Who inspired your interest in hunting?

[Randy F]

Over the years I’ve had some interesting conversations with people all other the country and some from different parts of the world about how they first were introduced to hunting. One would assume it’s usually a parent passing down tradition but that wasn’t the case as much as I’d thought.

At six years old my Dad bought me my first BB gun. No chipmunk was ever safe from my wrath for years.
At eight years old he handed me my first single shot .22. Let the squirrel games begin!
When I finally reached the legal hunting age of 12, he presented me with a brand new 20 gauge smooth bore pumpkin thrower with 5 boxes of slugs and two boxes of bird shot. He taught me how to get close and pick the shot on deer and took me and my brother out hunting ruffed grouse every weekend. I was hooked.
We didn’t have a lot growing up, but he and my mother worked their tails off to make sure we never knew it and I’m eternally grateful.

I’ve done my best to do the same for my own son and a few other youngsters on the way. I commend all of you who have taken the time to spark the next generations’ interest in responsible hunting.

So who got you going?

 

[curtism1234]

Like probably 90%, my dad got me into it. I grew up on 3 acres so a bb gun taught me a lot. We went small game hunting with my grandpa until he passed when I was 17. I never got to go deer hunting with grandpa, he always went with his friend. I hope my daughter gets to go deer hunting with her grandpa. She is 2 so she has about 8 years to go. Dad will be in his mid 70's then.

 

[BourbonTrail]

My grandfather.

He was a Kentucky game warden and dedicated conservationist. He helped reintroduce wild turkeys to Kentucky and bring down multiple small poaching rings in the 70’s.
He first took me hunting at 3yrs old, and, half as a joke, put a 410 to my shoulder and helped me aim at a squirrel. I blew it right out of the tree. Still have the picture of when we got home. He was beaming as he finally found a hunting buddy in his grandson since his own son (my uncle) never took to it.
My father also helped me learn to hunt as well, but we have very different personalities and he’s more for fishing.
My grandfather passed away last year at 81, but he’s still out in those hills hunting in the hereafter.

 

[Daktari]

Watching Steve Rinella hunting moose on the travel channel in his show "Wild Within" is what inspired me to take up hunting. I am the only one in my family that hunts so I'm very thankful for Steve.

 

[WAB]

I grew up on a farm in Canada. I always had access to guns but my father didn’t hunt and my grandfather passed when I was 13. My buddies and I were the terror of our county. A bunch of self taught rascals. Thankfully we survived our shenanigans. Oh, and I should say that Rancid Crabtree was my inspiration. Those of you as old as I am will know exactly what I’m talking about.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

My grandpa. He inspired most of my adult life; hunting just happens to be one facet.

He passed away in 1999. I was holding his hand when he passed. I never once in all my life heard him raise his voice at anyone but I never saw him back down either. He was the only person I never wanted to disappoint. I spend every day trying to be a fraction of the man he was, chasing his example.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

@WAB ... "Smoked carp tastes just as good as smoked trout when you ain't got no smoked trout."

 

[Inline6]

My dad and uncle when I was young. Then getting married, work, competition shooting, trucks all kind of took up my time, money, and desire. Then my son definitely got me back into it. He is the reason I joined this site looking for where to go and who to hunt with. I enjoy hunting and the outdoors but I rather watch my boys or wife kill than me actually pulling the trigger.

 

[CBH Australia]

We used to go to a property where we learned to shoot. My older brother was given a .22 so we learned to shoot rabbits. With dad taking us spotlighting.
I started reading gun magazines and became more interested, reading of how these writers travel abroad etc hunting all sorts of game.
I developed a strong interest in rifles and hunting. Layer hunting goats as per food eventually gathering more rifles shooting mostly pests.
In 2020 I hunted South Africa and now I am itching to do something more.

 

[Tra3]

My grandpa liked duck hunting and he brought my dad on some special hunts when my dad was a kid. I never got to hunt with my grandpa due to his passing early, but BB guns and shotguns were part of life around the back acreage. When I moved to Montana at age 12, hunting was so common in the fall that I even went hunting with my 7th grade teacher! My dad supported the pursuit and coordinated the DIY hunts. At age 76 he is still coordinating the details. His interests keep moving back in time, so older and older black powder armaments keep showing up in camp. (To the delight of my generation and the new crop of our kids!)
Who wouldn’t want to fire a blunderbuss and a black powder pistol after dinner at deer camp!!

 

[mark-hunter]

It was always engraved in me.
As pre school kid I was trying to catch anything that moves: birds, bugs, fish. I was making my own slingshots. My dream animal to hunt was roe deer, and I was even dreaming of Africa, but thinking safari is no longer possible.

Gradnpa was a hunter, and at age of 12 I was taking his lessons with 22.
Fishing was my second identity.
When grown up, on first chance I made hunting exam, and join the hunting club. Also joined target shooting club.

So, to answer question. Granpa.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Curt Gowdy and his show American Sportsman...... you have to be old to remember that show.

 

[tgt_usa]

Over the years I’ve had some interesting conversations with people all other the country and some from different parts of the world about how they first were introduced to hunting. One would assume it’s usually a parent passing down tradition but that wasn’t the case as much as I’d thought.

...

So who got you going?

FONRA

For 22yrs I've attended Friends Of the NRA (FONRA) banquets. Attending in order to support youth shooting programs. For several ( 10? ) years, I volunteered to set up for the banquets; attend; tear down after. The live auction during a banquet in 2011 had one lot that was not being bid upon: a 10-day hunt / safari for two in the R.S.A. It bothered, even shamed me, that nobody was bidding on such a generous donation. So I bid. That started something and a higher bid was placed. Calling the girl over to read details, I bid again while reading .... the other bidder waited a while then also bid again. By now I understood how much it would cost beyond buying the hunt; way too much for me. I shook my head so the auctioneer knew I was out. Later, paying for things I had bought, I recognized the winning bidder immediately behind me in the cashier line. He said:

"If you'd bid once more, you'd have won that safari."

That I took as needling ... just gave a sour smile. Then the cashier said:

"tgt_usa! I see you bought some things ..."

... I paid and left. A couple days later the cashier called me:

cashier: "You remember < name > that outbid you on the safari?"
me: "Yes, yes I do."
cashier: "His wife won't let him go. The donor says as the next high bidder, you're the only one that they'd allow to pay your high bid and he pays the difference."

... I accepted. Nobody wanted to go along as the 2nd hunter. But I gave my son no option on going to the meeting with the outfitter. My 11yr-old son sat across from the outfitter's marketing executive; he and she talked as the outfitter and I planned. Soon my son piped up:

"Dad, dad! we'll get up at 6o'clock and hunt for two hours before breakfast!"

huh? ... o-kay.

A little later he burst in again with another enthusiastic observation on the hunt. In short the marketing exec had won him over. He committed to going along. After we got there, he didn't want to hunt. But he took ~3,000 of our 3,600 photos. Take your 11yr-old son on a 10day hunt in Africa ... try not to become a hunting enthusiast.

 

[nztimb]

For me it was the culture of the times. Rugby hunting and drinking in any order were the main persuits of the day. Pellet rifle then 22 and 303 from birds in the orchard to rabbits round the farm and then deer etc Never did get into the shotgun side of hunting although I had a few. always prefered the rifles

 

[Randy F]

For me it was the culture of the times. Rugby hunting and drinking in any order were the main persuits of the day. Pellet rifle then 22 and 303 from birds in the orchard to rabbits round the farm and then deer etc Never did get into the shotgun side of hunting although I had a few. always prefered the rifles

The early days where I grew up only shotguns were legal for deer. It was years before we could use rifles. Good experience for a youngster though…we had to get close with those rock spitters we were using.

 

[Nkawu]

A good family friend has a game farm in Limpopo, and from a very young age I was sent to work on the farm during holidays from boarding school. As a 12 year old I was taught the necessities like driving the very old cruiser and shooting the 243. I shot my first animal, a warthog boar, with my ‘uncle’ and the fire was lit. The large labour force on the farm need meat rations so I would head out with a tracker and single shot 7x57 to hunt impala and pigs, and just absorbing as much knowledge as I could. I owe a huge amount to my uncle for giving me his time and the space to grow as a young man. Just last week I was up on the farm hunting pigs and impala for rations, driving the same old cruiser.

 

[CBH Australia]

A good family friend has a game farm in Limpopo, and from a very young age I was sent to work on the farm during holidays from boarding school. As a 12 year old I was taught the necessities like driving the very old cruiser and shooting the 243. I shot my first animal, a warthog boar, with my ‘uncle’ and the fire was lit. The large labour force on the farm need meat rations so I would head out with a tracker and single shot 7x57 to hunt impala and pigs, and just absorbing as much knowledge as I could. I owe a huge amount to my uncle for giving me his time and the space to grow as a young man. Just last week I was up on the farm hunting pigs and impala for rations, driving the same old cruiser.

Nice,
And I like Warthog

 

[Zambezi]

Can't ever remember not hunting. At 5 years old my dad gave me a BSA No.1 pellet gun with a butt with about 3-4 inches removed so it would fit me. Everyday I would come home from school, have lunch then homework then about 20 pellets in my mouth (didn't know about lead poisoning back then) and off into the bush. This was during the bush war but never gave it a thought. Had to be home by sundown. I became quite proficient with that little gun until I was about 12 years old.

Hunting trips with my dad to the Shangani area for reedbuck, impala and kudu followed. Hunting on family farms around Bulawayo with various uncles and cousins. But the start was that little BSA No.1.

Last hunting I did in Zim was on Gwamanyanka section of Debshan ranch between Shangani and Fort Rixon with my uncle. Used to go there often for Tssesebe as rations for the staff as well as other opportunities that presented themselves.

 

[RockSlinger404]

I picked up hunting from my dad. He no longer hunts, however he still enjoys all the pictures I send him. One thing which he said and has remained with me is to try and at least hunt every year, even if it is only a day trip.

My 2 GSPs made me a wingshooter. I started in order to use them for what they were bred for, this is one the best decisions of my life!!!

 

[Captain Munro]

I'd say my Dad was my first inspiration. I've only hunted Pennsylvania's birds and whitetails though. My influence for my interest in Safari hunting in Africa stems from watchin the movie Ghost and the Darkness and subsequently reading Patterson's journal. Then I started reading Capstick...