So sat down and wrote a blog post for my site not long ago, and I know some here for sure could or can relate to seasons when they are just filled with "suck" for lack of a better term. Figured I'd share the text here for any that want to read and can relate: When Is Giving Up The Right Step? It's been awhile since I've last penned a blog/article (September 14th), recorded a podcast (September 11th) or shared a video on YouTube outside my buck hunt from this year (September 19th). While I'd love to have some in-depth reasoning for my near silence, truth be told I've been dealing with an intense anger (at first) and extreme exhaustion (came later) with the onslaught of issues which have arose this fall/deer season. There has been numerous times I would sit down to record a podcast or write up a thought...and it would just turn into a hate filled rant about trespassers or issues I shouldn't have to be dealing with. Numerous times this year I came awfully close to packing up my hunting gear, carrying it down to the basement and just being done if I'm brutally honest. I mean truly, where does one go or what does one do if the one refuge they have used for years for their provision of peace and a recharge ceases to offer that? What do you do when you intentionally avoid hunting your own ground just because you didn't want to uncover another case of trespassing or sit there with the surrounding land only serving as a memory of such cases? How do you work past the mental concept of needing to institute a must carry a handgun with you at all times order to your father and yourself, because the man identified that stole half a dozen cameras is a convicted violent felon? Hunting is supposed to be that challenge we look forward to taking on each fall...sure failure happens a lot in it, but it gives back in so many different ways enriching our lives for the better because of it. 2021 however, anything having to do with hunting provided the exact opposite for me. Camera caught me saying a prayer on stand this year (2021) Where release, rest, peace, joy and excitement should have existed only anger, fear, worry, anxiety and hopelessness existed. If it wasn't one of the nine different trespassing occasions, it was issues with landowners...if it wasn't that it was food plot failures or the construction site occurrences right up to the property lines (all legal); disrupting existing bedding off the property and mine which bordered it. The wave upon wave of issues erodes a person's psyche...just two weeks back discovering on a card pull another instance of trespassing confirmed. The end still as I type this doesn't appear to be on the horizon either. Perhaps this is just another example of why I guess many can relate to me. I don't own hundreds of acres, nor is what I do have surrounded by law abiding neighbors...I don't have the equipment or the money which greatly decreases the chance of plot failures....I don't have a property which can handle multiple intrusions due to it's limited acreage size...in short - I'm you to many of you. So with that in mind, let me for a few more minutes speak to you some words and thoughts which I am having to force into my mind and ultimately my heart each day this fall/winter due to everything. Perhaps you have similar issues...or maybe you're facing or presently living in a terrible hunting season for any number of reasons (misses, injured and unrecovered deer, loss of properties). However it is that you find my situation relatable I have four main points you must force yourself to hear and reflect upon: This too shall pass. Such a cliche answer to what seems an insurmountable issue in the moment, but it is true. Whatever it is, I can with certainty say this too shall pass. In time one way or another the issues we face today, will solely belong to the past. Yes, sometimes the fallout from our present troubles can switch or impact our future - but that is a problem for another day, and it is just as likely to be a negative fallout as it is positive. My seven year relationship with a woman whom I was engaged to ended abruptly one day in the parking lot of our church...what appeared to have zero good about it in the moment, became possibly the biggest factor in me becoming who I am today, the husband I am today, the father I am today. If that event had not occurred we may never know if I'd come close to any of the above. I thank God for the event now. Surely if something far more crucial than deer hunting can pass into the past tense, what we face now will as well. We can choose to respond positively or negatively, it truly is in our hands. No one desires to face issues or troubles in life, but ultimately those that see a successful tomorrow are typically the ones that choose to allow events to trigger good actions rather than negative actions. Don't for a second allow the events of today steal the joy of tomorrow, if we must concede any time it is the now - NOT THE FUTURE. Some things just suck, and cannot be presented in any other way, best to declare it, accept it and make a plan from it. Embrace the suck. Just like any aspect in life, as hinted in #2 and #1 - sometimes things are just going to suck. Adapt and overcome are the only options unless we desire it to overcome us and in the end destroy "us" as we are known. This is all part of the journey we are on, embrace it and face it - for you really have no other option but to quit and I promise, that is not what you were made to do. Whatever it is, MAKE it MAKE you stronger. I've seen folks face adversity or life's "suck" moments and let it destroy the person they are and any semblance of strength they had ripped away; be it spiritual, physical or even mental. Don't let the current events weaken you, like a sword forged through fire and the countless tolls of a sledgehammer forming it, allow it to strengthen you - NEVER let it create a worse version of yourself, NEVER. So, 2022 plans are in place and massive efforts will be taken to counter the onslaught of issues the 2021 season and year has dealt out. If more issues are to be had in the future, it will not be due to throwing in the towel and doing nothing - there is work to be done, and done it will be! God Bless and Merry Christmas!
Ty, Forgive me, but I think you are married to your spot. Following along with your posts year to year, I know you have put a ton of time, energy, and money into it and you want to make it work because you made it. It's yours. Problem is, this year it was more work than it was worth. I appreciate and myself felt a lot of what you expressed here this season. Just completely burned myself out on an area that I hunt hard every year but always have at least a couple chances per season...until this year. I was 3/4 of the way through the season before I finally realized I was being crazy to keep after it in those areas. The deer just weren't there this year. Not only was I not seeing deer, I wasn't even seeing any buck sign at all. I realize it's very late in the season, but if you are dead set on hunting still, maybe switch it up and hunt some public. Just get out and cover new ground. If nothing else, you may find sign from this season that gives you a backup next season when the conditions or wind isn't right for your own land, a lucky neighbor or an unlucky car kills your #1, or you are just getting burned out. You got nothing to lose but time, and it might pay off bigly, now or in the future. Worst case scenario you get to go out and take a nice walk in some new territory.
if I am being honest, I personally think there are way too many people hunting today. I know I hear it all the the time, "we need more people hunting" .. well, facebook and other social media outlets have led to a flood of idiots trying to make a name or just be seen 7doing something "cool"... the need for these people to be "someone" over powers all morals and respect. growing up, hunting for me was never about that. we had no social media and there was only a small portion of our society that hunted compared to today. A lot of this I attribute to the "big buck killer" craze and instant gratification of social media. Lots of people hunting today would not if social media did not exist. people are desperate for attention.
I agree, at least where I am located .. after 18yrs of leasing 160 acres of some darn good private land, Ive been relegated back to state land since '16 and it is packed with Elmer Fudd's ... nothing worse than having some 'dude' walking in on you at prime time (esp. carrying a crossthingy), or having a good location ruined by those who dont care about wind or entry to a location or they walk in right on the main deer trails or the best funnels/bottlenecks around (WTF !) (I have trial cam pics of idiots doing this)... it gets very depressing at times believe me .. I work my ass off to find good spots ... thus is state land ... heck, even some private land is over run with these types and trespassers .... as Ive always said, a good day is not if I kill, but if I dont see, hear nor smell another human .. one of the worst things that ever happened to public land is THP/social media warriors .. what dweebs they are .. now, I have met some damn good guys out there, they understand what they are doing, but others need to stay home and watch football or go play golf ..
FTR the main spot with the issues I didn’t hunt till November outside once. Majority of my hunts happened elsewhere this year and thankfully is where I put my two deer on the ground. My piece also only has two spots truly able to hunt depending on winds and that also keeps me out far more than in. That doesn’t mean I’m not always trying to get on new pieces and to boot I have solid knowledge of a public land I’ve hunted some over the years but it is bout hour and half drive and with two year old at home I don’t venture there a ton so I can help momma. Things will change some in 2022 and some of that will hopefully be less issues on the land I own, I add some spots and we can get to hunting my fathers new land. Even if my personal land is starting the end of it being a hunting blessing, I’m appreciate to all it has given me, which since just 2018 is a booner and a near 150 to boot.
Hunting private land isn’t always what it’s made out to be by the public land guys. Just one bad neighbor can really screw up a property. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
yup, been there done that after losing that one 160 acre property, maybe I was spoiled after those years, but myself and a buddy leased a 130 acre chunk down by Wabash, we were limited where we could access, that worked against us, esp. when wind directions were wrong, there was a rock/cement/asphalt 'factory' across from the property to the south/sw and with southerlies, the smell was untolerable and the noise unbearable, sure the deer were 'prolly use to it, we were not !! ... I couldnt stand the smell, let alone the noise with s/sw winds ... then came dogs, and dogs and more f-n dogs, then came trespassers, I blew up on two of 'em after they ruined a great afternoon mid rut sit .. .. I killed a decent buck, a doe, 1 Jake Turkey and a coyote, my buddy got zilch in the two years .. we had some nice deer on cams but it wasnt worth the $$ and the headaches and the 100 mile oneway drive for me ... after two years we said enough ... I'll deal with the public land,at least it is 'free' so to speak ..
It seems like like people trespassing, poaching, stealing, and vandalizing is worse nowadays than it used to be. I’ve had incidents involving all of them. But people always say the past was better. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
Well said. I hear a lot of people now say they are turning deer hunting into more work than it is worth. Just go hunt and enjoy the day.
Sometimes it’s hard to “just enjoy the day”. This fall I was hunting a piece of private like I have for the past 10 years or so. Parked my truck in the same spot along a county road, just like the past 10 years. This morning, I hear a racket down by my truck, parked by a low water crossing. Figure some moron ran off the crossing. Couple hours later, I get to the truck, unload my gear and start the truck. WTH! Look under the truck only to find the catalytic converter has been sawed off. Now a spot that I’ve enjoyed hunting and have taken several nice bucks off of, is tainted. I’ll put out some cameras next year in hopes of catching the dirtbag, but I’ll be nervous about hunting that spot. I understand.
I can somewhat relate, not from a tresspasser standpoint and dealing with someone lifting cameras, etc., but from a burn out stand point, and just not enjoying my time in the field as much as I should be. I have a piece of property that typically always holds a shooter or two every season. Many times, its really a matter of using intel and putting time on stand to seal the deal. What I've found, over the last 10 years is my success rate on said bucks has dwindled dramatically. They're on the property a lot, I'm just not able to be there when they are. Work commitments, family, etc., have allowed me one day, maybe two days, per week to hunt. So I've gotten a bit frustrated and if I'm being honest, a little unmotivated to hunt anywhere but this piece of ground. Its gotten mundane, boring, etc. I know where the deer travel and know the property so well I really don't need to scout it, move stands, etc. I just do the same thing, over and over, year and year. Enter the last couple of seasons. Something has changed there. The deer are there in early season, but once late October hits, it starts to thin out. I'm lucky to see a deer or two per sit during the rut some days, and other days, they're everywhere with not much rhyme or reason to it. Getting up and going to the woods is a chore, I'm not enjoying it like I used to. Not seeing deer will do that to you. It feels like something near and dear to me was stolen. But, because i'm a grinder and somewhat bullheaded, I forge on, doing what I always do, with the same dismal results. After this year, I've decided drastic changes are in order. I need a challenge, I need a sense of adventure in my hunting again. So, with my two best friends, who are in the same boat on ground they hunt quite a bit, decided that starting this winter, we're going to scout and hunt large tracts of public hunting land. PA is blessed with millions of acres of game lands, many which harbor some true giants. You just have to find them, pattern them, and hunt them down. Its a big challenge and probably will end in unfilled tags for a while. But..... its different, its exciting to us and hopefully will reinvigorate what hunting should be about for me. The thrill of the hunt and time spent in the outdoors. Fred Bear style if you will. My point is, don't let setbacks ruin and stop you from doing what you're passionate about. We all go through things, its life. Sometimes you do need to step away for a bit, reset yourself and think about why you hunt, what is most important to you in terms of hunting and make a drastic change to find it. As for your issue with the tresspasser, thats a tough one man. I think I understand the issue here and I can't say I blame you. But at the end of the day, do you really want to let this guy do whatever he wants? Hang in there man. I'm sure you'll figure it out and things will get better.
@muzzyman88 oh I'm a blessed man despite all of this 100% - that truth has never changed. So the trespassing issues have been plenty this year (over a dozen separate events) but yeah the one guy that stole cameras and was there a handful of times is for sure getting charges filed IF law can ever track him down. Ever since he got out of jail the last time he seems to be all over the place with no tracking spot he is living. He lives off crime and honestly as the officer said could be dead given the circles he runs in and no one knows yet. Having re-hung cameras higher and the fact he no doubt was looking for a quick dollar for a drug fix, I suspect he won't venture back - at least not often. The other incidences I've gotten confirmed identities and we will say have had heart to heart conversations with them except for one...which I'm confronting whom we suspect it was this next week with the pictures and hoping for full confession and issuance of no trespass warning at minimum for future. Either way, this all isn't going to take me out of the game of hunting - it may change it dramatically or cause decisions to be made now that wouldn't have been prior, but I fully plan on it all taking the amazing gift hunting is for sure!
Right on man. I know how dealing with BS on property can suck the life out of your hunting in so many ways. I used to hunt a lot of some ground that the the neighbor used to try messing with my sits and such. He hunted too and if there was a good buck in the area, he would mess my sits up so he was sure I wouldn't get him. Got old and I moved on even though the property is really good. Its not worth the hassle.
I stopped being angry with all the trespassing...I now enjoy the aspects of the situation. It feeds my inner demon and yes , I embrace that. Revenge does not need to be all consuming it can be creative and even fun a chess match of sorts. When I hunt And many have seen me write this, I hunt not just game but illegal hunters as well. I have actually made some pretty funny memories doing so. I have enjoyed making obsticals for them. Popping out of the dark to scare them. Watching as they get ticketed or arrested. Listening to them beg,whine and try to lie their way out of being caught. Everything in life is a game,everything. We can sometimes choose to be winners.
