My Throwback Hunting Season

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Pegwedge

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Hey folks. This year I'm thinking about doing a sort of old school hunting season. I've been messing around with my dad's "vintage" Stevens single shot 20 gauge recently and it's got me thinking. My dad used it for everything when he was younger. Birds, squirrels, deer... I kind of want to challenge myself this season and use it the same way. For everything! Sure, I have my rifles and semi auto shotguns but I want to do it the way he did.

I guess my reason for making this thread is for advice and discouraging comments. I realize it's going to be tough in deer season with the greatly reduced range compared to my rifles but being in central WV that actually shouldn't be too much of a problem. I'm going to have to brush up on my wingshooting though and practice quick reloads. Overall, I think it'll be a fun learning experience.
 
I'm contemplating an 'iron sights only' elk hunt this year. I haven't fully decided yet. But it worked the first time around! I killed two elk with my dad's model '94, but I've never been that lucky since.

I just bought a BLR this year in my beloved .270 Winchester, and I'm thinking that maybe, just maybe, I ought to try for another run of lever-gun luck. What'd-ya think? :D
 
Now that sounds fun. I've never had the opportunity to hunt elk but that sounds like a challenge. Not quite as much as bowhunting for elk, but a challenge. I've seen the guys on tv that shoot them from 1000+ yards and I never quite got that. Doesn't seem a lot like hunting to me, but I guess that's just my opinion.
 
I like this idea. My goals for this year (subject to change) are to get a deer with my recurve, one with my old Hawken muzzleloader, and one with a single action revolver. I haven't had enough time to practice with the recurve so that may not happen, but I'm pretty firm on the other two. If I don't feel confident with the recurve I'll end up taking my compound.
 
I've been thinking about a handgun-only elk challenge to myself, but don't yet own a handgun in a suitable caliber. So rifle will have to do for now. I can still challenge myself about distance, though.
 
Last year just for fun over about 30 days of the season:

I hunted in blue jeans and a dark colored t-shirt and sweater until it got really cold.

I shot a old pre-64 Winchester with a fixed 4 power scope from the same era, using 40yo ammo.

I vowed to still hunt a day for every day in a stand and stuck to it.

I went small game hunting atleast once per week,........with a single shot .22short and irons.

I shot my limit of bucks and does, plus purchased additional (bonus doe) tags.
 
That is very respectable

As for myself, I have enough "decks-stacked" against me already.

Duck hunting for example, here are some things my grandfathers didn't
have to do: Buy truck insurance, boat license, boat operator license, boat trailer license, HIP validation, steel shot, picking out two hen mallards, two pintails, readheads or canvasbacks out of the flocks. They didn't have to limit themselves to 7/14 ducks. They didn't need to take and pass a goose ID test....and carry the card.

Then I have to deal with my own limitations: locating the birds, calling them in and hitting them.:D

Like I titled my post, your quest is very respectable and honorable, but I'm gonna use every tool I can afford.
 
That's very understandable Oathkeeper. And it's also a pretty good example why I'll never attempt to hunt waterfowl.
 
I guess I just hunt the way I was taught. Started out with an old bolt action 20ga and an old irons only marlin 60. I have only ever shot two rifles with scopes. The first being a ruger 10/22 and the other was marlin 30-30 both of which belonged to someone else. My hunting rifle rifle now is a bone stock SKS. Looking to get a Maverick security 88 and an extra hunting barrel.
 
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