Where is your focus?

[Lastcast#1]

First and foremost time goes by fast. In the woods I try to be conscious of that fact. Pump the brakes, slow down and enjoy.

After that its just about learning as much as I can and trying to develop as a hunter. Really like most folks, my focus is on many things and its intensity varies. That is what makes hunting so incredible. Each individual can define their own experience.

Oh the homemade venison salami reminds me . Food in the freezer is always a focus!

Chad

[rhagenw]

My "focus" is subjective on many factors but it typically falls in this order

1. Fill my tags with 2 full body does and a pair of 3.5+ bucks.
2.Get my kids and wife involved somehow and someway
3. Take someone to one of my "deer spots" who most likely wouldn't go
4. Be thankful

My off season focus is

1. Insure I stay proficient with my choosen archery and firearm gear.
2. Insure my projectile/arrow setup is getting consistent pass through
3. Do adequate scouting without undue pressure on "my spots"
4. ENJOY THE AMAZING VENISON!
5. Stay in decent shape through weight lifting and cardio

[Wapiti]

Continue to improve on finding and killing mature bucks - this is what I'm ate up with and what keeps me going year-round.

[gsquared23]

I’m first and foremost after venison. I want 1-2 for the freezer, it’s my #1 priority, it gives me a great sense of pride killing something in close quarters, dragging it home, butchering it and vacuum packing it.

Second goal is to see at least one mature buck over the course of the season. Getting a shot is a plus and actually bringing him home is a bonus.

Enjoying the ride and the opportunity, keeping things in perspective are also underlying focuses too. This is supposed to be fun, and if it starts being more work than fun, I’ll take a day off, or squirrel hunt or something.

[briar]

Op, my focus is probably the last 3 you mentioned. If my focus was getting a big buck I'd likely quit hunting. At this stage that task seems so insurmountable, I just can't stomach what it takes to achieve that within my personally imposed constraints.

[Marshbuster89]

My main focus is, and has been, to be and stay consistent and strive to see/have more encounters with more and more mature animals each year. Over the past 10-12 years I have added about 8-10 new setups in spring that look really dynamite. With each promising setup I find, I eliminate old spots that looked good but just never have produced like they should.

I don’t necessarily need to see piles of deer every night. If I am seeing a lot of deer, i am usually not set up the way I personally want to be and I’m out of the game as far as being set up on a mature buck.

[thepennsylvanian]

Lately, I've been focused on learning as much as I possibly can. Learning to be a smarter, more adjustable, well rounded hunter.
I found myself this year doing as much as could to gain knowledge. Either by going into areas I've never been, or doing thing i've never done. I tried hunting from the ground in a windrow, stalking, hunting areas that had buck potential but odds to see alot of deer.
Next year, I hope to build on what I have learned and push it further. I want to learn how to adjust on the fly, and recognize sign that is "hot". Also I want to learn exit strategies for unsuccessful hunts in the event I wish to hunt that spot again.

[elk yinzer]

Have fun is why we do it, right? I think it's been said by Dan, maybe, but I don't choose to hunt it's just who I am, who I've always been and who I'll always be. I cannot imagine myself not as a hunter.

I really believe in the hunter "stages", if not strictly defined we all go through some progression. Current stage as a hunter I really enjoy chasing older deer on big woods public land. Was definitely more into quantity and notching tags for a bit as a younggun. The shift to quality for me just came out a natural progression to seek a higher goal and a harder challenge. Of course killing them is a big part of the fun.

Exploring new areas and learning all the time really keeps me interested. Hunting areas get stale to me quickly and I want to learn new areas to have fun. I consider myself a rut specialist and most enjoy hunting that time of year the most but I also seek to improve my weak areas. Post-season scouting I think some view as work but it's one of my favorite times of the hunting year. Came to realize I don't enjoy summer scouting, spotting, or trailcamming...so I don't do it! I still have 6-8 years until my kids will actually hunt but they are getting to the age where I'll be more getting them interested and involved. I would imagine as that progresses they will become my main focus.

[brancher147]

Have fun is why we do it, right? I think it's been said by Dan, maybe, but I don't choose to hunt it's just who I am, who I've always been and who I'll always be. I cannot imagine myself not as a hunter.

I really believe in the hunter "stages", if not strictly defined we all go through some progression. Current stage as a hunter I really enjoy chasing older deer on big woods public land. Was definitely more into quantity and notching tags for a bit as a younggun. The shift to quality for me just came out a natural progression to seek a higher goal and a harder challenge. Of course killing them is a big part of the fun.

Exploring new areas and learning all the time really keeps me interested. Hunting areas get stale to me quickly and I want to learn new areas to have fun. I consider myself a rut specialist and most enjoy hunting that time of year the most but I also seek to improve my weak areas. Post-season scouting I think some view as work but it's one of my favorite times of the hunting year. Came to realize I don't enjoy summer scouting, spotting, or trailcamming...so I don't do it! I still have 6-8 years until my kids will actually hunt but they are getting to the age where I'll be more getting them interested and involved. I would imagine as that progresses they will become my main focus.

Yep. That pretty much sums it up for me too. Except I do really enjoy running trail cams sometimes but not as much as I used to. My focus right now are adventure hunts and as long as my legs will carry me I will keep roaming the mountains in search of big buck adventures.

[MattNewberg]

My goal this year will be to get my 78 year old dad his first wall hanger. He’s very healthy and great shot, but is getting less interested each year. We hunt together and I usually end up taking the shot, so this year he’s up to bat and I’m behind the camera.

[Kraftd]

For me one is to maintain my mental health, and I don't say that lightly. Too little time in the outdoors for too many people these days. I think there are a lot of problems in our society that would be helped by more time outside getting better perspective.

Two is food. The older I get the less I can reconcile hunting without the food aspect. Don't get me wrong, hunting is in my soul and I can't imagine not being a hunter, but the ability to provide for myself and my family is a HUGE part of that to me.

Luckily by valuing number 1, I get in the woods enough that the results of number 2 have a pretty decent set of antlers attached most years too