ArmyGrunt
AH elite
Well, that's a question with so many varied answers. I ask that we start up a discussion about the things that we like the best from our time and experiences on the AMAZING AH forums!
When I found this site in 2014, after reading in Petersen's Hunting mag about the relative inexpensiveness of hunting in Africa when compared to getting the same animals in perhaps Texas, I was amazed at how much knowledge was readily available from all of you very experienced people. I think I only perused a few days before I created an account and started posting comments and questions.
Nearly everyone I have found on here has been respectful, and typically willing to provide guidance or coaching towards fulfillment of a dream. From learning about firearms importation to shot placement to discovering animals I never knew existed I have greatly increased my knowledge base. Further, I have been able to provide others with insight to why hunting is a great conservation tool, how we help to benefit the local populations of animals and humans, and make a first-person friend or four.
Through AH.com I have found my first ever hunt (the one from 2014) to go on. I popped the proverbial cherry in SA with @Partick R and Bushwack Safari. I had an awesome week at two of his concessions. I got my taxidermy done with positive results, and he was able to drive/call the studio to manage a few concerns. I still get a text now and then from him.
Last spring I took my kids to Florida and did a gator hunt. I had contacted @gizmo for the taxidermy, and Erik did a phenomenal job creating the clock mount I wanted. This past December I went down to the Rockin G Ranch and had a fun weekend searching for the Catalina billy I currently have as my avatar. The pigs he promised remained scarce, as did the alleged whitetails, but the muleys were abundant. I got to see several other species in person that I never had. At the end of the weekend, I even managed to come home with a cooler loaded to the hilt with some other amazing flavors I shared with some friends. The goat was amazing, the heart now being my favorite cut of meat, and I brought the "oysters" home for a co-worker. She enjoyed them with another colleague when I wasn't working. That's a no thanks from me....
I love all the variety of threads that can be found in the various categories. I once read someone posted a goal of hunting all six continents. I pretty much immediately took that idea as my own, because why the hell not?!?
Since I'm stationed in Italy for a year, I knew I needed to get the European hunting trip checked off my list. I was reading over some of those other threads and found a couple of people had offered references for finding hunts. @Foxi and @ UKHunter were both quick to reply to PM (another feature I adore, thanks @Jerome). I sent out text/emails earlier in the day today, and have spoken to both outfitters on the phone since. Both called me within very short time periods, with the text being damn near an instant call back! I'm waiting to hear back from both of them with proposals. For the record, I had asked in another thread about whether I could drive across Europe with the meat from my trip, which I have been assured from both callers that it is no problem at all! Delightful!!
Thanks to this awesome website I have been able to make dreams, fulfill them, and make even more. As many others have stated, this place is a blessing and a curse. The more time I spend here, the better I am for knowledge, but the worse I am for making a hunting/shopping list that will likely always far exceed the capacity of my checkbook.
To all who post, participate, moderate and facilitate: my hat is off to you. We're all making this world a better place for future generations.
When I found this site in 2014, after reading in Petersen's Hunting mag about the relative inexpensiveness of hunting in Africa when compared to getting the same animals in perhaps Texas, I was amazed at how much knowledge was readily available from all of you very experienced people. I think I only perused a few days before I created an account and started posting comments and questions.
Nearly everyone I have found on here has been respectful, and typically willing to provide guidance or coaching towards fulfillment of a dream. From learning about firearms importation to shot placement to discovering animals I never knew existed I have greatly increased my knowledge base. Further, I have been able to provide others with insight to why hunting is a great conservation tool, how we help to benefit the local populations of animals and humans, and make a first-person friend or four.
Through AH.com I have found my first ever hunt (the one from 2014) to go on. I popped the proverbial cherry in SA with @Partick R and Bushwack Safari. I had an awesome week at two of his concessions. I got my taxidermy done with positive results, and he was able to drive/call the studio to manage a few concerns. I still get a text now and then from him.
Last spring I took my kids to Florida and did a gator hunt. I had contacted @gizmo for the taxidermy, and Erik did a phenomenal job creating the clock mount I wanted. This past December I went down to the Rockin G Ranch and had a fun weekend searching for the Catalina billy I currently have as my avatar. The pigs he promised remained scarce, as did the alleged whitetails, but the muleys were abundant. I got to see several other species in person that I never had. At the end of the weekend, I even managed to come home with a cooler loaded to the hilt with some other amazing flavors I shared with some friends. The goat was amazing, the heart now being my favorite cut of meat, and I brought the "oysters" home for a co-worker. She enjoyed them with another colleague when I wasn't working. That's a no thanks from me....
I love all the variety of threads that can be found in the various categories. I once read someone posted a goal of hunting all six continents. I pretty much immediately took that idea as my own, because why the hell not?!?
Since I'm stationed in Italy for a year, I knew I needed to get the European hunting trip checked off my list. I was reading over some of those other threads and found a couple of people had offered references for finding hunts. @Foxi and @ UKHunter were both quick to reply to PM (another feature I adore, thanks @Jerome). I sent out text/emails earlier in the day today, and have spoken to both outfitters on the phone since. Both called me within very short time periods, with the text being damn near an instant call back! I'm waiting to hear back from both of them with proposals. For the record, I had asked in another thread about whether I could drive across Europe with the meat from my trip, which I have been assured from both callers that it is no problem at all! Delightful!!
Thanks to this awesome website I have been able to make dreams, fulfill them, and make even more. As many others have stated, this place is a blessing and a curse. The more time I spend here, the better I am for knowledge, but the worse I am for making a hunting/shopping list that will likely always far exceed the capacity of my checkbook.
To all who post, participate, moderate and facilitate: my hat is off to you. We're all making this world a better place for future generations.