Have we lost the art of hunting?

Its been a while since I've hunted and now Im at it again. Really excited about harvesting deer after so long. Started talking with some of the guys at work and it seems almost everyone is into climbing trees and sitting up there to wait for one to pass by.
My grandfather was a hunter who stalked or ground hunted. He taught me long ago about what to look for and how to track, etc. Climbing a tree and sitting doesn't do it for me.
I get the feeling that we're losing the art of hunting. There were times that gramps came home empty. Those were rare but it did happen. He wasnt disappointed though. His thinking was that the deer were just a bit smarter that day and he'd just have to step up his game next time.

Any thoughts...?

Waiting in a tree stand is a good way to hunt deer, nothing wrong with it at all but there are a lot of guys that like to hunt deer by still hunting too... Many different ways to hunt, so long as you are doing it legal and enjoying it, why poop on the way somebody else is doing it?

first off "Welcome" to the forum....

Like Fratri said, lots of ways to hunt deer. No need to condemn one over the other.

Out our way, lots of guys hunt in groups, pushing deer with Dogs; push the bush during the day hunts and then stand sit for the night hunts.

Hunting with dogs is just as much a skill, or as you put it an "art form", as stalking deer as a lone hunter, just a different means to the same end.

Hope you get out and hone the skills your Grandpa taught you, harvesting a deer, no matter how you do it, it what Hunting is all about.

A lot of things have hanged over the years and the biggest change is the amount of land people have to hunt ..most guys cannot just go out and walk for a whole day on the land thy can hunt as thy will be crossing many property lines and trespassing ,property has gotten smaller over the years and bush lots have gotten way smaller ,,some places in the near north there is a lot of crown land ,and in many other parts of Canada you can still track deer and other game for days .There are way more hunters today on a lot less land in a lot more condensed seasons .Many guys like myself have a few farms to hunt that run in the hundred acres or so there for to hunt deer you will have to find a spot and sit and wait or risk walking around and bumping the deer chasing them on to the farms next door ,,for the next guy to shoot ,I am sure you can go to the prairies or the rocky mountains mayby the tundra and hunt like your grandfather did ,,Dutch

Many people in Africa make blinds and wait near water holes till game comes in, they also track and stalk game depending on animal and conditions. To say one way is true hunting and another is not only serves to distort the culture and separate us into factions.

If your grandfather walked old roads and shot grouse with you so that is the only way you know to hunt, does that make it wrong for me to wait in blinds and shoot driven grouse in the English country side.

I think you mean to say that you feel that "we" are losing the art of "bushcraft ".
it's the skills to be on the land, not hunting that you fear are lost.

I don't think we lost it. There is just different way to bring some meat home quickly. What the point to walk all day if you can shot a deer in a couple of hours from a stand? And I'm not talking over bait.
I see old stand on crown so it's not new, even so some of them were to cover runs I'm sure they still seat there till the end of the day. We hunt over a thousand acres of crown so I like still hunting better than seating but the odd time I climb one and watch squirrels, but that's not my things, to each his own at the end of the day we want to shot a deer.

Tree stand hunting works for me and provides me more of an opportunity to harvest deer. You are on a hunting and fishing forum and any legal effective method should not be looked down on.. Great first post and welcome.

Apologies if I sounded like I was crapping on other methods. Im not. Some good points made and that was the reason for the thread. It was a long time ago that I was last hunting so the only methods I know is as a single hunter or as a two man team. Also, this was in BC and there wasn't so many restrictions as to when, where or how to hunt.
I get it too regarding more hunters and less land to hunt.
Bushcraft is a good term. If we're out in the middle of nowhere its a necessary skill.
Living in Ontario now I see such a great opportunity for all of us but its the accessibility that may be a problem. What appears to be crown land is not. Even when checking the Crown Land Atlas you're not 100% sure.
I guess you never stop learning. In my case it'll be more like re-learning...

Years ago I used to hunt with a bunch of "old guys" and beginners. My buddy and I would walk miles stiring up moose, deer for them to shoot from their "watches". Loved seeing the country and its occupants but now my legs are shot and I have my own property to hunt, from my blind while sitting in my old computer chair. When I get a shot I hop on the tractor and carry my game home in the bucket.
Sure, I would rather wander the bush but those days of hunting are over for me and any day out watching the squirrels etc is great.

Hunting is something different to everyone. I certainly dont view it as art. My family pushes bush for both moose and deer. That incorporates both tracking and sitting waiting for animals.

Respect for the animal and hunt within the laws MNRF sets out and I dont care much what you do.

If you want to rewind 100 years, most people didnt view it as art then either. My great grandfather was a farmer and adding venison to the table was a welcome addition and was a fact of life. Not art in anyway whatsoever.

Raised for a good portion of my life in the big city, (not by choice but by circumstance)I loved what some call the art of tracking. Growing up I could tell by the footprints who's dog or cat was crapping in our yard. Maybe tracking isn't so much an art but a skill. That said, I do miss it a lot. (Thus the tracking the neighbourhoods canines when younger.) And yes, blasted_saber 100 years ago it wasn't an art but a way of living and a means of survival. Unlike today where someone else does the killing and "processing" for you so you can scoot down to the grocers and get that pound of ground beef and feel you're doing your part to save the environment. Thats a subject for another day though...

I think there can be an art to hunting. Some people just seem to be more instinctive at it in a way that can't be defined or quantified. I think a lot of this has disappeared because for a long time a solo hunter had to rely heavily on reading sign while in the bush. These days it's all about reading trail cam memory cards.

Done both.

17+ years on foot hunting the ridges and natural clearings of North West Ontario.
That is difficult hunting.
Dragging deer, sometime over a mile to the road.
Ratio of probably 50:1 that ran flagging tails vs. deer that stood still to shoot.
Positive aspect-- you are hunting areas that no one else is wiling to do. Plus you get to see some big deer that are not stupid enough to walk out to the road.

8+ years on tree stands on private land in Div 10 (Northwest Ontario).
This can wear you down like any other hunt.
Sitting dead still on one one spot is deadly dull if nothing comes in.
But it is very effective when animals walk through.

I can not recommend one as better than the other.
Hunting on foot is way more difficult but gives serious satisfaction and bigger chance of seeing a big animal.
Hunting in tree stand is way easier but less chance of seeing something big.

I think just like anything else....the art changes with time. What I think has really changed the hunting (and fishing) scene for some, more than anything else is the change in technology. This has allowed us to more quickly and easily pattern game without even being present to increase our odds AT BEING IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME, AS WELL AS IMPROVE OUR MEANS AND METHODS OF ACCESS TO REMOTE AREAS WHERE ONE WOULD ONLY BE ABLE TO GET TO ON FOOT OR BY CANOE PREVIOUSLY. (sorry....wasn't trying to yell....hit the caps lock by mistake). Some "hunters" harvest their game by never getting off a road these days. May become the new art form of hunting but not for me.

I tend to agree with Boiler. I don't think he was crapping on tree stand hunting. Still Hunting (walking then stopping for substantial time) is my favorite type of hunting, and over the years has been quite successful for me. Also it allows for increased enjoyment of the hunting environment - for me. I believe it takes a degree of skill that tree stand hunting doesn't require. I do at times hunt from a stand but this year I am going to build a ground blind against a stump with brush from the area and use it as a home base for my Still Hunting forays in the area.
I suspect bow hunting would require a tree stand more than shotgun or rifle.

Enjoy the season Boiler.

I think much of the art of old-school hunting is no longer prevalent. Times have changed. Some of it's for the better, some not.
My Dad or grandfather would hunt a good moose or deer area, and knew much better than I do where to post someone, where to push and at what time. In my opinion, they were better hunters than I. Lots of us now depend on our gear; how many moose hunters now set up to watch 600-yard clearings with a .300 or .338 Magnum that they may....or may not....shoot well enough to hit the boiler room at 600 yards.
There is a middle ground too. My Dad used to sit on a log and wait by trails for deer, then shoot them at 25 yards with his .351 Winchester. There is not a lot of difference between doing that, and sitting 15 feet above the same log, really.

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Originally Posted by fratri

Waiting in a tree stand is a good way to hunt deer, nothing wrong with it at all but there are a lot of guys that like to hunt deer by still hunting too... Many different ways to hunt, so long as you are doing it legal and enjoying it, why poop on the way somebody else is doing it?

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Perfectly said Frank. So may arguments are started on here because people think it needs to be done the same way they do it...

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Originally Posted by JeffBondar

Perfectly said Frank. So may arguments are started on here because people think it needs to be done the same way they do it...

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...and you're less of a hunter if you don't :)

I agree with the sedament we are losing the art of hunting with the new technology, scents, camo, ground blinds, ect... That we are seeing on the market these days.... But these are items that hunters want! The primal urge to stalk and harvest a wild animal lives strong in each and everyone of us, so really the hunting industry is just keeping up with the times, it'll always be about man fooling the quarry. I have no gripes with that.

To each there own. I am not a fan of baiting deer but dont look down on those that do, I happily bait for bear and dont get mad at people for telli g me I am a cheat. ( yes it happens , even amongst the hunting community) I have taken deer being pushed by hounds as well as man doggers, also have taken deer while being a dogger.only taken 3 deer still hunting and that was quite a thrill as well , the only thing I refuse to do is drive for any game animal I may be hunting, regardless if its a moose, grouse ect , thats just F,n lazy , I am aware its legal and an accepted practice but it burns my when I hear about some tool cruising around and sees some critter, gets off the quad or outta the truck then brag about it.
But thats just me,,, to each there own I guess.

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Originally Posted by Hunter John

To each there own. I am not a fan of baiting deer but dont look down on those that do, I happily bait for bear and dont get mad at people for telli g me I am a cheat. ( yes it happens , even amongst the hunting community) I have taken deer being pushed by hounds as well as man doggers, also have taken deer while being a dogger.only taken 3 deer still hunting and that was quite a thrill as well , the only thing I refuse to do is drive for any game animal I may be hunting, regardless if its a moose, grouse ect , thats just F,n lazy , I am aware its legal and an accepted practice but it burns my when I hear about some tool cruising around and sees some critter, gets off the quad or outta the truck then brag about it.
But thats just me,,, to each there own I guess.

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Yes to each their own. Growing up as a kid in the Soo us 4 boys (4-9 years old) would pile in the suburban with dad and drive the back roads for hours looking for grouse and bunnies. I recall our neighbours and uncles / cousins hunting the same way. While I respect your opinion I do disagree with your statement calling it F,n lazy. Different environments dictate different styles. If you have or will have your own kids you can bring out, you may change your opinion...

Lost art?
Maybe with some, I notice a recent change with some local hunters around my WMU. Some of my hunting buddies are now deceased or getting older and less likely to venture far. Shotgun for deer is a 2 week November hunt and a local Big Buck contest that ends after the 2nd week. Especially the 30-50 aged hunters are quick to hurry and finish (get it over with) their deer hunts/butcher asap then go "back to their fast lives" with smart phones and internet.
Baiting, trail cams etc... all increase the chance of a quick end to the harvest. Harvest a deer in the 2nd week is late? Lots of Family pressures, divorces, step children, child supports, high debt and need to work overtime.
For me, its different, hunting season lasts from Jan. to December 31st, hunt all types of game all types of ways and love it. With me, my life is different than most, there is no rush but I do worry about the future generation of hunting.

Hunting is hunting. If it is legal we all should not frown on any legal hunting style. Heck the world is changing and any advancements in new bows, guns, scent control and any other hunting tool only aides hunters in their quest for wild game and enjoying the great outdoors. Maybe we should be allowed to use fish finders then. Hunting is hunting and there are enough anti hunters trying to control hunting no point in fighting among ourselves.

One thing I just realized. I'm not 16 anymore. Tracking through bush is fine but do I want to slug a 150 lb carcass a couple of miles back to the truck? Maybe I should hit the gym for the next few months first.

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Originally Posted by Mr.Boiler

Tracking through bush is fine but do I want to slug a 150 lb carcass a couple of miles back to the truck?

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That is a very valid point....there are a few excellent Deer yards in the swamps areas back on Public Land (Limerick Forest) near me that that are walk in only....but your miles back in. If you do shot a deer, your work is cut out for you.

Much safer and easier to throw a bag of corn down and sit 50 yrs away and wait till they come to you. Then bring up the ATV later to haul it out.

The meat in the freezer doesn't taste any different.

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Originally Posted by JeffBondar

Yes to each their own. Growing up as a kid in the Soo us 4 boys (4-9 years old) would pile in the suburban with dad and drive the back roads for hours looking for grouse and bunnies. I recall our neighbours and uncles / cousins hunting the same way. While I respect your opinion I do disagree with your statement calling it F,n lazy. Different environments dictate different styles. If you have or will have your own kids you can bring out, you may change your opinion...

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Sorry Jeff , I could of used my words better , I realize it is an accepted way of hunting grouse ( especially in the north) no offence intended and I am sure you have fond memories of hunting with your family cause thats what its all about. Was just saying its not for me, me and some buddies head up to chapleau every fall for grouse and we split up in pairs to walk the vast expanse of bush roads looking for grouse and I can tell you there is no bigger piss off than having a truck or quad pass u ( going same direction) with a couple of dudes looking for the same grouse. They should be courteous and turn around .
Yes I have kids and they enjoy the walks with dad and as they are getting older ( 11 and 14) we can walk farther they are also good for about 4 hours in the ground blind while deer hunting.

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Originally Posted by Hunter John

Sorry Jeff , I could of used my words better , I realize it is an accepted way of hunting grouse ( especially in the north) no offence intended and I am sure you have fond memories of hunting with your family cause thats what its all about. Was just saying its not for me, me and some buddies head up to chapleau every fall for grouse and we split up in pairs to walk the vast expanse of bush roads looking for grouse and I can tell you there is no bigger piss off than having a truck or quad pass u ( going same direction) with a couple of dudes looking for the same grouse. They should be courteous and turn around .
Yes I have kids and they enjoy the walks with dad and as they are getting older ( 11 and 14) we can walk farther they are also good for about 4 hours in the ground blind while deer hunting.

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No need to apologize, just saying.... different situations call for different methods. I hope I can live to be old enough where my legs aren't so good but I still have the opportunity to drive the back roads to hunt....

And I hope when I am old and my legs are no good my daughter will carry me LOL..

https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...46&oe=564C3845

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Originally Posted by Hunter John

And I hope when I am old and my legs are no good my daughter will carry me LOL..

https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...46&oe=564C3845

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Lol that's an awesome picture!

When I lived in the north I did a lot of road driving (still do) then started walking the roads to get birds. Didn't have to go too far to get my limit (saw birds that I didn't see while driving) and saved a lot of $$ on gas.

I like the general consensus here.

(i.e. - Within the law, basic courtesy & reason, *do your own thing; allow for others to do theirs.*)

Sounds great to me.
Golden rule stuff.

...As far as "hunting as art" goes, –I'm of the solid opinion that *all* things we do may involve a greater (or lesser) degree of artfulness. I grant that the meaning of many such words can be nebulous and subjective, though- (I imagine) -most of us would nod and relate if someone referred to their hunting as "sacred". For many of us, "ritual" holds a place in our hunting, be it subtle or overtly weighty.
The sense of "connectedness" in regard to hunting is referred to –with common frequency.

Superficially speaking, it can all sound a little ..."flaky". But clearly, it isn't flaky at all- it is the repeated exercise of an ever-evolving set of life-hinging skills that we have been rehearsing *before humans were humans*. ...It doesn't get much more "un-flaky" than that!
Therefore it should be no great wonder that we have such strong, personal feelings associated with how we perform such an act.

It's a pretty damn big deal.

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Originally Posted by Hunter John

Sorry Jeff , I could of used my words better , I realize it is an accepted way of hunting grouse ( especially in the north) no offence intended and I am sure you have fond memories of hunting with your family cause thats what its all about. Was just saying its not for me, me and some buddies head up to chapleau every fall for grouse and we split up in pairs to walk the vast expanse of bush roads looking for grouse and I can tell you there is no bigger piss off than having a truck or quad pass u ( going same direction) with a couple of dudes looking for the same grouse. They should be courteous and turn around .
Yes I have kids and they enjoy the walks with dad and as they are getting older ( 11 and 14) we can walk farther they are also good for about 4 hours in the ground blind while deer hunting.

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Why should they turn around, they may have come many, many ,miles to drive that road , and get those grouse.

As long as the game is harvested in a fair , ethical and lawful manner I don't concern myself with other people's method . That does NOT mean that I necessarily would follow in their tracks . --- There was a time when I put more emphasis on scoring than actually HUNTING . --- I was shooting game ; the hunt itself didn't seem as important to me . E.g.: SHOOTING groundhogs at 400 ++yards seemed to be more satisfying to me than actually HUNTING them at relatively short range . After following this routine for a number of years I tired of it (besides , --- I had almost exterminated the small game in my "stomping-grounds") . I sold my 6mm Rem. Varmint-rifle and started hunting them with lesser calibers . Taking less is not the same as enjoying it less . --- I don't hunt because I "need" to ; I hunt because I enjoy using my skills and probably fulfill some "lower" ancient instincts . Now-a-days I don't care whether I'll ever take any big-game again . --- Let the youngsters experience it . --- Squirrels and assorted small-game are still on the agenda . Hunting these "lesser" species is just as thrilling as going after the big stuff and most of them are just as palatable as the more "glorious" specimen . --- Passing (instead of killing) on some game-animals can be just as "rewarding" and leave "one" feeling as good as being a game-hog . --- When I was a few decades younger I never quite felt that way . --- I frown on unfair practices like molesting swimming game (that even includes waterfowl) or jack-lighting . I preferred to nail waterfowl while they were air-borne , NOT sitting on the water . --- Well , that's me . --- I guess we're all different .

I think the more effort you put into a hunt the more you will appreciate the animal when you are successful - over my life time I have killed upward to 100 deer - many were nice big bucks some of which I had mounted - but the one hunt that I still remember as one that was special was the year I shot a doe - I walked miles from my house up to the top of a mountain - on the southern side of the mountain I kicked out a doe that was laying in some brush - at the time there was a little snow on the ground but there were also some bare spots - the deer ran down the mountain out of sight - I started trailing it very slowly - occasionally I would see it ahead of me but each time it saw me and ran away - I trailed that deer all afternoon - finally I came up to a pine tree late in the afternoon and there standing looking at me was the doe - a neck shot put it instantly down - it dropped like a rock -

After I gutted it I realized I didn't have a rope - so I ended up using a grape vine to pull it back home - it took me hours to drag this thing home - way after dark when I got home - its funny in a way but of all the deer I shot this one is still in my memory bank - a lot of the other deer I got I really don't remember much about them - if anything - but this one I'll never forget because of the effort in tracking it, shooting it and getting it home -

You may have a problem believing this but there was a stretch of time when I got deer so easy that it was starting to get boring - I had a tree stand build up the mountain behind my house - the first day of buck season I would get in the tree just as it was getting light - the tree stand was located next to a gully - the deer would come up this gully in the morning after feeding in the surrounding fields - I'd have my pick of a buck as they came up the gully - usually after an hour or so I had my deer and that was it - this was happening year after year -it was so easy - something was missing - I don't use the tree stand anymore because it is too far to walk for me - now I hunt just 300 yards from the back of my house - in a platform I built on the side of a bank -

I got a walleye that I caught years ago in the BOQ late one November mounted on the wall of my den - the same thing with this fish - we were fishing in the snow - cold as hell - will never forget that trip because how tough it was - but that's another story -

Mr. Boiler, thank you for a good post.

Let me give give you a different answer. First, I live way up in the most upper parts of northern Ontario. Our big game are only moose and caribou. For me Whitetail deer is just a dream, and it will always be.

I spent the good part of my morning looking into "Have we lost the art of hunting?". To the point, it was almost like you got me soul searching. And it is more than just shooting a firearm at our game come open season. We hunt strictly for survival up here. The harvest is for food on the table, and using the animals caught for tools and clothing. Both the wife and I hunt. My wife is an amazing hunter.

Each year we hunt for moose and caribou. It is a must for our family duty. We go great distances to pursue our harvest. Our means of access is to use only snow machines and boats to reach the hunting destinations of where we might find game. There are odd times a moose or caribou will avail itself to our camp. Then it is easy to harvest on the spot. Now we are pretty efficient hunters. We use every part and everything that the moose and caribou has to offer. The wife is a man of her own. To prove her point she goes on solo hunting excursions without me. And she's gone for days. She jumps on the boat or snow machine by her lonesome and goes hunting. And then when she harvests she prepares the meat for the winter and takes the hides or skins and turns into beautiful moccasins and mitts. She does the whole nine yards! She cuts off the fur and scrapes off all of the tissue from the both sides of the skin and soaks them in water. Over time she stretches the hides by hand and dries them out. Then she gets dry wood which she turns into chips and mixes them with other certain degree of decaying wood. And then she tans the hides. Following that, she sits during the winter months to turn those hides into clothing like mitts and mukluks, all the while enjoying the meat for the rest of the family.

I believe those are the duties that go hand and hand with the art of hunting. I am blessed to having an all encompassing hunting partner.

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Originally Posted by Kilo Charlie

I think much of the art of old-school hunting is no longer prevalent. Times have changed. Some of it's for the better, some not.
My Dad or grandfather would hunt a good moose or deer area, and knew much better than I do where to post someone, where to push and at what time. In my opinion, they were better hunters than I. Lots of us now depend on our gear; how many moose hunters now set up to watch 600-yard clearings with a .300 or .338 Magnum that they may....or may not....shoot well enough to hit the boiler room at 600 yards.
There is a middle ground too. My Dad used to sit on a log and wait by trails for deer, then shoot them at 25 yards with his .351 Winchester. There is not a lot of difference between doing that, and sitting 15 feet above the same log, really.

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Beat me to it.
I've done both, in fact when I chase them with my camera, all I do is still hunt. I spend a lot of time on the ground finding trails, patterning them. Come Sept I'd check scrape lines and rubs. Id head out before sunrise, find a log or natural concealment spot and sit. After awhile if I wasn't seeing any movement or hearing any, I'd inch my way along trails to my next location...sit/wait. Sometimes I'd spot one before I was spotted or winded, and then work my into position for a good shot.

Sounds an awful lot like figuring out where to place a tree stand.

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Originally Posted by fishermccann

Why should they turn around, they may have come many, many ,miles to drive that road , and get those grouse.

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When they have hundreds of roads/ trails to choose from they should back out and find another one. You ever been up Chapleau way.???

Subartichunter - you sound like those people I watch on those Alaska TV shows - sounds like you have to know what you doing since you depend on the animals so much - also sounds like a lot of work - very interesting - me I walk about 300 yards behind my house and sit until a deer comes by and bang - I got my deer

Good evening to you JoePa, it is nice to get a comment from you. Thanks for your compliment about my knowing how I depend on the animals I harvest. I appreciate that. I get a good chuckle on those people on those Alaska TV shows as well. But I am far from that. I don't have a romance with nature and the wilderness - I live it! You will never find my hunting escapades on TV shows. I am showing some proof of what I was talking about.Attachment 32024Attachment 32025Attachment 32026

The tools of the trade for preparing moose and caribou hides come from the shin bones. We have 21 hides on the clothes line curing from the extreme frigid temperatures and the last half of 4 moose hides on the scraping board. Moose hides are so uneven the skin is shaved to achieve evenness throughout.

In another post, I can show you the finished products of the tanned hides. This work is not hard - it is a piece of cake when it is a part of your expertise and knowledge. Incidentally what did you do with your deer hide that you banged 300 feet from your house? I say this because the fur is really good for making fish flies! It is a fly fisherman's dream.

Stay in touch. Kindest regards to you for posting and joining "Have we lost the art of hunting". I don't think so. Some of us just use our resource (our kill) in a very limited way, while others use the resource to its fullest benefit and limit.

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Originally Posted by Subarctichunter

Good evening to you JoePa, it is nice to get a comment from you. Thanks for your compliment about my knowing how I depend on the animals I harvest. I appreciate that. I get a good chuckle on those people on those Alaska TV shows as well. But I am far from that. I don't have a romance with nature and the wilderness - I live it! You will never find my hunting escapades on TV shows. I am showing some proof of what I was talking about.Attachment 32024Attachment 32025Attachment 32026

The tools of the trade for preparing moose and caribou hides come from the shin bones. We have 21 hides on the clothes line curing from the extreme frigid temperatures and the last half of 4 moose hides on the scraping board. Moose hides are so uneven the skin is shaved to achieve evenness throughout.

In another post, I can show you the finished products of the tanned hides. This work is not hard - it is a piece of cake when it is a part of your expertise and knowledge. Incidentally what did you do with your deer hide that you banged 300 feet from your house? I say this because the fur is really good for making fish flies! It is a fly fisherman's dream.

Stay in touch. Kindest regards to you for posting and joining "Have we lost the art of hunting". I don't think so. Some of us just use our resource (our kill) in a very limited way, while others use the resource to its fullest benefit and limit.

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Thanks for sharing those pictures!
It's hard to tell on a forum like this if someone makes up a story or not, especially if they haven't posted a lot. Hope to hear and see more from you in the future!
Oh, have you tried a power sander on the hides?

Good evening Waftrudnir,

You're welcome kindly. Glad you enjoy the photos! I am new here on this forum - that's for sure. And you are right, we just don't know if someone is making up a story or not. I think backing up stories shared on the forum with photos should be the norm. I love learning from people, and sharing examples I believe is another way of learning quickly from each other.

With respect to using the power sander on the hides, my crazy in-laws have tried the sander and the powered planner to expedite the process of shaving the moose hide evenly. The revolution of these power tools are too fast, and the friction that they generate melts or thaws out the hide too quickly which renders the work to a stand still. The hide has to be completely frozen solid right through in order to shave it properly. That is the way it has to be done. A good old axe head or chisel by hand is the way to go. You control the friction better that way.

I hope to hear and see you on the forum as well. Good night!

Welcome to the forum Subarctichunter. I'm sure you can add an interesting perspective to some of the discussions here. I just looked up Peawanuck... you're quite a ways North of most of us.

Thank you for welcoming me GW11! Glad you checked up on my location. I get a good chuckle when your part of the world, and especially Toronto call the Muskoka regions, North Bay, Sudbury, the Soo and Timmins north. And I consider myself not even north yet. I am still faraways from the true north, the high arctic. It is minus 33 this morning.

If you check the book of Guinness, we run the world's longest seasonal winter road in the world. It is thought of to be anyway. We are a fly-in only community. Interestingly, Peawanuck is built exclusively by Winnipeg, Manitoba. All of our supplies come from there. Instead of coming straight south to connect and access the urban centers of southern Ontario, we go further north to access the goods supplied by Manitoba.

Once in awhile, I will buy my hunting supplies from Accuracy Plus. I believe they are located in your neck of the woods in Peterborough. Pretty nice folks there!

If I can share and give a different perspective, then I am happy. Likewise, I learn so much from the various perspectives of others as well. They help tickle and enrich my mind. Catch you soon.

Have we lost the art? It warms my heart to see many of the next generation hunt with the public view in mind. They do not follow the hunting methods of their elders. Without expressing what those elder methods are, I am very proud of many young hunters.

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Originally Posted by Subarctichunter

Thank you for welcoming me GW11! Glad you checked up on my location. I get a good chuckle when your part of the world, and especially Toronto call the Muskoka regions, North Bay, Sudbury, the Soo and Timmins north. And I consider myself not even north yet. I am still faraways from the true north, the high arctic. It is minus 33 this morning.

If you check the book of Guinness, we run the world's longest seasonal winter road in the world. It is thought of to be anyway. We are a fly-in only community. Interestingly, Peawanuck is built exclusively by Winnipeg, Manitoba. All of our supplies come from there. Instead of coming straight south to connect and access the urban centers of southern Ontario, we go further north to access the goods supplied by Manitoba.

Once in awhile, I will buy my hunting supplies from Accuracy Plus. I believe they are located in your neck of the woods in Peterborough. Pretty nice folks there!

If I can share and give a different perspective, then I am happy. Likewise, I learn so much from the various perspectives of others as well. They help tickle and enrich my mind. Catch you soon.

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Welcome to the forum and thanks for sharing with us.Do you ever fish the Winisk's legendary brook trout.?

Nice to see how the other half lives. ;)

I had a plan at one point for a Winisk brook trout trip, so I know where Peawanuck is. Another world entirely.

A couple of remarks:

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Originally Posted by Subarctichunter

Some of us just use our resource (our kill) in a very limited way, while others use the resource to its fullest benefit and limit.

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We in the south are wasteful with our game, no question. Hardly anyone will pluck a grouse and make soup stock from the carcass, for example; most just take the breasts and leave the rest, it seems. But this isn't the only difference.

When we talk about losing the "art of hunting," there's no ignoring that different people see the art of hunting differently. One of the long-standing conflicts between hunters is sport vs. sustenance, going back to the late 19th century conservation movement, which sought to preserve game for rich/urban sports and saw meat hunting as the enemy. We have mostly moved past this but it lingers. You hit the heart of that conflict right here: I don't have a romance with nature and the wilderness - I live it!

When we talk about the sense that the art of hunting is being lost, we're often talking about different arts. For many in the south, a good day afield is still a good day with nothing in the bag. In Peawanuck, I'm thinking that's not a good day. ;)

Your comment also reminds me of Hank Shaw (honest-food.net). Now, his sensibilities are pretty far removed from Peawanuck, I think, as his foodie-ism is rather urban. But I do like the way he encourages getting the most out of your game.

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Originally Posted by Subarctichunter

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the friction that they generate melts or thaws out the hide too quickly which renders the work to a stand still. The hide has to be completely frozen solid right through in order to shave it properly. That is the way it has to be done.
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Frozen, eh.
you really might add another perspective ;-)

Hunter John, thanks for welcoming me to the forum. I have a cousin whose name is John Hunter. So you stand out for me. I live on the Winisk River...and yes, I fish the Winisk brook trout. Sometimes these brook trout are known as the Winisk square tails. Mighty fine eating! I also fish the Sutton River. In the words of MNR, the best speckled trout fishing "in the world". I hope this helps.

Winisk river means groundhog. It is pronounced Weenushk...with a high "H" sound. lol, I'm laughing at myself...as if this pronunciation and sharing it with you would mean anything. Catch you again.

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Originally Posted by Subarctichunter

Hunter John, thanks for welcoming me to the forum. I have a cousin whose name is John Hunter. So you stand out for me. I live on the Winisk River...and yes, I fish the Winisk brook trout. Sometimes these brook trout are known as the Winisk square tails. Mighty fine eating! I also fish the Sutton River. In the words of MNR, the best speckled trout fishing "in the world". I hope this helps.

Winisk river means groundhog. It is pronounced Weenushk...with a high "H" sound. lol, I'm laughing at myself...as if this pronunciation and sharing it with you would mean anything. Catch you again.

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Welcome ! and that is fact , the Sutton River is the best speckled trout fishing , have been there twice , flew there with a friend , in his Cessna 185 float equipped directly from Puslinch Lake Cambridge On. via Hurst to refuel. We stayed at Albert Chookomolin's camp at Hawley Lake where the Sutton flows out of , absolutely fantastic fishing in the Sutton.
Also it was amazing to see polar bears swimming in Hawley Lake , 3 of them , while we fished for lake trout .
Back then , we could bring out our limit each of speckled trout, which is not the case now , you are limited to 1 only trophy trout , the rest is all c n r.

Sorry . didn't want to hijack this thread, but had to tell everyone about the fishing in the Sutton , absolutely fantastic especially if you are fly fishing .

Good morning Welsh, you really should come up and visit our last true frontier of our province. And you don't necessarily have to kill something. It is expensive to come up here. The regular return airline ticket alone from Timmins is over two thousand bucks Canadian to Peawanuck.

With respect to just taking the breast meat only from grouse, I believe our hunting culture has really changed. The power food is not in the meat alone. It is the whole combination of the bird. Your power food are the kidneys, gizzard, liver and the marrow of the game. That is how we use our grouse and waterfowl. Incidentally we have the Canada geese, snow and blue geese, the lesser Canada, the Ross goose, the speckledbelly; the brant and sometimes the white-fronted goose. We pluck all of our birds and make goose down blankets. The blankets are the warmest out on the land. Nothing is wasted.

I believe true sustenance from free-ranging big game is becoming more important today. I see the food industry using man-made feed for our beef, bacon and chicken. In my mind I see this feed as enhancers for the rapid growth of our day to day and for marketing of our food. Caged animals do not have access to a variety of true nutrients and plants for their diet as they are limited to inside the fence so to speak. On the other hand, our white tail, moose and caribou are free-ranging and have access to a variety and a multitude of different foods which is healthy and very nutritional for our diet. We know a moose will submerged in the water for aquatic plants and then move on to a swamp and then find food on dry hills and so on. Our caged animals do not have the same access. Sometimes I don't know what I am eating when I go to the butcher shop.

The winter months are so cold up here. You will be amazed that the moose knows how to find find the anti-freeze in its foraging to stay warm and to keep from freezing during the extreme cold winter months. This is uncanny. It is something we haven't discovered yet as hunters. If you truly open your mind, you will see these things.

I am so remote I have no knowledge of the competition between the urban/sports and sustenance hunter. I will not go there.

You are right about coming up empty handed in Peawanuck. When the fuel is at $3.00 a litre, you can feel it. Fortunately, sometimes we get our breaks and lower the fuel to $2.90 a litre and think the fuel is cheap. Luckily it is cheaper now. Take care!

Much obliged Waftrudnir,

Let me give you another perspective. It is easier to work on hides or skins during the summer. The skins are nice and thin. But that is all they are? Summer coats! During the summer big game shed their previous coats and grow new ones. Come fall and freeze up, they have brand new coats set to endure for the winter. This is the hide you work with. It only makes logical sense not to grab your summer jacket when you go outdoors at forty below...or ten below for that matter. For the moose, the skin is thick and becomes uneven. So that is why it has to be frozen to cut for the right height of thickness during the shaving process.

Commercial hides on the other hand are dyed with chemicals. It is a false claim of the tanning process. They are not truly dry when the compounds are in them.

Jaycee, thanks for the welcome. I am glad you got to visit the Motherland. Truly "Trout Waters", as the Sutton River is originally known, is the best speckled trout fishing in the world. The ice flows of Hudson Bay are just breaking in early July. This cold water makes the fish truly one of the healthiest as well.

It is sad MNR has to allow only one trophy fish for such a long fly to fish the Sutton. Bad for you guys, good for me. The fish stocks will always be there. I know the good folks of Hearst Air Service. They have been flying here for a long long time. They're practically family. I see them advertising the Sutton River sea-run trout as they call them occasionally on WILDTV. Good luck to you. Remember, when you go fishing the next time, it's all in the wrist. Don't blame the tackle.

Seriously folks, with respect to the original question of Mr, Boiler, I extend my blessings to the solo long hiking hunter, those who hunt in groups, those who stand/sit still; to those who bait and decoy, and to those wonderful and amazing primates who still continue to climb trees (joke intended), for each of having a preferred style and technique of hunting. THE ART OF HUNTING is still well and alive in that sense.

We all know we will continue to face changes. And we all know those many variables. Catch you soon in our many forums. Thanks for receiving me so warmly

Welcome to the forum. I am sure you will provide a very unique perspective on many topics.

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Originally Posted by Subarctichunter

If you check the book of Guinness, we run the world's longest seasonal winter road in the world. It is thought of to be anyway. We are a fly-in only community. Interestingly, Peawanuck is built exclusively by Winnipeg, Manitoba.

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I have never travelled that particular road but I did live in Kingfisher Lake for a year and drove the road from Pickle lake to Kingfisher a few times. I once walked a Caterpillar 235 excavator (with the counter weight, stick and bucket shipped separately to lighten it up) from the Windigo Road to Kingfisher - took 48 hours at a whopping 2 miles an hour. A different world altogether.

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Originally Posted by Subarctichunter

Winisk river means groundhog. It is pronounced Weenushk...with a high "H" sound. lol, I'm laughing at myself...as if this pronunciation and sharing it with you would mean anything. Catch you again.

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Your phonetic spelling reminds me of an Oji-Cree word pronounced similarly but without the "sh" sound. Not an appropriate word for a public forum. LOL.

I still use all my home-tan gear that I collected at Kingfisher (hats, gauntlets etc.). Great to see the art still being practiced.

Thank you Species8472. Welcome to the forum as well. Kingfisher Lake is a part of of the Winisk river watershed. Good to hear from you neighbour. Our winter goes straight up north to Fort Severn, the northernmost community in Ontario, it swings over to Shamattawa, Manitoba and then over to Gillam and Thompson before it goes straight back down to Winnipeg. We beat the Ice Truckers by many miles. They came here once just to prove their trucking abilities. They were on a filming excursion.

I could never understand why we didn't built towards Kasabonika and over to Kingfisher to connect to Pickle Lake...which is way more closer to the urban centre of Thunder Bay than going further north. But it has worked out for us.

LOL at the many potential and possible inappropriateness of the "sh" sound for this forum. If we were to say shooting, we would be correct as oppose to my neighbours saying sooting, lol. Glad you are still using your hand-tanned gear.

Glad you were Excavatering (lol) in northern Ontario and got the chance to see some of our country.

Good evening folks,

I have said I would post examples of products of what we get from harvesting big game. This is the joy of working after the shooting and when the hunting season is over. There is more to do to the art of hunting. This part of the equation to the art of hunting is lost in many parts of our communities, and especially within our families. I am so blessed the wife can do the whole nine yards.

Attachment 32032Attachment 32033

Incidentally, tanning hides whether if it is the whole moose or caribou takes less 20 minutes to perform. It is the many parts of preparation that may take longer.

Catch you soon.

looks like great craftsmanship.

Thanks Hunter John, have a nice day.

you can sit on your front porch or walk round the planet hunting is hunting. art is what you look at on the wall

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Originally Posted by lazyman

you can sit on your front porch or walk round the planet hunting is hunting. art is what you look at on the wall

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A statue , or a carving , or any other things can also be art!

Due to everyone sitting in trees wanting exclusive rites to property, urban invasion in rural area's with land being bought and posted, modern farming clearing all the bush, you can no longer track and hunt like we use to Mr. Boiler and yes it is a shame.

Depends on area hunting,bows,ML,shotgun season in small patches of woods dont have much choice