Is This Normal Behavior?

Saturday…fished locally with my son from 7 till noon. Spent the rest of the day with ‘the Mrs’.

Sunday…up at 5 and out the door to make a 2-hour drive in the darkness to meet my buddy at the lake at daybreak. Fished 7:45 am till 6:30 pm. After a full day on the water, I drove 3 more hours north to the cabin thru dark, deer infested 2-lanes. Always has me on edge in the fall due to running deer.

Monday…up at 6 and launching the boat in near darkness and sub-freezing temps on a solo mission. Fished all day and into the darkness, 7 am till 8 pm. Put the boat in storage and began prepping/rigging for the next day – retiring to bed at midnight.

Tues…up at 4 am and out the door in total darkness to make a 3 hour drive south – back thru aforementioned dark, deer infested two lanes – to meet my aforementioned buddy at daybreak. Fished 7:45 am till 6:30 pm, then made a two hour drive home.

Wed/Thurs/Fri – Back at work, but already prepping and planning a repeat of the prior trip.

I’m blessed with an understanding and loving wife of 37 years, but the thought occurred to me more than once that my passionate pursuit might lead to a lifestyle that would not be considered ‘normal’ by most peoples standards.

Am I alone in this way of life? Who else is pushing the edge of reasonable behavior to realize their dreams in the out-of-doors?

I do this weekly. Run and gun working day and night all week, to run and gun all weekend on the lakes and in the woods. My last lady didn’t appreciate it but my one I’m with now doesn’t mind and joins when she wants to. My son is with me on all my trips and I’ll continue this life until I can’t handle it. But don’t get me wrong we have plenty of family time as well but I’m a out doors guy and will be for a long time.
But waking up early driving a couple hours to fish a spot in middle of no where, lacking sleep then drive home tired as heck to go try a different spot the next morning at 3am has always been my normal

On the water before sunrise and off well after sunset allmost every time I go,missed meals,lack of sleep.Long deer infested drives?Yep had two close deer encounters Sunday night on the way home after a couple long days on the river.Whether all of that is considered normal or not?Seems normal to me,I wouldnt have it any other way.

YOLO

Crackheads smoke day and night and take many risks too. Addiction takes on many forms

Is your behavior normal amongst outdoorsman? I would say probably not. Many are less committed and not interested in taking it to the level you do. I also think there are some guys who wish they could but don’t have time or resources. Either way I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Sounds like you enjoy what you do and that’s a good life

Do what you love and works for you. My wife doesn’t enjoy fishing like I do. So I find it helps to take one weekend off a month do take her out to do something she likes that is not fishing related. I just changed my work schedule so I can have 3-day weekends again. Hoping this will give me more time on the water. Family comes before fishing. In some ways I miss the days where I had the same “normal behavior”. Less responsibilities and on the water 5 to 7 days a week. That time may one day come back. But I would not trade it for being with my family.

I dunno.
Fishing or Family?
For me it’s Family. You have to strike a balance.
So no, it is not normal behavior.

Wait, if you have been married for 37 years. Your kids should be long gone. This frees up a bunch of time for you to do what you love doing. I don’t see anything wrong with your sickness if your wife is happy. Enjoy yourself.

It also sounds like it is time for you to move to a lake.

That is probably more dedication than most. I would consider myself to be an avid outdoorsman but rarely am I doing something like that, day after day. I need my sleep. Driving 2 or 3 hours one way in the darkness is too far for me, and fishing from 7am – 8pm isn’t for me either. Not to mention the risk there is driving and falling asleep at the wheel from exhaustion. I prefer to spread my fishing days out once or twice a week for 6 months rather than jam it all into a few days. Just my preference.

Really the only time I’m spending an absurd amount of time outdoors all day, for days on end is during deer and turkey season.

As soon as I read “ retiring to bed at midnight.” I started laughing. First 50 or so years of my life getting to bed my midnight was a joke. If I did fall asleep, was usually up by midnight. Until just recently, I only slept about 1-1/2 to 2 hours a night.

Honestly I think the amount of people that sustain a life style on that little sleep and go steady for 18-20 hours a day is rare. I’ve been treated like a freak of nature my entire life. But, I wouldn’t change a thing. The memories I have is indescribable

For the past 5 years I’ve been working 40-50 hours full time job and then every Thur Fri Sat guiding another 30-40 hours. Thursdays look like this. Wake up at 3:30am 45 minute commute to work with boat in tow. Work 10 hours, head to river, on the river from 5pm to 1am. 1 Hour drive home with clean up and I’m back to bed around 3am (so essentially every Thursday is a 24 hour day for me). Turn around and do it all over again on Fri and Sat night.

I can tell you this, my RING footage of me backing the boat into the garage at 2am every night with zero sleep is probably hilarious.

4-5hrs sleep is my norm and I know it’s not healthy and things will need to change (whether voluntary or not).

Normal is a setting on a clothes drier.
Life, live it like no tomorrow as we dont know how many tomorrows we have left.

4-5hrs sleep is my norm and I know it’s not healthy and things will need to change (whether voluntary or not).
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4 hours has been my average since I was 14. The body just sets its own alarms

That amount of sleep isnt very good for you, but it would really depend on how hard you sleep. I dont know how much sleep I generally get but it is more than that. Running your life to the end of the candle wick will certainly catch up with you at some point.

The scenario you describe was my normal…and then I started a family.

It was not abnormal for me to spend 3-4 nights a week in the boat, and then be in a boat all weekend. I’d come home from work and fish until 10-11:00, go home and clean a few things up, pass out at midnight or 1:00 and set an alarm for 5:30 to start my day.

Now that chapter is over. I sometimes miss it, but I don’t wish for anything different. I love my 2 kids, my wife, and the responsibilities that come with them. Over the past 3 years I’ve been outdoors chasing those passions less than ever. The girls, building a house, and ever increasing working responsibilities at various jobs don’t leave any time.

I still go to bed at midnight and get up at 5/5:30, but “Free Time” in my life went the way of the dinosaurs.

My fishing and hunting trips are usually short duration. There are exceptions but I cant imagine fishing 8 hours let alone several 8 hours days during the week.
The older I get the less trips I take. Like being close to home and my wife. She has always been an advocate of my sporting activities so its all my decision to stay close.

I don’t think that’s abnormal for a fishing or hunting weekend. Opener or the spring on Rainy we usually put in full 12+ hour shifts days on end, until having to go home. If that’s your normal week, every week all year that would be abnormal even for diehards I think. But judging from your profile pic, you are a musky fisherman, so yes you guys are a little different!

A trip to the water for two or three hours a couple times a week is plenty for me now. I [we] have other interests too.

Deer season will see me in the stand from an hour before light until dark the first weekend when there’s a lot of hunter activity. During the week I’m in no hurry to hit the stand and usually stay until dark. During the week I see a lot of mid-day deer and they’re more relaxed as am I. The second weekend I repeat the first if needed.

Jimmy Jones wrote:

Deer season will see me in the stand from an hour before light until dark the first weekend when there’s a lot of hunter activity. During the week I’m in no hurry to hit the stand and usually stay until dark.

I’ll be in my stand every day for about 11 hours starting Saturday, probably for 8 or 9 days of the 9 day season as long as the conditions are tolerable. Heavy rain and high winds are really the only 2 types of weather that stop me from hunting, as I sit in an open-air ladderstand about 20 feet up, so I’m pretty exposed.

Muskie Guys are a different breed, good for you getting after it. I’m impressed by all the passionate outdoorsmen here, I am more of a weekend warrior. Love being on the lake and in the woods, but has never been a 5 day a week activity for me consistently. I think I look forward to it more when I have some breaks, but that’s just me.

Now with starting a family I know it will only get tougher, but cant wait to introduce the little one to the outdoors.

Back in the day before kids and when I musky fished a ton dawn to dark was the norm. I cannot do that anymore. I pick my times around peak activity, moon overhead/below foot, rise/set, etc.

Iowaboy1 wrote:

Normal is a setting on a clothes drier.
Life, live it like no tomorrow as we dont know how many tomorrows we have left.

Well said Sheldon! And as Nick said, you only live once! Might as well enjoy adventures and make memories. For several years in a row there my late husband Billy and I spent nearly every weekend in the fields pheasant hunting together with our boys. At the time, it seemed like a lot and by January I was a little thankful to have time on the weekends again, but pheasant season is short – much like life can be. Get out there and do what you love, and if you’re really lucky you might have a spouse who joins you and has the time of her life.

Sharon I hope you are taking those hounds out still and watching them chase the birds you and Billy loved so much. I havent been out yet this year, but once deer season is over and things slow down a bit I will be out there hard. The crops are going fast. Its just been too warm its hard on the dogs.

CaptainMusky wrote:

Sharon I hope you are taking those hounds out still and watching them chase the birds

I’ll send you a PM so as not to steer off the original post.

I fished like that when I was younger but got burned out after years of fishing every minute that I could in all kinds of conditions. I used to pride myself that I’d go out and catch walleyes when others wouldn’t bother to go out because conditions were poor. Looking back on it now, I was foolish because I spent many hours in a boat that were absolutely miserable. If it was cold or windy, it didn’t make any difference. I don’t know how many times I had to break ice to get out to the lake from the boat ramp and break ice to get back to the boat ramp. If it was my pride or what it was that drove me to fish like that I’m not sure but it ruined the joy of fishing for me. This was in the early 1990s.

Eventually I lost my desire to walleye fish completely and I didn’t fish for years.
Fishing just wasn’t any fun for me anymore. I even sold my boat.

20 years or so ago I got my passion to fish back again and love it more now than ever. I spend less hours on the water than I did when I was younger but I catch more walleyes than when I used to fish from sunup until sundown. I enjoy walleye fishing more now than I ever have.

I know that everyone is different but burnout can happen.

Karry Kyllo wrote:

Looking back on it now, I was foolish because I spent many hours in a boat that were absolutely miserable.

But if you didn’t go then, would you regret it now? I know I would….

-J.

You’re definitely not alone but I wouldn’t call it normal behavior either.
Sounds like an awesome weekend to me though. Sometimes I wonder if anybody could keep up with me. Reading your post makes me wonder if I could keep up with you! I have yet to find a fishing partner that has the kind of drive that I do. If I’m not fishing, I’m thinking about or preparing for my next outing and I’ve been that way my whole life. Growing up on a small lake, as a young kid I would spend an entire day sitting on the dock catching bull heads, blew my parents minds.
I’ve fished with a lot of great guys and really great fisherman but most just can’t handle that kind of dedication. I rarely get 3-4 days in a row to go on a marathon like you described but I fish every weekend regardless of conditions. I love spending the whole day on the lake but most of my fishing buddies are checking out after 6-7 hours. Sometimes I’ll sacrifice and call it a day, other times I drop them at the landing and head back out. Last sunday I fished on mille lacs from 6am to 430pm. I left a bit early, but it was an amazing day of fishing and my arms were tired from fighting smallies and walleyes all day. I go alone a lot and find myself doing it more and more often to prevent those situations. As others have said, yolo, you do you, etc.
Having an understanding wife is crucial to this type of behavior. It’s a challenge to balance family life and long hours on the lake but luckily I have an amazing wife who understands too.

I burned out the last 2 years fishing. This year I go just as much but shorter durations. Morning then later about 3 hours before dusk gives me time in the middle to get stuff done. Completely have a different but diehard outlook now. Wife changed jobs last year she works Monday-Friday and only Friday morning. I have Friday-Sunday off. It is totally different thankfully she loves fishing not as diehard or fishing in the rain but she loves it. Married 28 years did not even know how to fish until 4 years in the marriage. Then game on had a lot of lost time to make up. She used to work weekends I worked weekdays nights still do. If it works for you great but most will burn out out or health gets them. I can say having weekends with her is worth more than the best day of fishing for me. It really hit me when my nieces and nephew said no uncles not coming to see us he’s always fishing. That will sober you up in a hurry. Priorities man priorities.

College days in ND chasing waterfowl, I can relate. And then I moved to MN and now root for the ducks. Im assuming you spend alot of time on Vermilion. If thatw as my stomping grounds I could totally see that being a realistic way to spend time, new waters everyday.

I enjoy my somewhat busy life outdoors, but I’ve tried to make the most of timing. Walleyes are hit hard April thru June. Taper off July and August. Walleyes again Sept thru November. Pheasants in Dec., Deer in November etc.

I could never be in a relationship and have that schedule. Id be castrated, in the nicest way possible. Hats off to you. That sounds like one helluva life.

Not normal, but I like it !