off season interests

[wtnhunt]

Since it is slow in here and with Doc's thread about forum participation being slower this time of year and possible correlation to that being a "part time interest in hunting", I kind of wondered how many of us might have a lessened interest in hunting in the off season. For me and my family, we have a bit of a shift this time of year towards working with food plots and maintaining the property and keeping up with the cameras, but still very much have our interests in hunting.

Would you say your interest is really less in hunting, or is there just less to talk about this time of the year?

[christsavedme]

I would say that my interest in hunting really never changes.....I think alot of it is the fact that there just isn't alot to talk about. I know for me and the gang I hunt with we are busy this time of year with food plots, scouting new areas, trimming, property maintnence, and things like that!

I love hunting.....no matter what time of year it is!

[Tom2008]

I have to agree with christsavedme. I'll be scouting out some public land places over the summer. I'll be going up to my cabin to scout for this years stand placements and trimming up trees for lanes and I will continue practicing with the bow. I'll be working a to get a new shotgun this season for the deer in Minnesota and Montana. I have to pay off my truck which is pretty dang important to me for being a hunter. I'm always doing something for hunting everyday its my passion and I will never leave it.

[hoytguy08]

i think about hunting just as much or more this time of year, the spring and summer is the time to do all the work, so when season gets here i can just sit back and hunt!

[SaskMan]

I kind of forget about it to be honest, too much else on the go. I play a little recreational basesball, golf, spend time with my kids and family, work in my yard, garden, fish...the list goes on and on....it'll be fall soon enough. I'll get serious again around Mid. Aug.

[Guest psefirestormlite]

I still have hunting on my mind... i just fine tunning my archery skills this time of year and doing some small mouth fishing. Later on in the summer i'll start scouting new public land spots.

[Guest Wackmaster17]

I'm just like SaskMan, in the spring and summer I mostly fish and work, but I also compete in sporting clays tournaments so I usually kind of forget about it until around late July early August when I start getting serious about the coming bow season.

[Guest Turkey_Turd]

its always in my mind,but when season isnt in theres fishing,practicing bows and rifles,scouting,and if your like me,i go out usually 2 or 3 times a week and deer hunt...cept without a gun.

[birdhunter39]

i agree with all the above

after the hunting season is over , it then become's a new begining , i go through all my gear , to see what has been damaged , replace old or worn out gear , buy new gear , hit the store's for clearance's on hunting gear , i just bought two used 16 GA shotguns , one single shot , the other one is a pump , right now i'm scouting for the up coming dove season , checking out new public hunting grounds , visiting the old hunting grounds ( state parks ) , clean the shotguns , bring them in to the gunsmith ,if there was any problem's with them , then i go fishing , while i fish at certain place's ( state parks where i hunted ) i scout around

[hoosierhunter]

I'm always thinking about it too and the monster bucks series has me pumped up again as usual when it comes out. I've been working very hard to get my first P&Y the last few years. I already have two 140's, but both shotgun kills and I was very very close this last season so hopefully this is the year. I enjoy golf although today I quit after 9 of the 18 b/c it was going so bad. Also I'm big into the lake and waterskiing as well. I'm also booked for a 6 day antelope hunt in Wyoming for the first of September. This will be my first official hunting trip that I have paid to go on. Only costing me 375 bucks plus a tag and gas to go, so I figured why not give it a try.

[Tominator]

I guess I don't like revving my car in park. I can't hunt deer in the summer, so I try not to dwell on it.

I do like to pop the occasional woodchuck when one presents itself, but other than that, it's just a matter of providing habitat for the wildlife, and watching the gardens grow.

[Michiganbowhunter_SQ2]

hunting is always on my mind, maybe not as much now than it is a month or so before the season and on through the season, but it is there. there is just to much going on to think about it 24/7, and honestly, i really don't want to think about it that much because the more i do the more antsy i get

[slughunter]

My interest never changes. Proble becasue Im always doing something to get ready for deer season when it is the off season. This whole summer is gonna consist of scouting, running game cams, building 3 new elevated tower stands, putting in food plots, digging the water hole, hanging lock ons, doing some timber management, and of course countless hours of day dreaming of that shot at a monster, plus a whole lot more. So my interest defenitly dont change just becasue season is on or off.

-shane

[riverBottom]

I always have hunting on my mind. I'll be doing some small game hunting and scouting on public land

[elnor]

Hunting's near top-of-mind for me every day, too.

This time of year I'm finishing up turkey season details (making wingbone calls, adding spurs to my hatband, replacing old calls or just adding new ones, etc.). I'm also starting in on serious deer season prep by ramping up shooting practice, going through trail cams and other gear I need to get ready, brushhogging, etc.

Add in the possibility of a CO elk hunting trip and I have plenty of hunting-related tasks to keep me busy.

[JimPic]

I do alot of fly-fishing,shooting my bows(year-round activity),work around the house,bow fishing,go on a few camping trips.Come September I'll start thinking about hunting

[MUDRUNNER]

I conentrate pretty hard on hunting for 4 or 5 months out of the year,so I give some time to the family in the off season.I still mow and trim and I'll put the cameras out in August,but I really hate hot weather and summer for that matter.I still try and shoot once a week too,but other than that I'm with the family or at the dirt track.

[Doc]

Other than the small amount of computer time that I spend on the hunting forums on the internet each day, I can't say that hunting really enters my mind a whole lot at this time of year. The only exception would be when I have my bow and rifle practice sessions, and the occasional walk/scouting in the woods when the black-fly season is over. There are also some magazines that I subscribe to that will get me thinking strategy and equipment for a brief time. However, the bulk of my time is used enjoying the great weather and other non-hunting activities such as fishing and camping and yard and garden work around the house. There is also some traveling that summer is especially suited to.

Maybe this is a healthy thing. I think there is some value in being diversified in your interests and keeping the extreme interests somewhat confined to their proper seasons so as not to get too narrowed and limited in life's perspectives. I try to experience as many different activities as I am comfortable handling. Summer offers its own rewards, and probably should not be short-changed by being too limited in our interests.

I suspect that a majority of forum members have a similar diversity to their interests, and that probably explains the traditional slow-down in forum activity this time of year. It does seem to be a bit more pronounced this year, but perhaps that is only because more and more people are discovering what summer has to offer.

As an aside, if we do nothing else relative to hunting during these summer months, we should be extra careful in monitoring the activities of those who would try to destroy our hunting or the equipment that we use (guns). That part of our hunting interests should never relax. This would be an excellent time for those political forces to make some real headway while we are distracted. Here in NY, they never seem to take a break. We've had a few things going on with our DEC this spring that has gotten a lot of my attention and required some letter writing campaigns on my part. I always find time for that, no matter what time of year it is.

Doc

[wtnhunt]

Guess I should have posted a poll to go along with this.

Looks like most of us do not really lose interest in hunting at all, but more so have other things going on to occupy us through until the next season rolls around.

[Chrud]

I definately don't lose interest in hunting during the off season. I go on a few ATV rides behind our house and on our hunting ground looking for sign. This year we started some food plots which is entertaining. A lot of our conversations at the tavern on Friday nights after the races are about hunting. It's a year-round focus for us.

[Doc]

Guess I should have posted a poll to go along with this.

Looks like most of us do not really lose interest in hunting at all, but more so have other things going on to occupy us through until the next season rolls around.

That is one of the things that make this question so hard to answer. When we have other non-hunting interests taking over our thinking and activities this time of the year, does that indicate a temporary loss or lessening of interest? I think it does. I know that when hunting season is approaching or actually happening, there are few other thoughts or activities that interfere with my hunting or preparation for hunting. You might say that at that time of year, I lose interest in fishing, camping, yard and garden work, etc.

Doc

[wtnhunt]

When we have other non-hunting interests taking over our thinking and activities this time of the year, does that indicate a temporary loss or lessening of interest?

Temporary is the keyword there Doc in the off season. Dont think anyone in here has any permanent loss of interest in the off season or interest that over time lessens to a degree that they quit thinking about hunting all together. Seems like in your "What's Happening" thread, that was what you were expressing concerns about.

Most likely, what we are seeing is the fact that for most of us, hunting is really a part-time interest. Maybe that trend is becoming a bit more prevalent in more and more forum members. I remember noting a downturn in activity before the change in forum software.

Most of us do have more non-hunting activities going this time of year and while it seems quite a bit more extreme than usual season changes, perhaps it really doesn't signify a long-lasting decline in hunting interest here. I hope not, but I guess time will tell.

Really honestly do not think the summertime lull in activity here is indicating a "long-lasting decline in hunting interest here" as you are suggesting.

[drkillemquick]

Coming off of turkey season, hunting will continue to occupy my mind alot, some scouting, shooting the bow, ground hogs etc. Spend alot more time looking after my property and garden however. The one thing I don when it is nicer out is spend alot more time in the wood shop working on projects.

[BearClaw]

I think about hunting year round. I'm out shooting the bow from a ladder stand in my back yard 3-4 times a week. I'm looking at a new spot to hunt on the private land I hunt, have the camera out and will be out soon to pick out the right tree and do the trimming and cut out a small path to get in quietly. Also checking all my gear, organizing, ordering any spare parts I need. I think part of what I like so much about hunting is the preparing and planning although it's nothing like being on the stand at daybreak! I'm also getting a lot of projects done around the house so I don't feel like I've neglected the place to go hunting.

[JimT]

I fish,geocache,ride my atv, pretty much all of the summer activities. Hunting gets a back seat until September now. I played my first round of golf the other day. My girlfreind cleaned my clock but it was still alot of fun!!! I will be doing that several more times this summer for sure. I need some revenge...