Ive been deer hunting for 35 yrs., with my bow for the past 9 yrs. and had a very strong passion for traditional archery. Over the past two years Ive all but lost my desire to shoot or hunt with my trad bow. I still love to hunt as much as ever, but I always seem to pick up my rifle and hunt instead. Have any of youll experienced this and how did you get your passion back.
There is an ebb and a flow to all things. Don't fight it, man. Enjoy your time afield. Try new things.
I go though the same thing every once in a while. Sometimes I focus more on muzzleloaders, someimes hunting with pistols, sometimes its lever action rifles. As long as you are enjoying yourself dont sweat it. I dont think the trad police are going to confiscate your bows for not being used...............
You are guilty of being human... Just enjoy yourself when ever you can... In a way, I've been there too, feeling strange holding a rifle during firearm season... :dunno: ... Still use it anyway...
Maybe stump shooting or small game hunting with your trad bow will help you get the itch back, maybe... Find a trad get-together and go there...
... mike ...
Don't sweat it bro! Keep on keepin on.
There's nothing like a new bow.....
Same thing here. Fly fished and put the bows away for a while. My bows called me back . Now my fly rods are calling . It's all good.
Think of it as a being a "two=season hunter" with extended time periods between.
Forcing it will not help, step back a while, bet it calls you back when your ready.
Hunt with what makes you happy just keep hunting.
Find a young soul to mentor into the sport. Also, try building your own bow....both of these have of way of re-kindling passions.
QuoteOriginally posted by PaulDeadringer29:
There's nothing like a new bow.....
I like this idea !!!
I'll ask the questions but you don't need to answer them here...
What significant things have happened in your life in the past 5 years? Things r/t your health (or others), employment, income, family, fitness, and other things you might consider important.
These are all potential things to steal your attention and energy, taking you away from the enjoyment that hunting once provided. I tend to think we don't just fade away from outdoor pursuits. Instead, I think life and all it holds slowly takes hold and gradually makes our pursuits less imperative. You go from 'can't stay home' to 'can't make myself go' over a significant period of time.
Thinking it will change on its own is highly unlikely. If things have changed in your life, you'll need to address them and get those roadblocks to fun out of your way. The drive and desire is still possible...you'll have to uncover it.
Very well said Kevin.
If you bow hunt and generally shoot by yourself I think the drive can easily lessen.
In my case I came down with inflammatory arthritis and can't shoot my bow. I do use a muzzleloader for meat hunts but miss my walks in the woods with my longbow terribly.
I'm still hoping to get back to it.
Just keep in mind that archery and bowhuning are not obligations! I love to shoot bows, build bows and hunt with bows. But, I also enjoy building,shooting and hunting with muzzle loaders. Pursue what may captivate you at the moment and enjoy it.
I have two compounds on the wall that do nothing but collect dust....both are new, nice bows. I just don't have any passion for them anymore. I hunt with longbows and recurves during deer archery season. Come muzzleloader, I bring one of my smoke poles. Come rifle, I break out my long range set ups.
In turkey season....I start out with a shotgun til I get one under my belt. Then I start trying it with trad equipment.
I have way too many other toys with different capabilities to limit myself to just one thing.
My true passion...the thing I do every single day...is shooting my traditional bows.
For me, bowfishing is the most fun I've ever had with a recurve in hand. Second, is stumping with a friend. Go bowfishing and stump shooting! And hunt any way that makes you happy. That's what it's all about.
Simple fix really. bow hunt during bow season and break out the blued steal during gun season. I plan to bow hunt only this coming deer season. i really want a traditional bow kill, i guess that keeps my drive going. Whatever you do in this situation there is no right or wrong. I feel like ill be a better hunter after this season. I've been practicing tracking and shooting in different positions. i practice more with my bow than i ever have with a gun and i enjoy it.
"I've been deer hunting for 35 years"
That in itself is pretty impressive. I'm pretty young and my passion is full on. Can't imagine not hunting every season i can. Have you tried hunting anything else? Reading these bear hunt stories really gets the blood pumping. Maybe trying different species could bring the drive back.
It's really hard to say much with so many variables.
I consider myself an archer first but I bought a rifle 3 years ago and I have had more deer & bear in the freezer in that time than the prior 15 years combined of only bow hunting.
Eb and flow... I have two young kids so I choose to spend time with them, not out scouting, etc.
With limited time, I grab the rifle.
I practice with my bow year round, shoot'em with my boys, bow hunt a bit during the 2 week archery season and then for now, the rifle.
What is your goal? Fill the freezer, harvest with a bow or long gun? What kind of time do you have...
QuoteOriginally posted by Kent57:
Very well said Kevin.
Kevin Dill pegged it.
I go for weeks without getting my bow down from it's perch on the wall. Working almost 7 days a week for a couple of years now just to make ends meet takes a toll on my energy level. Then, when I do feel like doing something, I spend my limited amount of time just gettin' caught up on the yard and other chores and also I try to get caught up on spending time with my wife and kids.
One thing that works well for me is, I take my two teenage sons to a nearby river where they enjoy swimming and catching snakes and crawdads while I stand on a high bridge shooting carp with my recurve. This works well in two ways. One, my kids are getting out of the house while spending time with me. Two, I'm also having a blast and chillin' while doing something I really love as well.
Try bowfishing to rekindle your archery desire.
Try finding a minty vintage bow from the year you were born and kill a deer with it. The search for the bow can be just as much fun too.
Another thought is, if you haven't done so yet, try a full season on the ground, using only natural cover versus using a treestand or tent blind. Eye to eye at 8 yards is a bigger thrill than any treestand can offer.
I agree Kevin nailed it.. I have bowhunted almost 40 years and was the most drivin hunter you could imagine.. Bowhunting has always been my main intrest after my family, i was either doing something to prepare for hunting or actually hunting and I thought about it every single day of the year.. The past few years have taken thier toll..and i have lost alot of my drive and it really bothers me..
ive recently had a few pretty bad injuries which i have recovered from ok, but also am over weight by about 30-40 lbs, fixin to turn 61 and just stay worn out..plus money is pretty dang tight right now.. i work 10 hours a day and have a 160 mile a day RT comute to work, when i get home i dont feel like doing much, where in the past i would go to the bow range or something after work.
there isnt much i can do about the work week, but i do need to set a goal for some weight loss and get more excersise, hopefully that will loosen up these joints some and i will feel better.. thinkin about planning an out of state hunt as a goal and a reward for doing so...
i guess its what really is a priority for ya.. i have a couple grand children on the way and i know i am going to want to spend more time with them and i am sure that will have priority over my hunting, as it should...
your 35 years is a strong commitiment.. it may just be time to ease up and do some other things.....but reading your post you sound like me in that you want it back...to do that your gonna need to change something.. in my case i think its getting in better shape and feeling better, in yours maybe it is just doing something bowhunting related more often, be it with a new bow or just going to a few bow shoots with buddies.. but it does need to be a primary focus for ya.....
I don't know if you guys own any hunting land or not, but if you do, doing "off season" habitat improvements/plantings/cuttings is as fun and rewarding as any hunt.
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.
Six Stages of Hunter Development
The longer you hunt; you will probably find that your attitude and behavior will evolve. There are six distinct stages of hunter development. You may not pass through each of these stages and you may not progress through them in this exact order.
1) Shooting Stage
The impulse here is to get off a shot quickly, usually at the first animal that appears. This eagerness can lead to bad decisions that could result in the wrong animal being chosen, a poor shot being taken that wounds the animal or even a shot that endangers others. Target practice, good mentoring and more experience will lead most hunters out of this stage quickly.
2) Limiting Out Stage
This hunter wants to always bag the limit. This may cause a hunter to take unsafe shots or misidentify targets in the zeal to limit out. More experience and hunting with mature hunters will lead hunters out of this stage.
3) Trophy Stage
Success is judged by quality, not quantity. The hunter is very selective and will pass on many opportunities that do not match the desired trophy characteristics. Many trophy hunters focus on big game. The hunter's patience and commitment must be highly evolved.
4) Method Stage
Here, the process and challenge of hunting becomes the primary focus of the hunter. A more challenging method, such as using a bow, traditional bow, muzzleloader, or handgun may be chosen. The hunter may choose to stalk or still hunt, rather than sit in a stand next to a feeder.
5) Sportsman Stage
The total experience of the hunt is what is important to the sportsman. What animal is being hunted, how it is being hunted, the immersion into nature and the companionship of who you are hunting with, all combine into creating a more sophisticated appreciation of the hunt.
6) "Give-Back" Stage
At this point the hunter is motivated by the desire to pass on the proper hunting values, safety skills and responsible attitudes to others. They want to preserve our hunting heritage by introducing new hunters to the sport in the most rewarding manner. The hunter may choose to join a conservation organization that improves habitat through wildlife management and promotes hunting.
Over time things change and for some the time, effort and patience wears down the desire. I have taught many people over the years. One common thing I have seen is when someone remains primarily a gun shooter, the traditional archery takes a back seat and eventually that person quits. With both wilderness canoeing and trad archery, I have also had to deal with those that thought there was nothing to learn and they proved impossible to teach. What I look for is the ones that enjoy blending into nature and not just caring about what they can knock out of it, but still have the desire to search for adventure and take on the challenge.
Howard Hill had confidence with his bow. He was always looking for things that would test his abilities. Such pursuits feed desire and improve an archer's shooting. Constantly working on the fundamentalisms of good form spending hours shooting at flat a target by yourself or sitting in tree stand staring year in and year out at the same patch of woods hoping for the big buck can get old. Perhaps that is why I have more fun stump shooting with hunting friends when we head out in the afternoon or get back in the morning from hunting than the actual hunt. The challenge of trying impossible shots and interaction with friends, that is what Hill did as well.
I know exactly how this stuff happens. There came a day where I noticed it. Next came the time where it bugged me...and that progressed to worry. One day it was undeniable. I was losing my desire to go afield. When you see 140" and better bucks out your window (yes...I do!) and feel no real want to go challenge them, something is wrong. When you really aren't anticipating the next trip to Alaska...something is definitely wrong. When the thought of going to the woods is easily pushed aside by other things and thoughts, you might as well admit you've got a problem and it's not going to solve itself.
The answer isn't Five Hour Energy. I don't think it gets solved by trying new things usually. I say that because I did everything I could think of. Hunt on the ground ...go to more bow events ...buy new bows ...find new critters to hunt ...hunt with different people ...yada. Everything I tried just confirmed to me that I was losing my hardcore drive, energy, desire to hunt, and the need to be afield. Damn!...I didn't and don't want that to happen ever. But age was robbing me of hunting time by stealing my desire.
I finally concluded the problem was internal and no external force would fix it. I've researched this issue quietly for years and the realization came to me that I was doing this to myself. I was doing things and letting things happen that faded my hunting colors gradually. I finally owned up to needing to make some changes and paying attention to my health, life and all things which require attention and energy whether physical or mental. You see...age takes away our reserves and that keen edge gets dulled. Life isn't the same at half-a-hundred as it was when thirty-something.
I think it's up to a guy to go look in the mirror and ask himself what's really keeping him out of the woods. Get honest and lay off the excuses. Figure out what's sapping your energy and desire, then take corrective steps. You can go back...I promise.
One can be both an avid trad bow hunter and an avid rifle hunter. They are apples and oranges.
I love hunting and killing deer with bows and arrows, but I still love talking a rifle out, during the firearms season.
Mojostick, Man you are correct. It's spooky how right you are. That is where I'm at right now.(stage 6) On another note, I was alienated by people that are at stage 2 and 3. This is why I am starting "Full Draw Lodge". I'm hoping to draw in like minded indivisuals. My inner camp fire is starting to go out and I need to rekindle it. With all this said, I will always be an outdoorsman.
Hmmmmm. I guess I'll state the obvious. You've been hunting with your bow for 9 years. Have you ever killed anything with it? Nine dry years would tend to make anyone's interest wane.
As long as you are hunting ethically and legally, and showing respect for the wildlife and outdoors, I see no difference at all. I carry my single shot 45-70 when the mood strikes(or the freezer is empty) and one of the longbows when that feels like the thing to do.
The things that remains constant regardless of the tool in my hands is respect and love for the outdoors.
Hunt hard, kill clean, and let other people worry about the equipment issue. That said, if you want to get the drive back, try reading a good book or 2 on traditional bowhunting.........anything by E.D. Thomas Jr. should work. :thumbsup:
Darcy :campfire:
Mr. White states that he is still an avid hunter, just lost interest in archery. If the desire is strong enough, perhaps he will one day take a fresh approach to trad archery. If I would have stuck with long recurves and bow sights, I would have quit years ago. It just was not fun, like the year I shot compounds, no fun. Old crappy cedar arrows with blunts that still shoot good, rabbit arrows, squirrel arrows, the ones I lose, the arrows that I have fun with. Everyone should have a bunch of them.
I think all this comes with age-- I think you need a change-- I just got a new bird dog, after having my male pass from cancer -- I thought -- this is it no more dogs--
As it turns out --- this dog is very special -
I think it is faith-- she looks to be my best dog and buddy-- SHE will be the one to take me to new places-- see new things and have new adventures-- training her is fun-- took her for her first swim yesterday--
I will be going out again this year with Dad's old 30-30 -- it sure is fun to shoot them with that gun-- I am not ready too put down the bow-
as they say-- " GET OUT THERE -- JUST DO IT--
mY BEST rOB tIBERIO WWW.CLASSICSPORTSMAN.COM (http://www.classicsportsman.com)
Your passion is still there. It is just being used more with a different tool right now. Keep using all your tools for the hunt and you may come back around to hunting with a bow again. Keep having fun in the woods. There is more to life than being passionate about just ONE thing. Do keep shooting in the yard to keep those skills going good. No pressure, just freedom.....
I was told to make some new arrows and I did . It did kinda get me wanting to shoot again . I had to see how well they worked .
How'd the new arrows work?
Larry, I noticed you are in law enforcement so you are probably a serious kind of guy. Let that part of you go. Head out into the wilderness and become a kid again. There is more to hunting than killing. Go build a fort(blind), hunt for everything because there is more to bow hunting than big game. Make camp someplace(bigger fort) and set an archery target next to it. Also I had a post on what oders get you pumped for hunting. One of mine was skunk. Whatever yours is, try to come up with it. Call me in the morning.
It is supposed to be fun. When it is no longer fun, and I am just going thru the motions because I think I have to, I will spend more time on something I am really interested in.
I left bow hunting a few years because of other responsibilities. When they ended, I found my way back, with even more passion. I love this activity, but sometimes there are more important things in life to take care of.
Hope you figure it out, and best to you.
Gary
Breaks are good. "Everything in moderation".
Our time on this plane of existance is too short to worry about the things we cannot change. Keep searching for new hobbies, new goals, new challenges and you will be a happy camper.
I didn't hunt much for a few years due to time constraints from work. During elk season, I went to Yellowstone and watched and photographed the rut, and after a while, the passion came back. I got into other things, but archery was always in the back of my mind, and when the bug struck again, it struck with a vengeance. Nothing wrong with hunting with your firearms, and maybe your desire to pick up your stick and string will return. If not, the world will continue to turn.
I just saw an ad on TV for guys that lost their desire etc. They were giving out a free months supply of pills to get it back... Might have to look at that !
Chuckc