When the hunting bug bit me at the tender age of seven, when I hunted a common duiker north of the Soutpansberg in Limpopo, I gave my first steps in the school of hunting.
Now 40 years later I'm still learning. And not just about hunting per sé. The "university of life and hunting" has new things installed for us each day. Sometimes when I'm in the bush hunting, I come upon animals, and all I learned about that species is suddenly thrown out the window when something happens that the species has never shown me before. They suddenly act "out of character", and after a few days I find out that the species just react or do things a little different to what I'm used to. This I have encountered many times in different hunting areas. Although there are certain similarities to the way a species would react, it could differ quite a lot from hunting area to hunting area. I've specifically picked up on these behaviours where there are fairly big differences in the density of bush. Animals seem to react differently in open areas as to vreaction in very dence shrub or bush.
This brings me to the point I want to make - I have learned that just when you think you have the answers, all the questions are changed. Recently I have witnessed a very experienced hunter hunt hard for eight days to harvest an eland bull without success. You can never know too much about the bush. In every hunt you will notice new things. Some of them might seem too small to have an impact, but I have realized not to discard any new information as being insignificant. Sometimes the smallest little signal could deliver the quarry right in your hands ... if only you make the effort to be attentative.
I have a dislike in certain calibers, but I have realized that some people do very well with the calibers I dislike, and therefor it seems to me that I do not do well with them purely because of my dislike, and not because they are bad calibers. I have learned not to critisize another's equipment too much. Yes I'll joke about it, but try not to be hurtful about it. I have seen some neat stuff over the years ... rifles ... telescopes ..... binoculars ... range finders ..... some expensive brand names, and others not nearly as expensive. And most of them worked fairly well, regardless of their prices. Yes, I have an affinity for certain brands, and not all of them are expensive. If it works for me, I'll stick to it, and if somebody tells me its crap, I get fairly upset. I can therefor imagine that others would also get upset when they are told the equipment they use are crap. So, I try and be diplomatic by just remarking that for my "unique physique" ;-) it doesn't work, but that if it works for him/her, that's great. Keep using it.
At the age of 47 I'm not done learning about hunting, and I think anyone who thinks they know everything will wake up one day with the schock that they actaully know very little, as they have closed their minds to new learning.
The bush is my school. The living creatures in it my teachers. And I am forever the learner.
Good hunting. Don't forget to learn something new about nature next time you're out there
DC