Woodsmanship...Is that the right word?

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HunterBob
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Re: Woodsmanship...Is that the right word?

Unread postby HunterBob » Tue Jul 31, 2018 5:52 am

backstraps wrote:I agree

Woodsmanship is the "art" that I believe is dying among the newest of hunters. There are many resources for how to kill an animal these days. Not so many teaching or promoting actual learning of woodsmanship.

I remember hearing on one of Dan's podcast he mentioned something along those lines as well. When he said that I immediately was shaking my head yes!

Agreed! Like this conversation as it is more than just being a hunter. Being a woodsman seems to mean being able to take in everything that the outdoors provide. While I still consider myself a novice, I still remember an awesome hunting experience where I had identified some fruit that was in an area where I hunt. Got to hunt around it, pick some on the way out, and enjoy being outside even though I didn't see any deer that day!


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Re: Woodsmanship...Is that the right word?

Unread postby headgear » Tue Jul 31, 2018 6:37 am

HunterBob wrote:
backstraps wrote:I agree

Woodsmanship is the "art" that I believe is dying among the newest of hunters. There are many resources for how to kill an animal these days. Not so many teaching or promoting actual learning of woodsmanship.

I remember hearing on one of Dan's podcast he mentioned something along those lines as well. When he said that I immediately was shaking my head yes!

Agreed! Like this conversation as it is more than just being a hunter. Being a woodsman seems to mean being able to take in everything that the outdoors provide. While I still consider myself a novice, I still remember an awesome hunting experience where I had identified some fruit that was in an area where I hunt. Got to hunt around it, pick some on the way out, and enjoy being outside even though I didn't see any deer that day!


To be honest of all the older generations I have hunted with I didn't know too many I could consider great woodsmen, maybe some of them in their youth but my the time I met them they were pretty content living life like everyone else. The art has been dying for much longer than recent generations.
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Re: Woodsmanship...Is that the right word?

Unread postby Kraftd » Tue Jul 31, 2018 6:57 am

headgear wrote:
HunterBob wrote:
backstraps wrote:I agree

Woodsmanship is the "art" that I believe is dying among the newest of hunters. There are many resources for how to kill an animal these days. Not so many teaching or promoting actual learning of woodsmanship.

I remember hearing on one of Dan's podcast he mentioned something along those lines as well. When he said that I immediately was shaking my head yes!

Agreed! Like this conversation as it is more than just being a hunter. Being a woodsman seems to mean being able to take in everything that the outdoors provide. While I still consider myself a novice, I still remember an awesome hunting experience where I had identified some fruit that was in an area where I hunt. Got to hunt around it, pick some on the way out, and enjoy being outside even though I didn't see any deer that day!


To be honest of all the older generations I have hunted with I didn't know too many I could consider great woodsmen, maybe some of them in their youth but my the time I met them they were pretty content living life like everyone else. The art has been dying for much longer than recent generations.


I agree with this. I think it's worth remembering that the true woodsman was always a small portion of outdoorsman and a tiny portion of the overall population going back 150-200 years. The less we have had to rely on these skills to live, the less they have been necessary. Even now, woodsmanship is more of a novelty even for those of us who strive to learn it. Not many of us truly need it to live.
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Re: Woodsmanship...Is that the right word?

Unread postby Dewey » Tue Jul 31, 2018 7:10 am

Woodsmanship is being completely in tune with nature. I find when away from it for awhile it takes some time to get back to that again. It can take weeks to get back to a higher level of awareness. When you actually feel like you are part of nature and fit right in it’s the greatest feeling. Some never reach this level because they don’t spend nearly enough time in the wild and never rid themselves of the fast paced society we live in. I think great woodsmanship is ingrained in all of us but most just don’t allow it to happen. Pay attention to everything nature tells you and it’s truly amazing what we can do with that info.
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Re: Woodsmanship...Is that the right word?

Unread postby HunterBob » Tue Jul 31, 2018 9:24 am

Dewey wrote:Woodsmanship is being completely in tune with nature. I find when away from it for awhile it takes some time to get back to that again. It can take weeks to get back to a higher level of awareness. When you actually feel like you are part of nature and fit right in it’s the greatest feeling. Some never reach this level because they don’t spend nearly enough time in the wild and never rid themselves of the fast paced society we live in. I think great woodsmanship is ingrained in all of us but most just don’t allow it to happen. Pay attention to everything nature tells you and it’s truly amazing what we can do with that info.

Easy to agree with this and hope to aspire to that level of awareness someday. Where I am today, I can only say that I physically and mentally miss the woods when I am away from it for too long.
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Re: Woodsmanship...Is that the right word?

Unread postby brancher147 » Tue Jul 31, 2018 11:44 am

Dewey wrote:Woodsmanship is being completely in tune with nature. I find when away from it for awhile it takes some time to get back to that again. It can take weeks to get back to a higher level of awareness. When you actually feel like you are part of nature and fit right in it’s the greatest feeling. Some never reach this level because they don’t spend nearly enough time in the wild and never rid themselves of the fast paced society we live in. I think great woodsmanship is ingrained in all of us but most just don’t allow it to happen. Pay attention to everything nature tells you and it’s truly amazing what we can do with that info.


Well said.
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Re: Woodsmanship...Is that the right word?

Unread postby Bonecrusher101 » Tue Jul 31, 2018 11:56 am

I'm no mr. Botanical by any means, but Most of my hunting buddies absolutely suck at plant identification. A few can't tell the difference between an oak and an American sweet gum tree. I think knowing local plants and what native natural food sources deer prefer is very important for us public land deer hunters. Knowing white oaks from red oaks matter to the deer, shouldn't it matter to us too? Finding favorite browse like honey suckle and muscadines is also important in the weeks around the first frost.

If I had to stay out there for a few days, I'd also like to know what local flora and fauna is edible. IMO plant identification is the most overlooked aspect of woodsmanship.
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Re: Woodsmanship...Is that the right word?

Unread postby street28ss » Tue Jul 31, 2018 12:19 pm

I think it's all relative.

What would a native American believe woodsman ship is?

With the advancements in technology over hundreds of years, one could argue no one is a true woodsman anymore. I don't know if that's true but I think it's worth some thought.
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Re: Woodsmanship...Is that the right word?

Unread postby BACKSTRAPALIEN » Tue Jul 31, 2018 1:41 pm

street28ss wrote:I think it's all relative.

What would a native American believe woodsman ship is?

With the advancements in technology over hundreds of years, one could argue no one is a true woodsman anymore. I don't know if that's true but I think it's worth some thought.


First mention of the native Americans in the entire thread. I agree completely with what you say here. I'm sure the natives considered the European frontiersman to be terribly poor woodsman, while we mostly say that those 1st white hunters and trappers were the ultimate woodsman. I suppose an individual's perspective has very much to do with how they categorize things (as it always does). If anyone has ever read John Muir they will likely agree that he was an extremely competent woodsman and he wasn't a hunter at all. Anyway I would say that if you can't tell which way the truck is by looking at the sun you'd better bring yer GPS along.
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Re: Woodsmanship...Is that the right word?

Unread postby Dhurtubise » Wed Aug 01, 2018 1:59 am

Having both definitely allows you to do more things than only one skill set provides. I’m pretty competent in the woods without electronics but over the years I have been turned around a few times doing some moderately extreme travel. It’s good to know your own limitations too and realize that new or unfamiliar terrain and/or foliage can really confuse a usually good sense of direction.

Personally I appreciate not having to rely solely on woodsmanship skills after tracking a buck 5-8 miles, when it’s dark and the vehicle can be up to 3 miles away with some steep terrain and thick brush between. It’s not like I don’t think I would get myself out of that situation without a gps if I had to- But I know there would be a greater chance for injury or potentially getting turned around. And there is no way I would be able to be as efficient and pick the quickest and safest routes back without modern mapping technologies.

I guess if I had to rely solely on woodsmanship I would cut that hunt at least an hour short to make sure I get back. So the electronics afford me advantages that are not really accessible without them.

That being said I fully support the lifelong development of woodsmanship skills. I just think the argument of one over the other is a little bit pointless in today’s landscape. These are not exclusive skills - they complement one another- and both can fail you.
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Re: Woodsmanship...Is that the right word?

Unread postby headgear » Wed Aug 01, 2018 4:05 am

BACKSTRAPALIEN wrote:First mention of the native Americans in the entire thread. I agree completely with what you say here. I'm sure the natives considered the European frontiersman to be terribly poor woodsman, while we mostly say that those 1st white hunters and trappers were the ultimate woodsman. I suppose an individual's perspective has very much to do with how they categorize things (as it always does). If anyone has ever read John Muir they will likely agree that he was an extremely competent woodsman and he wasn't a hunter at all. Anyway I would say that if you can't tell which way the truck is by looking at the sun you'd better bring yer GPS along.



The natives were one with nature, their knowledge would put us all to shame.
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Re: Woodsmanship...Is that the right word?

Unread postby headgear » Wed Aug 01, 2018 4:19 am

Dewey wrote:Woodsmanship is being completely in tune with nature.


This is another reason I buy into the moon stuff, these animals are so in tune with nature that they are just on a whole different level that we can't possibly understand.
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Re: Woodsmanship...Is that the right word?

Unread postby elk yinzer » Wed Aug 01, 2018 4:24 am

I think woodsmanship is a vastly broad concept to the point of being almost impossible to define. Woodsmanship is a lifelong connection to the natural world, and within that there are countless disciplines, all requiring different skills, knowledge, confidence, patience, inquisitiveness, etc. Some of the things you can learn, some you just gain by experience and hard knocks. For some reason navigation and survival get brought up a lot in association with the word, and while certainly important, are but small aspects of the total package. Navigation is one where I rely a lot on technology to be more effective and efficient, and survival is basically a moot point as there are like a small handful of places in my state where you can get more than a mile from a road.

To a large degree I think woodsmanship in this context has come to be defined as some antithesis to the food plot hunting culture, and I'm not sure I wholly agree with that. To manipulate the land, to invest the time to do that successfully, that cultivation takes different skills than I care to learn certainly, but skills nonetheless. Maybe it's just more akin to farming and cultivation, than a mastery of the natural world. But I think they are at least connected.

As with any discipline in life, I would look at anyone who claims to be a great woodsman with a lot of skepticism. The great ones know they can never know it all. It seems to be that desire to constantly learn that drives woodsman.

I think inquisitiveness, curiosity really is a defining trait though. I am not an expert by any means but I kinda delve into the foraging world, and there are a couple dozen mushrooms, berries and plants that I selectively or opportunistically go after. It amazes me, even taking a walk through a very busy, semi-manicured city park, I'll find some highly sought after specimens just by keeping my eyes open and looking around. Like how many people just walk by in their haze, or tunnel vision, or just general ignorance? It's amazing what is out there if you just slow down and look around, and approach life with a little curiosity.
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Re: Woodsmanship...Is that the right word?

Unread postby Killtree » Wed Aug 01, 2018 4:53 am

Woodsmanship to me is understanding how a lot of things tie together. Knowing the trees helps lead a person to where animals are feeding, and where ginseng or mushrooms grow best.
Many times I have found where deer were hitting white oaks because the hounds treed a coon there.
Pay attention to everything all the time.

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Re: Woodsmanship...Is that the right word?

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Wed Aug 01, 2018 5:13 am

Guess my view of what woodsmanship is, is if u flipped a boat in a icy stream in the middle of nowhere and lost all the go go gadgets could u survive. Can u warm yourself up? Get food to eat? Know what is poisonous and what will keep u alive? Keep from panicking? Find your way out?

I know these sound like more survival skills than anything but it's just my opinion of what woodsmanship is. Being able to cut it in the woods without Jack.
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