How important is hunting season to you!?

[Cowtown guy]

There are no words......

[Hydro1]

Last season i turned down a paid for two week trip to mexico during hunting season.

The old saying "Live to hunt, Hunt to live" is spot on.
My misses has grown to know not to plan anything with me included for any of the hunting seasons.
If im home during this time my mind sure isnt.

[Dunezilla]

At one time it was important for me as far as meat for the table goes, however over the pass 15 years getting out & learning more on stalking a big game animal means more to me now that it did the other 16 years. I may be in the "Mellow Out Stage" but watching deer, or moose walk right pass me just 5 yards ahead while I'm kneeling, & staying as motionless as possible is rather rewarding for me whether I take an animal's life or not. Then the animal begins to eat & I have the honour to watch it.

I watched them from a tree stand on a few occasions but watching close up on the ground is way more exciting. So yes hunting is still important to me.

[jacenbeers]

September and November are fully dedicated to hunting. I do nothing but work and hunt. October Is set aside for moose hunting in BC

[32-40win]

I like the spring bird seasons, either turkey or snows. I should try for a spring bear sooner than later. For about the last 10 yrs I've had 5 wks holidays, 4 of those are for hunting, one for fishing, when I only had 4 wks, I used 3 in the fall. Only impediment I have had was on antelope, no holidays in last half of Sept due to year end at work, and having to work some Saturdays, which I usually managed to avoid in Oct/Nov. Never had any scheduling issue with Oct/Nov at work, I am the only one that ever wanted that time of the year off. I used to do a fair bit of gophers in the summer, some yote trips in the winter. Not too keen on the cold weather stuff now, unless it is in Nov.
I quit bowhunting because of getting a good retrieving dog, rather shoot waterfowl, and I got tired of the practice side of it. Part of me misses that, and some of the 3D shoots. Only so much time available, and they conflict as to what part of the province to hunt in, for me.
I still enjoy getting out, and I always look forward to the seasons.

[Tundra Monkey]

Thankfully my first child arrived a week early. I felt guilty enough leaving on a sheep hunt 2 weeks after she was born but Wifey is tough.

12 years later that move still gets brought up from time to time

[edmhunter]

Originally Posted by Tundra Monkey

Thankfully my first child arrived a week early. I felt guilty enough leaving on a sheep hunt 2 weeks after she was born but Wifey is tough.

12 years later that move still gets brought up from time to time

Yep, woman sure do seem to have great memories!

[Frosty Tracks]

I must say ,I live for hunting season! I've grown up hunting and my kids are following my footsteps. It's a family tradition , it's a great source of quality meat and memories that last forever. The only thing my family plans for the fall is hunting

[59whiskers]

Missed so much hunting and fishing because of work, family and hockey commitments. Very fortunate to have lots of holidays now and I no longer feel rushed when I hunt up in the Crowsnest Pass area. Just glad to get out and relax. Bringing home game is just a bonus.

[H380]

When my wife and I got engaged 34 years ago it was August and she wanted a wedding that coming November . told her it wasn't happening cause that was deer season , not " dear season " and she wasn't impressed but consented to Mid January .. Guess you could say she was forewarned of what was to come ..lol .Can't complain tho , she has stuck by me thru some tough times and virtually never complains about my hunting ..i don't complain about her quilting so it makes us even .LOL

[Evil69]

My whole family knows Sept 1-Nov 30 are off limits. They can book it but I probably won't come. My first child was born Oct 30 and I was moose hunting so that about sums up my dedication (some would say obsession) with hunting. Ice fishing is a close second.

The only thing that has saved me from divorce is I'm not a hardcore bear hunter.....that would probably push the wife over the edge.

[58thecat]

Look forward to spending it with people dear to me, fresh air, dreams of monster bulls, bucks and at the end a nice piece of meat on the grill

[SonofDixie]

My family comes first... Then obviously hunting is second. Really sucks having a baby being born in hunting season, an anniversary in hunting season, with a wife who's birthday is in hunting season.... Lol. I make up for the time that im gone... I shot my first buck on her birthday. Lol. Shes very supportive in (i dont call it a hobby) my lifestyle.

When im gone, im gone... When im home, im home.... I keep it balanced.

[lds]

I love hunting and look forward to it all year but love my family more. A hunt is just a hunt and there are always more animals next year so I cherish the time I have with my wife and newborn kid. After all what is life without people to share it with

[craig82]

Not sure what I would do if I was not hunting. I was a carpenter and always had to beg for time off for deer season. Now I run equipment and it couldn't be better. I always have bear season open and the few jobs that do interrupt it are often in places where I can hunt. I spend all my time from after work till dark in the bush. Last year between bear deer and mid season elk I bet I spent about 60 days hunting! My friends say I'm crazy but I don't care I do 99% of my hunting by my self just cuz I got sick of people that cancel. It's not so much about the kill but being out in the bush and close to animals is what I long for. I'm heading to work tomorrow by lac la bichie and the first thing in the truck was the rifle and bow . So ya I love to hunt!!

[Nait Hadya]

Hearing the distant bay of the hounds I raced across a field covered deep with snow to the swamp where the hounds were coursing a hare. Patiently waiting for the hare to circle back, I ignored the freezing cold that was creeping into my hands. Eventually the hare broke the edge of the swamp and gave me a shot, the old 22 repeater barked once and I grabbed up my supper and headed home with urgency. My hands wee frozen, checking my coat pockets I found a book of matches and lit a few pieces of birch bark to warm my hands. The Old Man always insisted I carry matches when I went to the woods, a rule I seldom offended.

If the desire for hunting begins in our youth, then this is probably when I became a hunter, as a child no less. That desire has yet to wane.

[JD848]

It's the greatest love off my life being in the bush,hunting ,fishing,whatever as long as i am under a big whitespruce,having my lunch ,my mind is at peace,hope i have enough energy when it's my final hour and just go to sleep under that big whitespruce and never wake up,hunting is just a bonus ,being their is the reward.

[blackmamba]

August 15-dec 1st. I take off from work every year , might throw in a couple days of work for extra gas money but usually cause i need a break from chasing critters . we planned our first child this year based on hunting season. . My wife knows what it means to me and never even brings it up that im away for long periods of time .

[BIG AL]

In my family, no weddings or birthdays in November. That would be a grave sin.

[coyotekiller]

Hunting is super important, I hunt as much as I can and I'm Always thinking about it, can't wait for hunting season this year

[guywiththemule]

Sheep Hunting season comes first . Always. Everything else is a poor second ! Always has,always will, for the last 47 years !!

[hakx]

Planned my wedding date to fall between Archery Elk and the start of rifle season.

My Son was born before spring bear opened.

My request for November vacation days (i'm military) are submitted and
finalized before May 1.

[JohninAB]

Used to be a fanatical bow hunter. Took 5 weeks off from beginning of September to chase elk and moose. Now due to industrial expansion and population growth find the hunting opportunities and quality of the hunts have declined to a point where I no longer get excited over it.

Still go out in the early fall and cruise some spots to enjoy the nice days and shoot a grouse or two but that is about it.

[Spinner57]

My boss changes my work schedule every WT season so that I am never on-call, and only work 4 days a week so I can take off for a few days every weekend. Plus during that time I'll take 1-2 weeks straight off. Obviously I make up for it during other parts of the year, but it's nice having a boss that caters to your interests. He understands how important it is to me as I NEVER take any other time off, and even when I'm sick as a dog I still come in to work.

[-JR-]

Really he is your buddy and you can't make the hunting trip the next following weekend so he can join you.
Give me a break , its his brother .

[u_cant_rope_the_wind]

its simple plan a wedding during hunting season don't send me an invite i refuse to go, die don't plan on me going to a funeral not even my own, it just won't happen, my wifes family is famous for planning crap like that during hunting season she goes alone simple as that.
i refused to go to two of my own daughters weddings if they had them during hunting season , they're planned their wedding dates. the way i see it i'm getting older health isn't the best,ive only got a very few seasons left i'm not letting crap like weddings or some retarded family reunion get in between me and hunting season, i tell my boss at work if i book days off its engraved in stone mess with my hunting season is like messing with an aboriginals treaty rights

[Fwee6]

Originally Posted by Thinlizzy

Its everything.
I love hunting season.
Try to spend as much time as I can hunting.
In time I plan on taking all of hunting season off to hunt.

I might make this into a sign that goes on the fridge Sept 1st and gets taken down in December.

[nelsonob1]

I hunt a minimum of fifty days and usually eighty every deer season. Always open in the first week of September on elk with bow. Always close third week in December on whitetail with bow. My LEH entries are always for January hunts - just to extend the season.

[scalerman]

My first wife viewed hunting as my mistress and was jealous of my time spent out in the woods. She felt she was a widow from Sept 1st to Nov 30th.With my current wife she knows how important hunting is to me and encourages me to get out and follow my passion. The being a hunting widow part has not changed at all. She has even been up all hours of the night processing game meat with me. I am a truly blessed man.

[BigJon]

I really like to hunt....but I won't miss a wedding (in a reasonable location) or funeral of someone that is/was near and dear to me. Nor will I leave someone hanging alone in a hospital or some other sort of sh!tluck situation. All of those, except for the funeral - thankfully, have happened over the last few years. Still manage to keep folding tags too....

Guess I ain't hardcore...