I struggled with the title of this thread but I can explain better here. I've been hunting my whole life since I was old enough for my dad to take me. Without trying to sound to "sappy" I just get a sense of relief and a calming feeling whenever in the woods. I've discovered that I tend to over hunt and burn myself out before things really get good though because of this. I still get the mattress off my back each morning because "today could be the day" is what I tell myself. Back I 2012, I logged 266 hours in the woods that deer season. That's 11 full days.
Now onto my main point. I want to be able to choose the best days to hunt and lay off when the hunting isn't so hot. Maybe really warm temps during October is the best example or an undesirable wind that makes you choose a not so hot spot. How do you guys handle that guilty feeling when you're not hunting but could be? Sometimes I hunt just you hunt... just to be out there but with no real purpose or game plan. Complacency sets in and I might overhunt a stand or not choose the greatest of spots.
I really want to try to focus on quality and not quantity this season. Do you guys feel that feeling of guilt knowing you could be out hunting but you instead ____________(fill in the blank)?
P.S. I don't feel AS guilty at work since I kinda have to do that.
How do you keep your sanity while not hunting?
- Finch85
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Re: How do you keep your sanity while not hunting?
I've started doing two different things.
1. I go hunt a piece of public that I don't care if I wear out.
2. I do in season scouting on public that has hiking trails. I stick to the trails to not mess up fellow hunters. Sometimes I will do this knowing I won't hunt that piece until next season.
This gets me that outdoors in the woods feeling I need!
1. I go hunt a piece of public that I don't care if I wear out.
2. I do in season scouting on public that has hiking trails. I stick to the trails to not mess up fellow hunters. Sometimes I will do this knowing I won't hunt that piece until next season.
This gets me that outdoors in the woods feeling I need!
- Divergent
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Re: How do you keep your sanity while not hunting?
I've found that with each new spot I find from post season scouting, the less I find myself burning out. New locations spice it up a bit and give you that excitement, If you find yourself getting too burnt, switch it up. Sleep in and go for a midday hunt or stalk. Sometimes the in season stalks will provide intel for the following season and make you feel like that buck is just over the next ridge.
- northeast beast
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Re: How do you keep your sanity while not hunting?
I'm feeling that itch too..this is my 20th season and until this year I much hunted like you. This year I'm going to try and shoot on those off days and cyber scout some new stuff...tweek gear and watch a few hunting dvds to get my fill...Interested what others are doing I could use the advise as well..good post!
- Ognennyy
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Re: How do you keep your sanity while not hunting?
I'll be "that guy". Among all the other reasons I love hunting, for me it's a form of escapism. Like Finch said, some days it's hard to get your back off the mattress. There are some things in life that are tough to face and "It's hunting season!" is a good reason to continue to put off facing down those difficult things.
I take days off during the season and handle all the things I don't want to do that are piling up behind the scenes. Grocery shopping, laundry, pay bills, handle finances, girlfriend maintenance, etc. etc. It sucks really bad to force yourself into doing some of the things you've been avoiding. But once they're done, then I go back to playing in the woods and feel a lot better about it.
Now, for the better answer....
I'll find somewhere I'm not planning to hunt this season, a place I didn't do any scouting. I choose a location from aerials where I think there would be good bedding, a buck bed, or a stand of hardwoods that might hold oaks (which is like a unicorn in NY on public land). I put on either water shoes (the really thin-soled $10 things from Walmart) or sprinter's shoes (again, very thin-soled), and then I still hunt with my bow.
It's such a challenge. To sneak up on a bedded white tail deer in the forest and kill it with a bow is very difficult. But I'm getting better at it, and one of these years I will kill one this way. This is my "big buck", my personal challenge. That keeps me very occupied on days when I'm trying to give my main areas a rest. Try it sometime. It's not for everybody, but if you give it a chance and do a few hunts that way, it can be very satisfying and rewarding.
I take days off during the season and handle all the things I don't want to do that are piling up behind the scenes. Grocery shopping, laundry, pay bills, handle finances, girlfriend maintenance, etc. etc. It sucks really bad to force yourself into doing some of the things you've been avoiding. But once they're done, then I go back to playing in the woods and feel a lot better about it.
Now, for the better answer....
I'll find somewhere I'm not planning to hunt this season, a place I didn't do any scouting. I choose a location from aerials where I think there would be good bedding, a buck bed, or a stand of hardwoods that might hold oaks (which is like a unicorn in NY on public land). I put on either water shoes (the really thin-soled $10 things from Walmart) or sprinter's shoes (again, very thin-soled), and then I still hunt with my bow.
It's such a challenge. To sneak up on a bedded white tail deer in the forest and kill it with a bow is very difficult. But I'm getting better at it, and one of these years I will kill one this way. This is my "big buck", my personal challenge. That keeps me very occupied on days when I'm trying to give my main areas a rest. Try it sometime. It's not for everybody, but if you give it a chance and do a few hunts that way, it can be very satisfying and rewarding.
- Boogieman1
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Re: How do you keep your sanity while not hunting?
I try to find more quality set ups then I can possibly hunt. This always gives me the excitement of a first time sit and allows me not to have to worry about over hunting. That said there are times I've hunted the same stand for 5 days in a row daylight to dark. Gotta fry while the grease is hot!
Life is hard; It’s even harder if you are stupid.
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Re: How do you keep your sanity while not hunting?
How do you keep your sanity while not "DEER" hunting?
Back in the day I struggled with feeling guilty for not hunting, just like you said.
I did burn myself out a bit and stopped growing at being a better outdoors-man. I stopped bow hunting several seasons but haven’t missed a gun opener since I was 12 years old.
So now with 30+ dear seasons behind me; I look forward to them more than ever.
To answer the question;
I try to keep chores done around home so I don’t worry about them while hunting.
I might go fishing during deer season.
I started duck hunting a little bit.
I hunt new places.
#1 thing, and I’m not joking, I read and spend time right here on the BEAST.
Back in the day I struggled with feeling guilty for not hunting, just like you said.
I did burn myself out a bit and stopped growing at being a better outdoors-man. I stopped bow hunting several seasons but haven’t missed a gun opener since I was 12 years old.
So now with 30+ dear seasons behind me; I look forward to them more than ever.
To answer the question;
I try to keep chores done around home so I don’t worry about them while hunting.
I might go fishing during deer season.
I started duck hunting a little bit.
I hunt new places.
#1 thing, and I’m not joking, I read and spend time right here on the BEAST.
- Finch85
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Re: How do you keep your sanity while not hunting?
All good answers! I still struggle on the days that I have to be stuck at home (family obligations or whatever) when I know I could be in the woods. Family comes first obviously but just being honest. Just waking up and seeing those cold temps and knowing I'm stuck inside is brutal. As far as being burnt out while in the woods or absolutely sick of sitting in the stand, I've taken a walk just to get moving around. I've killed a couple decent bucks this way and have had some pretty awesome experiences as well.
Speaking of temps as referenced in my first post. Is there a cutoff of what temps you'll decide to stay home from hunting? I guess that would also depend on the rut phase. I understand someone would be more willing to sit out a hot day in early season as opposed to the rut. Here in VA, it can still be pretty hot well up into October. Will you still go out for an evening hunt when the temps are in the 80's but quickly drop at dark?
I feel like I'm all over the place in this post but have another question for you beast tactic guys. Do you have predetermined trees picked out for morning hunts so you can just climb up? What are you doing when going in completely blind to a new tree in the morning? Just wait for first light to pick a decent tree and then climb?
Speaking of temps as referenced in my first post. Is there a cutoff of what temps you'll decide to stay home from hunting? I guess that would also depend on the rut phase. I understand someone would be more willing to sit out a hot day in early season as opposed to the rut. Here in VA, it can still be pretty hot well up into October. Will you still go out for an evening hunt when the temps are in the 80's but quickly drop at dark?
I feel like I'm all over the place in this post but have another question for you beast tactic guys. Do you have predetermined trees picked out for morning hunts so you can just climb up? What are you doing when going in completely blind to a new tree in the morning? Just wait for first light to pick a decent tree and then climb?
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Re: How do you keep your sanity while not hunting?
I keep my "sanity" while not hunting, by thinking about hunting.
- BradC36
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Re: How do you keep your sanity while not hunting?
I do NOT keep my sanity while not hunting. There, I said it . From Late September until I'm tagged out, I am ready to crawl out of my skin just about any time I am not able to get in the woods. Could be 75 degrees in November or below 0 in January, I don't care, if I don't have an obligation that I am legally bound to, or forced into because of the need to pay bills, I hunt. Any other time I'm planning the next sit, checking weather, reading forums, listening to podcasts.
- Stanley
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Re: How do you keep your sanity while not hunting?
Keeping your moral up is paramount during the grind of a long season. It is always good to be anxious to go. If and when you lose that want to go desire, take a day off. This will make you more ready to get out again. If you don't like getting up early, don't!!! It's not a job, don't turn it into one.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: How do you keep your sanity while not hunting?
Do some scouting!!
I used to hunt every day growing up. As obligations limited my hunting with every passing year I focused on quick scouting trips here and there. And it turned out to be really beneficial to my hunting too! Scouting can be done any time of the day, in season or out. Right now the hardest time for me to make time for myself is morning and evening...unfortunately outside of the rut that is the best time to hunt!
I have even done a few limited scouting trips in the middle of the night for various reasons like getting in and checking trail cameras and nearby trails for tracks while deer were most likely out of the area feeding in crop fields.
I used to hunt every day growing up. As obligations limited my hunting with every passing year I focused on quick scouting trips here and there. And it turned out to be really beneficial to my hunting too! Scouting can be done any time of the day, in season or out. Right now the hardest time for me to make time for myself is morning and evening...unfortunately outside of the rut that is the best time to hunt!
I have even done a few limited scouting trips in the middle of the night for various reasons like getting in and checking trail cameras and nearby trails for tracks while deer were most likely out of the area feeding in crop fields.
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