the good old days and slob hunters

[calgarychef]

Well I thought I'd start a different thread rather than pooping on the ranchers thread. It's good to hear those old stories and it reminds me of hearing stories from my Grandfather and other old guys. Truthfully like others do I take them with less seriousness than if they had happened yesterday,but it really makes me wonder, should we?

Here's what jumps out at me with the story about Mr. Bugbee he shot a ram illegally with a handgun and that animal has been registered with B&C. In my mind this cheapens the accomplishments of everyone who hunted legally and ethically and had a trophy listed that was smaller than that one. There is also someone somewhere who might have been able to shoot that ram legally and he was robbed of the opportunity. Then there's the strory about the grizzly caught in the trap and Mr. Bugbee shooting it with a hangun in the foot and then in the guts to "teach it a lesson." Sickening stuff and again illegal, it really diminishes the things that he did "right" and I bet there was more right than wrong over the years. Someone called me ignorant for pointing out that handgun hunting was illegal another called me a jerk No biggie for me but it does say a lot about the ethics of those individuals.

I've heard stuff over the years from people I thought I admired. A friends father shot the penis off of someones horse with his 30-30 "to see if he could hit it." Can you imagine doing that to somenes horse? My own grandfather used to get so drunk while hunting that he would fall out of the car when he got home. They would routinely shoot over their limit and God help me if I ever returned a fish to the water instead of eating it. Does that kind of behaviour cause us to admire people, even if it was "the good old days" and "things were different" back then? What about the kids that killed the baby ducks and posted their accomplishment on u-tube, well heck that was last year and must have been the good old days too.

So every time we hear these old stories we should consider that they helped to contribute to the idea that we are all slob hunters. And when you get refused hunting permission on someones land because "all hunters are slobs" just remember all those stories about the good old days.

To those of you who are just beginning hunting try and remember that you'll get invited on more hunting trips and have way more opportunities to hunt if you behave ethically and legally than otherwise.

[SammyIam]

Was it illegal to hunt with a handgun in the years that ram was shot?

[Thinlizzy]

Interesting point which I agree with. The one thing to keep in mind is that back then people didn't think like we do in 2011.
My Grandfather used to hunt drunk at night and never thought anything of it. Most people didn't care at that time and I doubt he would have even got charged.

My mom told me a story that one time after the town fair they had been driving home when they got pulled over by the cops. My grandpa was so drunk that he could barley walk. The cop gave him a ticket and sent him home with his family on the highway.

Times have changed and a lot of it is for the better!
We often hear about the good old days!
Some of it wasn't that good!

[gunner72]

One of the coolest things about hunting when I was young was listening to the stories that my grampa and his life long hunting partners would tell. Sure some of the things they did back in the 50's and 60's might have been a little questionable( by todays standards ) but nothing was wasted. A more "ethical" group of hunters would be hard to find. They never shot stuff for the horns, what they shot they ate and would help out others if they needed it any way they could. When I first learned to butcher we were taught to pick every little peice till it looked like a magpie had done it. I miss those stories. I don't know who your directing this thread toward but it seems a bit too general to me.

[wrathchild]

All you can do is lead by example, and criticize those that are unethical.

I believe (hope) Mother Nature will take care of herself and that includes how we treat her. Some people just have a bad streak... in the end they'll get what's coming to them.

[dcutter]

That is the issue with "ethics". Back then an animal was nothing more than that. An animal. Meant for consuption or utilization. They weren't regarded as living beings with thought and feelings, they were tools or food.

Ethics aren't rules laid down in writing, rather thoughts and opinions open for interpretation and discussion.

[209x50]

Originally Posted by calgarychef

Well I thought I'd start a different thread rather than pooping on the ranchers thread. It's good to hear those old stories and it reminds me of hearing stories from my Grandfather and other old guys. Truthfully like others do I take them with less seriousness than if they had happened yesterday,but it really makes me wonder, should we?

Here's what jumps out at me with the story about Mr. Bugbee he shot a ram illegally with a handgun and that animal has been registered with B&C. In my mind this cheapens the accomplishments of everyone who hunted legally and ethically and had a trophy listed that was smaller than that one. There is also someone somewhere who might have been able to shoot that ram legally and he was robbed of the opportunity. Then there's the strory about the grizzly caught in the trap and Mr. Bugbee shooting it with a hangun in the foot and then in the guts to "teach it a lesson." Sickening stuff and again illegal, it really diminishes the things that he did "right" and I bet there was more right than wrong over the years. Someone called me ignorant for pointing out that handgun hunting was illegal another called me a jerk No biggie for me but it does say a lot about the ethics of those individuals.

I've heard stuff over the years from people I thought I admired. A friends father shot the penis off of someones horse with his 30-30 "to see if he could hit it." Can you imagine doing that to somenes horse? My own grandfather used to get so drunk while hunting that he would fall out of the car when he got home. They would routinely shoot over their limit and God help me if I ever returned a fish to the water instead of eating it. Does that kind of behaviour cause us to admire people, even if it was "the good old days" and "things were different" back then? What about the kids that killed the baby ducks and posted their accomplishment on u-tube, well heck that was last year and must have been the good old days too.

So every time we hear these old stories we should consider that they helped to contribute to the idea that we are all slob hunters. And when you get refused hunting permission on someones land because "all hunters are slobs" just remember all those stories about the good old days.

To those of you who are just beginning hunting try and remember that you'll get invited on more hunting trips and have way more opportunities to hunt if you behave ethically and legally than otherwise.

I think you have too much time to worry! JK.
These old stories are just that "stories" I sure as heck would lose any sleep over a yarn that most likely has nothing in common with what actually happened.
As far as the B&C sheep goes, if you can prove there were laws broken then apply to have it removed with documented evidence. I'm sure they will remove it if you prove your case.

[marlin1]

I would not call the guys shooting baby ducks on you tube hunters . They were not hunters at all , just poachers . Things that bug me are the fate of the buffalo , what a waste . Old pics of guys doing predator control and shooting all birds of prey , stuff like that

[artie]

When I started hunting in the early sixties the old timers would tell us to only bring one bullet. That way you have to be sure of your shot. You could get one tag to take either a moose, elk or deer. We would pass up many deer because we wanted an elk. Never always got an elk so close to end of season would settle for a deer. We had army cadets and when you turned 16 you could join the militia and that was special because you went all day and got a box lunch and were paid a small amount. We were well trained in firearm safety. The stories the old timers would tell us were special. Like in the war time they could not get tires so they would fill the tires with saw dust and run them until they fell off. In the fifties if someone had a four wheel drive that was something. But they also wasted alot of things. The early sawmills would burn alot of wood that today is used in the industry. My 87 year old mom is still what I call a sloppy camper. They would pour all their waste from camping on a tree and the next thing we would have a camp full of wasps. She never did get it. Some of the stories were just stories that grew as they years went by.

[u_cant_rope_the_wind]

I have heard stories of in the 30,s where people were so hungry they ate sparrows, and would go out hunting at night just to maybe feed their families, sport hunting didn't come along until the great writers, like jack o Connor started writing of their adventures in outdoor life magazines,then ethics started to come into play, as sportsmen and such

[Elko]

Not so sure all the good old days were slob hunters. My grandfather hunted since at least the 30's, and I never heard any story's like that, nor did I ever see him drunk or hunting illegally.
My point was the guy tells a 60 plus year old story for the benefit of telling the story, no need to jump all over him that the guy may have used a handgun. It may or may not have happened that way, but it was a long time ago, who cares.

So what year did hunting with a handgun become illegal in Alberta, are you sure it was not allowed at the time, back then the federal carry laws were different, if they even existed yet.

No need to be the ethics police for every thread.

[SammyIam]

I would like to see something that is believable stating that handguns were not legal to hunt with 60 years ago.

[wwbirds]

Different times and different rules. Game management as we probably know it came about at the turn of the century with the likes of Teddy Rosevelt etc. My grandfather served in the first world war and hunted trapped and guided for a living almost until his death in the 90's.
He raised 9 children with out formal hunting seasons or rules so he went out and shot a moose or a deer when he needed meat.
He was a firm believer that hunting seasons were for city folks who had to be regulated to shoot a nice tough bull moose in the fall when he preferred a July August calf.
He maintained that attitude pretty much until his death. he knew the animal populations in his area and relied on maintaining harvestable levels of animals for food as well as trapping to earn a living. He was not a commercial hunter so although he knew the value of a strong herd of animals it wasn't a financial interest but a genuine interest in the best for wildlife meant a best year for him. he killed what he needed and utilized everything.
Did the MNR try to change him? yup took an Enfield rifle away from him several times that I recall as well as a couple $500. army jeeps. Did he change, no. He wasn't a slob hunter but an old timer who appreciated wildlife from before there were rules, high populations engaging in sport hunting and common sense prevailed.

[Twobucks]

Originally Posted by calgarychef

Well I thought I'd start a different thread rather than pooping on the ranchers thread. It's good to hear those old stories and it reminds me of hearing stories from my Grandfather and other old guys. Truthfully like others do I take them with less seriousness than if they had happened yesterday,but it really makes me wonder, should we?

Here's what jumps out at me with the story about Mr. Bugbee he shot a ram illegally with a handgun and that animal has been registered with B&C. In my mind this cheapens the accomplishments of everyone who hunted legally and ethically and had a trophy listed that was smaller than that one. There is also someone somewhere who might have been able to shoot that ram legally and he was robbed of the opportunity. Then there's the strory about the grizzly caught in the trap and Mr. Bugbee shooting it with a hangun in the foot and then in the guts to "teach it a lesson." Sickening stuff and again illegal, it really diminishes the things that he did "right" and I bet there was more right than wrong over the years. Someone called me ignorant for pointing out that handgun hunting was illegal another called me a jerk No biggie for me but it does say a lot about the ethics of those individuals.

I've heard stuff over the years from people I thought I admired. A friends father shot the penis off of someones horse with his 30-30 "to see if he could hit it." Can you imagine doing that to somenes horse? My own grandfather used to get so drunk while hunting that he would fall out of the car when he got home. They would routinely shoot over their limit and God help me if I ever returned a fish to the water instead of eating it. Does that kind of behaviour cause us to admire people, even if it was "the good old days" and "things were different" back then? What about the kids that killed the baby ducks and posted their accomplishment on u-tube, well heck that was last year and must have been the good old days too.

So every time we hear these old stories we should consider that they helped to contribute to the idea that we are all slob hunters. And when you get refused hunting permission on someones land because "all hunters are slobs" just remember all those stories about the good old days.

To those of you who are just beginning hunting try and remember that you'll get invited on more hunting trips and have way more opportunities to hunt if you behave ethically and legally than otherwise.

In short: x2.

I plan on hunting for the rest of my life and I hope my kids and grandkids have the same opportunity. But there's a certain: "grandpappy knew best" attitude out there that I think threatens hunting in the long term.

My grandfather has a story about shooting a loon at some crazy distance with a .32 pistol - it took him about 10 shots - but he just kept adjusting his holdover by aiming further up a tree on the opposite side of the lake. In someways it's disgusting, but it's also a good lesson in finding a helpful reference in the field.

Times change - there are more people now and less habitat. That means we can't hunt the way we once did. One guy taking a crap in the town water supply doesn't matter much. But a thousand people doing it will poison us all.

When I read some of these "kill 'em all and screw the objectors" type of comments, it makes me afraid that the tradition of hunting will die.

It's basic evolution: the less adapted tend to be eliminated. That goes for species and ideas. Even hunting.

If we want hunting to survive as a tradition and a set of values, we need to take a good critical look at those values from time to time.