Even though I don’t really like the term and don’t consider myself a “trophy” hunter, I do probably fall into the generally accepted definition of one. That said- “Trophy” hunting hasn’t provided me with any more (or less) fun than I had when I just hunted any buck. The only change in enjoyment is AFTER being successful. I am MUCH happier to get a big buck, than any buck, but the journey is still enjoyable both ways. Maybe its because for me, other than a small difference in stand choice selection, the only difference that makes me a “trophy” hunter is just NOT shooting something that doesn’t qualify to me. I don’t really put too much more effort into things, I just shifted my focus & tactics here & there. I do think that if I poured some of the money & effort that some of you guys do into hunting, it would make it WAY too much like work & I’d hate it.
That, is not hunting to me. (Hanging in the back yard is kinda different) I see what you are trying to get at about hunting the same set though. As long as I was on my "hunting" property, and not in my back yard, I could deal with it. There are a lot of ways to hunt deer I guess Jeff. Let me know when you get to the end.
I ruined the fun of trophy hunting when I started to think of it as trophy killing. Once I woke myself up to the reality that I don't have to kill something to still have a great time, then I was right back in the mix. Trophy hunting is definitely fun. It keeps me in the woods longer, it challenges me to a great extent, and it gives me a great sense of accomplishment when I succeed. It only became not fun for a short time when I lost sight of what was important to me.
Not in my backyard, but if I could hunt a certain tree every year in my woods and for some reason it was money, ALWAYS producing me a xxx" deer if I put in the time each year, HECK YEA I would keep hunting that tree. Anyone who knows of such trees, I would love the GPS cordinates. I understand there are ways of changing it up, and other animals to pursue..trust me, they are more my goals than the above...but I would never say takin a buck with the bow will get boring. Heck we only get 1 buck tag per year, a once a year deal is never monotonous enough for me to bore from it, provided I like it in the first place. Just like bowfishing, EVERY single fish..all the same...but it is still fun, time after time, to go out and fill a barrel full of stinky slimy carp. NEVER gets old. I could shoot 1000 fish in a 3 day span, and if someone asked me to go on the 4th day, I'd be packin the boat.
This is true Jeff. I intend to try some different ways myself. My end result will be to have fun, take deer, fill my freezer, teach my kids, and all this while still holding a full-time job and being on call, taking care of my home/property, church, etc., my wife, and at the same time I will never bore of any of it. That is just me though. I will probably continue to pursue the wild hogs on my property as well as (maybe) one day try to tag an Elk. Other than that, I will always be satisfied just getting out there and chasing them with my bow(s). LAEq
Ryan personally I find it fun trophy hunting. I get so many more encounters with Deer im not interested in taking and it just makes it enjoyable wich in turn = fun!!
While I'm not what I would consider a trophy hunter, I certainly agree with some of what has been said here. Hunting should be a personal thing, and doing what YOU enjoy. I think there's plenty of "trophy" hunters who get plenty of enjoyment out of targeting mature monster bucks. There are also those who become pressured to fit a mold that is represented on many of today's hunting shows. I just enjoy being out, and I will always try to up the challenge a bit by raising my standards, but that certainly may not be every hunter's cup of tea, so to speak, and that's perfectly fine with me.
Without reading others responses... mind you.. so this could have been said already. I can't see where fun would be taken out of anything when someone wishes to excel at anything.. deer hunting included. Only time or way I could see that happening is when someone puts more pressure on themselves in general.. but that's usually only caused by a want to show off or "prove themselves". I LOVE to hunt. Period. Truth be told.. I have less than 20 kills over my 13 years in bowhunting. Do the math.. that's less than 2 per year average.. but it's MY decision. Each year I routinely let some 30-40 animals walk.. and I always did. Always did it my way.. and always will. In fact.. I doubt that before I pass on to the next life I will have more than 40 kills.. maybe FAR less. Don't care. I seek older deer for the challenge of knowledge. The challenge of knowing what is.. behavior.. ETC. So that one day.. when my child wishes to hunt.. I can answer with truth.. and maybe put together a real book on how to REALLY approach hunting. Not all the mumbo-jumbo I always read. As far as tips to keep it interesting.. Hunt with people.. friends.. family.. whatever. I have met so many good people over the years through this whole bowhunting thing.. and that never gets old. So my advice to those who have taken the fun out.. MEET OTHER HUNTERS. Let's all hug now.
You were with JZ Sunday who knows what you caught, lol No hugs! I just plain have a blast hunting. My favorite hunt last year was when it was pouring rain, you know the kind where it goes sideways. I was trying out that tree umbrella and it worked great and I thought it was cool being out in that. I use to stay home in that stuff. T
I've been trophy hunting for two years now. I haven't had any luck sticking the big boy, but i've seen them a bunch. I only Trophy hunt till the rut, then i always take a "nice" buck. This year I got a nice 9 point on a great hunt. He had broken off 3 points fighting and was only about 17.5 wide. Still, it was a trophy hunt!!!
That buck defined hunting for me. Growing up, this buck was displayed on the stairway going down to the basement, a place I spent a lot of time as a kid. Even before I went hunting for the first time, I thought this is what I thought would make me happy as a hunter. As much as people kid, bucks like my dad's pictured above don't grow behind every tree here in IL. This really shaped my "trophy" buck attitude and what would define "trophy" in my world. The sad part is, even my first buck ever, which was a promising 2 1/2 year old, was "just" a decent buck in my mind. No one really congratulated me. No one really said, man, that is a great first buck. Instantly, it wasn't a buck I was proud of. I felt guilty for cutting it's life short with it having so much potential. That is the way I felt when I shot it, that is the way I still feel today. No disrespect for the animal, just a heavy heart of what he could have been. With a bow, my definition of what will make me happy is a mature animal. Some say, just get that first bowkill under your belt. I respect that, I understand how much harder it is to kill deer with a bow. It isn't about big racks, it's more surrounding the fact I don't want a released arrow causing me to feel guilty or less accomplished, especially when you only have some many "firsts" in life. I don't want my first bow buck to be a "just".....I want to feel proud, happy, and satisfied.
I have been working backwards for the past two years. I started out with a good bit of luck as a new hunter and was able to get into bucks that were considered to be pretty dang big for my area. I honestly thought that I just had a knack for it, but over the past several years I realized that it was alot of luck. The hunting in my area has become much more difficult and holding out for those same deer was really bringing my enjoyment level down. I would sit on stand knowing that the chances of "that buck" coming past was slim and it really wore on me. Since then, I have still passed up bucks, hell, the first week of the season last year I passed up the biggest buck that I had got on my game camera. It had nothing to do with antler size, it had everything to do with wanting my season to last longer. I am getting back to my roots and just enjoying my time in stand, knowing that any day could be the day that I send an arrow through a deer. It could be the first buck I see, the biggest buck, the smallest buck, the oldest buck, the youngest buck.....doesn't matter to me, all that matters is that the timing is right and I am happy with it. I really missed those days when I was 14 and I could sit in stand for two weeks straight knowing that "it was gonna happen". I got too caught up in timing and putting too much effort into it, instead of just enjoying it.
To me, the act of going hunting is akin to sticking the last piece in a jigsaw puzzle. A sometimes-anticlimactic end to an emotionally-exhausting experience. The whole time you're putting a puzzle together, you anticipate how great it's going to feel to slide that last cardboard cutout into the slot - it's what motivates you. Just envisioning the perfect fit, then softly wiping the cardboard shavings from the finished product. You want to see the fruit of your labor in final draft. But, when the time comes to pop that last piece in there - you invariably hesitate for a second, an inexplicable reluctance to bring closure to the chaos that you so enjoyed. During that brief hesitation, you pause to reflect on the journey. Was it worth it? What happens next? You realize that you drove to a destination, but don't know what to do when you finally got there. You snap it in anyway. "Click." ________________________________________________________________________________________________ That brings me to my point. Scouting, not actually hunting, is really what greases my wheels. I like putting the puzzle together more than I like snapping in the last piece. I have more "fun" shedding, spotting, glassing and scouting than I ever have sitting in a treestand. Don't get me wrong - that one moment is why I'm out there, but to put all your chips in just that one stack would be to lose sight of the forest for the trees. When you think about it - you may soak 75-200 hours into just climbing trees and sitting there - waiting. Freezing... Waiting some more. Sometimes it happens fast. Sometimes it takes all year. No matter when it happens, it only last a few good seconds. If you're hunting under tight time constraints, you're lugging the weight of the world on your back everytime you climb. There is no margin for error. No mulligans. No excuses. On the other hand, a nice day in March, wandering the hills looking for sheds is a relaxing experience. No pressure. Constant sensory overload. More akin to an elementary school field trip than a day in the rut stand. Same thing with a nice evening drive to glass fields or shine for deer. You and your favorite CD swimming through the speakers. Just the way you like it. Hunting really is a chess match. And just like a good chess game, when the pawns are still lined-up at the starting line, each move seems to matter a whole lot less. It's not rare to see the occasional smile. Conversely, when the winds of November start to blow, you're one move away from being in-check, those moments of happiness and splendor are a distant memory. All of a sudden, everything matters, and all those pawns that cashed-out 6, 8 months ago - are constantly salting your wounds. The 3:15 ring of the alarm clock reminds you everyday that you are failing. You begin doubting yourself. Second-guessing your moves. Overthinking. Tension. Invariably, your hard work finally pays off and you trip the trigger. "Click." And the game ends. And a new one begins. I don't even know where I was going with that. Wherever it was, I hope it made sense to somebody.
Fran You had me right up to the chess game. To me it is more like checkers. You find a spot to hopefully kill him.... he shows up in another spot. You move to that spot... he shows up in the first spot you hunted. You find the perfect spot to kill him going to either spot... and some damn duck/goose hunter wrecks it for you. Ok maybe not checkers but you get the picture. LOL I shed hunt and scout to find certain bucks to hunt. It's what I love to do. The journey is fun and sometimes flustrating but I wouldn't change any of it. You take the hunt to them. It isn't trophy hunting to me... just hunting. Tim
