Helluva Thing!

[Big Skyz]

The thread with the coyote stuck in the bumper inspired this post. All of my life, I mean since my first memories, I've been a hunter. Even as a toddler I would sneak up on crabs and kill them with my toy plastic rake, while living in Bermuda. I also killed some huge poisonous toads they have living on the island. I'm sure that probably stressed my mom out when she would find out what I'd been up to. Anyway, when I moved back to the states (Arizona) just before my 5th birthday I switched to pursuing scorpions, small birds, and snakes. As I grew into my pre-teens I still hunted tweety birds but also upgraded to doves, black birds, and rabbits. Then in my teens I started hunting upland birds and big game. From then on I never looked back. Hunting is what consumed nearly 90% of my thoughts. (Women and money took up the other 10%) Hunting got me up in the morning. It gave me a reason to look forward to life. My world literally revolved around it. I thought perhaps with marriage and having children that the obsession would wane, but to my surprise it just grew stronger. It nearly cost me my marriage on more than one occasion, and I'm sure I missed some opportunities to be a better father because I was gone hunting. Hunting just never got old. It was always exciting and I couldn't get enough of it. It has taken me all over the world from Alaska to Africa, from Canada to Mexico, and a whole bunch of states in-between. My house is filled with taxidermy to the point I really don't have much room for anything else. My garage is full of antlers, horns, and animal skulls. I have a man-cave in my house just to store all my hunting gear. I've written about hunting and been paid for it. I've photographed and video taped hunting professionally as well. I'm on a couple different hunting related pro-staffs. Nearly all my closest friendships have been built around hunting related activities. People that did not ever hunt, or were against it, were of no interest to me. I've spent a small fortune on travel, guns, ammo, and licenses. All this to say I've been beyond a hard-core obsessed hunter my entire life. Nothing has kept me as driven to succeed as hunting has.

With all that said, nearly a year ago, last October I woke up one morning and had zero desire to hunt. It didn't happen gradually as I thought it would. It literally happened over night. I had gone to bed the night before with plans to hunt coyotes in the morning. I woke up and didn't want to go. I have no explanation or specific reason for why it happened. I have yet to come to terms with it. In fact, I have suffered some pretty extreme depression over it, and often still do. I never, ever, thought I wouldn't have a burning desire to hunt. The biggest problem I have now is trying to find something to be as passionate about. So far nothing has come close, and frankly, it sucks. However, I will say I appreciate BBP and Thump sharing their similar thoughts on hunting. At least I know I'm not the only one that just no longer has a the need to scratch that itch, as Barry put it. This not knowing what to do with myself, when I normally would be hunting, is a HELLUVA THING! I hope the rest of y'all make a better transition than I have.

[BarryBobPosthole]

One of my best friends, Mallard Fillmore-the Water Czar of Poteau, Oklahoma, is a person that's been through more 'phases' than any person I know of. when we were youngsters and traipsing around the woods on his parent's farm or mine hunting deer he never really got the bug. When we turned 17 and our mobility changed, we both got into duck hunting like nothing ever before. I had an old Savage automatic that weighed about 20 pounds and he had an old Mossberg pump and we killed ducks every day of the season. We were roommates our freshman year of college and lived in an old beat up trailer house in a little town called Shady Point. Many were the days we went to early classes with our britches legs frozen up to the knees from duck hunting before class. (we didn't own much in the way of waders and such in those days). then he got into his bass fishing phase and he went nuts and even opened up his own tackle shop in a little portable building that still stis in his side yard, The Jig Box. A few years of tournament fishing later he got into his 'crappie phase' and poured his own jigs and sat elbow to elbow with the old folks down below the dam at the lake and fished all dang year long for crappies. When the Central Flyway came back to life in the early 90's I was in the process of a divorce and the timing was perfect and the two of us re-entered our duck hunting phase and hunted them hard for about seven or eight years before we lost our lease we hunted on. Now he's into a 'fly fishing phase' and has more fly fishing shit that Carter has little liver pills. He won't pick up a spinning outfit now. Thinks they're for 'amateurs'. Knows every midge and fly and whose-it that hatches in the water and studies the mud like an old coon looking mussels.

Its all about the phases. Looks to me like you found your latest. Just look at your profile pic!

BKB

[Big Skyz]

I get that BKB. I've been through a few phases over my life, but it was always from one phase to another. Like from hunting small game to hunting deer. From deer to bears, and from bears to coyotes. There was even an upland bird and waterfowl phase in there somewhere. Heck, I've even has phases in my artwork and I'm constantly changing and experimenting with different medias and subjects. Anyway, the point is I've always transitioned from one phase to another pretty seamlessly. This time I was caught so off guard I feel like I've just been tossed off a cliff, with zero certainty of how the landing will turn out.

[BarryBobPosthole]

Your poor beetles are gonna starve to death!

BKB

[Big Skyz]

Nah, not here in Montana. I still have plenty of friends whacking and stacking critters. Worse comes to worst I will go call in a few coyotes. I've been stacking up raccoons for the specific purpose of feeding the beetles, but my heart is really not in the hunt or the killing. Just has to be done. Kind'a like killing chickens or cattle, kill them to serve a specific purpose.

[quercus alba]

I suggest you fill that void with cooking/eating and sex. In a few years the cooking/eating will take the place of sex so you'll have a niche already waiting for you.

[Thumper]

Ol' Mallard sounds a lot like me in some ways. When I get interested in something, I tend to go overboard and HAVE to have every gizmo known to man that's related to my present interest. I got into slot cars as a kid and ended up building and modifying my vast collection of cars. I got into photography at one point and had 5-6 different cameras, a slew of lens', bought film in bulk rolls and developed my own prints. I got into CB radios in the 70's and had the latest whiz-bang Cobra in my car with a bazillion watt linear, as well as TWO base stations in my house with a huge beam antenna in the back yard. When I was obsessed with fishing, I had probably 20 rigs and enough tackle to start my own tackle shop. When I got into guns/hunting, I eventually owned 30+ guns (although I only used 3 or 4 of them) and thousands of rounds of ammo. (In fact, I recently sold 1800 rounds of ammo ... which was JUST my .45 ammo!) Heck, I couldn't come close to naming all the "phases" I've gone through.

Heck, I grew up around hot cars and racing. When I was a "gear head" ... it was cars ... FAST cars. I could build one from the ground up and DARE anyone to beat me on the street! Nowadays, a car is simply transportation. I drive a frigging mid-sized Toyota pick-up and am happy as I could be with it. Don't get me wrong ... just the sound of a VERY HEALTHY V-8 still gets my blood pumping and makes the hairs on my arms stand up, but I'm just not into that game anymore.

Right now I'm having a blast going to estate sales and selling stuff on eBay. It's one of the VERY few hobbies I've ever had where I MAKE money instead of SPEND every spare penny I can dig up!

One passion I've always had and have never tired of is traveling. It sucks that I can't do the International traveling right now, but as soon as I get healed up ... I'll do whatever I have to do to get back into it. In the meantime, I still try to hit the road for short trips as often as possible.

[Buckrub]

Can I please shoot the monster Muley you woulda shot??

[Big Skyz]

Go for it Buckrub.

[Thumper]

Big Sky;

It nearly cost me my marriage on more than one occasion ...

Ha! That just reminded me of something B/S. Back when I worked for "the man", I had to deal with the old 2-weeks vacation thing. I found that if I took a week off for deer season in Ohio and combined my vacation time with a couple sick days as well as the day off for Thanksgiving, I could get by with still having a week of vacation time left over. Then, if I combined the left-over vacation time, used up my remaining sick days as well as a couple days off for "personal time", I could squeeze in my annual bear hunting/walleye fishing trip to Canada! That pretty much ate up any time off I had other than weekends and a few holidays.

One year Lynn decided she'd had enough of our always taking separate vacations and she planned a trip to Hawaii for "us" ... and she added, I'd have to forego my deer hunting trip that year. Ummm, yeah, I'm an asshole ... besides, there's a REASON I've never wanted to get married. She went to Hawaii alone and I went deer hunting. When I got home, she had returned, got herself an apartment and moved out!

It didn't last long and being the irresistible, handsome fellow that I am, she gave up the apartment and moved back in with me. That was the same year I quit my job, sold the house, moved to Florida and started my own business. That way, I could take off anytime and for as long as I wanted. I went deer hunting and bear hunting every year, squeezed in a few fishing trips from time to time ... even Canadian trips to fish with ol' TW, PLUS I was able to go on vacations with Lynn. Being self-employed was a win-win situation for me!

[HideHunter]

My dad lost "it" when he was about 40. I still got it ---- bad.

[Thumper]

I guess ol' JB is busy taking naps today. I think he went through the same thing even though he lives in monster whitetail country. 'Bout the only thing he shoots these days is clay birds! I'll bet they taste like crap though.

[Captain]

Well I still got it Bad, and love to hunt ANYTHING. Especially Turkeys. However the need to kill a deer, hog etc is nowhere as important as it once was. My deal now is more and more getting my "stuff" ready to hunt. I assure you I spend many more hours getting areas ready than I do hunting in them. Building and maintaining my stands just thus and so. I like to plant food plots, rotate crops, keep corn feeders going. I go through MANY thousands pounds of corn a year, and not just before and durning the season. I keep the feeders running for several months after the season just to help all wildlife through the winter. I enjoy doing controlled burns on the farm to enhance habitat. We are beginning to see and hear quail coming back in our area at the farm and I'm sure the controlled burns and switch grasses etc I've planted has helped a lot. I even spend a few days in the spring fertilizing honeysuckles and muscadines. Sky you need to come out here in late spring and let's set some hooks for snapping turtles and go froggiging and do some different things than you normally do. Take you out for some largemouth bass, or throw you in some gator infested water and catch a few rattleheadedcoppermoccaisns.....

[BarryBobPosthole]

Larke, I would have never guessed that you enjoyed any of that stuff.

BKB

[Big Muddy]

I just got around to reading Sky's post....I was fixing to respond to it, when I scrolled down, and read Cap's reply.

Cap, no doubt we gotta be blood-kin, bro....I woulda posted almost the exact same sentiments about myself, and my current way of thinking about hunting and fishing.

Sky, you need some grandkids to occupy your time....you can pass on and teach them all of your hunting and fishing knowledge....LOTS more fun than hunting or fishing for yourself.

[BarryBobPosthole]

I just got around to reading Sky's post....I was fixing to respond to it, when I scrolled down, and read Cap's reply.

Cap, no doubt we gotta be blood-kin, bro....I woulda posted almost the exact same sentiments about myself, and my current way of thinking about hunting and fishing.

Sky, you need some grandkids to occupy your time....you can pass on and teach them all of your hunting and fishing knowledge....LOTS more fun than hunting or fishing for yourself.

That is exactly my plan for the rest of my years outdoors. My grandson is almost four and another one on the way. We've already started on the fishing side.
My Uncle Huck took me fishing when I was three and I rememberit to this day. I'm not sure my grandson's first fishing memory with me was as memorable for him, but we're gonna learn some fishing over the next several years!

BKB

[Big Skyz]

Big muddy, you're prolly right. None on the immediate horizon though.

[Big Muddy]

Big muddy, you're prolly right. None on the immediate horizon though.

You ever thought about being a "hunting/fishing mentor" for some under-privileged kids???....4-H has a mentoring program like that....or, maybe a boy scoutmaster???....or maybe, just round up some of your kid's friends, and go hiking, camping, fishing, etc.???

You're the kinda guy that if you just look around a bit, you can find SOME way to share and pass on your hunting/fishing/outdoor skills and prowess.

[Buckrub]

That's a boffo idea, T my man. Look into that.

Some of us don't have grandkids close. Man it hurts. My youngest turned 6 yesterday........and like all that they do, I missed it.

I thought a lot about this post last night. Not that it matters, but.........

First, I also enjoy the 'getting ready'. I fuss internally about having to spend 8 days bush hogging and then 7 more planting, but while there I enjoy it...other than the heat this time of year. I enjoy putting up new stands in new areas, and getting them ready. I like to think about what to bring, and what all is needed. Odd, but the Preparation is fun, too.

Second, I have always been unable to answer very well "Why" I hunt. I stole a line from my late Father in Law, who introduced me to deer hunting and deer camp. He had to have some kind of surgery one year, and the doctor told him he couldn't put it off. He said "Well, I'll do it after the first of the year". The doc was adamant and said he HAD to have it. My FIL said "OK, fine, but it's after the first of the year". Doc asked why? He said he wasn't going to miss deer season (only two one-week periods back then). Doc asked him why that was so important, asked "Why do you hunt"................and he said "Because I have to....".

So, I don't know of a better reason than that. That reason hasn't diminished or gone away yet, in me. I see it gone in many older folks. Hunting takes energy, and energy wanes at this age. I don't know how much of it I will be able to do, or for how long, but I can't imagine waking up and saying "I'm Done". I do understand that others do. And it saddens me to think that the sport could die out at some point. My son loves it. His son will love it. One of my grandsons doesn't care for it and never will. The oldest likes it but doesn't do it, no patience. So, with that.....and the loss of older guys.......I see a trend where it's dying out, and that saddens me.

But for me, I gots to hunt.