Balancing Act

[bones09]

Generally i'm a pretty silent member on this(any) forum but this place has the best(level headed) group of any forum I've been on... So, I've got a few comments/questions for the family men/hunters on this site about the balancing act between hunting and life.. I consider myself to be a pretty good(lucky) deer hunter by most peoples standards. I killed my first pope and young buck as a senior in high school in the fall of '99, and have killed 11 bucks since. I have other hobbies in my life, they just don't exist in the fall. I'm use to spending countless hours chasing my dream in the deer woods. The times are changing in my world tho, with a 4yo son at home and another on the way, the loss of my favorite hunting spot this off season and the gaining of a management role at work.. The time i use to have scouting/hunting has diminished as well as the property i have to do them on. Has anyone else taken a step back to "curb your enthusiasm" before?? Not that i'm gonna shoot the first fork horn that walks by but it just may not be realistic to hold out for a 4yo or older buck anymore knowing the time/effort it has taken me to pull it off in the past.. I'm curious the measures others go thru to get a hunt in, i'm sure there's a few guys that have or have had bigger families and work restraints than me?? How do/did you pull it off? How do you guys go about re-evaluating your goals each season? Should my goals even change with these changing times?

[dan]

I actually like to drift around and hit new properties... It challenges me. I don't have to kill monster bucks, just a good Representative of the property I am hunting. When I was younger, and my kids were younger, I hunted every day hard core... Killed a lot of bucks over the years, but as I get older I appreciate other things in life more.

Bottom line is just go out and have fun. If you want to shoot a buck, go ahead, if you don't, well hey, thats cool too... You have a great wall of bucks. You have nothing to prove to anybody. Just follow the path in front of you, and let it lead you where ever it may. Keep it fun.

[Crazinamatese]

Make the most of the time you have to get out in the woods. As Dan said, have fun with it. Your expectations of the type of deer you wanna shoot is really up to you. Personally, I hunt about 12 hours a week during bow season. On public property. Thats the time I have available. I kill whatever I feel really happy with. I do pass alot of small bucks early in the season, but I never hesitate to kill a doe ever. Im happy with that. In your situation, play it by ear and be real with yourself and enjoy the time you have out there.

[JoeRE]

Sounds like you and I have similar situations. I have a young son and another on the way too. I am lucky to have a very flexible job but last year I really limited my hunting as a result of family responsibilities and will probably be getting out less and less for the next few years. I know results in terms of deer down will be less too. I am going to miss being out there a whole lot but at the end of the day family is way more important. A couple of times last year I was out there sitting in the woods and not enjoying it because I knew I probably should be back home - thats not the way to do things. So yea, basically what I have been doing is just that, talking myself down so I just will be happy to get out a couple of times this fall. For me thats how I look at it - its all in my head. I can't wait to start taking my kids out there in a few years.

One other compromise I have made is essentially shorten my bow season. Instead of planning on hitting it hard all season long till I tag out, I am only planning on hunting during my favorite time to be out there - the last two weeks of October, that's it. My better half will be appreciating that lol.

[Southern Man]

JoeRE, good post. I agree.

I'm an older guy. When the boys were really young I spent a lot of time hunting. Killed a lot of deer. As they got older, I took them. "My" hunting time was limited. I figured once the boys left home I'd have all the time in the world to hunt. Not so. I'm self employed and free time got scarce. Suddenly I turned around and I'm in my mid fifties and can't seem to go like I used to. And I still have limited time to hunt. One of the good things this site teaches is to hunt smart. Hunting smart will allow you to accomplish more with less time invested. I'd still like to be in the woods every day, but I don't have to be.

Enjoy your family. You'll find time to hunt and by all means, have fun. But your kids will only be young once.

[headgear]

Living the balancing act right now, 3 kids six and under, busy job and what often feels like little to no free time. Just have to make the most of it and like mentioned above have fun. I scout and hunt when it works for the family, wife is good about letting me out of the house and I return the favor to give her a break. I also hunt public land so I know I'm not going to shoot a decent buck every season and I am ok with that, I think we have to set some kind of reasonable expectations or be ok not filling a tag. My 6 year old has been tagging along with me in the woods on a limited basis since he was 4, soon you will be on a young hunter training program and a lot of your old goals don't mean as much any more.

[Stanley]

I do not hunt one property that I hunted back in 1999. I only still hunt one property that I hunted in 2004. I think changing properties is actually good for some hunters. It kind of takes you back to reality so to speak. It kind of makes you a better hunter. I would love to be hunting some of the properties I used to but it just doesn't work that way. Unless you have family that owns property or own some land yourself you will change hunting spots. Public ground is perfect for some.

Enjoy your time in the woods and enjoy your time with family and friends. Neither one can be recaptured.

[UPbowhunter]

Very typical of someone that got the bug early in life. I'm going thru phase two of this our boys are 11 years apart with the youngest 6 its getting normal to hunt when possible. I hope my body holds out til I can hit it hard again.

[ Post made via Android ]

[ozzz]

Im struggling with the same thing and think its only natural for the working class family man/hardcore bowhunter. I want a wall full of big bucks and would love to spend any time I want working on that goal but that just isnt life.

Hunt smart, thats one thing I am trying to learn to do as much as possible. I cant hunt ALL the time but I can pick and choose WHEN to hunt. So how do I do that to increase my odds at a mounter buck, thats my whole game and there are a lot of double edged swords involved. To kill a big buck you need to spend a lot of time in the woods, if you spend too much time in any one spot you will lower your chances through pressure. So spend as much time as you can in as many good spots as you have during the best times. Walking that tipping point between putting the most odds in your favor and blowing it.

[Knute78]

Living the balancing act right now, 3 kids six and under, busy job and what often feels like little to no free time. Just have to make the most of it and like mentioned above have fun. I scout and hunt when it works for the family, wife is good about letting me out of the house and I return the favor to give her a break. I also hunt public land so I know I'm not going to shoot a decent buck every season and I am ok with that, I think we have to set some kind of reasonable expectations or be ok not filling a tag. My 6 year old has been tagging along with me in the woods on a limited basis since he was 4, soon you will be on a young hunter training program and a lot of your old goals don't mean as much any more.

This sums it up for me perfectly.

[ Post made via Android ]

[Wlog]

I'm in the same situation. I have a six year old and a three year old. I think most guys go through this at some point. Family is first, job is second and hunting is third. The people who have those in a different order end up divorced or unemployed.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[backstraps]

I think Dan and Stan's post are really good. I have been through the phases you guys are talking about.

My daughter is starting college this fall. I know she has many interests if her own, as well as the time required to hit the books hard. In short, I actually see my hunting time to begin to increase a little. Well that's my thought.....hahaha we all know how a wife and daughter can change those plans for us.

I scheduled more vacation time to hunt this fall than I have in the last 15 years. I hope the homework I have done pays off this fall. I actually have more confidence this season than I ever have. That may not equate to anything out of the norm, but I have a feeling something will fall this year to top anything I have killed previously!

[Terry]

Setting realistic expectations is important. Here in NY there are some counties that produce a good number of big racked bucks. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to travel. So, I set my goals accordingly. The area I hunt struggles to grow antlers over 100", a 120" buck is a real rarity. I decided to set my goals based on buck age or my perception of his age. On some public land, a 2 year old might be a real trophy, others you can expect older bucks. I am pretty happy when I kill a 3 year old or better even if it might only score 105. This keeps me closer to home and allows me to hunt more focusing on my home areas.

As far as getting the time, I am a real good boy ten months out of the year. I don't have any other hobbies and I pretty much stay home and participate in all aspects of family life. This includes cooking, cleaning, and staying home with the kids while my wife does her thing. We are both really supportive of each others passions. By not being selfish and giving her and the kids as much time as I get we all remain pretty happy and successful. I can't remember one time my wife has gotten upset over me hunting too much, she is wonderful. Same with the kids, when they want to do something, I just make sure I do my part to make it happen.

[PK_]

WHen my time in the woods is limited it keeps me disciplined and from hunting sloppy. It keeps me buried in studying maps whenever I have the chance. This year I am getting into running cams for intel. 2011 I spent less time in the woods than any other time in my life and it was still my most productive season. It also helps you to appreciate time in the woods even more.

Edit: Also. I don't drop my standards because of how much time I have to hunt. Every hunt even if it is only a quick evening hunt is planned and centered around 1 goal, getting a shot opportunity at a shooter buck. If I don't feel I have a decent chance at a decent buck, I would rather not go. Spend that time with the family. Try to spend your time hunting only the best spots at the best time under the best circumstances. Don't take time away from other priorities to sit in 'low odds' set ups. Try to hunt similar terrain over and over, even if it is new property you will be right into the better areas most times very quickly.

[wibowhntr]

Life can definitely get crazy trying to balance time with the ones we love and pursing the game we love, add in work and there isn't enough hours in a day. I have three kids, 15, 14 and 10 and as they get older life seems to get crazier because of everything they are involved in. Last year I believe I only got out 7-10 times bowhunting in the early season because I was working too much and then trying to fit in time with the family. Over the years of limited hunting time I have come to realize that I need to enjoy the time I do get in the woods whether it is just an hour or an all day sit. Even though I have limited time to hunt I have chosen not to lower my standards as far as the size of bucks I am chasing. I am content to "eat" my tag at the end of the year. I shoot does to put meat in the freezer. Each person has to figure out where that fine line is and what is important to them in their life. Just remember that hunting or anything in life isn't worth loosing your family over.