Any hunts you wouldn’t do again?

[VertigoBE]

That may be true in Poland, that is absolutely not true in the UK. In fact, that would be highly illegal in the UK.

I’ve been a few times hunting in Scotland, and legal or illegal, I do not know, but seeing hundreds if not thousands of pretty tame pheasants wandering along the roads when we would drive around to go fishing, or take a day off from red deer hunting, told me a lot…

 

[Captain David newlin]

There are a lot of places doing that in US and charging an arm and a leg.
Clueless so called wild bird hunters can't even see the holes in pheasants beaks.

Almost all your shooting preserves turn out quail and pheasants every day. There is no hunting just bird shooting.

 

[Hunt anything]

I’ve been a few times hunting in Scotland, and legal or illegal, I do not know, but seeing hundreds if not thousands of pretty tame pheasants wandering along the roads when we would drive around to go fishing, or take a day off from red deer hunting, told me a lot…

Almost any wild animal can get acclimated to humans. In downtown Dumas Texas there was a prairie dog town and dozens of wild pheasant walking around the burrows with people driving and walking by constantly. There is a subdivision in our town that at any given time whitetail deer are present in the yards eating the shrubs and even drinking out of pools while people are swimming in them. My point would be if something isn’t hunted or harassed they can be very tolerant of human activity. Another example would be animals in Africas National parks compared to the same species in a hunting concession.

 

[Captain David newlin]

I think everyone here generally discusses their favorite hunts. Are there any hunts that no longer interest you or you wouldn’t repeat? I’ve been lucky and got to hunt quite a few different regions and outfitters. I’ve never had a bad hunt but think I’ve learned more what I want and don’t want with each trip. This is my list

1. The commercial game farm hunt in Limpopo. I’d be really glad to hunt bushbuck or warthogs or a dedicated kudu hunt in the mountains on very non-commercial properties, but seeing farmed species, color variants, or ear tags would ruin my hunt now. It’s generally too commercialized for the hunting I want now.

2. Estate hunting in New Zealand. I’ve had some PMs telling me otherwise, but the wild deer and farmed deer have very different temperaments from what I observed. I got to see 3 deer estates while I was there. I’d be excited to hunt free range deer or tahr again, but one estate stag is enough for me.

3. Single tag hunts in western US. I’m not a collector. I like going to see new areas and hunting styles and getting in all the days I booked. My biggest concern on these type hunts is finishing on the first day. I’m not one to pass trophy animals just to extend the hunt. I’ve only done one hunt like this for mule deer. Outfitter, guide, and area were great, but I took my mule deer on first afternoon, and hunt was over. I’d go as a group or with multiple tags in my pocket, but only one tag is too much of a potential limiter to me.

Went with a clown by the name of Shawn keeney in s.a. near joburg hunting in small pens clearly farm raised dumb animals. Guaranteed hog hunts in u.s. are usually total b.s. small pens. Went aoudad hunting near tarlingua Texas with a real crook had a high school kid guiding that was totally lost. Check references thoroughly.

 

[Hunt anything]

Went with a clown by the name of Shawn keeney in s.a. near joburg hunting in small pens clearly farm raised dumb animals. Guaranteed hog hunts in u.s. are usually total b.s. small pens. Went aoudad hunting near tarlingua Texas with a real crook had a high school kid guiding that was totally lost. Check references thoroughly.

I hunted with Shawn Keeny and we were 6 hours from Johannesburg and the farm we hunted was definitely not a small pen and the animals were definitely switched on.

 

[Rich s]

Are the holes in the bills where they had something so the roosters wouldn’t peck and fight one another? And then removed before being liberated.

Yes

 

[Seavas]

Early teal season in the marsh. Ninety degree heat and enough mosquitos, moccasins, and gators to make you go home and put the gear away and wait for another month and a half.

 

[Borderer]

I’ve been a few times hunting in Scotland, and legal or illegal, I do not know, but seeing hundreds if not thousands of pretty tame pheasants wandering along the roads when we would drive around to go fishing, or take a day off from red deer hunting, told me a lot…

There are a lot of pheasants on roadsides in Scotland but I have never heard of them being released any time after June or early July and most shoots in our local area do not start until November.

They do seem relatively tame, particularly before the shooting season as they are fed with wheat and they seem to spend a lot of time on roadsides eating grit.

 

[Hunt anything]

Early teal season in the marsh. Ninety degree heat and enough mosquitos, moccasins, and gators to make you go home and put the gear away and wait for another month and a half.

View attachment 559920

Nice retriever! That’s why I just hunt them in the wet spot in the backyard. Leave the house 5 minutes before shooting time and come home when the wife rings the breakfast bell.

 

[booker]

Washington State Elk have gone twice and has been a train wreck each time.

West Texas Aoudad hunting. Stay away from HuntAoudad.com and High Caliber Outfitters
One is a questionable crook and the other is a lying druggy.

Never been interested in Grizzly or Brown Bear or the any of the big horn sheep.

 

[Rich s]

Probably won’t do a fly in diy moose hunt in the wood tik chik state park in Alaska.
Had to shoot a Brown bear in self defense and had to call the local game warden- state trooper on the 1st day of moose season. Got hassled more in 14 days than I’ve ever been hassled in 45 years in the lower 48. His live in girlfriend Allison was the wood tik chik park ranger. Even the locals said they had quit the power trip going on when we got back to town. Neither one of them new that suppressors were legal in Alaska. Yeah we got hassled big time over that tell they had to tell us under default because there’s nothing in the regulations about them you can use them.
You fly into the wilderness a hour and a half from Dillingham and expect to be in the wilderness and on your own but no we got frequent visits when weather allowed. Not to mention the constant hassle via garmin.
The weather sucked which was nobodies fault. We had 2 days out of 16 that we didn’t get drenched with rain. It was cold wet and miserable. Along with being hassled by the 2power trips that were in charge of the area I will not be back. Even the locals filled us in on them when we were back in town.
Did manage to kill our 2 moose’s so there was some highlights in between the drama.
Would we have gotten so much crap if that Bear hadn’t charged me and I had to shoot it I don’t know. I’m sure that caused them both some extra paperwork. the locals sure didn’t have anything good to say about the park ranger.

 

[Doubleplay]

Almost all your shooting preserves turn out quail and pheasants every day. There is no hunting just bird shooting.

%100 just shooting which is ok for teaching or training dogs but I personally don't accept the term hunting for that.

 

[Doubleplay]

I hunted with Shawn Keeny and we were 6 hours from Johannesburg and the farm we hunted was definitely not a small pen and the animals were definitely switched on.

He must be a free lance ph, hunting different properties. There are a lot of them in Joburg area.

 

[WAB]

I’ve been a few times hunting in Scotland, and legal or illegal, I do not know, but seeing hundreds if not thousands of pretty tame pheasants wandering along the roads when we would drive around to go fishing, or take a day off from red deer hunting, told me a lot…

Those are all early release birds. I don’t remember the last release date, but I think it is sometime in June.

I grew up on a farm with a lot of wild birds. Driving around we would see dozens wandering about in the fields and lanes. Get out of the vehicle and it’s a different story.

 

[Hookboy88]

I hunted with Shawn Keeny and we were 6 hours from Johannesburg and the farm we hunted was definitely not a small pen and the animals were definitely switched on.

I know people that hunt with him and they describe what you just described. Not sure what went sideways with the OP that you replied to but that’s not what I have been informed of his operations

 

[HankBuck]

My western hunting is going to end in the near future. I have an Elk hunt in Wyoming next October and it may be my last. With the cost being what it is, and only 5 days of hunting, I cant see myself spending the money on those hunts with so much more to offer in other counties. I can add a mule deer to my elk hunt but I'm not sure if I want to burn the points for a low chance opportunity. If I don't use my deer points, I will have a mule deer hunt in the future. But I dont see myself investing in anymore points.

This may stir up the pot, but I don't think I will ever hunt RSA, even though I have never been. After hunting a free area in Zim and having much success, I don't see the point on making the trip to RSA.

Rev turbo, agree with NO more 5 day Elk hunts and for me - No more 5 day hunts period.....I don’t like to be rushed, I want to “really” Hunt, weather can always ruin 2-3 days, I traveled far and want to enjoy time afield. I only book with Outfitters that offer 6 or 7 full days of hunting - even if I must pay for an extra day or 2 to get it...many outfitters will accommodate except the “burn & turn” that always have every bed, meal, and room allocated. The worst hunts I’ve had are baited black bear in Quebec and took me 4 trips before i realized: Same small bear and 50% odds as in Maine. Also, they rarely ever put one of their “200-300lb bears” on a scale (because they’re 125-150lbs). I now book in US, with outfitters that weigh every bear. Exceptions - Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, BC Vancouver Island - bigger bears and worth the extra travel & $$. That’s been my experience and resulting opinion. Sitting over a bait bucket waiting for a black bear is the easiest hunting I’ve ever done - zero physical effort but must be patient and in the Spring - tolerate billions of flys.

 

[Bert the Turtle]

I wouldn’t hunt elephant out of a family group again.

 

[Hunt anything]

He must be a free lance ph, hunting different properties. There are a lot of them in Joburg area.

No, he owns a track in the Kalahari in the Northwest province called Aragon, I was the second hunter in after South Africa opened after Covid. Not sure of the acreage but it was substantial, no interior fences and after coming in the main gate we never saw the perimeter fence. We also hunted another farm that was supposedly one of the largest potatoe farm in the southern hemisphere. I shot a gemsbok there with only cattle fences around it.

 

[HankBuck]

Probably won’t do a fly in diy moose hunt in the wood tik chik state park in Alaska.
Had to shoot a Brown bear in self defense and had to call the local game warden- state trooper on the 1st day of moose season. Got hassled more in 14 days than I’ve ever been hassled in 45 years in the lower 48. His live in girlfriend Allison was the wood tik chik park ranger. Even the locals said they had quit the power trip going on when we got back to town. Neither one of them new that suppressors were legal in Alaska. Yeah we got hassled big time over that tell they had to tell us under default because there’s nothing in the regulations about them you can use them.
You fly into the wilderness a hour and a half from Dillingham and expect to be in the wilderness and on your own but no we got frequent visits when weather allowed. Not to mention the constant hassle via garmin.
The weather sucked which was nobodies fault. We had 2 days out of 16 that we didn’t get drenched with rain. It was cold wet and miserable. Along with being hassled by the 2power trips that were in charge of the area I will not be back. Even the locals filled us in on them when we were back in town.
Did manage to kill our 2 moose’s so there was some highlights in between the drama.
Would we have gotten so much crap if that Bear hadn’t charged me and I had to shoot it I don’t know. I’m sure that caused them both some extra paperwork. the locals sure didn’t have anything good to say about the park ranger.

Sounds like you did the “right thing” and notified Police immediately - some locals and Hunters might not have....and while the Police are just doing their “job” they investigate any animal taken like a “Homicide”. You were in a lose lose situation: don’t shoot/die, shoot/notify =investigated, shoot/don’t notify= risk of arrest, firearm confiscation, big fines$$$$. Alaska takes game law violations more seriously then ay other State and penalties are also harsher — they can confiscate a guides airplane, boat, firearms etc.. You did the only responsible thing that a Hunter could.

 

[CoElkHunter]

There are a lot of pheasants on roadsides in Scotland but I have never heard of them being released any time after June or early July and most shoots in our local area do not start until November.

They do seem relatively tame, particularly before the shooting season as they are fed with wheat and they seem to spend a lot of time on roadsides eating grit.

Are they ringnecks like we have here in the US?