Big game hunting

[WWII NavyVet]

Since there were a couple of recent discussions of guns and calibers, I was wondering whether any of you fellas are into big game hunting. Great fun, and also a great way to get away for a few days of guilt free, wife free drinking, poker playing and joke tellig.

Back in the day, we used to go on elk huntng trips with a few of the firms associates and clints. Went to a plcae near Pagosa Springs Colo. a few times, greta country. We'd sometimes have as many as 20-25 guys in a camp, and good cooks. Many times we would be out on the trail before sunup and come in dog tired at the end of the day. The hunt was a thrill. Then we would drink whisky, play cards, and tell lies and shitty jokes in the evening, and it was great fun. Couple of the guys talkd about hiring a few call girls to come out into the country and visit us, but figured it would be too expensive. Sometimes made a detour to Denver on the last day for that kind of fun.

Most of us bagged a trophy elk. Great memories.

[Seedy]

Use to go hunting alot, especially up north, here in Texas a little too rich for my blood for a good lease. Rather go saltwater fishing anyway. A very good friend of mine's company has a huge deer lease in south texas. Blinds have couchs, satellite tv, refrigerators, sounds like an efficiency apartment. Anyway told me about one client, brought a hooker to the lease with him, gal is sucking his dick, when a nice buck shows up, fucking guy shoots the deer while she has his dick in her mouth. I don't know for sure it is true, but it is funny, wouldn't be funny if she bit his dick off when he shot the deer though.

[Jackie S]

Yes, but not for years.

In 1985 I got to go to South Africa on sort of a mini safari, the sole aim was to bag a Buffalo. I had a double in 470 Nitro. I shot a nice bull at about 30 yards, put the shot right up his nose as he looked straight at me.

That might seem close, but keep in mind, the guide standing behind me had a 577 double.

I never felt that good about it afterward. The old saying goes there is nothing more dead than a dead Elephant, well, the Buffalo wasn't far behind.

That is the last time I shot a living thing. I don't have anything against hunting per say, it's just not my thing.

[JD Barleycorn]

I don't hunt or haven't hunted in many years. I shoot a lot and going stalking game (I have to say this to satisfy some of the feeble minded here). That means I track and get as close to the animal in question as I can. Not as good as when I was a kid when I got within a few feet of touching Bambi before he saw me. Well within range of shooting though if push comes to shove. Of course maybe you're referencing Diane Feinstein's comments about "assault rifles" only being good for human hunting.

[Seedy]

Another seedy story; Use to go hunting all the time in Pa, birds, deer, and bear. Last time I was bear hunting, ran across some fresh tracks in the snow, was hunting with 3 friends, but we separated, to hunt this one mountain. Tracking this fucker, I new I was close, because it took a shit, and there was steam coming off it. Lol. Anyway, got into the middle of a huge rhododendron thicket, I knew exactly where I was, 1 mile from the nearest road, or trail. Thought to myself, what the fuck am I going to do if I shoot tbis fucker in here. In Pa, you cannot field dress the bear, you had to get it checked out at a game warden station first. I have dragged a bear out of the woods before with some friends, when we were in our early twentys, all of us in great shape, just about killed us. Try dragging 300 plus lbs, of fucking jello throught the damn woods, fucking sucks. Anyway took the clip out of my gun, slung my rifle on my shoulder, and went the fuck home. Left a note on my friends truck, told them I would see them at the bar that night. Never went bear hunting again.

[CuteOldGuy]

I once shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I'll never know. - Groucho Marx.

[JD Barleycorn]

Wasn't it Rufus T. Firefly who said it first.

[WWII NavyVet]

JDB: No, not sure why you thoyght I might have been referring to the lady Senator's assault weapons crusade. If you sneaked up that close to a deer, you must have been very careful about fragrances. I never bow hunted (always seemd inhumane to me) ..but understand that if you do you have to take extremely careful measures. Scent free soap, shaving cream, etc. Even need to wash your clothes with fragrance-free detergent. Most animals can smell even tiny stuff from a mile away.

Jackie: I always wanted to go to Africa, but lost the desire to hunt any of the big 5 a long time ago. The idea of shooting an elephant makes me sad. Poachers have killed off so many over the last 50 years, just for the ivory. Bastards would machine gun whole herds, even babies, cut off the tusks, and just leve the carcasses there to rot. They ought to lock up assh oles like that for life.

I would like to have gone to Africa on a photography trip. Bought a very good Pentax 35 mm with a telephoto lens some years ago. Probably more of a challenge to take a great photo of an animal than to shoot one. I haven't hunted with a gun since the 70s, but have enjoyed taking pictures on several Texas and New Mexico ranches.

Seedman55: Sounds like the story about a guy who got in a car wreck while having his pecker sucked. Probably didnt work out too well for him (if true.)

I read about some of those blinds. Saw a picture of one that I'd damned near be happy to have as a hunting cabin. Hell, could have even been happy to live in it during my single years.

Don't know what deer leases go for these days, but i remember a lot of people felt priced out of the market at least as far back as the 80s. Back in the early 60s you could BUY! good hunting land for $25-40 per acre. That was way before the huge inflation of the tricky Dick and Jimmy C. years. Wish I'd bought some. Could have financed it back then with little to no money down and paid for it over 25 years, very low interest rates. Would have made just as much of a killing as if i'd bought gold 40 years ago and had a hell of a lot more fun. Could have put my army of grand-kids through private schoolls and expensive colleges and had plenty left over to play around with.

[JD Barleycorn]

I was much younger and could move very, very slow. Had to work my way around so that I was downwind and had some cover. Don't ask me why we do these things. Maybe it was watching Daniel Boone on TV. My best effort was a doe near some covering trees. She would pop her head out and look around. When she pulled back I moved slowly towards her. It got to the point that she popped her head out when I was about six feet away. She was so surprised that for a second she didn't do anything before she sprung away. I guess that's why we carry guns when we get older. We just can't put in the time.

I mentioned Feinstein because she mentioned human hunting and the lack of need for high capacity magazines. Someone forgot to tell her that it was illegal to hunt humans.

[Guest040616]

I have gone on several elk hunts. I've killed one trophy 6x6 a few miles NE of Paonia, Colorado. A few years prior to the trophy, I killed a 4x4. I have also taken 2 cow elks on separate trips. I would love to get a bear but thus far, no such luck. I hope to one day go on an Alaska moose hunting trip. Perhaps when I retire in the not too distant future! (I can't think of a better retirement present to myself!)

[Yssup Rider]

I regularly shoot craps!

[CuteOldGuy]

We can tell that is true, Assup, by all the pictures you post of yourself "fingerpainting".

[Yssup Rider]

You wanna make 14 bucks the hard way?

[WWII NavyVet]

Barleycorn: I'm at the age now where Ive got that moving very, very slowly technique down pat. Maybe that could help me sneak up on them?

Big Tex: A nice moose hunt would be a GREAT retirement gift to yourself! A lot of guys have trouble getting away with trips like that because the wife tends to feel such a thing would take away from the shopping and home remodeling budgets. Much more important to replace all the carpeting and reupholster all the furniture, you know. And fill the closet with fashion shoes of every known color. But if its a retirement gift to yourself, she ought to agree that youve EARNED it!!

Where are you consideringg going? I only went on one moose hunt, to Alaska in 1963. Fantastic! Hard to get to in those days though. We took a DC7 to Seattle, but not nonstop. Then flew a couple of milk run no-name airlines that operated DC3's the rest of the way. Took forever to get there and it was expensive, but it was worth it. But had to buy my first wife a bunch of clothes to get her to agree to let me go. A LOT easier to get to Alaska now, I imagine. But also a lot of great places to go in Canada and in northern comtinental US.

Got a fairly nice moose and a caribou. Also Alaska is a fantastic trip even for people who dont hunt or fish. Lots of nice cruises and other vaction packages.

[JD Barleycorn]

Since you are a WWII vet and I'm a WWII buff. What ship and where did you serve?