# Not a real hunter



## JBB (Feb 9, 2005)

I went hunting today east of Lakota. Stopped there for lunch and watched all the equipment go by. I have decieded that after seeing everything that is out there and driven by guys a lot younger then I. I must not be a real hunter. 
My stuff is old, beat up, half worn out, well used and I do not have a single sticker or picture of a bird on my window. I shoot my 8 year old gun, some of my decoys are 30 years old. The only thing I have that is fairly new are my shotgun shells ( I bought a case last year). I do not get to show off all my new equipment to everybody. 
All I get is a few dead birds and a great day in the field or on the water (yes I hunt on water sometimes), no payments and a wife who is not mad because I spent so much. After all these years I thought I was a hunter now I know I am not.
Life is great is it not?


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## IAMALLARDMAN (Sep 15, 2009)

Life is great if you are a waterfowler!! Get a kick out of your talk of new gear! I am one of those guys who loves to buy new gear, but we all know it doesn't matter that much! One day last week I went out and left all the newfangled gear at home, no new gun, decoys, robos, blinds etc. Just me and the lab, a quickly made willow stick blind, a bag of my old carylight deks, and used one of my old echo wood calls. Was a great morning, as always if you are on the x you dont need much, a little wind to move those old decoys and had great shooting! Far as im concerned if you can go hunting and love the sport for all the right reasons without getting caught up in all of the new gear and fads more power to you, you are more of a hunter than most these days!! Just my opinnion!


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## teamshakeandbake (Oct 14, 2008)

well said iammallardman!!!


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## oldsam (Oct 3, 2009)

i don't know what is wrong with new equipment !!! my cabelas hunting coat was new in 1997.. my browning my grandfather gave me on my 14th birthday was new to me in 1972, the only gun i have ever owned. my cork dekes were new to me when i bought them at an auction in the early 80's. now i will have to say my lab is new.(16 weeks) due to a very unfortunate situation to my seven year old lab in june. my waders and their patches have to be about 10 years old.
i know what u guy mean, alot of the hunters look like they just came out of a catalog. but my opinoin is that they probably are not real outdoorsman or hunters.
me and my old equipment cant wait to make new friends, have some kodak moments and enjoy the nodak moment starting friday for a short 4 days.


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## northdakotakid (May 12, 2004)

I think we can all agree that there is a big difference between a sportsman and a hunter. How we view hunters and their use of equipment is far different than how we should view them as sportsman and their use of ethics & tradition.

I have seen so many conversations on this forum and also in the small town bars where one hunter has a different opinion about another hunter because of where they are from, the type of equipment they use or the funny way they speak ( southern guys and canucks =-). I myself have found this to be a beat-your-head-against-a-wall conversation from all angles... as it is pretty tough to use the right measuring stick because of how diverse the techniques and equipment use has become.

To me, it is simpler to look at someone as a sportsman because it cuts out many of the differences that we all share and gets to the heart of the sport. It's as simple as common courtesy and respect for the fellow sportsman & land. Don't get me wroing, I am no purest or utopian thinker... but we could all be served better by judging people with a little different measuring stick.

That said, greed is by far the greatest threat to our sport and the sportsman that use to participate... I sure hope that some open mindedness and respect can save the traditions of our sport.


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## DNovicki (Jan 22, 2003)

I like to see the picture of the "old days" back in the 60's when it was Carhart style overalls, green rubber waders, Olt 66 or A-50, home made goose silo's and "Brown Camo" was something new. Somehow those guys all managed to kill ducks and geese. For myself I still use brown camo, have a Long Honker goose call and l lay in the dekes, run carrylite mag shells, ,run a 1956 DuraCraft 16' deep V with a 1965 Evinrude Fastwin 18hp, and blow a cheap duck call and it all still works. I guess to each his own but I dont see the need to go out year in and year out and and buy thousands of dollars of new stuff when you really only have to be on the X to get the results you want.............


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## NDTerminator (Aug 20, 2003)

I've been hunting waterfowl since the late 60's and I wished we had then some of the gear the current generation of waterfowlers enjoy. Just decoys on which the paint doesn't chip or flake off would have been nice (GHG still hasn't gotten that one figured out  ).

The only big advantage we had over current stuff was inexpensive lead loads & components, and if a guy can afford them premium Hevi Shot is as good or better...

I think much of the gear driven view point of today's hunters has much to do with hunting shows and "outdoor celebrities" pushing everything under the sun...

Personally I wouldn't pony up for a $1500 production semi-auto shotgun with a plastic stock & forearm, but particularly because some "face" pro staffer on TV says I'm not a real waterfowler unless I do.

I used a single shot 20 gauge or DB .410 until my dad bought me a 1939 Winchester Model 12 that was so well used it was worn silver, for $50 in the early 70's. Most of my buddies shot used Mossberg 500s and the more affluent might have a Winchester 1200. We all coveted Remington 870 Wingmasters and I remember thinking how I had really made it when in my mid 20's I finally got one. I still use 870s (have several types) to this day, and a BPS...


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## hammerhead (Dec 22, 2004)

Well boys I think you have all hit the nail on the head. Sounds like most of you were hardcore waterfowlers before it was popular to be called that.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

In the 60's I was still a retriever, no gun just had fun running out and chasing wounded birds around shooting them with my 25# re-curve. In the 70's I became a duck shooter and goose killer, no hunting skills really required for waterfowl. We all killed so many we are still sick of killing them. I think alot of people should step it up quite a few notches and get back to those days. :beer:


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## Bug Guy (Jul 19, 2009)

I guess I'm not hunter either. I didn't hunt in the 60's or the 70's, but the 80" was the start of a beautiful addiction. My idea of duck hunting now is 6-12 deks, my folding chair (with a good back rest), 2 thermos's of coffee, and my 870. I may or may not shoot because the mornings are just so peaceful and that darn 870 is just so noisy. It's kind of fun to just say "bang, I gotcha" and then just watch the ducks paddle around and do all those goofy things they do and drink coffee. Gosh I love that. However, in my earlier days, I couldn't get enough equipment. I was like a crack addict on a downer. If it was new it had to be better than what I had. I wish I had all that money back now LOL. Well good luck everyone and stay safe.


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## wildwidgeon (Aug 18, 2009)

I was surprised to find out there is a name for my 1980's bibs and coat, that have been repaired plenty of times over the years. They seem to have named the camo "OLD SCHOOL CAMO". Back then, it was simply called "CAMO" and the ducks didn't seem to differentiate between it and the latest catchy name design. Geez, I hope the ducks don't look at my old camo and decide to hightail it outta there. Nah, right? My 1972 Monark jon boat has been welded on to repair the cracks every few years, and still somehow floats. No gun box, no camo painted motor(I just cover it with a "OLD SCHOOL CAMO" piece of fabric).


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## R Diddy 08 (Nov 10, 2005)

I'm 19 and have only been hunting ducks for three or four years and yes, I have fallen victim to the trap of buying all the brand new stuff on occasion, but it brought a smile to my face reading about how hunting was done years ago. Props to you all, and I feel like I can connect with your stories to an extent as I found myself appreciating the beauty of the marsh this weekend during the slow times.

Well said all!

:beer:


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## 9erfan (Oct 18, 2007)

Gore-tex & thinsulate!! I'll keep 'em if you don't mind. Otherwise, I'm right behind you!! 8)


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## JBB (Feb 9, 2005)

Gortex and Thinsulate. You got me on that one , I have to agree. I do not miss cold wet feet.


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## Ron Gilmore (Jan 7, 2003)

These threads remind me of a conversation my Dad had with my Uncle. My Uncle was one of those guys that reminisced about the days when they would thrash grain, use horses for field work, etc... This went on all the time. One day my Dad looked at Lloyd and said! "You know they where the old days, and that is it! There was very little that was good about them! Crappy heavy clothes, poor boots, no loader tractors to move hay, or snow!!! I will take today over then every time!!!!!!"

My Uncle looked at Dad and said you are right, I guess one does forget the unpleasant things and only remember the positive things!

Much is the same with equipment today! I think there is a lot of over marketed stuff, but quality and cost of decoys,clothes,boots are just some of it. It has allowed me to hunt a lot longer in the fall with better success. My old Flambeau plastic decoys of 30 years ago did not kill many ducks on frozen water in late Nov. Nor did laying out in snow covered field with no waterproof clothing let one stay warm! Work boots and 5 buckle overshoes vs Gortex and Thinsulate Pac boots. Rubber or canvas waders vs neoprene?

Early season yeah a doz decoys and a good duck call is all I would need to kill ducks, but come later on, I like the new stuff!!!!!!!


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## keenan53 (Jan 29, 2009)

wouldn't have your stuff been new at one time and quite possibaly the best equipment at the time?


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## Dave Owens (Nov 11, 2002)

Been at this game for close to 40 years. No-name coveralls, cheap KMart boots boots, jersy gloves, newspaper tin decoys, Model 12's, 2 wheel drive reg cab pickups, 1 black goose limit, etc.

Sure like my Gortex boots, gloves, bib's, coat, decoys that actually look like birds, 1187 auto, layout blind, 4x4 crew cab trucks, etc.

Wonder what it will be like 20 years from now?


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## Ron Gilmore (Jan 7, 2003)

keenan53 said:


> wouldn't have your stuff been new at one time and quite possibly the best equipment at the time?


Back when I started the only thing we had for goose decoys available where a couple companies that made a shell decoy. The Canada decoys where of horrid coloration and the head and neck well they did not stay on. Do not remember the brand of snow goose shells, but they would break when it got cold. Shatter actually. So we made our own from old newsprint tin and a hand shear. Then paint them, cut out heads and neck from plywood you could scrounge. Cut up old bed sheets to make white suits to wear over your multiple layers of denim and cotton and wool if you where lucky to find a surplus store with some. So to answer your question, NO most of the stuff was not like today!

I remember well getting a dozen G&H decoys from a group of guys that hunted our land! Man I thought I was in heaven. Most of the old timers I hunted with had heavy cork decoys or wooden decoys with the bills glued on. Pull a couple dozen cork decoys soaked full of water out of a slough and you know you have done something! My first hunting coat was a hand me down that was 30 years old when I got it! My hunting cap was a duck brown hat I rubbed dirt on to cover the metal vent holes and painted the knob on the top. It also was a hand me down.

Wader and hip boots where passed around and patched over and over!

That is why I call them as my Dad did in regards to equipment the old days.


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## deacon (Sep 12, 2003)

I remember shooting canada geese with tar paper decoys and old printing press templates. It did the job.

Did lots of sneaks accross fields on my belly and really enjoyed walking all the way around sloughs see what ducks I could chase up or find wounded with a dog. Hardly ever see anyone putting on the sneak, we would sneak ponds without even knowing if there were birds.

Almost got caught up in today's game, but go smarter before it was too late. Being on the "X" is probably the most important thing for ducks and black geese.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

Oh, now I am really confused. I have old equipment that I just will not let go of, but I like to play with anything new that enhances accuracy in rifles or handguns. That and any knives with a new, better, super steel. Oh, ya and lights. If you buy the after market bulbs you can get these tiny little things to kick out 200 or even 500 lumens. Battery life isn't great.


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## kingcanada (Sep 19, 2009)

i don't know where i fit in here. my oldest gun is a mod 97 winchester and i usually hunt with a beretta o/u from the 60's. the past 8 years i have done most of my hunting from a 1964 ranchero. i finally gave in and went modern with a 91 f-150 this year, still sort of old by most standards. but i have more duck decoys than i can carry. goose hunting is where the need for more stuff gets out of hand, especially for snows. i have been hunting spots lately that require a bit of hiking and am only packing 14 decoys in a hiking pack. we have been pulling limits every time out. i am going out in a couple hours to hunt ducks and will take the small spread and hike away. i hope the snow storm that just dumped 24" of snow on us brought more ducks to replace the ones that surely left. one new gadget i have left behind this year is the roboduck. i thought i would use it a lot, yet i only pack the heavy thing out 3-4 times a year. it attracts ducks, but some days we did better without it. it is just one more thing to carry. i may get one of those wing things and stick it on a pole so it can be waved around to attract distant birds. then i can turn it off and stash it in the cattails. uh oh, now i am falling back into the "buy more crap" trap! one thing i do replace every year is my waders, they wear out too fast. a week ago i discovered a nickle size hole in the crotch, after i was in water deeper than that! time to call Roger's! my stocking foots are not a warm enough replacement.


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## Nodak_Norsk (Aug 5, 2007)

I have only two "outfits" for duck hunting and I'm a CHICK! :lol: Just look in my pics on here. I have a pair of size 16 brown camo coveralls from when I was 12 that I still wear ($20 at Scheels at the end of the year). And do you want to know what my other is?! My dad grew out of a pair of brown camo pants (they were like size 28!) and he cut them off mid-calf, then took the part he cut off, hiked it up the leg and HOT GLUED them back together!!! And no, the ducks have never noticed the break in that seam, lol! Then, I have a jacket in a different pattern of brown camo that I wear with those pants that was my uncles which he grew out of. I also have two hand me down pairs of boots from him that I use for duck hunting. I did buy a pair of coveralls for deer hunting with a fancy real tree pattern-bought them in a size 18, so for deer hunting I put on....thermals or cuddleduds (you guys probably wish they made men's cuddleduds :lol: ) then my size 16 brown camo coveralls, with my size 18 coveralls on over those. Hey, I may look like the Michelin man, but it sure is cozy! When I move back to Fargo, yeah, for the fun of it I probably will get some MAX 4D jacket and pants, but that's not to say the other stuff doesn't work. I also used a Harrington & Richardson Topper Model 16 for my first few years hunting, until I absolutely couldn't take it any longer when men would yell at me "SHOOT AGAIN!!!!!" (You can only reload a single shot so fast before the ducks are long gone!!!) But that was my high school graduation present, and was just a Winch 1300 Ranger Compact, which I'll cherish forever.


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## DNovicki (Jan 22, 2003)

I will say that I don not miss those old green rubber waders that I patched with duct tape time and time again. Never did work anyways....


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## Lefte (Aug 21, 2009)

Well from a "new" budget hunter/sportsman I don't know where I fit in this whole thing. I don't have the money or the time to sit for hours on end, so when I started I had a 1896 Winchester that was a hand me down from my father from WWII ( minus the bayonette). Last year I picked up a Remington 870 Magnum Express and have done Ok with it. 
No dog, 12 duck decoys and a pair of waders.

I have a good time and still enjoy the hunting.

Lefte


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## shadowgrass hd (Oct 1, 2009)

I never have been able to afford new equipment every year. I prefer to spend it on shells and gas. Although I have to say, I love to carve, so I usually have all new decoys and I made my first boat this year.


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