As much as I would love to feel it... We were just put on overtime including Saturdays, I leave home at 5:45am and return at 6:30pm....and 1/2 day Saturday, leaving Friday(8hr day) & saturday evenings my only two opportunities to hunt. I've never been so limited... But I'm thankful for the extra money, the timing just sucks, and makes me feel like I'm forced into a off year.
I have been having the same feelings lately and I think a lot of it has been due to the warm temps. It's hard to get in the mood to hunt when the highs are in the 70's. It's supposed to be cooling down tonight so that may help. Also, I decided that I would not hunt as hard as I did last year. I logged 266 hours in the woods last deer season...that's 11 full days of hunting! I enjoyed it but it sure did wear on me. I'm looking forward to a season where I don't feel like I need to be out there every free chance I get. It's working so far but I forsee me hitting it hard when the rut rolls around. I put waaay too much stress on myself to kill at least one buck every year. I just want to enjoy this season with no expectations.
Off year for me too.... Our season Starts right around September 15th every year, and every year, I am in a tree for every night for the first 3 weeks. This year I have been in a tree 6 times! Part of it may be I already have a doe in the freezer, (shot her on my 5th sit this year). And my hunting spot is only about 15 acres, and I decided after I got my doe, I would just let it rest until closer to the rut. But it also seems like this year I have so much going on that I just dont have the time to get out. Closer to Halloween, I will hit it hard!!!
It seems everyone is saying they are too busy to get out, but for me it is the opposite. When I was busy in life I would hunt every chance I got. Now as I get older and life is slowing down and I have tons of free time, I find myself finding any excuse not to hunt. Don't know if it's laziness or burnout. I think about bowhunting all the time, but when it comes time to actually hunt it is becoming a bit of a chore, kind of a been there, done that kind of feeling. Maybe taking a year off would re-spark the fire.
Good responses. Again deer or no deer, it's more a lack of motivation. Went out tonight and enjoyed myself. No deer, but I just relaxed. Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S4.
Matt, you are good dude. I am going to be cheesy for a minute. I get those feelings a few times each hunting season. I feel like I am burdening my family by "wasting" money on hunting and from being away from my loved ones. At that point I start losing the hunting edge. Here is what I do and I have probably said it before.....I just quite worrying about all the small details. I just hunt. I drink some coffee, eat some twinkies, do whatever. And JUST HUNT. I turn off the micro-managing part of my brain and forget about scrutinizing every last detail of my hunt. It works for me. LETS hunt this year together Matt! I will be in PA from Nov 7th-17th. I got some pretty good public land near my house and you are more than welcome to spend the night(s). No stress if you can't or just want to hunt at home. Brett
Early season hunting often has me feeling like this unless I have a big shooter buck patterned well enough to think I have a legit shot at killing him early season. If I'm out early season and don't have much on camera, then I don't really expect much and don't feel as into it. Once the rut hits and I know every time I go out I have a chance to see a good buck, then I get excited and focused and have no problem sitting in the stand all day. The "feeling" will come!
I haven't even been out hunting yet this year which is not normal for me. I haven't shot my bow much either. I bought a house 6 weeks ago and have been busy with projects around home. So it has taken longer for me to get into the hunting frame of mind this year. But I will be getting up to the hunting land quite a bit in November and I'm really looking forward to it.
Here is what I do and I have probably said it before.....I just quite worrying about all the small details. I just hunt. I drink some coffee, eat some twinkies, do whatever. And JUST HUNT. I turn off the micro-managing part of my brain and forget about scrutinizing every last detail of my hunt. It works for me. This is the smartest thing I have heard all day!!!! Sometimes I think that we have gotten away from the "Hunting" part of it... We worry too much about the little things, the wind, scent, camo pattern......... Sometimes it just takes the fun out of it.
Our season is just getting up to speed here. I've only had two sits so far and both were in 70+ degree temps. It just doesn't feel like hunting season here for me. It's all about putting things into perspective and priorities in line. Sometimes, other things are far more important and hunting has to take a back seat for a season. That's ok. I'm gearing up for my Ohio hunt min two weeks so hunting here in PA seems to be the last thing on my min for some reason... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free
I didn't have an "off" year, per se, but I do feel like I left some on the table. Being my first year out, I set my standards pretty low, but was still disappointed at the end of season. I've gone through that "woe is me, I didn't fill my tag" phase and have started to prepare for next year. I do agree with some of the other posts, you just have to hunt. Sit and listen, focus on the moment.
