Opinions
 

OK guys, wanted to get everyone's opinion on what is classified as a good hunt in your opinion. Reason I'm asking is that I read on various sites that a lot of people gauge a good hunt as being how fast a limit is killed. I disagree with this logic, why is this? I mean I read where people seem disappointed in their hunt because they didn't kill a limit till 8:30, what gives?? I know personally a good hunt is being outdoors with my kids, and if we kill a limit good if not that's still good. What's everyone's thoughts?

A good hunt is any time I am in the field, whether I am killing or not. I hunted every saturday and sunday last season even though 75% of my hunts were scratches. Just enjoy being there. I aint starving where I need a pile of birds every day.

I have to agree. Make no mistake, I don't want a scratch but if I can kill a few birds and have a good time it's all good.

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A good hunt is shooting birds, period. I don't wanna be outdoors just to be outdoors. Now how many birds all depends, if your kid shoots 1 bull pintail for the wall and its the only duck of the day, that is a good hunt.

A good hunt is a good time passed. I don't expect to smoke birds everyday and I expect I'll scratch some days. Yes I enjoy being in the blind, but I do get pretty aggravated when birds won't respond. If I don't fire a shot, 99% of the time I'll call it a bad hunt

It's about killing birds to me. Let's face it. None of us wake up at 3 in the morning and sit in the blind when the season is closed just to b in the blind. If I don't kill nothing it's a bad hunt and I might not wanna go back tomorrow.

That will change when you have kids old enough to Hunt with you, and you appreciate seeing that sunrise at 49 years old. When I was in my 20's, it was mostly about how many I could get on a strap. NOT ANYMORE ! Being with the kids/friends at Camp, great Food and Drink, watching your Dog and the Ducks work.....is where I am at this stage in my life. I imagine it will only get better !

Has a lot to do with where we hunt as well. I am fixing to turn 40. If I wake up at 3am or before, drive 20 or more miles, then make a 24 mile boat ride and then a 1.5 mile pirogue paddle to kill nothing, then I just as soon sleep in and watch the sun come up in my back yard. Not to mention the burning of many gallons of gas, oil and money to get that accomplished. When I go through all of that, I want to kill birds.

Good point. Our Marsh is a 15 minute ride down 27, then a 5 minute Boat ride. However, I do have to travel 175 miles from home to the camp.

Agreed, that's where I am in my life as well, been chasing them ducks ever since I can remember, and now at 47 years old it's more about the quality time spent with my kids. My oldest son turned 17 and my youngest son just turned 10 so these past couple years has been about time spent with them as they don't stay young very long. I also as you said appreciate the sunrises a lil more, and working the birds and letting them shoot. Fourtuntely for me I taught them both that we don't have to kill a limit every trip for it to be a success.

Its all relative. Saturday we didn't fire a shot. I would co.sider that a horrible hunt. Sunday we killed 6 which when compared to Saturday, felt awesome when it really was pretty weak.

All in all, if you don't wake up early you can't scratch or get a limit. I'm only 26 and I love to go hunting wether I kill or not even tho it's always nice to kill something but I won't say I'm not going back because I didnt kill. Duck hunting is like video poker... You always brag when you win big but the story of how much money you put in to win that much never comes out. If killing a limit in thirty minutes every day of the season is fun for you it's time to find something more challenging. JMO


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Oh don't get me wrong. I love campin and hangin out wit good friends. But I don't have a camp. And like said earlier, it's not worth it to me where I hunt to go all the way out there to maybe kill a few ducks. I wanna go knowing I have a chance to kill a limit. Now I will make an easy hunt in a field or lease marsh any day and be fine with a scratch lol

I understand what y'all are sayin. Sunday I could have not fired a shot, as long as my dog got to retrieve birds, I woulda been happy. I'm sure it's the same watching your kids shoot and you don't even pick up a gun. That would be fulfilling. But NOBODY firing a shot, and still saying it was a good day is where we differ.

I firmly believe it can be many things to many people......I am with the crowd that just likes to relax, watch the birds and dogs and my son and nephew.....but I'm 48 and been chasing these for at least 25 years......I started when we had thirty days and three ducks and I am blessed to have started in that time.....taught me more about the experience than the kill at an early age. Compound that with an annual reading of Ruark's "The old man and the boy" and you will likely change your ideas of a "good" day......that all being said.....I like to kill by limit and have bloody mary's by ten......but I just don't have to for it to be "good" for me.

It's not just age, it's the life experience that comes with it.....my sister lost a child four years ago.......bet she would give her last twenty years for one more with Dru.....regardless if they "kill" or not

Just fed my dog a treat for 2 good hunts where he went above and beyond responding damn near perfect on the whistles and stuff. My tool/pet likes BBQed boudin.Attachment 42756
I enjoy a limit regardless of the time it takes to get it, no competition here for me anyways. Since day one of my first lab though, I've gotten more enjoyment out of seeing my dogs suceed than any limit I've ever shot. I will be taking my 3 yr old on his first duck hunt however and I'm certain that'll be a spectacular if I shoot 1 bird or 6. Maybe he'll get ond with my old BB gun that he now shoots.

The only bad hunt I've had is, I wake up to find I left my wallet in my truck and someone decided it was a good night to dig in my truck and find it full of my paycheck around 600 bucks they were at least nice enough to leave my wallet ID etc. then we get to the marsh and my boat was running like hell then the people I was lettin borrow my canoe let it blow out on I 10 twice then once we got to exit 36 someone in my truck says Hagen there ain't no cowling on that Yamaha. I know that seems like a lot to happen in one day but McNabb can verify authenticity

PS the thieves stole my box of cigars also

Are you some how related to iron man

LMAO!!!

X 2!

If hunting conditions are that bad, and not killing makes you want to quit for the week, then you should probably get something a little closer......... You're probably the overly irritated a-hole at the launch cussing at everyone who doesn't trailer their boat as fast as you think they should, setting a great example for my young'uns.

Any day that I can spend out there with a hot cup of brew, my boys and a sunrise is a dang good day. Sit back and really think about what is worth getting flustered over. You know how many hunts it takes to make a 40 minute duck commander video? They don't kill every day,and I know people with awesome leases all over the state that DON'T kill every day.

A good hunt is any time you can make a hunt. A hunt without killing merely hones your skills a little more...

Awesome dude, then why don't you and your young'uns go sit out there in the offseason if its so much fun to sit there, drink coffee, and not kill ****! It must be hard to go through life callin everyone an ******* that disagrees with you. I would say good luck this weekend but u don't need that, Just a full thermos.

LOL...

Well said.. .

Lol!!

im 24 yrs old and have had 2 major heart surgeries with one more to count on and have a wife and a two yr old daughter, everyday i wake up breathing is a good day!!!, so any hunt is a "good hunt" (don't need sympathy JS)

Yes, perhaps you should go out there in the offseason more often. It will help hone your skills at loading that boat and you won't have to get cussed anymore!

Keep me out of your bs stories

I never said I wasn't out there to kill, just said It's not worth whining like a little girl when I don't. Everyone here goes for the kill, and loves the kill, but the difference is most are above complaining about it.



And I didn't call you an a-hole, I insinuated that you were the one at the launch hollering at everyone - obviously your reply is simply an admission of guilt.

Yankees Suck, and I do go during the offseason - me and my boys call it scouting. Maybe try it sometime and you'd be in a better mood after yopur hunts.

Most intimidating 2nd post in Salty history.

Man! You should come scout one day with us, nice thermos of coffee, a box of stolen cigars, and getting to see the sunrise. It doesn't get any better than that!

Marshmud's Hunting Checklist:
 

Young'uns: CHECK
Thermos: CHECK
Good to go! Don't even need guns! Just the sunrise!

I would but the Yankees suck

If you're out there so much why is it that you can't load your boat in a timely manner. GET OUT OF THE WAY!!!

We could even bring the portable tv, watch a quick episode of Duck Commander, then we can analyze the Yankees 2012 season!!!!

It took a whole 162 game season to film 1 Duck Commander DVD.

I'm in no rush... My thermos is full.. :D

Not sure if the two guys bickering are joking around or not as I do not know either one, but if they are not I didn't post this thread to start a back and forth battle, I can see that on other sites. If you guys do know each other and are just joking around, please disregard this comment.

I really appreciate everyones input on this topic and it appears that everyone is out there for different reasons, which is the reason I posted this thread, I was curious as to what people get out of the hunt. Thanks again and keep posting, just no BICKERING!

Nothing like that boat ride in the pre-dawn hour to the blind. Get a quick sip of coffee before legal shootin time, you can barely see those teal that dropped into to your decoys. Its all about the anticipation of what the morning brings. If you're sharing this with your kids even better. The basic traditions of duck hunting has not changed for generations. This is truly a sport of passion and a deep appreciation of the outdoors. If you measure your success by the kill, or time spent, or number of days afield, it really doesn't matter.

Now that's what I'm talkin about!

Good hunt: nothing breaks, no one gets hurt, and I learn something to make me a better hunter for the next time.

I've had some very frustrating hunts (usually involving wounded deer and long tracking jobs), but ultimately I count these as good because the shooter (sometimes me) learned from his mistake. A couple extra seconds making a good shot saves a lot of time and effort tracking.

to give a number double digits anytime is good

A mess of fat green heads and pintails before the rest of the state opens for business...