Tough Decision made

  • Shane Hildebrandt
    Blaine, mn
    Posts: 2921
    #536654

    this winter I have came to the realization myself that I would much rather sit in my stand and watch the animals than shoot at em. I am like fisher Dave, I see a deer, I am thinking of the dinner table, nothing more, then looking at the money I spent for duck hunting, deer hunting, the new boat and fishing equipment in the last few months before it got cold. I droped almost 20k, ouch, well I am now realizing that my heart is really not into hunting, I wanna fish more than anything, right now if i could, i would be out on the water int he boat, I don’t care if they are biting or not, it is just being out on the water. I will probably not hunt a whole lot this coming year, so i am probably going to phase out alot of my hunting until my kids show interest in hunting, then I will get back into it.

    shane

    Tom P.
    Whitehall Wi.
    Posts: 3518
    #536667

    Mike

    We LUV venison other then that I probably would not hunt any more either. I allways try my best to get a clean shot to harvest the animal as humanely as possible. It drives me nuts to see a wounded animal scared and fighting for it`s life. Used to coon hunt with dogs and luved doing that too it was a hoot. It has all gone by the wayside.

    I haven`t ice fished in years and got a hankering to start going again this year. Then we had late ice so never renewed the tradition. With fishing that trophy can be enjoyed and released for another day with just some care.

    cb2
    Bemidji, MN
    Posts: 154
    #536674

    Mike –
    i respect your decision as well. i don’t have any of those feelings yet though. for the 7 plus years i have been hunting, i haven’t gotten one yet, looks like i am having my dads luck. he went 20 plus years before getting his first two deer. but he had fun every single year. he just liked to be with his friends, and his son. but that’s one thing i learned from him, to have fun. i don’t really care if i get a deer, i come home with meat either way, so i make sure to help the newer people get one.

    farmboy1
    Mantorville, MN
    Posts: 3668
    #536731

    Mike,

    We all make tough decisions in our life, at least you know where you stand, and do what you have to do.

    For me, I love bowhunting, but time has not been on my side, so it has kinda gone to the wayside. Pheasant hunting is my all time pride though. I love to watch the dog work, and see a bird fly I could do tha every day of the year. If my dog was not there, it would not be as much fun.

    So I guess, do what you do We all have those things that trip our trigger, and the things that don’t. I think there are a ton of guys on this site, and elsewhere that prefer to fish, or only fish, and I actually think they are problably better fisherman for it

    If you ever do want to get out and stare at a dogs during pheasant season, give me a ring You might change your mind

    Jami Ritter
    Hastings, MN
    Posts: 3065
    #536819

    I wanna see this also, I’ll carry the “backup”.

    Jami

    LimpFish
    Lino Lakes, Minnesota
    Posts: 232
    #536825

    Mike,

    I made the same decision back in the early 90’s for many of the reasons you mentioned. However, the biggest reason was that my dad suddently died in 1989 at the age of 46. Just wasn’t the same after that (though he blessed my brother and I with and 8 pointer and an 11 pointer from his stand during the two subsequent seasons). The third season, my brother couldn’t make it due to work, I dropped a spike and had no one to share it with That was it…fishing, fishing, bird hunting and more fishing after that

    No more getting up at dark thirty, can move around in the boat to stay warm, socialize with your buddies, fish are usually strapping on the feedbag for winter and you’re right…usually have the water all to yourself

    Jim

    ><(((>

    suzuki
    Woodbury, Mn
    Posts: 18621
    #536828

    To each his own. I like killing less every year. I guess that’s why fishing is so appealing since you have a choice after each successful hunt. I do however still feel that stir from my soul when it comes time to take game. As long as I enjoy tapping into that instinct I will hunt.

    Whiskerkev
    Madison
    Posts: 3835
    #536850

    Money isn’t the root of all evil. The love of money is the root of all evil. hunting brings us back to the instinct that lays within us all. Do what makes you happy. I don’t enjoy the “kill” as much as I used to but I disagree with Gary that wild game doesn’t taste good. Mine tastes great. Humans have changed the landscape and eliminated predators. It is our duty to trim the herd so they don’t starve or strip farmers fields.

    amwatson
    Holmen,WI
    Posts: 5130
    #536856

    My problem was I got into trying to hunt deer, rabbits, squirells, turkey, ducks, geese, and coyotes as well as fishing and trapping. I quickly found out that unless you have a lot of time on your hands as well as money, it is tough to do all this.
    Another factor is hunting friends. Most all the guys I have hunted with have either moved, quit hunting, or have the same issues I do. Hunting alone is okay, but it is sure nice to talk about the days events afterwards with a buddy. The last few years when I did hunt, I had to do it alone. The appeal just isn’t there like it used to be.
    I have settled on 2 things now that I can do with the available time I have and it is done on public land with very few problems with other’s.
    I have some nice mounts on the wall to reflect on the good ‘ol days and some great memories.
    I know I will save a bunch of money just on license fees alone My wallet used to bulge just from all the licenses I carried every year

    jason-cyboron
    Lincoln, NE
    Posts: 487
    #536909

    I went through the same thing several years ago. I love hunting. I love bow hunting. Something just didn’t sit right with me killing deer. We would be cleaning a deer and I would think to myself, just an hour ago this deer was a walking living creature and now it is meat. A real sense of sadness would come over me and I would feel bad for what I had done. After a couple seasons of deer hunting I gave it up. I haven’t killed anything in the last couple years. I found it wasn’t the kill I was after, it was sitting out there being with nature and watching everything going on around me. I still try to get out and hunt, but now my shooting is done with a camera. Plus, it’s nice being the only one fishing on opening weekend of deer season.

    J

    eyebuster
    Duluth
    Posts: 1025
    #536927

    It is kind of funny hearing some people talk about how they feel when seeing a dead deer but having no problem cleaning fish. Not trying to talk trash but it is interesting. I respect Wats and everyone elses prospective on things. I for one Anticipate being in the woods every second I am not. September Cannot get here fast enough for this guy!

    cougareye
    Hudson, WI
    Posts: 4145
    #536938

    Take a few years off and re-energize. You mentioned kids. Focus on what they want to do and if hunting is something they are passionate about, then help them, if its fishing, fish. If their into soccer or football…..

    I gun hunt for the opportunity to be outdoors with good friends. Since I’m relatively new to it, it is also a challenging for me. Take some time off, I did it with duck/goose hunting after 10+ years of taking friends to ND for a week. After 10 years, I was tired of it. Now, I’ve missed 2 of the last 4 years and the itch is coming back.

    I don’t think photography will do it for you, same amount of time required, possibly equal amounts of money, and finding people to share your passion for it may be as difficult.

    Take a break, enjoy!

    steveo
    W Central Sconnie
    Posts: 4102
    #536956

    eyebuster,
    I don’t see any similarities to gutting a 200 lb animal and filleting a fish. two different deals

    moccasinboy2003
    Posts: 33
    #536968

    Mike,
    What a great discussion item. Clearly this was not an impetuous decision on your part.
    Reading the entire discussion I’m bothered by some fellows distinguishing between killing a deer and a fish. Sounds a little like a Walt Disney view of nature to me. I’ve alway thought that hunting and fishing reinforced my position in this world–nothing occupies space here except at the expense of something else. I don’t care for the fist pumping “hunting” I see characterized on TV. The whole competitive thing–“big G-2’s”, food plots/deer licks, heated elevated blinds, speed ‘hunting’ for planted birds–all of that is making a mess of hunting. I rarely hunt deer anymore, there isn’t much ‘hunt’ in most deer hunting, but I still get the same compassionate catch in my throat when I pick up a still warm and moving pheasant that I did when I approached a downed deer or antelope. If you don’t feel that, it really is time to give it up. It is a serious thing.
    The one plea I would offer is that hunters are a diminishing breed, and one less is not a good thing.

    Thanks for opening this one up….

    Arzie
    East Bethel, Minnesota
    Posts: 426
    #537114

    Mike have you ever thought about being a guide? With your experience I think you would be great at it and at the same timebring your camera with so you can take pictures for your clients! Your still hunting but not killing anything yourself! And helping others dreams come true!

    caincando1
    Dodge Center, MN/Alma,WI
    Posts: 302
    #538815

    I personally do way more “hunting” than “shooting”. I pass up tons of deer. I do shoot a lot with the camera though.

    mossydan
    Cedar Rapids, Iowa
    Posts: 7727
    #539187

    Mike don’t feel so bad, It happenes to me everytime i put the sights on my animal. I know this animals going to die but im doing it for survival not only the thrill. I’ve hunted all my life since i was big enough to kick rabbits up with a bb gun for my dad and I. Dad always told me we have to kill to eat if we want to eat meat. Ive always hunted for food on the table first and coming in second was the size of the buck. The bigger bucks were chose by me because i knew it would be harder to put meat on my table because they were smart now and had spread thier genes into the area. Im not a fond eater of venison unless its made with some porkfat to tame it down like in hotdogs and sausage, then its good too me, maybe the loins pounded out into tenderloins but thats theonly ways i care to eat it. Don’t feel bad about never wanting to hunt deer again because today it does cost alot of money and finding land to hunt on is hard to do at times and at times it seems its not worth it. If i had to look for land to hunt on and go through the things i see others on the site go through i may not hunt deer anymore eigther. Maybe its time to buy a good pointer or lab and go rabbit hunting, pound for pound thier about the most exciting quarry and its not expensive to hunt them eigther. Taking the life from anything we put on our table is what we have to do to feed ourselves, wheather its got four hooves or it swims in the water but i choose to feed myself atleast part of the way through life instead of buying it all at the grocery store, atleast the animals in the wild have a chance, the ones in the grocery store didn’t have one at all, this is what my dad told me. If you never want to hunt again don’t let it bother you, theres plenty of productive water that holds tons of nice fish up by where you live. Good luck Mike and it is pretty hard to beat the taste of bluegill filletts.

    yellowjacket
    Byron, MN
    Posts: 1013
    #539300

    Wow, this hit close to home……same thing here…..lost the “urge to kill” about 14 years ago……heck, I even CNR most of my fish (99% probably)

    Now I have children growing up and find myself in a quandry….son wants to hunt, daughter probably will too….so we started gun safety training last night with the boy….it’s all good…..

    Will need to concentrate on teaching him to hunt, and then how to take game……and maybe not pull the trigger myself….even bought bows last summer (he and I) with the plan to go after bear….may or may not happen.

    good topic, really woke me up…

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