How often do you hunt or trap?

[Scythe13]

As the title says, how often do you hunt or trap?

Why am I asking? It's not because I'm interested in comparing notes. It's more for those that have gear but don't use it.

I know there are those that are game wardens, those avid hunters, the ferreters and the alike. But if you have all the gear...so what? That doesn't mean you can stalk deer or even rabbits!

That's like saying, having a car makes you a race driver. Until you've used the stuff you have for what you want to do with it, you're just playing on a simulator.

Granted, some elements of hunting e.g. bow hunting, have to be simulated for legal reasons. But there are other parts that can be done. Take animal stalking for an example.

Next time you're in an area where you would hunt, take a nice big old camera, and talk an animal until you can get an awesome photo of it, side ways on. Think how close you'd have to be to get that picture. How much effort it would take. Shooting a camera and shooting a bullet, in this sense, would be similar.

Oh, and you can only take the 1 photo. A second photo is not an option in this simulated example. Maybe clap your hands, or shout bang, when you take the photo, then see how good a second photo is going to be if the first one isn't perfect.

The same with trapping. If you have all the gear, until you try to use it, you'll not know how difficult it can be to set traps. You'll need to set up traps in pathways and the alike, that animals take.

You'll have to be able to recognise tracks, and understand what it is you're dealing with. I'm sure you'd be really happy to approach a trap to find a rabbit in it. But you'd be less impressed to find the remainder of a foxes dinner, that you'd caught for him! How kind you have been to Mr Fox and cubs.

Having gear is great. But having the skills to use it is the difference between fantasy and survival.

How well practiced are you?