What happened to just hunting? Do you miss just hunting?

I agree, but at what point does the analyzing take away from the hunt itself? I don't think many people are going to just find a tree in the dark and throw up a stand unless their is some sign of deer activity, but after you have located the sign, the analyzing of the why/when/how/who made it comes into play.

Thats what I'm talkin about Steve (should have worded my first post better), but the size of the animal doesn't matter, its more or less the analyzing of the situation. If there is a big buck in the area, and their is sign, hunt the area. I just see it kinda depressing to analyze that sign in search of answers to questions instead of just being excited to find the sign. Back when I was 12, if I found a big rub in the woods I didn't think "what was the age of this buck, where is his bedding area, and what is his role in the herd dynamics, yadda yadda yadda", I was just pumped to see it.

Like I said, I am guilty of it, and I know that I will continue to be, but I do miss those days of being young and easily excited by just the presence of deer/sign. I kinda miss the days when I would go "scouting" just to watch the deer instead of trying to study their movements. I miss sitting in stand just watching the deer and being happy, not wondering why they are moving where they are and why they are moving at that time.

 

I love everything I do when it comes to hunting if I didn't I would stop.

 

Its hard to ignore ones instincts though. When I see good sign im always thinking about how it plays into the big picture. Its not that I dont get excited, because god knows that I do.

 

Hunting is about putting yourself in a situtation to get lucky. I am hear to say, it's hard work to get lucky in hunting. IMO it's well worth it, but I do get BM point and I am working on keeping in simple this year. Which does not mean less work, just a different approach.

Pretty sure BP point was about just enjoy the moment and not get all caught up in the chase. There is a speacial spirit in hunters, we all need to make sure we protect hutning. Just like USGA protects golf, we need to make sure bowhunting remains pure.

I think that is what BM was getting at, but W-T-F do I know

 

I do "just hunt". I hunt on the ground alot, often w/o a ground blind. I have been known to just sit on a stump :D. Alot of it depends on where I am hunting and what time of year it is. Pre rut and rut....I'm hunting a spot that I think maximizes my chances of seeing/killing a big buck. Other times of the year I may hunt in an area I just think "looks good". My job and life stress me out enough, I try to keep my hunting slow paced and enjoyable.

 

OVER analysis is certainly not a requirement of being successful(as defined as killing your intended target)

Some thought however is good to have. I don't think anyone here who takes a day to "just hunt" is going to go to a crappy spot. Whether I am executing a pre-thought plan, or strolling out on a whim, my every intention is on putting myself in position to kill an animal every time I go hunting.

 

For me, it was just wanting to get "better"

My first year, ALL i ever did was set up stands in obvious trees and shot at any deer within range. I ended killing a nice 6 point from the ground.

My second year, i got a little more choosy with my stands and my quarry, and i ended up with a nice doe.

This past season, i became even more location conscientious and choosy with my deer, and i didn't harvest anything with my bow.

I wouldnt do it an other way

 

I was just thinking about this last weekend. Remembering the good old day's of walking through the woods finding intersecting trails and sitting on it.I didn't have allot of success with it. That's the way my dad did it so I hunted that way.

It's allot less stressfull hunting that way but I rather not depend solely on luck.

 

"Just Hunting" isn't just hunting to me.. I don't like to over think anything. I pick an area and scout it, then i go back and hunt it. Sometimes I go in with bow and stand and find the sign and hunt..not exactly "just hunting" or "sitting on a stump" I go into the woods many days and pick a spot based on previous hunts, sign, food, and location. But as far as pulling out hairs and splitting them over why, when , where, and how, I don't do that. I just go on my instincts and experience.. I have a wall full nice bucks from doing it this way, others may not like it and it may not work for them.

 

I'd say that is part of the excitement. It is the scouting, seeing signs, figuring out where you want to set up, all that is part of the hunting experience. I don't get too analytical, but seeing deer scat, rubs, scrapes definitely fires me up for the hunt.

 

exactly in da woods! when you come across that in the woods (no pun) the light bulb should light up in your brain. You see the rubs, scrapes, and trails, that's all good especially when they lead to food. the key to it all is food. always has been and always will be. food plays the most important part in the chase in my opinion. Pre rut it's food, during the rut the does eat and the bucks follow= food, post rut all deer eat...hunting food is the best strategy when all else fails...hunting rub lines and scrapes and trails are good but they can also mean endless hrs on stand without seeing that buck if that buck is doing it at night. Just my opinion. Im sure many will disagree, but that's good too, I like to hear from them.

 

Actually...I enjoy hunting more each and every year as I learn more about what deer do and how I might capitalize on that expansion of knowledge. I wouldn't want to go back to my early days of not having a clue of what I am doing.

 

Thats exactly what I am talking about Jeff. It seems that more people are being drawn to the point where they "have" to shoot bigger bucks/older deer, and there is nothing wrong with that, but also don't forget the past where just seeing a doe would get you shaking so bad that you about fell out of your stand.

As each season passes I feel that the "magic" slowly disappears. I love the results that my knowledge brings, but at what point is the success worth that diminished excitement level? I am trying to find that perfect balance between work (success) and enjoyment (failure).