I’m loosing my drive for Deer hunting and I don’t like it.

[NCHillbilly]

Understand completely. Before baiting was allowed was on leases where you found the sign and hunted that

Now it is who can out corn your neighbor.

Even here on public baiting is rampant, so much where I do not want to blindly climb a tree only to get busted for bait I had no idea was there within 100 yards of me

Just set up on the trails between the neighbors cornpiles

 

[bfriendly]

Been hunting hard since I was 10 with my dad. Been bow only since 2006. Killed plenty of deer and one pope and young 2 years ago in Ohio. Been to Kentucky, Missiouri and Ohio. Yet over the last few years it’s hard to find the passion I once had and I don’t like it. I’m sitting in a double man stand with a 300 mag that I killed my last gun deer with in 2006. I would usually carry a stand way back and hunt a prime place with my bow and 44mag pistol but I just made myself go to this stand or I would have went back to sleep. Any of y’all went throw a lull where you just didn’t have the drive and it came back. I guess my biggest problem is I enjoy fishing to much. My 20 year old son is across the ridge and he don’t go but a few times. His passion is Turkey hunting and duck hunting. My 13 year old daughter killed her first deer last year but she didn’t want to go today. I guess I can see why a hunting club and just sitting next to a fire in the evenings is so enjoyable the older I get. Anyways it’s getting shooting light. Good luck everyone and I hope y’all kill a big one.

If you like fishing go fishing. I’ve cert had my share of favorite things to do change throughout my life. I’ve been hunting since high school, fishing since I was preteen, then started golfing at like 21. I love to do them all and they all take their turns consuming me. Golf is only easy to put to the side cause it is so dang expensive! I believe it to be the best game ever invented, period.
Enjoy your life! Have fun! You don’t have to hunt, and you accomplished a lot it sounds like. Maybe I’m lucky I never shot a bow til I was 50ish. It absolutely consumes me these days. I’m ok to stay home and shoot arrows all day versus going hunting.
Don’t know what TRT is, but if you have no drive to do anything fun, that’s another story……and worth a look. Best of luck brother!

 

[Mexican Squealer]

Still thankful and still loving everything about it. Looking forward to watching the ducks in the am from the deer stand. Deer will be there.

 

[huntersluck]

I lost the best hunting land I ever had back in 2016 so I have lost some of my desire to hunt but just because of location not because of the will to hunt. I enjoy fishing but only river or creek fishing , sitting on a lake all day has never interested me. The will to hunt will always be stronger than the will to fish but I am sure I will lose the will for both as I get older

 

[ABF1988]

Yep used to love it now it’s there if I’d like to enjoy , retired now and hard to load up and go ! Clubs are the worse thing, people come and go but 1 problem person or president that won’t handle issue make ya want to fly ! So I ponder what’s next , trying to regain it but it’s a money game now pay to play ! Trying to swing back into it , we shall see !!

 

[44magpastor]

I'm 49 years old, and have deer hunted since the permanent stand days. This weekendi experienced my first twinge of apathy, for something I've enjoyed all my life.

The primary issue, for me, is other responsibilities, are making hunting more trouble than it's worth.

My property is 3 hours away and I'm a pastor. You can imagine the potential issues.

It's hard for me to relax and enjoy hunting, when you are always "on call" and always needing to hurry back.....for something.

Last night, it's 7:15 and I'm thinking of leaving the stand early.......Because I've got a 3 hour drive and Sunday is coming!

 

[Gadestroyer74]

TRT might help? Joking, not joking. As we age our testosterone drops and our energy, drive to achieve, and be physically active drops with it. Now obviously hunting goes deeper than that, but a lot of men over 50 lose the drive to do things they were once passionate about. It also helps with physical recovery. Or it could have nothing to do with it. I’m just throwing ideas out.

I have noticed some of this with myself

 

[chrislibby88]

You ain't much older than me. Am I getting old?!?! Lol

Haha, I’m not on TRT yet but probably could use a little. 35 has not been kind to me. I’ve been mostly bulletproof up to now, but this since hitting 35 I’ve developed serious arthritis in my right AC joint and something has been going on in my left knee. The shoulder is from BJJ, not sure what the knee is from, but probably stems from BJJ.

 

[frankwright]

I never get tired of hunting but the kill is not as important to me as it once was.
One of the main reasons for me to kill a deer is for my kids and grands begging for jerky.
I tournament bass fished with a club for 20 years, I still hunted but it had to take a back seat to fishing.
Some people burn out on the every weekend at the club deal. Just slow down. Instead of every weekend, hold off and plan a 4 or 5 day hunt during the week. Camp or hotel, it doesn't matter, just a time to relax.

Having a hunting partner is a big help. It can be friend, spouse or kids but having someone to share it with makes it more enjoyable to me.

 

[rugerfan]

If you need to take a break from it, you need to take a break from it. I think that is the case in everything in life. Just step away for a little while and do something else. I too am having difficulty getting motivated, but mine stems for from the demands on my life right now. Between work and family obligations, things are getting difficult to carve out the time to hunt. Come November I am more than prepared to make some people very unhappy with me. Such is life.

 

[krizia829]

Perfectly said. I went 5 years just letting all deer walk cause my son would kill a couple each year. I killed that big 10 and a doe 2 days apart and processing them myself. The meat was great and yes I enjoy the scouting as much or more than the hunt. When I killed that big 10 it didn’t give me the emotions I thought it would. I actually was going to let him walk cause we had a 170 on trial cam but slapped myself for about letting a 135” 10 walk with the bow. I grabbed the bow and made the shot. After the shot I thought it was just like “oh well that just happened” as I watched him fall. I’m trying to just get the gun and enjoy just the hunt again. I haven’t ran any cameras this year so we will see what happens. Thanks for the reply sir. Great words.

Well said!

I believe it's just a temporary feeling. If you enjoy fishing more right now, give hunting a break this year and get back to it next year. It'll give you something to look forward to. You never know, kids may come back around and want to go.

Good luck! I hope the passion comes back to you! It's where I find the most peace

 

[Ruger#3]

Over 70 seasons have passed during my time on this earth. For me, I do what pleases me at that moment. Life is too short to even care what others think. At this point in my life my seasons ahead are fewer and I think much on what I want to spend my time doing. Time is like gold, I spend it carefully, trying to get the most out of it. Though I love to fish, right now I’m getting ready for gun season, my seat is in the woods, cams are out, minerals in the ground nearby.

I hope the passion comes back if it’s something you miss.

 

[M80]

I'm 49 years old, and have deer hunted since the permanent stand days. This weekendi experienced my first twinge of apathy, for something I've enjoyed all my life.

The primary issue, for me, is other responsibilities, are making hunting more trouble than it's worth.

My property is 3 hours away and I'm a pastor. You can imagine the potential issues.

It's hard for me to relax and enjoy hunting, when you are always "on call" and always needing to hurry back.....for something.

Last night, it's 7:15 and I'm thinking of leaving the stand early.......Because I've got a 3 hour drive and Sunday is coming!

I’m a pastor also. Between working 40 hour job and pastoring I guess it’s hard to wake up and push myself. Fishing I get to go with someone and we can talk and relax. If I had lock-one and ladder stands up everywhere it make things a lot easier to just walk in, climb up and set down. I’d have to have about 10 of them lol to make that last minute decision where to go.

 

[WOODIE13]

I’m a pastor also. Between working 40 hour job and pastoring I guess it’s hard to wake up and push myself. Fishing I get to go with someone and we can talk and relax. If I had lock-one and ladder stands up everywhere it make things a lot easier to just walk in, climb up and set down. I’d have to have about 10 of them lol to make that last minute decision where to go.

Just get a pop-up blind, quick and easy, plus more safe

 

[HIGH COUNTRY]

It def changes over time, still enjoy working the woods and getting ready as much as the hunting. Only exception is that I really try to spend most of my time and energy around core rut dates. Def enjoy going more when my grandson at 17 can go, or have other family down hunting. NOt as interested in hunting alone anymore. Picked up recurve after about three decades of bow only with compound, I love shooting that thing so maybe that will help amp up the hunting interest in me some - 68 going on 69 and still working full time. Def dont have the energy and drive for "everything all the time" but still dabble at MOST things fairly regularly.

 

[Ace1313]

I wouldn't say my drive to hunt has dropped. The biggest thing I am missing is the Hunting Camp. I moved south 10 years ago and I don't have my buddies or a club to be part of. I have really enjoyed the last two years the couple times I have been on public with my brother and friends hunting as it is close as I can get to a hunting club now. I am hoping I can find a club to get in again one day that will be similar to my previous experiences.

 

[DynamicDennis]

club I had belonged to for over 40yrs had remained the peaceful calm place it generally was prior to a new member causing disruptions, I would have stayed in the club, and I'd be in the woods this morning, Deer camp was my "downtime"


Man, deer camp is downtime, sprinkled with some work. I certainly would not let anyone take that away from me.

 

[mattb78]

For some hunters that really pushed and hunted hard to kill big deer.. once they did get a trophy the drive lessened. That sport became "conquered" in their mind. It was the challenge that they really craved.

Its a good exercise to force ourselves to slow down and be less competitive.

 

[Danuwoa]

For some hunters that really pushed and hunted hard to kill big deer.. once they did get a trophy the drive lessened. That sport became "conquered" in their mind. It was the challenge that they really craved.

Its a good exercise to force ourselves to slow down and be less competitive.

Why?

 

[NCHillbilly]

If you make hunting into another job being all serious and with all kinds of goals and expectations and rules, no wonder it gets old. I hunt to enjoy myself, not to discipline myself or self-flagellate.