A used to be

[quercus alba]

mighty hunter. There once was a time when I would walk any distance to shoot anything in any weather. It never got too hot or too cold. There was never a deer I couldn’t drag out.

I said all that to say this, I’m sitting in my stand, it’s 45 degrees, fair and still begrudging every minute of it, hoping nothing walks by.

I’m seriously considering hanging it up.


Captain would be ashamed of me

[DeputyDog]

I can understand how you feel. I was heading in the same direction. I used to hunt just about every species you could in Indiana but other than a single duck hunt about three years ago, I only seem to find my way out for deer season.

The desire is starting to come back now that my son is getting old enough to tag along and he’s excited about going.

I know that I lost a lot of my desire after my Dad died. He was always my hunting partner and it was tough to carry on alone. He’s been gone 20 years and I do t think I’ve been squirrel hunting since the last time I went with him.


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[Thumper]

Been there, done that. I started losing the drive and then health problems finished me off and I bailed. I still miss it at times, then I think of all the times I woke up at god-awful hours, started piling on clothes, dragging gear through the woods to sit in a tree freezing my nads off while hoping I wouldn't have to climb down and gut what I shot, then drag it out of the woods ... USUALLY uphill. I'll admit, it was super exciting and something I totally looked forward to in my younger years, but as I got older, it became a chore that just didn't conjure up the excitement level I'd remembered.

[BarryBobPosthole]

Its funny but I also lost my love of hunting, probably about the time I hit mid-50’s. I know it’ll ranklesome nerves but I wish we had catch and release hunting! Measure a big buck and let it go. But of course that ain’t practical. Maybe I should amend this to say I still love the hunting part, I’ve just fallen out of love with doing all the stuff you have to do. I watched Captain work his butt off for those government goats. And he was prolly the best at it I’ve ever seen up closeand personal.
I still get my outdoor yayas by fishing, which I consider a much more christian activity. All the peace and quiet, and as a bonus you can talk. I draw the line at listening to the ball game or music most of the time (unless we’re trolling, which is more like beer drinking anyway than fishing).
Make up your mind and do one or the other.
Plus fishing reinforces parts of my character that need more work.

So I fish.

BKB

[DeputyDog]

All the peace and quiet, and as a bonus you can talk.
BKB

That is why duck and goose hunting were my favorite. It was challenging and you had the social time between flights coming in.


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[jb]

All of you are talking my language , I guess age is the culprit.
If it were not for my two sons who love hunting with their Dad, I'd be done also.

[DeputyDog]

Jerry, are any of the grandkids getting old enough or have any interest to start hunting with you


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[Thumper]

I took my son hunting for the first time when he was 12. The little jackass shot a small buck about 5 minutes after sun-up and his hunt was over (1-deer limit, Ohio). He then told me this hunting thing is too easy and never showed the slightest interest in doing it again. Frankly, the quick kill wasn't the problem, he just didn't like killing stuff. Maybe it's because he was born in Hollywood, CA. :huh

He does like guns and enjoys punching holes in targets, but has never hunted (anything) since that first deer hunt in 1995.

[LJ3]

I still like hunting. It's the killing part I have little use for these days.

Barry, I don't think fishing can correct your character flaws. We should still keep trying, though!

[Chicken Dinner]

I’ve gone an entire season in the last few years and not killed anything. Saw a bunch of critters I could have killed and considered it a very successful season. Just didn’t feel like pulling the trigger at that particular moment. This year, I’ve already killed two.

I still dearly love my time spent in the woods and at my hunt camp.


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[BarryBobPosthole]

I still like hunting. It's the killing part I have little use for these days.

Barry, I don't think fishing can correct your character flaws. We should still keep trying, though!

I was intentionally ambiguous about whether fishing reinforced my flaws or the corrections to said flaws.

BKB

[Thumper]

I think fishing is simply a good chance to "hone" your flaws. Example ... think of all the practice you got lying about your fish being bigger than Cappy's. ;)

[DeputyDog]

I think fishing is simply a good chance to "hone" your flaws. Example ... think of all the practice you got lying about your fish being bigger than Cappy's. ;)

[emoji23][emoji23]


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[Big Skyz]

I've hunted from Alaska to Africa, all over Canada and the US. It is what made my world go'round for 40 years. I only fished to take up the time between hunting seasons. Then I got into predator hunting and then there was no between hunting seasons, it was year round. I've packed mule deer, whitetail, black bear, antelope, elk out on my back. Often those packs were out of Hell holes in the Rocky Mountains. I've slept under the stars and in very nice canvas tents, and about everything in-between. My point is not to brag just to establish I took hunting super seriously. From my first rabbit until I was about 45 years old I never thought I'd stop hunting. Then as I approached my latter 40's I thought that perhaps I would gradually drift away from hunting and gravitate towards something else. Man, I was I ever wrong. I'd been out deer hunting and it was slow so I decided to try and call in a coyote. I was successful and killed a large male coyote. I was in a great mood when I got home and went to bed and planned where I was going to deer hunt the next day as I drifted off to sleep. I woke up early to go in the morning and had absolutely zero desire to hunt. Weirdest thing I've ever experienced in regards to a behavior change. I thought the desire would come back if I just gave it time. Long story short, it never did. I went through some very bad and serious depression for the next year. All my friendships and activities were basically centered around hunting. I didn't have anything to fill the hole not hunting left in my life. I didn't even really enjoy hearing about all my friends hunts. Eventually I found that I enjoy fishing for trophy sized trout and new fish species that I've never caught before, just about as much as I did hunting. I also got to where I enjoyed hearing about my friends hunts and seeing the pictures again. However other than the occasional coyote or small game/birds I don't hunt anymore. I don't foresee me killing another deer or any big game for that matter. The desire to hunt went away over night. I have no explanation or reason, it was just gone. I'm glad I got into fishing and pulled myself out of that depression, otherwise I might not be typing this right now. All this to say there is nothing wrong with moving on and away from hunting. I had a great run, but now prefer to fish and spend time with my family more.

[Thumper]

TBH, hunting actually caused me to miss a lot through the years. All the years I "worked for the man", every minute of any vacation time I had were taken up by hunting. Fall deer season and Spring turkey in Ohio including annual bear hunting/walleye fishing trips to Canada. For many years, Lynn and I took separate vacations because I had no vacation time to accompany her on "her" vacations. That improved a bit when I started my own company, but I had many contractural obligations that prevented me from going with her. Once I got the business to the point I could pretty much set my own hours, I got involved with gator hunting and my schedule became work Tuesday - Thursday, then head up to the panhandle to hunt gators Friday - Monday. (travel home on Monday)

Not hunting has opened up a whole new world of travel opportunities and once I retired, the possibilities are only limited by budget.

[Bwana]

It must be an age thing.

It used to be that the nights before a hunt, any hunt, I could hardly sleep. I went to bed but laid there thinking about the next day. Did I have everything ready? Where would I sit? etc. didn't matter what the season was I did it. My fall started with deer bow season at the end of August, then came the grouse opener, followed by waterfowl season, and then pheasant opener in early October, our annual turkey safari about Halloween time, and the deer gun opener the first part of November plus coyote calling can be done all year. Every now and then I would draw an antelope tag or a few times there were out of state elk hunts. Didn't matter what it was, I was ready, willing and able and hunted something most every weekend, and a number of days in between, from late August until mid-January.

When the kids came along I learned that if I spent more time hunting pheasants instead of waterfowl, I could catch a few more hours of sleep as I didn't have to get up in the middle of the night to set up decoys prior to the morning flight. As work responsibilities increased sleep became a more precious commodity as the wear and tear coupled with the stress seems to take the wind out of my sails. Don't even get me started on where things are right now. I still NEED my time away out in the good Lord's wilderness to shed the worries and anxiety of day-to-day work, it's just that some days I realize that I don't need to be there prior to the sun showing its face even though sunrise and sunset are magical times to be out and about.

So though I may not have the all consuming drive that I used to, I still cherish, and need, my time out and about pitting my skills against the creatures I admire and enjoy the taste of. There is just something about the challenge of stepping into their world that continues to push me, even if on a more focused basis.

That being said, heading out this weekend to see if we can find a doe willing to let me wife shoot it and I will have my bow along just in case a deer wanders within handshaking distance.

[Big Muddy]

Ya'll are a buncha lazy-azz old turds !!!!!.....I still love it ALL !!!!!.....ya'll better get busy living, or ya'll are gonna just wither and die !!!!!

[Thumper]

Ya'll are a buncha lazy-azz old turds !!!!!.....I still love it ALL !!!!!.....ya'll better get busy living, or ya'll are gonna just wither and die !!!!!

I'll have to admit physical limitations ended quite a bit of my hunting excitement, but I still miss the days of being in the woods and the camaraderie of my long-time hunting partner. He passed away a few years back and that took whatever wind I had left out of my sails. But, I ain't lazy, I'm plenty busy, I just have the time now to do what I didn't have the time to do when hunting took up every spare minute of my life. I have fond memories which will never go away and they suffice.

[Big Skyz]

Kribbs, I know what you mean about missing a lot. I actually look back, not with total regret, but a fair amount of regret on the time I missed out on things that were really more important, and the money I spent on hunting that I should have spent elsewhere. However at the time is seemed like a good idea. Can't know what you don't know.

Big Muddy, I'm pretty sure if you followed me around for a day of fishing you'd be asking for a breather or two. I didn't get lazy, just channeled my energy into fishing instead.

[Big Muddy]

Ha, Sky, NEVER underestimate us southern boys.....we can hang with the best.....and, we don't "follow around", we lead !!! ;)

Josie and I are headed to the woods, now, for a little squirrel inventory.....then, a little crappie rendezvous, this afternoon. ;)

[Thumper]

Well, there seems to be a common theme among many of us old farts. It seems priorities change a bit with age. I'm doing many of the things now, that maybe I should have done when I was hunting. Like you B/S, I probably spent a ton of money that could have been put to better use elsewhere, but I really have no regrets. Again, like you, I've channeled what energy I have left into some of the things I missed out on when hunting took up ALL of my spare time. Life's priorities change in time ... for some people.

[Thumper]

Ha, Sky, NEVER underestimate us southern boys.....we can hang with the best.....and, we don't "follow around", we lead !!! ;)

Ha ha ha! I've met B/S. Even if he's only running on 6-cylinders these days, sumpin' tells me he'd still spank yo' Southern butt and be leaving you in the dust! :poke

[quercus alba]

I took a biscuit and coffee inventory this morning. I might actually work up enough verge to check the mail later.

then again, maybe not

[Penguin]

I'm not sure the fire still burns as brightly, but it is still there for me.

I must admit that it is a much different situation than I've had before though. Since buying the farm I have a lot of options available than ever before. Like having a prime stand 150 yards from the door, tucked just under the biggest red oak on Patterson Mountain. And a mere 10 yards into the woods. It makes it more of a past-time and less of an adventure. Maybe when I finally buy the 4WD tractor I will hunt some of the harder to access areas.

Will I still hunt in 20 years. Most likely. It's more than just hunting, it's a tie to all of the older guys living and gone who hunted with me when I was a kid.

Will

[BarryBobPosthole]

Its goodto hear others have had the same guilty feelings for the time and money spent on obsessions. I’ve spent a fortune on duck hunting, deer hunting, and fishing. The meat on the table probably comes out to a few thousand dollars per pound, especially if you factor in time.

I can’t say I never spent the rent money on bullets or a pair of hip waders, but we made it. I’m lucky to have met Julie. She supports my obsessions. The first one, not so much!

BKB

[Thumper]

I’m lucky to have met Julie. She supports my obsessions. The first one, not so much! BKB

Ha ha ha! That last sentence can be read two different ways!

1) Your first obsession might be BJ's.

Or 2) Were you referring to your first wife? :laughing