I'm in my 44th year on this earth. In my young days I just wanted to kill, kill, kill. Over the last few years, the killing aspect hasn't seemed as important. I've quit killing doe that have little ones with them. I've come to love watching their interactions with one another. I do realize that any time that I kill a doe, there is a good chance she's got a little one somewhere, just not with her at the moment. I just feel like I'm getting soft. I don't have issues killing a buck. Am I alone on this or is this a natural progression for most?
Seems one reads more and more of that as hunters age.
Some of us have hunted way more then we've tagged critters. So everyone may not respond the same, but only one that matters is YOU!
Do what your heart and gut tells you! :wavey:
No you are not. I know and understand. I am 40 and I killed my first deer at 14. And i was so elated just to kill one. Then I killed another at 15, then I wanted to kill as many as I could. And I did, then I really wanted a big buck. I killed one when I was 18, then another at 23, then I wanted to kill every big buck in the woods. I killed several,and then one day about 5 years ago, I just came to terms with all of it. I have killed around 200 deer gun/bow and if I never kill another I can live it. Although i still enjoy taking a deer or two every year, it's more about HOW I take those one or two deer instead of what deer they are or how many. Make sense?
I think it's a normal progression in the life of a hunter. At least it seems so to me.
Perfectly normal. I will take a doe that I'm sure is alone or without fawns. But if you choose to take a doe with fawns, the fawns will most likely survive without mama. Unless they're still nursing. They will or will not survive the winter whether the doe is there or not.
You are normal, and some!
I think you are OK!!!
Bisch
That's one of the main reasons I started pursuing Traditional Archery...
I had to take a hunter's ed course several years ago to hunt in a different state (old enough that it's not required for me in MS). Our instructor had a term for it...seems like there were 4 stages in a hunter's life. Kill something, kill all you can, kill a trophy...then just appreciate being there.
Not all hunters go through all stages. I never would shoot a doe with young, but I was really anxious to get that first one. I've never been one to kill everything that moved. I'm not a "trophy" hunter, and don't expect I ever will be. I appreciate being out there, but I am there for a reason-I want to bring home some meat!
I'd say you are normal. Me on the other hand...never been accused of it.
Chad
QuoteOriginally posted by LBR:
I had to take a hunter's ed course several years ago to hunt in a different state (old enough that it's not required for me in MS). Our instructor had a term for it...seems like there were 4 stages in a hunter's life. Kill something, kill all you can, kill a trophy...then just appreciate being there.
Chad
That is pretty cool right there, Chad!!!
Bisch
I was really starting to wonder about myself. Both of my hunting buddies are in their 60's and they are so concerned with killing, it's crazy. The one kills everything that moves. He's an empty nester and has so much meat that he has to give loads of it away at the beginning of the next season so he has room for the new season. I try asking him why and he just doesn't understand why I'm not that way.
well it may come from the fact that if he's in his 60's, most of his hunting life especially in the early years, deer were hard to come by in a lot of places. so it's kill while you can. at least that's been my experience here. or he just may have an ego to feed...
If you are true to yourself, you are normal.
Over the last few years I've lost my drive to hunt. If I'm out there and I get the opportunity at a shot I will take it. Getting from home to my stand seems to be the hard part for me any more. I didn't grow up in a hunting family. My Dad was a Police Court judge and would not allow us to have guns(never thought about bows in those days,50's and 60's). A neighbor had guns and boats and we learned from him the proper and safe way to use them and my Dad was good with that. I didn't start hunting until I was about 30 years old and bow hunting shortly after that. I'm 65 now and enjoy being nature, watching the day come in or go out and being an inconspicuous part of that. If I get the opportunity, I'll take it, buck or doe, any legal game.
I believe that you have evolved into an outdoorsman. I absolutely love to watch the animals interact with one another. I also will occasionally make my presence known in a non threatening manner and interact with deer. Sometimes it works pretty well, sometimes it doesn't. The longest that I ever was able to keep a deer watching me was about five minutes as I would wiggle my fingers, make funny noises, wave, lip squeak... anything to keep it curious.
We all change. I now kill to eat but hunt to fill my life with pleasant times. I might add that killing means the work begins, and sometimes I just don't feel like doing that kind of work.
My best friend here used to be a killing machine. He'd pass on a doe with young, but that was about it. I'd joke about him, saying that if MS had a moose season and all you could use to hunt with was a cocklebur and a rubber band, he'd not only find a moose but kill it. He can also track a flea with a limp through a sand storm...
In the last few years...I'd say 5 or so...he's turned more towards helping other people, mainly kids or adults who never had the opportunity, to get game. He rather call up a turkey for someone else, or sit with a kid in a blind and help them get a deer than kill it himself. He'll do all the work to get it done for someone else.
I really enjoy scouting more than hunting. especially scouting with a hunter that is new.
Chad, I had to take the same sort of course, even though I've been hunting for 50 years, and realized there is a lot of truth to the "stages" of a hunter's maturation. Now I love teaching new hunters and shooters and my time in the woods is my time to unplug and recharge. I realized one still morning last fall that I could close my eyes, lean back against the tree I was in and track a doe with two fawns , a young buck and 11 different squirrels on the ground and in the trees in a 100 yard circle around me with nothing but my ears, and that was more satisfying than any shot I've ever taken. Now, if I get a shot at Mr. Wily Coyote, that might be a different story.
It is normal. I realized a number of years ago, that killing everything in the woods just is not the most important part of the season. Like some of the others, the preparation for the upcoming season, along with the anticipation is truly fun. Now I mostly observe wildlife and enjoy the solitude. However, if a coyote comes along, there will be arrows on the fly.
I feel the same. The problem is it then makes me sit back and question whether or not I'm a trophy hunter? I'm not, but watching deer and not shooting deer must make me something, right? I can let all the 18 month old bucks walk by for 4 weeks straight, then suddenly one day my trigger is tripped and I cant wait for the next shot opportunity on one them. Hard to explain why.
I can let those young bucks walk, but boy those old nanny does can sure temp a man in a weak moment... :help:
im the same way, even though Im 61 and bowhunted for over 40 years I just have never felt right killing a doe with a fawn or 2 in tow.. I wont kill a yearling either, not that their is anything wrong or unethical about it, because you may kill that same yearling a year or 2 later.. its just a personal choice. I just don't feel right orphaning a young one and killing one is killing about the dumbest most inexperienced deer in the woods...
but give me a good ole dry doe and she is going in the freezer..
I have a good friend whos dad is 71 yrs old and he trys to kill every deer he sees plus catch every fish in the lake when they are spawning.
he will sometimes have 500-600 crappie/bluegill in his freezer at any given time plus 4-5 deer and its only him and his wife at home..
I just kill or catch enough to last me the winter and that's it anymore, used to kill 8-11 deer a year and used them all but with just me and the significant other at home now no need.
As has been said we all go thru a progression as hunters, I too like to watch the fawns with their mothers.
I will go as far as to say I enjoy hunting and seeing animals in their natural habitat and if I don't kill them fine. Sometimes knowing that I could of is enough for me. Not wanting to kill a doe with fawns is a normal reaction to me. The reverse is not normal to me. I don't mean to offend but an honest answer to a question is just that,honest.
If killing were the main focus, I would have quit hunting long ago.
You are weird. ;) :p
Your perfectly normal...! Watching deer "being deer" is about as good as it gets for me. Like I tell my wife if we were truly hungry I would hunt with a rifle. We all progress as hunters...
It's not about being soft, it's about aligning your actions with what is important to you. I am 64, and have been a hunter all of my life. Sometimes I enjoy watching them more than shooting them. There is no right or wrong either way, as long as we are responsible, ethical hunters. I too have come to cherish the hunt and the blessing of being there. You are perfectly normal, and then some.
I think it is just gaining maturity as a bow hunter.
Hope you are normal,I am 59 and been like you for quite a while
Terry
QuoteOriginally posted by Doc Nock:
Seems one reads more and more of that as hunters age.
Some of us have hunted way more then we've tagged critters. So everyone may not respond the same, but only one that matters is YOU!
Do what your heart and gut tells you! :wavey:
Once again Doc knocks it out of the park... I am a little older than you (OP) and I have gotten to the point I'd rather watch than kill. Although I do enjoy shooting turkeys, and well I'll let the air out of a good buck.
Funny story, my wife started rescuing baby squirrels a few years back. Our backyard is overrun by squirrels that will eat out of our hands and a few that will climb on us. I have to admit that I once was a squirrel hunting rascal. Nowadays I'd rather watch them and feed them. If I ever started hunting them again I'd be there worst nightmare, but I don't see that happening. :)
Completely normal. You only have a couple more years on me but I have more fun sitting with my son in a ground blind and seeing him when deer appear, than killing one myself. However, I must say that I still get turned inside out with the shakes when deer come into view, whomever is hunting!
While I hunt hard to put a few deer in the freezer each year, six kids and they all love venison, I have definitely reached a place where there is more remorse/respect, not sure of the exact word, for the animals I am blessed to take.
Wow, you guys are great. No wonder I feel at home here. I was actually thinking that maybe I wasn't a "real" hunter anymore but the more I read on this post, I'm more normal than I thought. I'd share a fire with any of you.
Here is the deal...If you kill an animal and have zereo remorse or some guilt, then i question your reasons and soul. Maybe Im wrong for that, but i don't care. To take life is something that we all do, whether you hunt or not, directly or indirectly, we just choose to do it in a way that keeps us connected to harsh realities of the life cycle. I say that because the way we do it, keeps us humble and makes us appreciate life even more.
I'm the odd one I guess and I am 64. Enjoy all aspects of the hunt whether I kill or not. But when I go to the woods with a bow and tag, I am going to kill if given the opportunity. I let young deer pass, but no issues shooting a doe with young as I've seen them hook up with another group almost immediately. If I was going to only watch, I would carry a camera only and go in the good weather of the spring, summer and early fall.
Never felt a bit or guilt or remorse about a clean kill - it is my goal. If I did I wouldn't hunt, as life throws enough negatives at you to seek them out.
I get it, but I myself don't feel sorry for killing a deer or any other game. Especially if I do my part and do it quickly and cleanly. I'm now 38 and I'm quite sure before season is over I'm going to smack 2 or 3 but not that long ago I would kill as many as possible. I enjoy my time afield to much in the busy society we live in to cut it short. Also I think as we grow older we become more proficient at what ever craft we dedicate to, and for a hunter part of that craft is killing. I have found myself limiting my killing to spend more time hunting.
Its 2:am, but I'll give it a shot. Maybe the secret to all of this, bowhunting and maybe the rest of life is;
Being prepared for the idea that our opinions, beliefs, and preferences are likely to change as we mature.
While at the same time remembering and appreciating all the "younger" stages.
I used to resent "older" people who would criticize youngsters for acting like youngsters.
Its hard to think like a 40 year old when your 18.
But it shouldn't be that hard to remember how a 18 year old is supposed to think and act when your 40 or 60 or 80.
So when I'm hunting with my 22 year old, I imagine he probably want to "kill every thing" and that's ok.
Near the end of my grandfathers long hunting career I don't think he wanted to kill anything. But he still loved being at camp with every one, and still like to carry a gun in the woods in November.
So I guess to each his own and may we all get to really enjoy all the stages.
good night, God bless,
Scott,
p.s. What a great topic. You all are greatest group of humans I've ever had the pleasure to get to know.
I would get checked out by a professional if I were you ;)
Well I myself certainly do have some remorse after i kill an animal. Now Im not holding funeral services and weeping like a baby, but there is a sense of sadness when I kill something, always has been. it last only a few hours because then I am reminded why i did it/do it and that the Lord gave me domain over the animals of the earth. Maybe I am the odd ball, but it won't change me.
VA - not judging you on any level.
It's not my job.
I didn't take that way Steve. People have different emotions and deal with them in many ways. I have always had these feelings after I kill an animal, what is odd for one is normal for another...
Certainly not abnormal. I think there's a pervasive appreciation for the life we take when we hunt, that we show by killing as humanely as possible, and full and responsibly using that which we harvest. That said, it's hard enough (for me, anyway) to get in position to take a clean trad shot, including on a doe, that I'd pass one up when it's there. As a farmer/landowner, I really need to have the other folks who have permission to hunt on our property to thin the herd, especially by taking does.
I don't look down my nose at anyone that feels differently than I do. That's what makes us human. I for one do feel something for the animals I kill. I have buddies that do not. They are still my buddies.
I think it was Aldo Leopold who said " some men fish all their lives without knowing it is not fish they are after" . I relate that to traditional bowhunting, although my goal is to kill a deer, it's not the only reason I am in the woods. Its more of an excuse to be in the woods.
I'm in the same age group as you and I have different feelings now than I had in my 20's and 30's. Remorse isn't one of them though. I hunt ethically, eat everything we kill and pretty much rely on it as a food source. I had a severe case of the (bigger and more) fever for years that seemed to disappear when I started taking my kids out. I guess it is something with the maturity. For me it was more showing my kids the right way and I changed in the process. I still bow hunt at least 75 days a year and enjoy the time in the woods. I am selective on bucks, but does don't have a chance young or old if I have a tag in hand and the drag isn't too long. Just my feelings!
Is anybody actually "normal" ?
You feel a certain way, and as you saw, that feeling or similar feelings are shared by others here ( and elsewhere).
We add experience throughout our lives and change opinions constantly because of these experiences.
I'd say you are doing fine.
ChuckC
I think it was Aldo Leopold who said " some men fish all their lives without knowing it is not fish they are after" . I relate that to traditional bowhunting, although my goal is to kill a deer, it's not the only reason I am in the woods. Its more of an excuse to be in the woods.
I'm getting to where i have more moments where i could easily kill an animal and find myself letting down with a smile knowing i counted coupe. Raising my own beef has a lot to do with that too.
I've taken a lot of game with a bow and enjoyed every moment. i have no remorse over killing something for food at all, but refuse to kill something just for a trophy.... Bears are a good example. My wife and i don't like bear meat, and as much as i'd love to have a bear skin rug, i never have been able to shoot a bear just for its skin..... But that's just me.
Everyone is different, and have different priorities. I've passed up all kinds of shots that just didn't feel right for some reason, and then turned around and shot a small doe the next day because i wanted the venison..... depends on my mood at the time...
BTW..... What is normal anyway? I don't think i fit into that classification myself.
Yup!
God bless,Mudd
I agree totally with KirK!
Some folks, including myself, will say, Normal. Others will say weird.
I don't think any of us are "normal"!