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Anyone ever thought this?

I was leaving the woods last night as third season ended. I always, well almost always, bowhunt elk as it’s my favorite hunt but Alaska called.. (wished it wouldn’t have). So.. i picked up a rifle buck and deer tag in my back yard. Had one of my best friends and men i know come down from Wyoming to our home town and literally had the times of our lives. Both got great bucks and made up for a lot of lost time. We were serious about buck hunting and not so much on the bulls. Last night I did a small hunt that sometimes produces a bull. As I was leaving without seeing an elk I couldn’t help but say out loud that they only had one more week and the season is over.. kinda rooting for them.. i do not hunt his area for archery so I don’t think it was too selfish.. just amazed by the toughness of these animals and took a minute to root for them.. seems counterintuitive..

Makes sense to me. It's been proven over and over that hunters care about the animals we hunt as much as the antis. I always start feeling a little sorry for them as the harsh winters set in.

All the time. When we win, they lose it all. When they win, we get to go back tomorrow or next week or next season. Filled tags are great but you will likely find as time goes by that the journey is (and always was) the destination.

All the time. This year saw a little 4x4 buck the last day off 3rd season and told him he only had 5 more days to keep his head down!

I would have quit hunting years ago if the measure of a successful hunt was the kill.

Always especially during the gun season's. Even guiding I would get a little depressed hearing echoing gun shots. Always thinking dang that’s one less and how big would he have been next year. I feel the same about other archery hunters too but generally don’t hear them

That is a large part of the reason why I picked up a recurve. I always root for the bucks/bulls to get through the gun hunts, but I dont mind seeing a brother of the bow be successful. Gun hunting is fun occasionally, but with technology where it's at the animal doesnt stand much of a chance. Congrats on your bucks, sounds like a fun time!

To clarify, you shot two bucks with a rifle? Or they were shot with a bow during the 3rd rifle season?

They were both shot at 120 yards in 55 mph cross winds with a crossbow..

Pretty good shots. Then.

I just find it weird you’re hoping animals make it through the rifle seasons and at the same time you dusted two with rifles.

ahhh... I wished I would have mentioned that I called my train of thought counter-intuitive. damn... Wait...I did..right there in the original post! Phew..

BTW.. mine was running straight away from me.. just put the ole red dot sight at the top of his horns, closed my eyes, and prayed... you obviously don't get the point, and I feel a little sorry for you... my guess is that your family will be having a virtual thanksgiving..

I guess I don’t. No harm really, life to short to worry about such things.

Obviously I missed your humor been a long successful season filled with ups and downs. It will be good to be sitting at the TG table with +5 people.

This image from a camera just gets me. I feel like this bull is saying “kiss my ***”. But really had a great season of 4 hunts-2 for me and 2 for clients and I didn’t kill anything!

Where I live I can bowhunt my property & we have (usually) many Deer that visit right off our Deck. We have imposed a safe zone around this area & "you know" they have learned it is a safe zone. No stand within 100 yds.. We keep 8 bird feeders full year round & plenty of corn & sunflower seeds for the "many" busytails. We also have what we call night critters (Coons, Fox, Possum, Skunk). I make sure they have scraps most nights too. I do not tolerate Coyotes.. We live in an area where winters can be mild to down right vicious & I make sure, when its the worst, they have something if they swing by. I even clear the snow in a large area down to the ground (Wife says I'm a little nuts doing that). I want our critters to survive those harsh times. I have bowhunted biggame since 1956 & they have provided me with so much over the years. Mostly, that get away from the the rigors of life. This is my small way of saying "thank you"... At 9am this morning I looked out & 4 Bushytails were in the tree next to the deck "waiting" for me to throw the bucket of corn mixed with bird seed & sunflower seeds onto the ground. We love it, I am truly blessed.. Turkeys, not so often but 9 the other day.

Where I live I can bowhunt my property & we have (usually) many Deer that visit right off our Deck. We have imposed a safe zone around this area & "you know" they have learned it is a safe zone. No stand within 100 yds.. We keep 8 bird feeders full year round & plenty of corn & sunflower seeds for the "many" busytails. We also have what we call night critters (Coons, Fox, Possum, Skunk). I make sure they have scraps most nights too. I do not tolerate Coyotes.. We live in an area where winters can be mild to down right vicious & I make sure, when its the worst, they have something if they swing by. I even clear the snow in a large area down to the ground (Wife says I'm a little nuts doing that). I want our critters to survive those harsh times. I have bowhunted biggame since 1956 & they have provided me with so much over the years. Mostly, that get away from the the rigors of life. This is my small way of saying "thank you"... At 9am this morning I looked out & 4 Bushytails were in the tree next to the deck "waiting" for me to throw the bucket of corn mixed with bird seed & sunflower seeds onto the ground. We love it, I am truly blessed.. Turkeys, not so often but 9 the other day.

I always root for the wildlife...after I’m tagged out. I hate it when they have to survive other hunters.;)

x2 LINK. I "root" for 'em right after I fill the freezer. Until then it's every critter for himself;)

I root for every single one of them except the ones I wanna kill. And buddies ;)

Funny I root for the animals and the other hunters. I want us all to be successful enough to value the animals and put some work into improving the habitat. After season is over the animals still have to dodge predators but it makes me feel good when we cut next year's firewood and let it lay in the snow until spring. It provides food and shelter for the animals and heat next winter.

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