we would move on, he was very upset but we started to move on. Next thing James said why does the dog keep going behind us? Bingo! I awoke from my stupidity. James head back with the dog up along that ditch I said. Off he went, he wasn't gone 120 yards when he flushed the cock, bang! He missed! Another bang and down came the finest cock I had seen in years. Off goes the dog and brings him back to James. I was never as proud and the lad isn't even mine!
I had a lot of things going through my head, one that I now wanted a son! Two that I should let the past go between myself and James dad and three that I wanted his dad in on this action. I rang his dad and told him to put on his willies and jacket(if he was feeling well enough) and meet us in the yard and that James had a pheasant. Met up in the yard and got James, the pheasant, the dog and his dad into a few photos. There were tears shed and a few handshakes.
Its a long time since I felt so good about myself, I owe that to my friends on boards.ie and to hunting. Some posters had told me how it can bring people together. I suppose since I only shoot with my uncle I hadn't experienced the social side of it.
Thanks again for all the advice and for restoring my faith in not only hunting but also human nature.

One or two names have been changed to protect the identity of my neighbours(now friends).

Nice great to hear

Glenbulldog

Fair play ,delighted for ya

loveta

That's fantastic news kermitpwee and thanks for sharing it with us,best of luck in the future..

cookimonster

Brilliant, just brilliant:)

J.R.

great outcome....glad it worked out really well for you in many ways.