Tough Decision made

I have been mulling over a few things regarding hunting. For some reason my desire to kill has died (no pun intended). When I first moved up here I got introduced to hunting deer, squirrels, and then ducks. I took off with bowhunting like a tick to blood. Then of course came gun deer hunting. AT first I really enjoyed it. Then came the thought of having to kill a big buck to prove your worth. That chance came in 2002 during the gun deer season. I was able to kill a 154″ 8 pointer. But, that is where things also began to change. As I sat there next to this buck laying on the ground, a real sense of sadness hit me. I felt so guilty for taking this great animal. Since then, I have just went through the motions of killing several deer with a bow and rifle since then, but really felt no joy anymore. This last year I didn’t deer hunt at all and suprisingly, I am actually fine with that. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not against hunting, it just isn’t for me anymore. There are also several other factors that fall into play on this decision as well. Available private quality land, time, and of course the root of all evil-money. So, I have made the conscious decision to faze out of hunting totally. Not sure what will happen when the kids want to hunt yet, but I will deal with that when the time comes.
Last fall I spent a lot more time in the boat and had a great time. The thing about fishing is the water is free for the taking. There is less pressure and it doesn’t cost a whole lot of money to chase fish.
I would like to start “shooting” more wildlife with a camera, if I could only figure out how to work my camera
I am also going to be spending more time with trapping like I did this year.

Mike, very respectable decision. Not because of the choice you made… but because you felt a certain way and MADE the choice. I commend you. I don’t think a soul on this board could condemn you for making a personal decision like this. I, as well, used to be more into the hunting scene. Now, I stick to the rifle/shotgun season only. Not because I want to get out and kill a big buck… but more because it is a chance to get out and bond with the guys. If we don’t get anything, we are not out anything other than a few bucks (no pun intended)… and that money is well spent as the time we had together was great fun!

Came to the same decision years ago, but for slightly different reasons. 1. Never really enjoyed eating deer. 2. Too many knuckle heads in the woods and I don’t have private land to hunt.

If I got back into it, the thought of trying to take a deer with only a knife and wearing only a loin cloth has intrigued me….

-J.

Ya gotta do what you gotta do.
Good luck on the water.
jack

Mike I used to do a TON of water trapping
if you have any questions let me know
I might be able to help you up your pinched toe ratio
I had a few sets that were great for doubles on coon
or coon/mink
let me know if I can help I can’t get out anymore but love to talk trapping and sharing info

I say good decision Mike. People ask if I hunt, and I say why hunt only part of the year when I can fish the whole year long. With the wonderful changing of seasons in the upper midwest we can get a nice change of pace going from ice fishing to open water and back to ice fishing.

Mike~
I truely respect your decision. It had to have been a tough decision for I have followed many of your posts pertaining to hunting. I for one will miss your posts on hunts but in return I will look forward to your new hunts with a camara,please keep sharing with us all your great findings in the outdoors..

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I would like to start “shooting” more wildlife with a camera, if I could only figure out how to work my camera

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Give Rivereyes a call… I am sure he will hook you up with some info!

To me this sort of thing is weird. Why draw a line in the sand and completely quit? I have gone through “phases” over the years where I change my focus from one form of recreation to another, but why completely quit? Right now you’re having a lot of fun trapping, but what if in 5 years you decide you miss deer hunting?

Mike,
I had the same epiphany about 20 years ago. I grew up in Trempealeau county not far from where you live now. You were expected to hunt deer, grouse, pheasant, etc after you turned 12 and completed hunter safety. My Dad was a huge hunter and expected me to join him on every outing. I always enjoyed hunting birds most of all but was almost forced to hunt deer. I didn’t shoot my first deer until I was almost 18 and was thoroughly disgusted by the experience. Last time I ever picked up a deer rifle. Really got into fishing after that and have never looked back. I’m not anti-hunting either. I understand about culling the herd for the greater good. Just not my cup of tea anymore.

I forgot to ask. When is the big hunting equipment yardsale?

Mike,

I hear ya about loosing the thrill. I bow hunt 10X more than I gun hunt for deer. I truely enjoy bow hunting, but could really care less if I get a deer or not. I pass up many deer every year (not just because they are too small).

My rule of thumb is, if it’s a deer that makes my heart pump and everything is right, I will harvest it. I passed up a big 10 point buck with a gun this year, but just didn’t have any rush when I put the crosshairs on him. I lowered the gun and watched him with binoculars for a few minutes.

To me, that was a bigger rush than seeing him laying on my tail gate. I truely enjoy the pursuit and knowing that I beat that deers senses. I can experience this without actually killing that animal.

Good luck with your fall fishing and trapping. Look me up for some of those fall Eyes.

No one likes a quiter.

Mike,

100% respectable decision!! I hope you have good luck fishing and thouroughly enjoy the extra time on the water! Free time comes at a premium to most, so it only makes sense to spend that time doing something that is truly enjoyable to you. Photographing Wildlife may prove to be very exciting for you, to get close enough for good pictures of a trophy whitetail, isn’t any easier than bow-hunting.

The thing I enjoy about hunting and fishing the most is the peacefulness, IMO nothing beats being out on the lake relaxing especially when it is totaly quiet!!!

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No one likes a quiter.

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Just remember he hasn’t sold all of his guns yet…..neighbor..

So much to learn on the water yet good luck Wats.

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If I got back into it, the thought of trying to take a deer with only a knife and wearing only a loin cloth has intrigued me….

-J.

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Jon…….If you do….I will provide the camera!

You might have heard of this before…Its interesting to see what stage you fall into and what hunting has in store for you next….

FIVE STAGES OF A HUNTER

Hunters change through the years. Factors used to determine
“successful hunting” change as well for each hunter. A hunter’s age,
role models, and his years of hunting experience affect his ideas of
“success.”

Many hunters may fit into one of the following five groups. In
1975-1980, groups of over 1,000 hunters in Wisconsin were studied,
surveyed, and written about by Professors Robert Jackson and Robert
Norton, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. The results of their
studies form a widely accepted theory of hunter behavior and
development. Where are you now? Where would you like to be?

SHOOTER STAGE

The hunter talks about satisfaction with hunting being closely tied to
being able to “get shooting.” Often the beginning duck hunter will
relate he had an excellent day if he got in a lot of shooting. The
beginning deer hunter will talk about the number of shooting
opportunities. Missing game means little to hunters in this phase. A
beginning hunter wants to pull the trigger and test the capability of
his firearm. A hunter in this stage may be a dangerous hunting
partner.

LIMITING OUT STAGE

A hunter still talks about satisfaction gained from shooting. But what
seems more important is measuring success through the killing of game
and the number of birds or animals shot. Limiting out, or filling a
tag, is the absolute measure. Do not let your desire to limit out be
stronger than the need for safe behavior at all times.

TROPHY STAGE

Satisfaction is described in terms of selectivity of game. A duck
hunter might take only greenheads. A deer hunter looks for one special
deer. A hunter might travel far to find a real trophy animal. Shooting
opportunity and skills become less important.

METHOD STAGE

This hunter has all the special equipment. Hunting has become one of
the most important things in his life. Satisfaction comes from the
method that enables the hunter to take game. Taking game is important,
but second to how it is taken. This hunter will study long and hard
how best to pick a blind site, lay out decoys, and call in
waterfowl. A deer hunter will go one on one with a white-tailed deer,
studying sign, tracking, and the life habits of the deer. Often, the
hunter will handicap himself by hunting only with black powder
firearms or bow and arrow. Bagging game, or limiting, still is
understood as being a necessary part of the hunt during this phase.

SPORTSMAN STAGE

As a hunter ages and after many years of hunting, he “mellows out.”
Satisfaction now can be found in the total hunting experience. Being
in the field, enjoying the company of friends and family, and seeing
nature outweigh the need for taking game.

Not all hunters go through all the stages, or go through them in that
particular order. It is also possible for hunters who pursue several
species of game to be in different stages with regard to each
species. Some hunters feel that role models of good sportsmen,
training, or reading books or magazines helped them pass more quickly
through some stages.

—————
California Department of Fish and Game. “California Hunter Education
Manual”. 1995 (revised edition). Sacramento, California. [p.8]

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Why draw a line in the sand and completely quit?

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This didn’t come to me overnight I have actually been dropping out of hunting for 2 years and held on to coyote hunting. But, the frustrations and the coyote hunting I am used to isn’t the same here. Call me a quitter, I am perfectly fine with that Earlier in the year I sold quite a bit of hunting stuff knowing the time was drawing to a close. I still have a shed full of hunting related stuff and also a bow and a few other firearms. But, like I said, I just don’t enjoy hunting as I once did. Killing big deer to me isn’t what it cracked up to be. There are plenty of people who can take my place in the grand scheme of things and chase deer. I don’t regret this decision.
I have always enjoyed trapping more than hunting. That is my style of hunting. I may quit that as well, I can’t say what will happen from one day to the next.

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If I got back into it, the thought of trying to take a deer with only a knife and wearing only a loin cloth has intrigued me….

-J.

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That’d be enough for me to quit! Ish!

Alright now this is starting to get depressing. I am up for fishing on friday let me know if you want to go. Not fishing for three days I don’t know how I am gonna make it through.

Wisconsin harvested over 500,000 deer during the ’06 gun season. Third highest total in the history of the state. I think they don’t need us.

Wats;
You are not alone. I’ve become the same way with shooting grass chickens and quackers. I have little desire to shoot pheasants and ducks anymore. I haven’t shot trap either, in years. I got “bored” with it. No excitement-no thrill.

It will come back. This year I plan to pick up bow-hunting again, after a 15 year dryspell.

By the way, Jon Jordan is right……..Wild game taste like crap! It takes 1lb of seasoning and 10 hours of work in preping the meat to make it taste like a beef “round steak” All of our venison goes into sausage, mixed 50/50 with fatty pork or fatty beef.

I’ll eat beef, pork, chicken, or lamb any day over wild game.

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Came to the same decision years ago, but for slightly different reasons. 1. Never really enjoyed eating deer. 2. Too many knuckle heads in the woods and I don’t have private land to hunt.

If I got back into it, the thought of trying to take a deer with only a knife and wearing only a loin cloth has intrigued me….

-J.

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I tried that with bear Jon but I gave the knife to the bear to make it a even fight

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I tried that with bear Jon but I gave the knife to the bear to make it a even fight

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Apologize to no one!Every hunter with a sense of compassion for living creatures probably goes through this. I still hunt for the time being to show my boys the ropes and down the road let them decide in their hearts if they want to be hunters . Yes,I still get excited chasing the bucks but I don’t have to kill one to enjoy the chase. I’ll always remember what my father told me after I shot my first deer,he said”you just killed your first deer and thats a serious thing” I’ll never forget that! It is a serious thing to take any life and thats what I’ll try to pass on to the boys. Very Admirable Mike and good luck with the fishin

Hey Mike!
I think it is a good decision because you are doing what feels right to you. I don’t deer hunt anymore either. I would like to get back into the bowhunting. But the big thrill I got out of bowhunting was the up-close and personal wildlife encounters. Harvesting was very secondary for me.

dd

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If I got back into it, the thought of trying to take a deer with only a knife and wearing only a loin cloth has intrigued me….

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Puleeeze Jon!!! Let me know ahead of time when you post THAT report!!!

Mike..

Youll probably gain a new energy towards hnting when/if your kids take up intrest in the sport.

I never deer hunted for personal achievement although I have got some nice deer…I hunt for groceries when I deer hunt. So looking at a limp deer to me is like looking at a huge pile of fish to be cleaned. But we like to eat venison, so the effort is worth it.

On the other hand.. duck hunting. I used to wait for Mallards to fill the bag for the most meat.. now I like shooting different varieties mainly for observation I guess? If they dont taste as good.. Fisher Sherry eats about anything Taking home a mixed bag feels like a different kind of achievement(kind of like shooting a good buck vs a big doe). One looks good, the other taste great.

Excellent choice – your rec time is too precious to spend doing something you do not feel passionate about. I have been a trapper for a long time(longer than hunting) and I feel it is the purest form of outdoor rec you can get. From what I have seen, the average trapper is a better woodsman than the average hunter!

Best wishes – and if you ever want to chat about laying steel – drop me a note

Tim

Well following this thread for the last couple hours has really got me a thinking. You know Mike I feel some of the same things you do.
I know years back when the arthritis started kicking in and the joints started cramping up I decided to give up the duck hunting and focus on the warmer season of hunting Pheasants. Last couple years been going for Deer it is cold as well but it was something different. Then came the Coyote hunting,that all came to me when a farmer in the area came to me and said you like taking long shots and are pretty good at it wanna come remove some coyotes from my property? Heck yeah! BUT it came with a cost, had to buy a new rifle Howa .223 with Bull Barrel 600.00 bucks and of coarse the Sniper scope with night vision. Then the calls and the proper camo and alot of videos to learn the exact approach to these animals. It all adds up and when you still fish and are raising a family a person has to one day stop and think what is best for themselves and there family. We can all go out and drop a easy few grand on fishing opener, gotta have the latest technology.Then of coarse hunting opener another couple grand.
One day we come to our scenses and see just what this all costs and as humans we have to make decisions on where to turn next. You have made the best decision for yourself and family. If it is a gut feeling I have always learned to stick to that feeling!