To piggyback on the last thread "What motivates you?"
What killed it for you?
For me it was my dad getting sick about 3 years ago. He passed just almost 2 years ago.
Toss in a dislocated knee and other med problems. I haven't seen the woods in over 3 years.
Never missed a year since I was 10 (I am 37) until then. I just lost it.
I'd rather be fishing.
Being 44 now, back in my early years before I could carry a gun, I was as excited as could be to be out in the woods next to someone that could carry. The hunt was always a highlight, not so much for the deer kill, but the comradery. Not being a landowner wasn't an issue, myself and mostly everyone I knew that hunted had land that they were allowed to hunt. So we always knew where we could go, and it was gonna be there year after year. My group consisted of my father, aunts, uncles, cousins and other family members. Along with other hunters the property owner let in every year, we knew of them and it was never an issue to share the farm with them. It got to be where we would have campers set up in the fields and make a hunting camp right out in the open. Like I said, we were there to eat, drink, play cards, tell stories, make fun of the hunting follies and maybe see deer. And if seen, have a ball trying to shoot them and usually miss but laugh the rest of the day talking about it.
Fast forward 15 yrs, the farmer sells off and we lose our land. Land owners figure out people are willing to pay big dollars to use their land for hunting. Private land becomes impossible to get onto, so all the relatives go off in their own direction to hopefully find someone willing to let them on to hunt. There's no reason to go into town and register your deer, no longer parade the horns at the local watering hole in fear of having them stolen. Now it's no longer "The Group", it's a go on your own and do what you can situation. That is what ruined it for me.
Fishloveme, I'm in the same boat. Started hunting farmland around home. I can shoot a deer opening morning by 8:30am. Wasn't the same as big woods with dad. I have since moved and the past 4 years have hunted some of dads old stomping grounds. It feels good to be excited about hunting again.
I even had a euro mount of a small 6 point because it was my 1st buck without my dad hunting.
Wadu, hang in there man and do as much hunting as you can till you can't anymore. I am 64 ,beat Lymphoma 9 years ago and had surgery for Prostate cancer this past March. I am very lucky so far as all is going well for me right now and I have bowhunted almost 30 times this fall, shot 2 does and a buck. So I am having my best season in 20 years and I plan on bowhunting the Metro Zone till the end of January, ice fish and snowmobile because my biggest fear is my 3rd strike and I may be out!!!
I never thought I'd see the year my dad said he couldn't do it anymore, but that time came this year. He's been battling Leukemia for 12 years now and all of the treatments, hospitalizations and stuff has worn him out to the point he can't walk in the woods anymore. Two year ago he drove up to his hunting spot. Last year he only walked about 10 yards from his vehicle. He hasn't shot a deer in 10 years now, so that leaves me to do all the work. I don't mind, I'm happy to give him some of my deer, but it's not the same hunting without him now. I now hunt a different area with a group of friends. I'm just glad my dad is still alive.
Nothing has killed it for me, not yet anyways. Reading all these posts reinforces that the clock is ticking. Even though I am sore, and getting old, and I don't like wearing blaze orange while bow hunting, and it's cold, and these public land deer I chase are really hard to find natural movement, and all the plethora of reasons not to go, there WILL come a time when I can't,,,, so I better get while the getting is good cause you never know when it might be your last season. I hope some that lost that fire may find it again, the outdoors is such an important part of my life that I hope I never do, but I realize father time is undefeated tho..... good luck all hunters.
What killed it for me..well I got hurt had 8 surgeries and get chemo every 6 weeks the rest of my life...I'm 58. I lived and breathed hunting and when I realized I couldn't anymore I wanted to put a slug in my head...it still hurts...it still means slot but I say I cant alot...I hunt maybe 3-4 times a year and it generally is within sight of the house...im just not able...I'm hurt and I'm hurt bad...all I think about is dying and I dont want to...I wanna go back...I wanna be young..
I wanna be able to climb a tree...I wanna shoot 6 deer a year like you could in the late 80s early 90s...my biggest w the bow is a 123" 10 point..
2 fricken inches from Pope and young...I always wanted a Pope and young buck and my.name in the registry...I guess it's not in the cards....I dont even know what's in the cards for me anymore...worm food I guess...or ash...
As far as all the shows...its our world today...lack of respect for the sport...lack of respect for the animal.and greed to make money off the average joe..
That's it
Wadu
In the summer I set up, move the bases of stands and brush the lanes. A week before season I cover the stands and get them ready. Opening day two of my family members show up and hunt. If they get a buck I gut it out, drag it and bring it in. On Sunday morning they are pretty much gone and I hunt alone for the rest of the season. One of the family members is the land owner and has denied my request to build large, permanent stands repeatedly. Occasionally, after Sunday, the land owner comes out an hour before dark and parks in the field waiting for a deer to cross. Nothing crosses because he is parked in the field. We have a really nice spot but I am tired of doing all the work. On opening day the past few seasons I shot the first buck I sae just to be done. Now, they want to split the venison three ways when they go buckless but have not offered to pick up any of the costs. I miss hunting with people that want to improve the land and put time in. I have a second spot to hunt that is no where near as productive and I may make the move because the spot is with old timers who hunt all nine days, process together and work on stands together.
Nowhere near the number of guys we used to have . Those of us left are getting old and tired. No real deer drives in 15 ? years . But I'll still go until I can't . One thing I do now is to hang a few small bird feeders (to high to be called baiting ) . See woodpeckers , chickadees cardinals , and blue Jays .
The general public. Lots of hunters are not sportsman. They are jerks. They lay claim to public spots, steal traps. Can't find their own spots. See someone somewhere and assume it's good because somebody else was there and then move in. Trespass. The list goes on and on. People just stink. Happy New year.
Will be selling a family property (in-laws), house, and 80 acres of land Sauk cty in the spring. Have had a ton of great hunts and memories. However, as Ive told the nephews deer season is only 3 months, there are 9 other months of work. I haven't minded the work as it keeps me busy, but busy with no time for other interests is a problem. When it becomes obvious that there is always time to hunt, but never time to help out, its time to sell. I'm fortunate to have a ton of other land available in the Green, Lafayette county area. I'm sure my cousin that I'm very close to will appreciate an extra set of hands around the farm. Not asking for full time help, just a little assistance now and again. 2 shoulder operations this year and another a few years ago makes it harder. I've made the comment many times to deaf ears, that when its gone its gone. No doubt in my mind that its gonna hit home to them when the sold sticker goes on the sign. Merry Christmas everyone.
. They are definitely not what you see on screen from what I have heard. Very arrogant and demanding. When they come to WI they take the mantra of being in a different zip code from home as well. It is a tough industry and unless you are a bully you do not often get anywhere. Their videos are second to none.
This is going to come off as contradictory in the end, but it is all the tv shows with all the bigger than you videos. On top of that it annoys me that I have to watch them drink coffee and explain it. I can watch it, just show me the action. I miss the Babe type guys who explain, teach and give hands on stuff for after the kill too. As far as the Drury boys, they have demons in their closet but we all do. They make money on us.
I am fortunate enough to have two boys, a budding producer who can take lousy footage and make it look decent and try an old tactic. No worries about the biggest or the best although there are some episodes. Mentoring kids, getting them out and them showing the audience cooking segments, how to clean etc. with the help of others. Our last episode is on snapping turtles. The little money we make goes into putting it on the channel. Not many people know about it locally and that is a shame but Hopefully when the boys are older they will have great memories they can look back on. If you are bored check it out, there are some pretty cool episodes.http://www.huntchannel.tv/growin-up-wild/
Kids definitely changed my hunting. We don't live that close to family for easy baby-sitters. I went from hardcore to not caring quite as much. Now I just take what I can get. I'm not going to compete with the guy hunting any time he wants with nothing really holding them back. I just had to come up with ways to make it work. In the past that's all I'd do, any free time I'd be in a tree. I've come to realize I was missing a lot though too. I actually do more overall by deer hunting less now.
We duck hunt in a boat, kids have toys along and blow on calls, etc. I have ear muffs for them. We bring lots of snacks. Its chaotic at times but we get ducks yet. I even started deer hunting in a ground blind so they could come along. Amazingly we get deer, even though they are loud at times. They seem excited about it so that's been fun for me, different kind of fun I guess. Gets easier every year now as they get older.
