Thought this one might be an interesting thread.

I'm sure most of us have heard a few hunting-related words of wisdom/warnings we've alternately scratched our heads at, strictly adhered to or dismissed outright. One that I was told before last year's moose hunt was to make sure I secured any bull's rack/tied it down before gutting, no matter what, as people have been known to have been knocked out/severely injured when the blade used to gut hits a nerve, and thereby causes a dead bull to kick or violently shake his head. I admit that I had planned to do so just in case, but entirely forgot in the heat of the post-kill excitement. Alas, my bull didn't boot me in the noggin after all. He just leaked out a bunch of red stuff and guts.

The two day dead snapping turtle 'biting' fingers off also comes to mind, although I think that one may have some validity, as a friend whose word I trust (academic anatomy guy). Also, there are those who say not to harvest critters (rabbit and bivalves come to mind) that weren't taken in a month ending in the letter 'R' (I think that's the letter ). I think that one may have some validity in some places as well, due to bacteria levels in warmer waters, but don't know for sure. I wil say that if my digging and eating clams for myself is any indicator, should have gotten a lot more ill than having eaten too much feeling. We dig steamers/quahogs/littlenecks and others year round.

Anyone?

Cheers,

KG

Rattle Snakes don't stop writhing till after sundown.

This may be true....put a freshly killed rattle snake in a garbage bag and tossed it in a van. Several hours later as we headed to town for a meal, the bag began moving, scared the begesus out of my hunting partners. Wonder if it may have something to do temperature and muscle contractions?

The R month theory comes from the months oysters could be shipped and kept cold, at least that's what CDC taught sanitarians back in the dark ages. If they get warm after being removed from the water, they die. They eat the stuff that collects near the bottom, and when we eat them, we don't gut em!
My favorite maybe myth is catfish that swim away after they've been filleted.
and...skunks can't spray if you hold down their tails. I don't know if it's true, but I do know that as a freshman forester, I missed a couple days of classes because I almost held one's tail down, but like a lot of things in my life, it was almost!
Bfly

Here's one: "Snakes can't bite under water"

Reality: B.S. When my dad was a teenager, he was bitten by a Cottonmouth ("Water Moccasin") on the side of his foot while he was in waist deep water. Luckily, it was a dry bite and it only swelled up slightly and hurt a little for a couple of days, no serious damage.

Good ones so far. Here are another couple: waterfowl don't fly their migration routes at night. As if! How about geese don't ever dive or swim underwater to evade/escape. Not true. Trust me on this.

Never saw a goose dive but since they feed on underwater plants , why not .Canadas have been seen by aircraft flying at 30,000 feet !!

quote:

Originally posted by Eland Slayer:
Here's one: "Snakes can't bite under water"

Reality: B.S. When my dad was a teenager, he was bitten by a Cottonmouth ("Water Moccasin") on the side of his foot while he was in waist deep water. Luckily, it was a dry bite and it only swelled up slightly and hurt a little for a couple of days, no serious damage.

Never had one bite me underwater, but I've watched them catch fish in a net underwater. If they can do that, they can sure as hell bite .

In response to the original "myth" a friend who hunts in Africa told me a favorite trick they play on the hunters is after the croc is skinned, they ask him to pose beside the carcass with one of the skinners on the other side. They apparently know just the nerve behind the head to stick a knife in that makes the croc rise & open its mouth. They get some good reactions. Hope they don't do it on the old codgers with weak hearts.

Antelope can't jump fences... Sure they can.

And....

Viagra can provide an erection that lasts more than 4 hours. -TONY

quote:

Originally posted by Outdoor Writer:
And....

Viagra can provide an erection that lasts more than 4 hours. -TONY

LOL, I just peed my pants reading that.

probably one of the oldest in the book that I was told time and time again by uncles and other friends about deer hunting:

"Deer never look up, they have no natural predators from above." i.e., all the deer stands were only 5-6 feet up.

Tony, that Viagra bit was funny as hell.

Skunks cannot spray with their tails down. Lifting the tail lets the spray jets protrude from the anus If you catch one in a box trap, make sure the trap is small enough for him not to lift his tail.

True story: I was trout fishing on the White River in Ark. When we came in, the guide and I were cleaning the fish. We gutted the fish and removed the gills and laid them on a towel on the deck of the boat. One made a jump off the boat into the water and swam away. Minus his guts and gills. The guide said he'd never seen that before.

quote:

Viagra can provide an erection that lasts more than 4 hours.

So if it gets caught in your throat on the way down, do you get a stiff neck?

Couldn't resist.

Here's a mystery .A reindeer has been seen on the Delaware River on the NY/PA border. How'd he get there ??? www.riverreporter.com , check photo gallery !

quote:

Originally posted by mete:
Never saw a goose dive but since they feed on underwater plants , why not

I dunno' what the logic was, but I was told one time by an old guy that unlike ducks, geese cannot swim underwater. Well, I watched one swimming at around 6-8 feet, under my canoe. I had wounded him and chased him around a salt marsh inlet, but lost him. Started paddling around, happened to look down into the water, and lo, there he was, looking like a feathery submarine. Very impressive. Unlike a sub, however, he had no back up air supply, so when he surfaced, I ended his diving career.

Hey KG, Excellent thread idea. Only problem is where to start.

These first two are for Tony.

1. Don't cull the Spikes because they "might" grow into World Class Trophy Bucks.
2. There are no Black Panthers in the Carolinas.

3. Having an "accurate rifle" just isn't all that important.
4. Proper, exact spelling, diction and syntax is very important on a Hunting/Reloading Board.
5. Taking a shower when Hunting is a waste of time, you need to smell natural.
5a. I use a "flowery smelling soap" so the Deer think I'm part of the woods.
5b. The Deer are used to the gasoline smell from the (diesel) Farm Equipment.
6. A Face Mask is not worth the bother when Stand Hunting.
6a. I sit so still the Deer never see me and I don't wear a Face Mask.
6b. There is no advantage to a Boonie Style hat over a Baseball Style hat when hunting.
7. No need to wear a Cover Scent on my boots because the Deer can not tell where I've walked in.
8. If it is a "Good Stand" it is impossible to hunt from it too much.
9. Talking does not bother Game.
10. No need to "sneak in", just walk in at your natural gait.
11. Smoke is a "natural smell" to Game and it doesn't concern them.
12. Dog Drives are unethical.
13. Man Drives are unethical.
14. Stand Hunting is unethical.
15. Spot and Stalk is unethical.
16. Baiting Game of any type(where it it Legal) is unethical.(If I missed any, add them in.)
17. It is a waste of time to have a Drag Stick.
18. If "you" shoot over (fill in the blank) yards at Game - it is seriously unethical.
19. There is no need to Pre-Scout an area before the Season starts.
20. An In-Line Black Powder firearm is unethical.

Signs of a Rookie who is convinced he is a World Class Hunting Expert.
A. You can always "cleanly" kill a (fill in the blank) with Weenie Calibers and good shot placement.
B. I only use "Head Shots".
C. I need a "Hot Load" because I got this new rifle and plan to hunt with it in 4-days.
D. Blue steel NEVER rusts.
E. Termite Food stocks NEVER warp.
F. No need to check the Point of Impact, it has never varied.
G. If you don't use (fill in the blank) Bullet, you will only wound Game - "IF" you can even hit anything with it.
H. Every time I used a (fill in the blank) Bullet - it Failed.
I. I ALWAYS trust my SAFETY.
J. I do all my "practice" in the Field while Hunting.
K. ANYTHING over 4x is not needed on a Hunting rifle.
L. There is no advantage to a 50mm (or larger) scope.
M. There is no need to do anything but "calculate" the Drop Rate from a software program, and use that data.
N. I can tell what the Pressure is by checking the Velocity.
O. Case Prep is a Total Waste of time.
P. Dry Firing a modern firearm is bad for it.
Q. A BoreSnake will clean a barrel.
R. Never "clean" your firearm during Hunting Season.
S. Only accurate shots come from a Fouled Bore.

I need to stop. Sure don't want to hurt anyone's feelings.

Good Hunting and clean 1-shot Kills to all you folks.

quote:

Viagra can provide an erection that lasts more than 4 hours. -TONY

I think the ad reads: If you have an erection lasting more than 4 hours, call your Doctor. Hell, I would call some girls
J/K, I'm married, my wife would use me for a hat rack!

Outfitters are good for wildlife management, and the future of hunting.

quote:

Originally posted by L. David Keith:

I think the ad reads: If you have an erection lasting more than 4 hours, call your Doctor.

Call a doctor? What for? Is more than 4 hours unusual? That's weird... And what's viagra?

quote:

11. Smoke is a "natural smell" to Game and it doesn't concern them.

True story.

My hunting buddy always seems to get his deer 15 minutes after smoking a cigerette. Last year I was in a stand just east of him, and watched to does walk right up to within 15 feet of him as he smoked.

The does were looking right at me in the stand!

You must remove the scent glands from a deer's back legs immediately after the kill or all of the meat will be tainted.

Hey NE Jack, When I was living in Huntsville, a guy I worked with came in one morning telling me about a Doe he had killed. His story was that he had just finished a small Swisher Sweet cigar on his way to the Stand and ground it out on the bottom of his boot before tossing the Butt on the ground next to the Stand. Then he climbed into the Stand and began peeling an Orange, with the Orange Mist from the Rind going every direction. He said he was focused on the Orange, but when he looked up, a Doe was standing there trying to see what he was doing.

He said he got the Orange juice all over a high-luster, semi-auto Remington 30-06 as he eased it to his shoulder to kill her. She just stood there the whole time staring at him.

He always had a great story, but he "swore" it was the truth. Where ever Bill L. is, I hope he is still having good "luck".
---

That doesn't mean it is a "Pattern" I'd ever recommend for any Beginning Deer Hunter(or an old timer) to use though.

HC

Spikes can get big, if they are a late fawn, they may be spikes the first year. An older bull-necked spike is another story. My brother has some penned deer, and an Amish fellow about 10 miles from me has a buck that was born in June, had spikes the first year and went 240 B&C as a 4.5 year old.

I agree that "some" Pen Raised Spikes can indeed grow into Whoppers. That is what got Tony so wound up the last time. The problem is that some Spikes never will produce Trophy Antlers and they will spread those unwanted genetics through the Herd any chance they get.

If you know of a way that a person can tell which is which by just observing them as Spikes, I would be very interested. And Tony's young buddy could write a Book on it.

Kill a (legal size) Spike and protect the Herd. Good Hunting and clean 1-shot(Spike) Kills.

Glad you agreed with me on that clarification. I still won't shoot a young spike, however or a yearling buck period. Got to be 140 or better or it'll walk.

I am adding one to the end of Hotcore's second list...

T. I don't need binoculars, I'll just use my rifle scope.

I've got a barn wall full of middling and big deer horns.
I am of an age now to shoot a spike or a young two by in an instant. It helps the herd and they eat a lot better. I have no problem shooting does either if the DNR sez its okay.

The number one myth/legend...

"you can learn anything you need to be a good hunter from the internet and all the info you recieve from it is accurate."

quote:

Originally posted by skb2706:
The number one myth/legend...

"you can learn anything you need to be a good hunter from the internet and all the info you recieve from it is accurate."

First equal with:-

'Purchasing expensive technology will make up for field time and experience'

Also

'Real men shoot magnums'

'Keep shooting while it's on it's legs'

'Follow up real quick to find out where it's gone'

'Dogs are only used to drive deer'

'If someone gets shot not wearing hunter orange it's their fault.

quote:

Originally posted by Hot Core:
Hey NE Jack, When I was living in Huntsville, a guy I worked with came in one morning telling me about a Doe he had killed. His story was that he had just finished a small Swisher Sweet cigar on his way to the Stand and ground it out on the bottom of his boot before tossing the Butt on the ground next to the Stand. Then he climbed into the Stand and began peeling an Orange, with the Orange Mist from the Rind going every direction. He said he was focused on the Orange, but when he looked up, a Doe was standing there trying to see what he was doing.

He said he got the Orange juice all over a high-luster, semi-auto Remington 30-06 as he eased it to his shoulder to kill her. She just stood there the whole time staring at him.

He always had a great story, but he "swore" it was the truth. Where ever Bill L. is, I hope he is still having good "luck".
---

That doesn't mean it is a "Pattern" I'd ever recommend for any Beginning Deer Hunter(or an old timer) to use though.

My buddy says that every time he smokes a cigarette, they come right to him. I have seen it happen a few times, and can't figure it out. It might be because he fishes a lot there, and the deer are "used" to him puffing away all year long and then eating his apple cores.

Hmm. I personally do adhere roughly to the keep shooting until it's dead camp in about all my hunting. Not only do I not necessarily always have the luxury of knowing if I've done my job how I intended and put the projectile where I was trying for, but as much I want that animal dead as soon as possible and not suffering. I can deal with any loss of meat from an extra hole. Just to clarify, if I see that an animal drops at the shot, I'm not going to empty my gun in the beast, but if I plug something once --be it a bear or a duck-- and it's running or otherwise not dead to my total satisfaction, I'm shooting it again. With birds, you don't finish the job, you're losing some, as they don't all die in the air, and may dive or make for a hidey hole, mortally wounded. A swimming seaduck such as an eider is an animal that *will* get away if you don't shoot it again. Hell, I've had them shot up and with a wrung neck hop over the side of a moving boat. They're no joke! Not trying to start any battles do here mind, but that's just my opinion and how I do it. YMMV.

Cheers,

KG

I have conveniently forgotten that I have yet to shoot a moose with one shot. All first shots have been fatal but because I haven't been able to see the strike (9.3x62) and am uncertain I've shot again (and again and even again and again) - I've been far away in a strange place after a huge animal I'm scared will get away....

Closer to home I shoot stationary broadside deer 3-4 times a week year round with a moderated 243 on land I know like the back of my hand and with a blood trailing dog at my heels - big difference! I can tell from the reaction to shot where I've hit it. On a couple of occasions I've had to shoot again but I won't do it unless something has gone wrong. Even then I think that unless the animal is wounded leg or jaw I would leave it to follow later unless I was certain of a hit on the follow up shot - reason being I feel a missed follow up shot really pushes them a lot further.

Just my humble opinion, but I think it is myth to believe that a hunter can stop a whitetail deer's remarkable nose from smelling him if he wears a certain kind of shirt or pants.
I would also add to the myth list than one brand of camo vs another will offer superior abilities to hide. Plain ole olive green seems to work very well in much of the world as long as the hunter is still and uses the wind to his advantage. I've always found it humerous on the hunting TV shows when the out-of-town hunter shows up wearing all of the latest gear from Cabela's while his guide wanders along in blue-jeans and an ordinary jacket.
Now where's my trusted Mossy Oak shirt???