Lately I've been thinking about possibly digitizing my hunting journal because my hunting journal notebook is getting filled up. Plus it's time consuming rewriting out the pages when preparing for a hunt on a new reserve. The simplest way I've resolved to digitize the process of keeping this journal is to use the 'notepad' app on my PC. I can have separate tabs for each reserve, using the template below, and update the sheets from hunt-to-hunt. The app automatically saves whatever changes made.
*This post was originally started in the 'general' forum discussion. I've started a proper thread here in the 'fan guides' section because I now realized that's where this post belongs.
Link to original thread: https://forum.thehunter.com/viewtopic.php?t=97760
* Here's an example of how I organize my hunting journal notebook:
1) The beginning of the book lists all the weapons I own by category. I rate each weapon according to the performance charts listed on the wiki. There's a column that shows the 'zero settings' iron/scope next to each weapon. A check mark goes next to each weapon if I have harvested at least one animal with it.
2) Next I list the 'animal taxidermy worthy scores' for all the animals. I can always find this out in my journal offline.
Ideally, there would be a simple diagram of 'shot placement for the heart/lungs', but I have not included this detail. One idea is to abbreviate the shot placement of the heart without having to draw a picture. One way to do this is to represent the location of the heart by giving the animal a number 1-4: 1=armpit, 2=rear shoulder, 3=center shoulder, 4=front shoulder.
3) Finally, every time I prepare a hunt on a given reserve, I fill two pages of my journal in the following way (See Exp. Template below). This is the part of the journal process that requires updating and preparation time. I've tried to make this process as simple as possible by using abbreviations I understand. The animals on a given reserve are listed with:taxidermy worthy score, permitted ammo, abbreviated mission descriptions in progress, and abbreviated competition descriptions in progress. For permitted ammo, I list only the permitted ammo that I prefer to use for that animal, or ammo that is shared with other animals on the list. This is kind of like listing my 'load-out' on a given reserve. It's not that I list a full permitted ammo list. You can? I like to simplify this stuff as much as possible because I don't want to make it a big chore for myself to keep such a journal.
*Exp. (Hunting Journal Template)
Hemmeldal
*Moose (200) (*Permitted Ammo)
-Mission-a (Mission Description) ($1200)
-Mission-b (Mission Description) ($800)
-Mission-c (Mission Description) ($600)
*Comp-a (Comp Description)
*Comp-b (Comp Description)
*Comp-c (Comp Description)
*Brown Bear (28) (*Permitted Ammo)
-Mission-a (Mission Description) ($1200)
-Mission-b (Mission Description) ($800)
-Mission-c (Mission Description) ($600)
*Comp-a (Comp Description)
*Comp-b (Comp Description)
*Comp-c (Comp Description)
*Reindeer (600) (*Permitted Ammo)
-Mission-a (Mission Description) ($1200)
-Mission-b (Mission Description) ($800)
-Mission-c (Mission Description) ($600)
*Comp-a (Comp Description)
*Comp-b (Comp Description)
*Comp-c (Comp Description)
*Roe Deer (200) (*Permitted Ammo)
-Mission-a (Mission Description) ($1200)
-Mission-b (Mission Description) ($800)
-Mission-c (Mission Description) ($600)
*Comp-a (Comp Description)
*Comp-b (Comp Description)
*Comp-c (Comp Description)
*Red Fox (30) (*Permitted Ammo)
-Mission-a (Mission Description) ($1200)
-Mission-b (Mission Description) ($800)
-Mission-c (Mission Description) ($600)
*Comp-a (Comp Description)
*Comp-b (Comp Description)
*Comp-c (Comp Description)
*Eurasian Lynx (10) (*Permitted Ammo)
-Mission-a (Mission Description) ($1200)
-Mission-b (Mission Description) ($800)
-Mission-c (Mission Description) ($600)
*Comp-a (Comp Description)
*Comp-b (Comp Description)
*Comp-c (Comp Description)
*Wood Grouse (6500) (*Permitted Ammo)
-Mission-a (Mission Description) ($1200)
-Mission-b (Mission Description) ($800)
-Mission-c (Mission Description) ($600)
*Comp-a (Comp Description)
*Comp-b (Comp Description)
*Comp-c (Comp Description)
*Willow Ptarmigan (760) (*Permitted Ammo)
-Mission-a (Mission Description) ($1200)
-Mission-b (Mission Description) ($800)
-Mission-c (Mission Description) ($600)
*Comp-a (Comp Description)
*Comp-b (Comp Description)
*Comp-c (Comp Description)
*********
* Other Comps (e.g. Community League, etc.)
(Comp Description)
* Travel Mission (name) (in the same hunt?) ($1200)
(Mission Description)
*Daily Mission ($100)
(Mission Description)
**********
*Note: Mission/Comp Descriptions I abbreviate. Something like this:
Exp. mission:
Silent Justice
Description
Harvest a Roe Deer buck weighing at least 30 kg (approx. 66 lbs.) using a Compound Bow.
Harvest a Roe Deer buck weighing at least 30 kg (approx. 66 lbs.) using a Compound Bow in the same hunt.
Rewards
1200 gm$
Abbreviated version exp.
- (2) (m) (30kg+) (same hunt) (Compound Bow)($1200)
*Example of Hunting Journal as text file:
Here's an example of how I'm trying out a digital form of my hunting journal using 'notepad app'. I find it a bit awkward as I'm more comfortable using pen & paper. The advantage is that it saves a bit more time as there's less writing to do, aside from updating txt. files with new missions/comps.
