I skipped right to the method stage.. I was hooked on calling, dog training, etc before i ever had a limit.. I would rather other people shoot and me call and work the dog than anything else.

I don't have the most experience in the world but I actually derive more pleasure from helping newer hunters than me experience hunting. I like to hunt with new hunters and when on a couple of the group hunts we've been on I've volunteered to go with the guy taking his kid or taken a friend who has never duck hunted before.

My dad taught me a lot and I hunted (deer) a lot when I was a kid so now there is a part of me that wants to experience that. My oldest daughter does not want to hunt much and my younger ones are just getting old enough to take them. I'm blessed in that my wife is also pregnant again and it could be a boy (don't know & waiting to find out on the big day).

So call me an old sentimental softie that likes to see people enjoy hunting.

I agree with Cappy. Watching a good dog at work is worth more to me than all my bands and mounts.

I think everyone no matter how long you have been doing it will got through multiple stages a year....some that are new might stay in the first few. But for me dove hunting the first few days of the opener really satisfies my shooting and limiting out.

When it comes to duck hunting I'm more and more in the sportsman stage. I'm just not as mad at the birds...I want to go hunting but at this point limiting out and all that are not as big of a concern...I like the total experience. Goose hunting I'm more in the Method stage. I have had a bird mounted in like 4 years but I'm sure I'll find that "trophy" bird sooner or later...I'm not really looking for it though.

I'd employ any stage at this point!!!!!!!!

I like the kill the [censored] out of ducks

What if you do not limit out in dove? It does irritate me when I hunt with someone that is obsessed with limiting. I’m more like chill out and enjoy the coffee.

In is an interesting concept, and I think a good model for understanding hunter behavior, a good read for all hunters, I'm sure very few fall into one single stage. I for sure started out in the shooter stage, then I went thru the limiting out stage per the model, but from there I would say I went into aspects of all the other stages depending on the hunting situation. But with each passing year, more of my hunting situations fall into the “sportsman” stage.

I'm the kind that shows up

Thats the best kind, had a "buddy" of mine not show up one time. One of the probably 5 times I absolutely had to have a co-captain. He still calls me to this day wanting to go hunting.