Horrible hunting experience…lost for words!

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As you can tell from the responses everyone has a different oppinion. I’m sure the same goes for your family. I understand how hard the transition from bow hunting to gun hunting can be. You go from watching deer do their normal daily routine and acting normal then all the sudden everything changes drastically. You end up with a bunch of part-time hunters in the woods that don’t see the world the same as you do. I’m not on here to say what is right or wrong but I understand.

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I agree 100% with this. But what’s not taken into consideration here is the fact that every family is different and their relationships with their family members are different. I’m lucky and blessed to have a close family! I’m not saying the person who wrote this doesn’t, but every situation is different so we can’t sit here and judge this post based on what are families are like! Just my .02!

Thank you to all who replied to this post – positive and negative! I really appreciate the help! That is all I was looking for – help! This site has now proven to be so much more to me than just learning modern hunting tactics, seeing others’ successes, and being able to keep in contact with other fellow outdoors folk! This site has helped me grow as an outdoorsman – and now as a person…

My intention was to never flare up any controversy, and especially start controversy with my family that I love very much. I thoroughly enjoy going home to spend time with them! I am fortunate that I am able to enjoy the great outdoors in the comfort of the family farm where I grew up. The farm has been in my family since my great grandfather came over from Sweden to build it!

With that being said, us Norwegians/Swedes are a bit stubborn…we always work things out, but we are sometimes hesitant to listen to others. My father owns the land I hunt on and I have always told him that he must do what he thinks is right. After all, he owns the land and us who hunt it should be grateful!

I am very grateful and I admit that I’ve may have gotten overly “obsessed” with bringing out the potential of the property. I motivated my bro and bro-in-law to bowhunt the land with me, and I work to keep my father and uncle interested in the great outdoors. Maybe this is selfish because I have such great memories of spending time with them in our great outdoors!

I realize that no rack is worth losing the tight bind that we have as a family – NOTHING should come in between that! I was not looking for sympathy and I was definately not looking to “bash” my family members on their hunting tactics. I was simply looking to find direction – and with ALL of your help I have found it!

We all have our own belief system and we are not all educated in the same way. However, we can learn from others! The situation presented to me last weekend was one that I wasn’t sure how to deal with. I was confused and felt very disrespected. I now know that the disrespect that I felt was real and that it is something that I need to talk to my family about! Remember that I DO NOT tell them how to hunt, but I do try to educate (Big Difference)! My family loves that I set up all of the stands, prepare all for the season(s), scout, share with them all of the pictures from the trail cams, and share with them all of my hunts. I too look forward to hearing about their hunts and enjoy learning from them!

I do not feel that it was wrong for me to feel disrespected. I do know that I need to calmly work this out with my family. I need to tell them how I feel and they need to tell me the same. We will find a “common ground” and keep on enjoying the great outdoors TOGETHER!!!

Once again, thank you to ALL who replied and understand! I wish you all the best of luck in the field and on the water/ice! Now go out and create some memories!!!

Great post Travis I was wondering when you were going to pop back in here
Thanks for sharing

Boy, I know alot of guys that would have been a little pissed about being criticized the way you were. My hats off to you for turning that into something possitive! I see you will have no problems resolving your deer hunting issues with your family! Have a Great Thanksgiving and good luck in the second season!

Travis,

Very good post and thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings with the rest of us. You reached out for help and that is what IDO is all about – helping one another to become better sportsmen/women. I know of many, many other friends and hunters (me included) have felt the same exact way you do/did.

First off your last post thanking everyone for their help was very moving. Your response was first class and I respect you for that.

It’s very difficult to achieve personal goals of trophy hunting when others in your party have different hunting goals. To each their own and I’m certainly not preaching to anyone on what they should harvest and how they should hunt. I’m just saying it makes it harder for you personally to achieve your trophy hunting goal. Try talking with your family and share your goals with them. Ask them what their goals are! Try and reach an agreement and find some middle ground. Pass on bucks one year and not the next!

I was also in your shoes and I found a balance. I now have a couple of trophy spots that I hunt with other trophy hunters who have the same common goals as me. We all want the same thing and work together as a team to achieve it. I do this more for bow hunting.

I also hunt with my family every year on opening weekend in MN. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I used to get frustrated too but then I pretended what it would be like if we couldn’t hunt together anymore. That kind of puts things into perspective. I still trophy hunt but I just realize that higher odds are against me. I take it more as a challenge and most likely will feel even more proud when my day finally comes!

I think you can have both if you want it. Sure, it’s going to take some time, probably a little $ and most definitly a lot of energy to achieve, but I believe you have it in you.

And lastly, always remember when we leave this world and our family and friends are talking about us, they certainly are not going to talk about all the big bucks we have killed and now are on the wall. Instead, they will talk about memories and stories of us being a good son/daughter, a good brother/sister, a good father/mother, a good husband/wife and a good friend.

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Thank you to all who replied to this post – positive and negative! I really appreciate the help! That is all I was looking for – help! This site has now proven to be so much more to me than just learning modern hunting tactics, seeing others’ successes, and being able to keep in contact with other fellow outdoors folk! This site has helped me grow as an outdoorsman – and now as a person…

My intention was to never flare up any controversy, and especially start controversy with my family that I love very much. I thoroughly enjoy going home to spend time with them! I am fortunate that I am able to enjoy the great outdoors in the comfort of the family farm where I grew up. The farm has been in my family since my great grandfather came over from Sweden to build it!

With that being said, us Norwegians/Swedes are a bit stubborn…we always work things out, but we are sometimes hesitant to listen to others. My father owns the land I hunt on and I have always told him that he must do what he thinks is right. After all, he owns the land and us who hunt it should be grateful!

I am very grateful and I admit that I’ve may have gotten overly “obsessed” with bringing out the potential of the property. I motivated my bro and bro-in-law to bowhunt the land with me, and I work to keep my father and uncle interested in the great outdoors. Maybe this is selfish because I have such great memories of spending time with them in our great outdoors!

I realize that no rack is worth losing the tight bind that we have as a family – NOTHING should come in between that! I was not looking for sympathy and I was definately not looking to “bash” my family members on their hunting tactics. I was simply looking to find direction – and with ALL of your help I have found it!

We all have our own belief system and we are not all educated in the same way. However, we can learn from others! The situation presented to me last weekend was one that I wasn’t sure how to deal with. I was confused and felt very disrespected. I now know that the disrespect that I felt was real and that it is something that I need to talk to my family about! Remember that I DO NOT tell them how to hunt, but I do try to educate (Big Difference)! My family loves that I set up all of the stands, prepare all for the season(s), scout, share with them all of the pictures from the trail cams, and share with them all of my hunts. I too look forward to hearing about their hunts and enjoy learning from them!

I do not feel that it was wrong for me to feel disrespected. I do know that I need to calmly work this out with my family. I need to tell them how I feel and they need to tell me the same. We will find a “common ground” and keep on enjoying the great outdoors TOGETHER!!!

Once again, thank you to ALL who replied and understand! I wish you all the best of luck in the field and on the water/ice! Now go out and create some memories!!!

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What a class response. Don’t see that everyday.
I don’t think you will have any trouble working this out with your family. Good luck and great post.