BEEF Posted November 1, 2009 Report Share Posted November 1, 2009 Stinger i know how you feel , The last three years i have had to lease ground . It is very costly but in order for me to keep hunting the ground i have for years. it had to be done or lose it. The last two years have been tuff with the crops being out late and this year who knows when they will get out ,another 3 in of rain here friday. The older i get and the cost goinging through my head while i sit there kinda has been getting me down too. Pre rut here is just starting and sign is picking up and i have the week off to hunt all week and wouldnt you know it im getting a cold and feel like crap!!! Just cant win but i did go out this morning and stuck a nice doe. Im staying home tomorrow and lay on the couch and hope to get better and keep that damn cough away and be back in the tree monday morning. Im not going to tell you what to do but alot of guys on here have said to take a break and give it some time and then see how you feel . I think thats what you should do . Looking at your pics you love to hunt and you know how to do it. You will miss it in time. Good luck in what ever you do . Beef Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILAntlrAddct Posted November 1, 2009 Report Share Posted November 1, 2009 Man..I dont see how you can give it up so easy. I know it would be difficult to make that 2hr drive everytime but hunting is not a passion for me its an addiction. The same addiction nicotine is to people who smoke, just like everything else it has its highs and lows but thats why they call it HUNTING and not killing. The last thing I would ever do is give it up & sell everything, I will be with it until the end (when I can no longer do it anymore) I think you would regret in the long run if you did:hammer1: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted November 1, 2009 Report Share Posted November 1, 2009 keep your stuff, you'll only get a fraction of what you paid for it, only to want to pick it back up again soon. Hopefully you'll find conditions in the future that will let you enjoy it again. 2 hours one way stinks, but lots of folks do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly Posted November 1, 2009 Report Share Posted November 1, 2009 I hope I never get to the point you're at. Sorry to hear of your frustration. Rushing into anything when emotions are high is a bad idea. A lot of people will be ready to take advantage of your weak point and buy your stuff for next to nothing. At least wait a while and if you still want to give it up at least you'll be in a better frame of mind to get a fair deal for your gear. So many things you could do to mix things up and add some flavor to the hunt! Find a buddy to hunt with. Start door knocking and see if you can gain permission for a place closer to home. Honestly, I live in IL. and although it is tough, it is not impossible. Most people just say the typical line (no one will let me hunt) but in reality they have only asked a couple. I'll likely never lease or own land because supporting my family comes first. I find a way and you can to. Send me a PM if interested in hearing about some things I do to make it more enjoyable and less frustrating. BTW... I've been out 13 times since October 1st. I've harvested one button buck, seen about 6 does, and one six pointer. About half of the 13 hunts I have not seen one deer and I still have a blast! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
earnhardts12000 Posted November 1, 2009 Report Share Posted November 1, 2009 don't quit just waite till rut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muleyman Posted November 1, 2009 Report Share Posted November 1, 2009 Man, I've got to agree with this. That would be like quiting living for me. It's not my hobby, it's my passion. I look forward to hunting season all year, and sometimes drag it out on purpose just to make it last longer. It sounds like your not just giving up bow-hunting but hunting altogether. Man, I just am having a hard time understanding that, and feel bad for you. Hunting teaches you something that is very important in life, and that is patience. Hey, if your having problems judging distance, put out some ribbon markers. It sure did help me a lot. Where there's a will, there's a way. Hang on to your gear, take a break, but remember the rut is just about to kick in. I agree. I live to hunt. I wait all year for 2 moths of bowhunting and a couple of weeks for rifle season an yotr hunting. The rut is coming soon and that will show you that you don't want to give up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWSmith Posted November 1, 2009 Report Share Posted November 1, 2009 Do what you want to do...just wish you had decided to quit back when I had some money left over to spend it on your gear...LOL Just do something differently! Take someone along and try to teach them what you know...it's the best way to ground yourself back to the basics and be successful again. As far as your hunting gear...we all probaby have enough gear that if someone needs something we got it covered. I still dont use everything I have now, dont know where all of it is, but I could just about outfit someone(actually about 3-4 people...lol) completely with my extra gear so theres no reason for me to quit...when I could be taking someone with me that has never enjoyed what I know is out there. A different set of eyes may be all you need...see it all over again through their eyes;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urb10er Posted November 4, 2009 Report Share Posted November 4, 2009 Sorry to hear man, hunting is so much more than filling a tag. It's about peace and quiet, it's about seeing the woods come to life, it's about seeing all of Gods creation in perfect harmony. I hope you'll reconsider. Best of luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urb10er Posted November 4, 2009 Report Share Posted November 4, 2009 Sorry to Hear Sorry to hear man, hunting is so much more than filling a tag. It's about peace and quiet, it's about seeing the woods come to life, it's about seeing all of God's creation in perfect harmony. I hope you'll reconsider, Best of Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom2008 Posted December 16, 2009 Report Share Posted December 16, 2009 (edited) well i guess you didn't quit Edited December 16, 2009 by Tom2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doubledrop Posted December 16, 2009 Report Share Posted December 16, 2009 I hope you reconsider. everything that can go wrong during a hunt is part of it. maybe just give it a break for a while, but i would hold off on selling everything juust yet. yoy do not want to regret it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canine48 Posted January 4, 2010 Report Share Posted January 4, 2010 We've all been there I cant tell you haw many times I've been in a treestand freezing my a$$ off, not seeing any deer and wonder why I took up this sport. As I climb down and walk back half frozen to the truck thinking I should have taken up a more civil sport like golf or chess club, I say...tomorrow, I'm hunting the other stand...........:hammer1: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
125py Posted January 6, 2010 Report Share Posted January 6, 2010 dang 2 hrs is a long drive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
double_H Posted January 6, 2010 Report Share Posted January 6, 2010 hmmm. can't say i've ever thought of quitting but what i am hearing is frustration, not lack of desire (the only real reason to quit). problem with quitting out of frustration is the intact desire leads to regret. may i suggest a couple things if you decide you haven't 'quit'? 1) stop trying so hard. i can out walk/work most of my friends but i've learned that doesn't always make me more successful 2)Stop measuring your success in dead animals-seeing a big buck should be worth something, even if he is out of range (at least you didn't throw a hail mary). do it when/where you can and lower you expectations. i guarantee you will be pleasantly suprized. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m gardner Posted January 7, 2010 Report Share Posted January 7, 2010 Hunting is what I am; not what I do. I've never been tempted to quit. I have had to choose between a wife and hunting and she's married to someone else now because I didn't change. So far this year I've spent at least 5 weeks bowhunting. I bought archery tags that had lots of time for the seasons but low percentages of success just so I could be out more. I could've shot several deer and ended some seasons early but passed and had more time. I did shoot one nice buck. I don't commute much I just go camp for weeks. My boss understands and makes allowances or else he has to try to find a replacement, which he knows he can't do. When I retire soon I'll live in my tent with my wife and we'll travel and hunt together. She's crazy about the outdoors too. It's not about getting something to show off to your friends or a contest. It's just a wonderful place to be. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearClaw Posted January 7, 2010 Report Share Posted January 7, 2010 I laid off flyfishing for awhile because it wasn't fun anymore. The more I fished and the harder I fished the less I caught. (same principle). I stepped back for awhile until I could refocus. I needed to put the fun back into fishing. It wasn't about the catch (although that's reallwhy we go) it was about the experience. Once I relaxed I started catching fish again! Been there ever since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riverBottom Posted January 7, 2010 Report Share Posted January 7, 2010 I get like you from time to time, I've found that if I just take a break that does the trick. It begins to wear on a person the long trips to the woods without seeing anything. I know its not just about the kill, but I've been 14 consecutive trips to the woods without seeing a single deer. I can definitely relate, but don't give up. At the very least take some time off, keep your stuff just in case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted January 8, 2010 Report Share Posted January 8, 2010 It's interesting to read all the responses to this post. Most every one of them express some level of incredulity and respond as to how dedicated to hunting they are and how they could never quit. Well, don't be so shocked. This scenario is and has been replayed many times all over the U.S., and yes, people are burning out and moving on. I don't think it is really all that uncommon looking at the continually falling numbers of hunters. And while for the most part, people that participate in these hunting forums are most likely more hardcore in their hunting dedication, the fact is that the vast majority of hunters are not. The fact is that a lot of my hunting and shooting equipment has come from other burned out hunters that did indeed throw in the towel and get rid of all of their equipment, never to return. It happens many times every day. This kind of a post does not shock or surprise me. It's just a little slice of reality. Doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Kat Posted January 8, 2010 Report Share Posted January 8, 2010 Real hunters never quit....it's in their blood and they can't help but go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted January 8, 2010 Report Share Posted January 8, 2010 Real hunters never quit....it's in their blood and they can't help but go. Think this is true.:yes: Have said I was quitting bowhunting before and after this season it would seem I should probably have good reason. Seems me and killing deer with the bow are just not meant to be, things just never seem to quite come together for whatever reason, but I love shooting the bow and love being out there taking everything in. May hear me say I am ready to give up out of frustration, but I always end up back out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hatetomiss Posted January 8, 2010 Report Share Posted January 8, 2010 sorry to hear that ,i said that once i was going to quit it only lasted 2 weeks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted January 9, 2010 Report Share Posted January 9, 2010 Real hunters never quit....it's in their blood and they can't help but go. Well, maybe that's true if only we could define what a REAL hunter is. We probably all have our own idea of just what that is. All I know is that we need ALL the hunters and then some whether they are real, fake, make-believe, hardcore, softcore, full-time, part-time, whole season hunters or just weekend hunters. If we are losing ANY hunters, we need to pay attention and become concerned. That is not a real good time to be trying to separate out who is real and who is not. We have all kinds of hunters afield every year that represent all kinds of levels of dedication to the sport. Each one of them represents numbers which translate into political power. Those numbers and that political power is shrinking daily to the point where hunters already are not being taken very seriously as a political entity. I personally find no comfort in declaring that some small percent of us will never voluntarily quit. That in effect is saying that we don't believe we need the others. Well, we do. Doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDog Posted January 11, 2010 Report Share Posted January 11, 2010 sorry to here that. Hunting can be very hard at times, but thats why they call it hunting, I drive a good 2 hours to hunt as well, I went 3 years with out getting a deer untill this season and I killed 5 deer all with my bow. Never once did I consider quiting, I live to hunt. I hope you make the right decision, and don't regret it later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stinger-Hunter Posted January 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 FYI - I didn't stop hunting. I was venting. Although I meant it at the time. Here is what happened: After a dreadful season, I went out to a small private lot where I am the only person with permission to hunt. I walked out and it was a little flooded. I had to walk through a bit of water to get to the high-spot. As I took my 4th step, Kerplunge! Up to my waist in sewage water at 40 degrees outside temperature. This put a big damper on my morning. I walked back to the car and didn't have my usual change of clothes and it was too late (sun-up) to walk back. I went to some public land wearing underwear, camoflauge overalls and my hunting jacket. Didn't see a doe. Just frustrated, that's all. I have maybe one or two more hunting days left in the Illinois season. It ends on Sunday - so I'll hopefully be going out in the next couple of days again. Thanks for the kind words Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
backwoodsbowhunter Posted January 16, 2010 Report Share Posted January 16, 2010 keep going i drive and hour to my farm to hunt and i know its frustrating at times iv drove out there about to go out before i realize i had forgotton my release lol i know its rough but i live for it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.