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A few years ago I started writing down some of the more memorable hunting stories. Not really sure why. Maybe it's to share with others or to have happy memories to read when I'm an old fart. Looks like to date there are 30 or so stories and Microsoft Word says there's about 52000 words. Anyway, just wondering if anyone else does this and why.
I was doing it for my unsuccessful turkey hunts for a while. I know @Sam Menard documents all of his hunts from a old post he put out a while ago as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pioneerfreq
For me by the time I get home and start writing im so tired I start to nod off [emoji23] I would like to start doing it again tho.
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When I hunted deer on Manitoulin Island for 20 + years a buddy kept a log every year. After he passed another member kept the book going and still does to date. I'm heading back up after years of not going this fall.
My cousin has been keeping a log of our hunts at Burks Falls the past 10 years. Kind of cool reading about past hunts
Gord Ellis had a good story in a recent OOD magazine about the journals he keeps as it relates to his fishing and hunting trips; and thought I'd do the same. I'm really excited to relive the journal entries in a couple years, as well as show my kids who are currently too young to enjoy such stories (newborn and a toddler)
I do an"extended "log,not much as story telling,but facts(when hunted,how long,what was the temp,what was the wind,what i saw-what i harvested,and how)
Just so i can "learn"and perhaps relfect back onto "facts"one day.
Huh, I really didn't think I'd get any responses. Thanks for playing along LOL. The answers seem to be a mix of logs and journals. I guess that's how it started with me too. Wanting to keep track of successes and failures and ideas for next year. I enjoy hunting so much after a while I realized I wanted a way to hold onto those good memories. For me, pictures on a cell phone of a successful harvest don't tell the full story.
Haven't seen that yet. I'll have to check it out. Thanks for the heads up.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryeguy
I have a calendar book that I keep in the truck where I will write a quick summary for the days I hunt/trap as soon as I get back to the truck. Weather, time in the field, and what I got. This helps me log hours for the hunting summaries we have to do and reminds me what I saw. I also have a journal where I write down the more memorable (successful) hunts in more detail like who I hunted with, amount harvested and what I saw.
Buddy started a journal a few years ago at the cabin, wish we had started 25 years ago as we are soon getting into our 60's now. Hunting, wood cutting, relaxing, the weather and just life happenings there that might be interesting or someone in the future might find useful or entertaining. As well all visitors are invited to write whatever they want as well, kind of like a welcome book of sorts.
John
[QUOTE=Bowjob; I know @Sam Menard documents all of his hunts from a old post he put out a while ago as well.
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Been doing it since 1984. About 12 years ago, I self-published a book that was a combination of my hunting journals and collection of photos. It was pricey but turned out really nice and the whole gang bought copies.
Sam,
Is your book available for purchase? To me, it would be interesting to read about your hunts over the years compared to mine....and maybe others.
When we bought our camp we had a journal going on for many years.
Now I just track all game shot per year.
I keep a journal and have also posted many trip reports on this site both successful and unsuccessful. Trip reports also tend be well documented at each stage with photos. One of these days i am gonna have go through and find them all and export them somehow. I know my kids have expressed interest in me doing this.
As far as journal/logs go, I keep a spreadsheet of all wild harvests. Mushrooms, berries, wild game etc. Helps me track when things come on each year, and where. For instance, my wife and I picked just over 4 quarts of wild cranberries Tuesday from 2 different marshes so I put that in there. Last year we barely got one cup. Helps me track how many fish we have in the freezer or how many ducks we harvested etc. Goes back as far as 2015.
I keep a hunting journal as well.
Mostly date, time, weather, location. Who I was with. Any particulars of terrain, etc ( Like a marsh that had higher water than normal). Species taken, and number.
Then depending on day, I'll write a little bit of my thoughts if it strikes me.
I figure I'll be an old man someday, and my fire, and journal might not be a bad way to look back.
In the August 2022 issue of Ontario OUT of DOORS, there is a Gord Ellis column on this very thing. There's also a book review in the Fall 2022 issue (mailing this week and on newsstands Oct. 17) on Bill Keller's recently published Memories of the Outdoors, which is essentially a compendium of outdoor writing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pioneerfreq
I think it's natural to want to put special memories down to the page, to preserve it, if not for someone else then for yourself, who one day may not remember them so well. I've kept a journal of sorts since I was a kid; it's a calming practise.
That's a great point. I do find that while writing stories, I go over in my mind what may have gone right or wrong on a given day. In particular when things do go wrong, I find it helps me think about what I could do differently next time instead of just beating myself up.Quote:
Originally Posted by MeghanOOD
that is amazing ! we need a link to purchase this.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam Menard
Last time that I checked, the printer wanted around $300 per copy (no profit to me). I’m not sure the guys wouldn’t feel comfortable about sharing personal info about themselves with strangers though. LOL, if you book a week at the camp, there’s a copy on the coffee table.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ata83
I've been writing a deer hunting journal since 2011.
Reading this thread has me wanting to go to confession? If I was ever to expose some of my hunting stories, I'm sure it would result in at least a couple of divorces and quite possibly a paternity suit? You guys sound like a bunch of choir boys? Geesh!
You guys write these journals before / during/ or after the whisky bottle is opened. 32 pointer
All 3 options, and when reading the journal you can tell lol.Quote:
Originally Posted by js4fn
John
LOL, back in my drinking days I quickly learned that, after tipping back a few, my handwriting would get worse and it would take forever to record the day’s events.Quote:
Originally Posted by js4fn
I have to admit that as I grow older, it’s getting harder to write stuff down and my daily entries are getting shorter.
LOL where do you hunt? Vegas?? One year one of the fellows brought a couple of flix for the VCR but we were too tired to watch them. We played caps another time… rowdy bunch, I know. Most often, we play cards or watch hockey games on TV.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bushmoose
We had a Log Book at the cottage for a while and I carried on the tradition when I retired and moved to The Farm 5 years ago. As for stories ? Some are worth repeating and some are classed as "unbelievable" and of course there are some that should just remain a memory.
thats for Icefishing ... lolQuote:
Originally Posted by Bushmoose
A girl I used to date many moons ago told me her dad and his hunt gang used to drive to Thunder Bay area for their annual hunt. Several of them would fly out of T. Bay to Vegas for a 3-4 day hiatus? LOL I guess they got caught at some point by one of the wives and the jig was up. LOLQuote:
Originally Posted by Sam Menard
This is a great thread. I never thought of writing down a journal but enjoy posting a story once in a while on this forum for others to enjoy. It would be cool to have a book to look back on. Now a days you can probably journals it on social media, I wouldn't be surprised if some people are doing that.
Not any formal log or journal, just started as recaps of what occurred during my deer hunt as a message to my younger brother in years when he did not attend. Kept more as a reminder of past hunts for reading at times of feeling nostalgic I guess.
Cool we're in Burks Falls too. Beautiful area and we're lucky to have some nice deer cruising around.Quote:
Originally Posted by huntnmachine
To the original post, we are going to start documenting the stories of each hunt on the property starting this fall.
So after reading some of this stuff i took it upon myself to actually get some stuff to document all my upcoming hunts. I bought a journal hunting book almost like a note pad that has all the main points I would want to jot down. And then I bought a leather scrapbook. I'm not good at keeping photos on my phone. So I'm thinking I'll be filling out my note pad/ journal with the hunts. Then rip the page off paste it to the scrapbook with some pictures from that hunt. Its something I've wanted to do but never knew where to start. Attachment 44131
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Been logging my deer sits in an excel spreadsheet with some basic notes, location, weather etc
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