When is leaving the sport not being a quitter?

[cedarsavage]

Sounds like killing is more important than hunting? Its the pursuit that drives me. Not the kill. Killing a buck is almost a bummer. My hunt then ends. Do what makes you happy, and do not worry about the end result. No one but you really cares if you shoot one. Some of the greatest hunters I know, rarely kill a buck, and some of the worst hunters I know kill one every year... Its all in the eyes of the beholder.

In my opinion, and you will likely disagree, I think your worried about others opinions. Otherwise a head on the wall wouldn't be so important. Hunting is not a game, so there is no such thing as quitting. I know hunters who have not hunted in years, and likely never will again before they die... That does not make them less of a hunter than me. Hunting is a lifestyle, its in your heart. Not hanging on your walls.

Good post Dan. Think how boring it'd be if everyone killed a Boone without scouting and beating their head against the wall. Whatever gets you high will always bring you down. But if it's not fun don't do it. I'm 18 sits in with 12 deerless sits, Im adjusting strategies and trying to figure out the puzzle

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[Dewey]

Dan is 100% right.

[stash59]

Dan is 100% right.

x2!!

[Ryan]

I think you have a good case of hunter burnout, best way to solve it is to not quit but change it up, no more countless hours, no more buying all the new gear etc. Grab your bow walk out in some blue jeans and a flannel and just go sit under a tree take some time to think about why u started hunting in the first place. Last time i did that i killed a buck in 10 minutes, usually ull see them when ur least expecting it

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[E72]

Do you run cams? I'm a firm believer in burning yourself out too early and your spot. Next year Skout until Halloween then start hunting your spots don't get burn up and you don't get burned out.

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Good advice , trying to hunt through October like it's November can be frustrating .

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[E72]

Sounds like killing is more important than hunting? Its the pursuit that drives me. Not the kill. Killing a buck is almost a bummer. My hunt then ends. Do what makes you happy, and do not worry about the end result. No one but you really cares if you shoot one. Some of the greatest hunters I know, rarely kill a buck, and some of the worst hunters I know kill one every year... Its all in the eyes of the beholder.

In my opinion, and you will likely disagree, I think your worried about others opinions. Otherwise a head on the wall wouldn't be so important. Hunting is not a game, so there is no such thing as quitting. I know hunters who have not hunted in years, and likely never will again before they die... That does not make them less of a hunter than me. Hunting is a lifestyle, its in your heart. Not hanging on your walls.

Every youth or new Hunter should read this post.

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[grydsrt]

briar, if you read my intro: http://thehuntingbeast.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=36913 I quit hunting for 20 years.

Back when I hunted previously I used to freeze to death in the woods and so began taking my sleeping bag with me to stay warm. Sitting in my warm sleeping bag would inevitably lead to me falling asleep. I gave up hunting one day after I went to the woods, looked up at my stand, and without even climbing the ladder I unrolled my sleeping bag on the ground and went to sleep. I knew I was going to fall asleep and therefore did not even bother getting in the tree.

Now that I am back hunting again and when it is freezing cold, 12:30am, the alarm is going off, and I do not want wake up I like to view hunting in the same context as I view church or that my soul will be subject to eternal damnation if I do not get up right then and go. Thus far this has worked. However in my particular instance the reason this works is because I have been on the other side and I know exactly what happens when you quit hunting and sit around waiting for it to come to you. This may be a good time to point out that if you do not know it is coming for you don't worry, it is. This is in the context of either you take it to them or it gets taken to you, a good offense is the best defense, keep showing quarterly growth or you fail, etc..

The activities that do not involve the type of commitment or effort hunting at the level you describe are the easy ones. None of the easy activities lead to good. Kind of biblical I know, however this is simply how I view hunting when I do not want to get out of bed, and believe me, there are plenty of those times, just ask my wife. In the alternative, if you are interested in doing the Grateful Dead thing I have a used VW microbus painted with psychedelic swirls and paisleys for sale -- cheap.

[briar]

Great input guys!! I would never disagree with your opinion dan...but i will say killing isnt all of it. Id say the #1 thing is progress...investing and being able to build so that after a few years i have a few spots where i am confident and excited to hunt. Spots where i realistically feel like i have put myself in position to at least see deer. I guess thinking it over a lot, its not hunting that is under my skin, its failing to improve after invested effort at least to my standards. Part of this likely comes from hunting just being so physically and time demanding for me. That investment requires payoff if the simple act of hunting isnt payoff enough.

Lots of great suggestions, lots to mull over and think about. I hate to lose something i love, but starting from square one each year might be more than my body and psyche can take...in the timber now so its not over...in my spot a pulled a camera today from july 30..over 3k photos and 1...maybe shooter...but thats what i scouted and whats availabe...it is what it is. I guess the choices are accept it and embrace it or alter your life to fix it..just gotta search the old soul

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[dan]

Set your goals to something a little more attainable. My suggestion would be to not pass a buck that would be your new largest untill your shooting bucks your happy with. Based on your trail cam results your hunting a class of deer that don't exist there... Just my 2 cents.

[Matty]

Sounds like killing is more important than hunting? Its the pursuit that drives me. Not the kill. Killing a buck is almost a bummer. My hunt then ends. Do what makes you happy, and do not worry about the end result. No one but you really cares if you shoot one. Some of the greatest hunters I know, rarely kill a buck, and some of the worst hunters I know kill one every year... Its all in the eyes of the beholder.

In my opinion, and you will likely disagree, I think your worried about others opinions. Otherwise a head on the wall wouldn't be so important. Hunting is not a game, so there is no such thing as quitting. I know hunters who have not hunted in years, and likely never will again before they die... That does not make them less of a hunter than me. Hunting is a lifestyle, its in your heart. Not hanging on your walls.

What a great post Dan!

I was going to write something eerily similar, but you put it so much more eloquently.

I want to add this too though; if you still want to find that enthusiasm for hunting again, take a new hunter under your wing. (young or old) I have done that many times over the years and it always reignites a spark in me.

Not all of them pan out and some won't mesh with you as a hunter, but new hunters always have that fresh new fire and enthusiasm that comes only with the start of a new road to travel. It's infectious and you can't help but be reminded of years gone by and why you started hunting.

I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE hunting deer, it's been a part of me since I was a little kid. Matching wits with mature bucks, being right there in nature. Quietly observing the real world as it all unfolds. Trudging through swamps and up steep ridges. Carrying stands for hours, exploring new woods, sometimes wondering, has any other man ever set foot here (Dan probably has lol).... The work involved is the part that keeps me doing it. It's truly a labor of love.

Sure it can wear on you physically and even mentally, but when it gets you to that point, you get tougher and keep going. If it really gets you, there's never shame in taking a break either. This is LIFE...

I posted about this once before, but in the last year or so I have also kicked around the idea of not hunting anymore....Though for a different reason. I just don't enjoy killing deer anymore. It's always been a bummer like Dan said, but it has changed even more the last year or two. I want to eat venison, but I just hate killing them now. I just want to watch and learn, enjoy the woods.

Besides, my love for being outside and trying to outsmart deer hasn't allowed me to quit. I find myself in the woods more than ever. Sometimes I draw the bow, but I find it easier and easier to just sit and watch. I enjoy it more than ever now.


I'll leave you with two things the late Ben Lee said:

"When I get older and can't shoot, I'll go to chucking rocks at them" (meaning it's just so much a part of him, he could never stop hunting deer)

He also said:

"I wish I could shoot them and then breathe life back into them to do it all again tomorrow"


Those words have stayed with me for years...


This year I have been mentoring a disabled Veteran that's trying to learn to bowhunt. He's a little older than me, his body is more beat up from his service and he doesn't live close enough to hunt with me often. But his constant yearning to learn drives me out there to learn more myself....What can I teach him, what can I learn. We have conversations about hunts and observations and it ignites that spark in me again. It's then I realize that I am a "HUNTER" down to my core.

He killed his second deer ever about a week ago and I felt as proud as a new dad. Yes, he's made some mistakes, taken some bad shots, but I'm trying to steer him down the right path and I explained that it's part of becoming a bow hunter and that he has to make some mistakes.


Anyway, I'm getting long winded and side-tracked as usual....my point is...re-read Dans post and if you're in it for the right reasons, you'll want to hunt no matter what. Doesn't mean you have to kill....but you'll forever want to hunt.

If that's not enough to keep you motivated, find a kid or anyone thats new and needs guidance. Take it back to the basics with them and you might just rediscover why we have no choice but to hunt.

Good luck out there! -Matt

[briar]

I started a new hunter over the last 5 years...my wife. Although its nice she goes it pretty much doubles the work and responsibility for me. Every hunt is 2 sets, 2 stands, and the responsibility of how thing turn out for 2 people. To say its a lot is an understatement. In 5 years she has yet to get a deer...and that stresses me a lot since i want it to work out so badly.

All this being said, last evening we had the hunt of a lifetime for us. Great weather and the rut was on. She was able to see 5 or 6 different bucks and several doe. There was chasing, breeding, and just non stop action. For the first time in a long time she had a great time and that was rewarding. All little bucks, and no shots, but it didnt matter, it was fun. If we had hunts like that a couple times a year id have no complaints!!

One more week left here. Got about 5 sits left. Still gonna give it my all. Thanks guys!

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[Matty]

I fully understand where you're coming from. I've done that for young cousins, brothers, etc for years. It is tough.
I also understand the stress of helping others have a great hunt. When I guided in the past that pressure was almost unbearable. If I sit and see nothing, I don't care. Not the case when setting someone else up. It's very stressful. I want them to have the greatest hunts ever. When that isn't happening, you get stressed.

However, you eventually learn to somewhat relax and not stress as badly about it. That's hunting. If your wife truly wants to be a hunter, she will enjoy doing some of that work on her own. I understand you want her to be safe and everything, but she can probably set a stand on her own and start picking out some spots for herself after 5 years. Let her start to branch out and take some of the stress off of you. I'm sure she'll do fine!

It's kind of like the saying: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach him to fish and you've fed him for a lifetime.


Here's to a great finish to your season!