[ridgetop]

I've been wondering when some of you stopped hunting big game?

Maybe you have an older family member that stopped big game hunting for what ever reason.

I'm just wondering what some of those reasons were?

It seems like lately that I have been loosing my passion.

 

[Critter]

I personally don't think that I'll ever give it up. I have slowed down in the last few years just do to my age but I still get out even if it is to help a younger hunter. I also have a friend that made the statement that he is tired of killing things. His last hunt was a cow bison hunt on the Henry Mountains and he showed up in tennis shoes with no idea of what he was going to do. If it hadn't been for his son who also brought a rifle and hired a outfitter I don't know what he would of done.

But in the long run some people just do give it up for one reason or another after they have lost the passion for it.

 

[chia6]

I think a lot of people lose the desire to kill things or hike around, but it's hard to beat spending time with friends and family in the mountains. Even if your not hunting, the mountains are where the best memories are made.

 

[Dunkem]

I lost all desire to kill a deer or elk,still enjoy upland game and waterfowl,but the desire went away on big game about 15 or so years ago.Still love the mountains,love to see the animals and still try to shot ,but with a camera now.Hard to explain.

 

[ultramagfan2000]

I've started to get to the point were I don't care if I fire a shot during an entire hunt. I'm just happy to be out and spending time with family and friends and showing my kids the great outdoors. Sadly I think more people are losing interest due to the fact they can't draw a tags and hunter ethics seem to be an endangered species. I am not trying to bash our current draw system. But it did take me 12 years to draw a snake valley pronghorn tag. But rather than stop hunting I turned my passion to waterfowling and that was long before Duckdynasty.

 

[Bowdacious]

I'll never stop!!!!

 

[Clarq]

I mainly hunt big game because my dad does, and I'll probably stop when he stops. I can't tell you why, but I'm completely fine with shooting birds, yet I don't like shooting big game animals. It's hard for me to kill one. I enjoy the memories made and the meat obtained from successful hunts, but I doubt I'll pursue big game without some family or good friends to tag along with. If I ever have a family of my own I may keep hunting big game, though. I learned a lot of good lessons hunting deer and elk with my dad, and it might be good to share some of that with my kids.

 

[2full]

I will prob never totally stop, but will slow down some.
I have a couple more hunts I want to do.....like my buffalo hunt this year. :mrgreen:
But I get a much bigger "thrill" from taking or helping someone with their first, or biggest they have taken.
Watching my grandson with his first buck last year was better than if I had killed a monster deer or elk.
I figure towards the end, I will have the kids stick me in a chair with a gun on the deck while they are out hunting.
As others have said, I just like being up on the mountain with family and friends enjoying life. Don't have to kill to make it be successful.

 

[Mr Muleskinner]

I have certainly slowed down. Kids getting older and almost empty nesters it is tougher for us to consume what we harvest. We are forced to share meat with others and most people that we know that enjoy wild game already hunt anyhow. I have passed up more shots in the past five years than I took in the previous 30 years of hunting. The camera takes far more shots for me anymore. As others have stated getting out is what it is about anymore. Love camping and I have fished more in the past two years than I did in the previous 10.

It's all good. To each their own. I would certainly like to see more people that have never hunted take part in a harvest and processing of their own food. Those that don't will never gain the true respect for theanimals that they "think" that they already have IMO.

Had some friends over that refused to eat any of the food that was not commercially harvested and prepared or was wild game. It made no sense to me why somebody would eat pork ribs but not try the bear sausage.

 

[c3hammer]

I quit Dec 16th last year but decided I'll start back up Aug 15th again this year. Seems it's been that way for me for 34 years now

In 2010 when I picked up a new HD camcorder, it changed the game for me. I've been filming and hunting virtually all year round since then. Something about never coming home empty handed that has transformed how I see things.

Cheers,
Pete

Cheers,
Pete

 

[High Desert Elk]

I find myself beginning to lose interest, in a way, at the age of 40. I think my occupation is getting in the way - it's kinda hard to explain, but it's hard to get excited about hunting big game when you're not excited about what you do to earn a living. Weird, thought I'd never get this way...

 

[BigMac]

I have not hunted big game in over 15 years. I just like to hunt waterfowl way to much & not willing to give up any days to hike my butt off to pull the trigger once every season if I am lucky!
I have killed deer & elk & I do like the taste venison. But there is just not enough triger time in big game for me. And I have a waterfowl recipe or two that I am willing to bet most can't tell the difference between waterfowl & venison!
It's a good thing not everyone likes the same thing or this old world would be kinda boaring!

 

[Jedidiah]

The best thing about beef is that if you eat enough of it, you'll get breasts of your own to enjoy whenever you want.

 

[kdinkel]

I took 20 years off. I have some hunting to make up. No plans on stopping or slowing down. I have kids to teach now!

 

[Catherder]

I definitely know what you are taking about. I took several years off after my father died. I just didn't have the fire to go anymore. My friend kind of nudged me back into it and I found that I still enjoyed it. I enjoy processing my own game and our family still eats all I bring home, so I don't see me quitting again for a while. Nevertheless, I don't shed tears if I don't draw out. In fact, I just bought a point for the general deer this year and whiffed on the LE/OIL/antlerless so my fall vacation will be just fishin and I'm fine with it.

Ridge, I don't know you personally, but in reading your posts, it would seem you are an exceptionally skilled and dedicated hunter that goes farther and works harder than the "average Joe" for the quality game you've harvested. I don't know if it applies to you but I might suggest that instead of you losing your fire for hunting, your body may be telling you that it doesn't like going as hard and as fast as it used to. That is another, probably separate issue related to age that a lot of us "seasoned" members know all too well about. You may find that a low intensity hunt in a favorite canyon or a road hunt with kids/grandkids is as enjoyable as backpacking to the top of the mountain for the 30 inch buck.

 

[Huge29]

It seems like lately that I have been loosing my passion.

You should probably just see your doctor and see if he can prescribe to you the little blue pill; probably worth a try!

 

[kailey29us]

My dad stopped 10 or 15 years ago, said he just didn't think he could pull the trigger. Then a couple of years ago he asked me to help him put in for a couple of hunts. It took a couple of years and he drew a cow tag last year on Fishlake. He hiked and hunted his guts out, he didn't fire a shot but I really think he would have if he had the opportunity. He couldn't make it up to where the elk were, we filled 3 of 4 tags and he helped haul the meat out. He has a deer tag this year on the same unit as my 17 y/o son so he is going with us. I can't wait to go hunting with him again.
As for me I think I'll hang up my big game boots when I can't draw a bow anymore. I love to hunt, I can't wait for opening day every year. I get an any weapon cow tag every now and then and I love to hunt for the elk in the fall but it doesn't compare to chasing deer and elk with a bow and trying to get within striking distance.

 

[BigT]

As a fore mentioned, while I enjoy hunting, I enjoy the whole experience far more than pulling the trigger. I love getting into the mountains, taking 3 of my sons now. One of which will be doing his first deer hunt this year. I enjoy the wildlife I see, the fishing with my boys even though all I do is untangle polls and bait hooks. It's worth it watching them reel their fish in laughing all the way.

I don't think I'll lose my drive to hunt though I really don't want to shoot a deer this year. Hope to heck my son does! Would be awesome!

 

[Kevin D]

Does this mean my odds for drawing a tag just went up??

 

[stillhunterman]

I think many hunters, at one point or another, question their hunting 'passion' and wonder if perhaps it's time to hang it up; pretty common from those I've talked to over the decades. For personal reasons, I sold all of my hunting gear and rifles in the early 2000's as I figured it was time. Yet, not a single October went by that I didn't miss the hunt, and feel the blood simmer to be on the trail. I started new again when I came back to Utah a few years ago, all to mentor a young man I befriended. It was amazing how fast the passion came back.

I have never really been a hunter that relishes the company of others in camp, been going it solo for the great majority of my years, so I didn't really miss that part of what so many others do. Camping and fishing is another thing, always have a full camp and love it. Having that tag with the the 'go ahead' to take a big game critter makes things a lot different for me when in the mountains. It's just not the same with a camera and hiking around to see the critters.

Anyway, we all hunt and end our hunting journey for different reasons. Right now it's my health that severely limits my ability to hunt as I once did. So, like Catherder mentioned, I've slowed down, don't go as far or as high or as deep in and am finding a new sense of enjoyment as I take in much more of what surrounds me. Yeah, I know, not making a lot of sence here...

Anyway Koby, I would suggest you take a couple of years and notch it down a tad, maybe put a bit more effort into the whole experience and not so much on the final outcome. It just might relight the fire in your blood.

Best of luck to you...