Need a spark.

[dante322]

Ever since last friday when that buck turned and bolted 2 steps shy of my shooting lane, I have been faced with a dilema....


... I seem to have lost interest.


I dont know how much of it was due to that encounter, I do have a gut feeling that is as close as I'm going to get to puting a buck on the ground this season, and how much is due to the fact that life has come at me hard and fast the last few months. Nothing seems to be going my way. Between family drama, stress at work, vehicles and household components breaking down, I just feel drained and listless.

My plan for the day was to hunt all day and fix the jeep tomorrow. I woke up this morning at 3:30, a half hour before the alarm, and found myself making excuses not to go. The south wind sucks for most of my spots, youth hunters will be out which will eliminate a couple good hunting spots..... It's not uncommon for me to flip a coin to decide where to hunt, but when I had to flip a coin this morning to decide to go at all, I knew it didnt matter heads or tails, I was going to spend the day working on the jeep, doing chores and running pointless errands.

I might get out and take down my cams today, and I realize other than the button buck I shot a month or so ago, I havent shot my bow in months. Maybe getting in some target practice this afternoon will be a good idea.

Maybe I'll get out tomorrow.

Anybody else ever get burnt out on it like this? Get to a point where Hiking in and setting up seems more like work than fun?

 

[rgecko23]

No way dude, get out there and hunt. I find the days that I just don't feel like it or the days I dont go are usually the best times to be there. Get out there and hunt. I understand priorities and family. That comes first, but if you get the opportunity, get out there and get a deer. It ain't over yet bro.

 

[epe]

Hunt man. There are a bunch of us that hardly get to go. If I get in a hunt every other week that is an accomplishment. There are only so many good hunting days in a year. Between the rut and kids pushing deer, you never know what buck may come by you.

 

[cotty16]

Your luck can change in an instant. I almost nixed yesterday morning and I'm glad I didn't.

 

[Dannmann801]

DO NOT GIVE UP.

Yeah, it's a lot of work, it really is.
But you will not be happy with yourself if you give up. Is that the story you wanna tell? ""yeah, last year I was bummed so I just gave up"....doesn't sound good, does it?

If you can hunt, HUNT!

Edit: it's ok to take a day and do things and take care of responsibilities, that actually makes it better when you get back out there. But don't quit.

 

[bowhunter1023]

Join the club dude. I'm just about done for the year. A man can only take so much...

 

[Diablo54]

Join the club dude. I'm just about done for the year. A man can only take so much...

Thats stupid Jesse. Don't give up. Plenty of us have been hunting our asses off all year with nothing to show,you don't see us giving up. Not trying to be a dick just saying things get tough and u gotta keep pushing on. Ill hunt till the last Day of season to kill one. Im determined

 

[Dannmann801]

attaboy Diablo

 

[hickslawns]

Burnout. Take a day or two off, shoot your bow, catch up on errands, and regroup. You might do yourself a favor letting the woods cool down a couple days anyway. Good luck Dante.

 

[Riverdude]

DON"T GIVE UP!!! Look at it this way, you could be in my shoes, I have not gotten out at all this year due to being down here on the Rig. We have a Rig move next week so I will get out a couple days. Hang tuff Bro.

 

[dante322]

I dont know if its a spark that will ignite a blaze, but I did get a little flick of my bic today.

First off, I didnt say I was quitting. I said that with my life being a complete train wreck lately, I couldnt concentrate on hunting. Too many other things on the front burner that have been occupying all my free time. I am not neccessarily burnt out on hunting as much as I'm burnt out on getting out of bed at all anymore.

Here is my day today...

...The jeep is running as well as it ever did.
my laundry is all done,
the yard is cleaned up,
I recieved my scent smoker in todays mail, So I went to the local wally world and picked up some wood chips and a pen sized butane torch. On the way home I decided I was still going to pull my cams. They were both located on the same property. Both watching seperate scrapes.

The one to the back of the property is located next to a small "pond". It is flooded in the spring but dries up in the summer. A couple weeks ago I found a series of rubs as well as a line of scrapes the size of truck tires. The first check of the cam was last week and it turned out to be a small six, a forkhorn, and a couple does. Nevertheless I let the camera run. I arrived this afternoon to find that the pond is now full again after the rains earlier in the week. The scrapes are now submerged. But believe it or not, the does still work the area.

They come through pretty regularly. after retrieving this cam, I walked out around the left side of the pond. and back to the right on the opposite side. This put me on a treeline along the edge of a cut beanfield. it looks like the bucks are using this side now, because there is a fresh scrape opened up that wasnt there before.

As you follow this tree line it leads more or less to another scrape where i had been seeing a good buck up until a couple weeks ago. He actually made his first appearance on cam during the day, The same day the bean field was taken down. I havent seen him since.

Until now.

Not only has "Turk" been checking the scrape again, but he has been doing it fairly regularly, and a couple days ago, he started showing up during the day again.

This was yesterday. Nothing today, but it is a glimmer of hope.

I cant get out this evening. The wife has made plans for us. But I will put my new scent smoker to use tomorrow morning and sit this spot. Hopefully I will be able to actually enjoy it rather than sit there thinking about the things I should be doing at home.

 

[saddlepants]

dante dont you dare quit! I was feeling like that big time until mom got sick again. I had lost almost all interest in the cold with zero deer but now I cannot go out I cannot stand it - keep at it

 

["J"]

I've logged a lot of seat time with very little deer sightings per hours sat.... yeah it sucks but its all part of the game.... it can all change in in instance so get your ass back out there the both of you lol.... pep talk complete hahaha

 

[saddlepants]

Oh gosh I wish I could...I just stare out the window...sigh...get one for me dante!

 

["J"]

Oh gosh I wish I could...I just stare out the window...sigh...get one for me dante!

SP, I was refering too Dante and Jesse lol... I know you're kinda land locked helping your Mom.....

 

[RedCloud]

I use my seat time to think more clearly and get gameplans together while sitting there waiting for my chance to smack one. OR if I have a bunch of shit hitting the fan, I just sit there and think about NOTHING. Seems to work for the most part. Get out there and smack a brute for me buddy. Your so damn close now that your going to be pissed at yourself later for not getting out there.

 

[finelyshedded]

This is for Dante and Jesse. I know the frustration and the burn out factor, been there and done that, many times over the years. Yeah, things aren't happening in your areas around your stands RIGHT now, but that can ALL change the next time you hunt them. Take a break but don't quit!

 

["J"]

This is for Dante and Jesse. I know the frustration and the burn out factor, been there and done that, many times over the years. Yeah, things aren't happening in your areas around your stands RIGHT now, but that can ALL change the next time you hunt them. Take a break but don't quit!

Ric, I think your pep talk trumps mine :smiley_clap:

 

[Mike]

I'm not doing so well either. I just want some meat for the freezer and I can't even do that. There's still time, but after the gun season, my sightings go way down.

 

[Huckleberry Finn]

Kill that deer tomorrow Dante. I'll be around if you need help dragging it out.