In many Native American tribes, the term “elder” does not necessarily mean aged or decrepit. It represents a deep level of experience, knowledge, and wisdom that commands respect from all other members of the tribe. I use the term with this connotation.

When I lived in northern Minnesota a few years ago, I used to hang out in an old cafe where lots of middle aged and older folks would go to consume refreshments and swap stories. Many of those stories were about hunting trips, trophy kills, or humorous hunting incidents that they had witnessed throughout their lifetimes. I listened carefully, and picked up some nuggets of great hunting wisdom (along with a bunch of good-natured malarkey, too). I would pick up on good areas to hunt and time-honored hunting methods as I sat listening. A few folks even shared some tips with me directly as they began to see that I had a true passion for hunting and fishing.

That is one reason why organizations like WomenHunters® fascinate many young or novice hunters; if they did not grow up within a hunting family, they have a chance to learn from seasoned professionals. I think it’s more about respect than we realize and that is a wonderful part of hunting. Youth learns from age and experience, and experienced hunters revel in the fresh excitement and eagerness that beginners bring to the field.

As I have made my living here in rural Southeast Alaska, I have come to respect even more the skills and knowledge of experienced hunters. Some of the people here, regardless of age or condition, make a two-mile hunting trek look like a stroll around the block with the kind of trips they take. Of course, the hunting is different and demands more hiking, especially if one is searching for that blacktail trophy. Here’s one example of this mentality that I was able to be a part of recently.

I work with a man who is an accomplished hunter. To give you an idea of “Dan’s” achievements, I’ll refer you to Boone and Crockett, Pope and Young, and testimonials by people he’s guided brown bear hunting. He also traps and fishes. Basically, this man is a master at all outdoor occupations. I’ve been hunting with him a few times. The hardest hunt I ever did was with other friends, but it was Dan’s route that we followed. A few weeks ago, the rut was full on and Dan asked me if I’d like to go hunting. Of course, I accepted; the last three people he had been out with had shot five very nice bucks. It had snowed recently, and when it snows, the logging roads and side roads are never plowed. Since it is usually heavy, wet snow, driving a pickup (even with tire chains) is impossible. So we opted for hiking on a relatively flat logging road using snowshoes. The sides of the road were steep and led down into spruce swamps and heavy timber; perfect areas for deer to be while in the rut. We would use Dan’s method of hiking for a while, then quietly slipping off to the side of the road behind some cover and use a fawn bleat. According to Dan, almost any deer sound gets these deer moving, and if a doe starts moving toward a sound, chances are a buck will be with her during the rut.

I have no doubt that the fawn bleat worked. A couple weeks earlier I had gone out with Dan and we had found a perfect screened spot to call. About 300-yards in front of us was a big-timber tree line and we were screened by another tree line; in the middle was a muskeg patch. Dan blew the call. To a whitetail hunter like me, it seemed like overkill. He blew it non-stop, with only a few seconds rest between calls. All of a sudden, I heard snapping twigs and hoof beats. From the far tree line across the muskeg, a sizeable doe came charging at us, and I mean she wasn’t stopping for anything. She came directly at me, and I said something like, “I can’t shoot at that,” in a slightly panicked voice. The doe came to within 20-feet of me before she saw us and stopped short. Even then, she didn’t leave. She circled around us, quite close, and peered around, looking for the fawn. I looked back at Dan and he was laughing so hard that he couldn’t keep blowing the call.

“Kinda worried, weren’t you?” He finally managed to sputter the question.

I started laughing at myself; I couldn’t help it.

“Yeah, scared the heck out me…I’ve never seen a deer do that.”

“I’ve had a buck come at me almost that fast. It was exciting. But he stopped much earlier,” Dan said, still chuckling.

After that, I trusted everything Dan said about hunting. The things I do differently are just my way of finding my own hunting style, which has largely been formed by tidbits from the elders I’ve hunted with and anything that has ever worked for me personally.

So, as we hiked along the logging road, we stopped and called many times. Call, hike, call, hike. Soon I realized that the return trip from about where we were would be all I was physically prepared for that day. I said something to Dan and he replied that we weren’t off the driveable surface of the road yet and that only then did the hunting get really good. I agreed to hike for another half hour.

“Shoot, last weekend we saw five or six bucks by this time,” he said.

In fact, we only saw two does. They jogged ahead of us for awhile before slipping into the woods. We saw several buck trails that looked as if they had just been made, but we missed any shooting opportunity. When we finally did turn around, all I could think was that I would be one tired girl by the time we hit the truck, and I was right. Dan told me it wasn’t more than a four-mile round trip, but I don’t believe that story. I worked in the area the previous summer and I think it was closer to about three miles in and three out. If we had seen any bucks, I believe Dan would have taken us to another road to try, but we didn’t have luck that day. I am glad because I think another couple miles and my legs would have seized up. That was an easy hunting day for Dan. This guy puts to shame all but a few hunters I’ve been around in my life as far as stamina and expertise. Though I didn’t get a buck with Dan that season, I gained more knowledge about hunting methods and, also, gained a lot of respect for Dan.

For those of us that are not able to hike long and hard, it truly is the love of hunting and the possibility of seeing something neat happen out there that draws us to hunt as long as we can raise our weapon. I am awed by people that have severe disabilities or physical limitations and still get out there. I have met several ladies at WomenHunters® that have some impediments or are actively involved in helping people have quality hunting experiences, and their passion for hunting is inspiring to read about.

There have been so many advances over the past 20-30 years in hunting clothing, equipment, and weaponry that sometimes the real skill necessary to earn a trophy is forgotten. If you are lucky enough to hunt with an elder, you will quickly realize that it has taken him or her a lifetime of hunting to be this good, and that you had better pay attention!