Just wanted to ask if any of you have ever come close to hanging it up and quit bowhunting. What was the reason: Health Finances Rule/law changes Time restraints/commitments Other Feel free to elaborate on your response...
Yep! I have. In the past I spent more time looking for land to hunt then I did hunting... Wasn't even fun anymore. I then fished exclusively for several years.
I love it to death. It does frustrate the crap out of me and I wish sometimes that I could hang it up, would save me sooooooooo much money. I hate that I know Im doing something wrong but have no clue what it is or how to fix it, since for some reason the deer wont answer my email asking how they know what tree Im in. And I hate that this target panic runs my archery life and seems to hit me twice as hard as I get excited before season. But, if I didn't love it, these things wouldn't bother me. So even when it is mentally draining and results are down, I cant walk away from something I so clearly love.
I didnt quit bowhunting, just when my girls were born, I didnt have the time , never turned down a second of over time, so all I did was work!! Now that my girls are older, for the past 3 seasons it has been better than I remembered!! I will NEVER ever stop bowhunting until the Lord Above takes my last breath from me!! PS: I stopped for about 10 years as they grew up!!
After both of my back surgeries I was worried I would have to stop bowhunting due to the injuries and damage to my back. But never in over 30 years have I thought I was done with bowhunting and wanted to quit.
Both times it was health related. After my rattlesnake bite when I was still unsure if I would keep my leg, I thought I would be unable to hunt. And when I tore my shoulder the moronic ER doctor said I wouldn't be able to shoot my bow again. After PT I was shooting 3 weeks later! Both times it was very brief Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Nope, I don't plan on it and hope I ever have to. I imagine one day health/age will take its toll but even if I have to switch using a crossbow I will.
Having a son who is now eight months old is making me make sure that I do not neglect him by hunting all the time. I really appreciate you sharing the story of what you did for your family. When it comes down to it, if I have to make a similar decision, I hope I'll make the same one. As it stands right now, I'm blessed being a minister (we only work one day a week, right?! ) and I have a flexible schedule that will allow me to hunt and spend time with my family.
I hear ya, just moved to Kansas and it can be hard finding a good place to hunt. Hope to save up some money and maybe buy a little land someday. That way my family can get some enjoyment out of it to because it is something we own. But it can sure be discouraging, especially for younger hunters.
My husband and I don't want to do anything else. We don't take big vacations or have all kinds of toys, so for us it's hunting and will be until we physically can't or just don't want to...
Nope. It's the only thing in my life that I've always been nutty about. I've had other hobbies/pursuits that I went after hard for varying lengths of time but bowhunting is the only one that's never faded away for me. Since moving to the midwest it's only gotten worse for me.
I have no desire to hang it up and can't imagine I ever will. I didn't grow up deer hunting and didn't start bow hunting until about 8 years ago or so. It's still a new game to me. I make time for other things too, the key is to try and maintain a good balance between all the strings that are pulling at you in life.
Never wanted to hang it up, but circumstance seemed to decide for me for many years. Lack of land, lack of money, lack of time, lack of ability do to injury. It seems like now, life has stabilized so I shouldn't have any of those issues, except maybe injury, to stupid to realize I am not 25 anymore.
I won't hang up until after I am dead. Although, I have cut back a little to better balance time with my family. But my son is now old enough to start going with me going more often.
I quit for three years in a row for several reasons. 1. I was back into row crop ag and just didn't have time. 2. The last day I spent bow hunting, I was sitting in a favorite stand hunting a 150" double throat patch ten pointer. The wind switched as he walked in and he came from a different angle than I anticipated over a pond dam at eye level with me and busted me. I had taken off work and should have been cutting corn that afternoon so I shirked my duties to hunt that buck and then lost him due to stupid circumstances, corn price dropped the next day and I lost a few thousand dollars. 3. Given the first two circumstances and the fact that I had been a bow hunter since 8 years old with more deer than I could literally remember killing, I figured the heck with it and quit and didn't even have an urge to pick my bow up out of it's case for three years. It was literally the best thing I could have done for my hunting libido. In 2013 I got the urge finally to get back into it and into managing deer. Bought all new gear and have been happier with hunting than I was in the five years prior to taking the break.
I quit for a few years when I lost my hunting partner. Just didn't have the drive anymore. Started again for 4 or 5 years and had lots of success and fun. Now I'm not going out for the second year in a row due to some health issues. Time will tell if I get it going again or not.. Still checking in here every day though. Still enjoy hearing how you all are doing. I especially enjoy the trail cam pics. Keep em coming!
I have been bowhunting for 41 yrs. now. I'm 60yrs. old now. About 3yrs. back I took up self filming my hunts cuz my time to hunt is winding down due to injuries and age. I wanted to have some memories on film to savor when I can no longer get out. The desire has been there my whole life, some yrs. even hunting four states. I have been lucky with my job and have been able to hunt some part of every day during deer season. I use my whole vacation… 6wks to hunt also. I just wish I had another 41 yrs. to continue this passion.
