Just not feeling it...

[8pointer]

Hopefully lease prices will start to drop with all this lack of enthusiasm.

Lmao!!!

[popup_menace]

I get more excited thinking about a good campfire with family than I do killing a deer. Find what makes you happy and involves your family and you can't go wrong. If hunting ain't it, no harm done.

[riverbowman]

I'm were you are with kids. I actually went through a couple of years where I felt like I was doing something wrong not being out in the woods as much. Almost like I was messing up as a father because we weren't out there as much as we used to be. I sort of felt like they might lose their love of outdoors and hunting because of sports and activities. Pretty much had me in a bad mood in the fall.

Then I realized it was about me and they were fine. They still want to go whenever we can. It's just not as often... for now.

[AtTheWall]

I got there years ago. Shifted gears and started fishing with a bunch of good friends. Offshore, Inshore and all points in between. I mix up scenes, locations, and even regions of Texas.


We can be who we are on the water. Even if some don't like to fish, they love a day on the water just to get away and take that world in. You don't worry about a lot out there and the scene changes all the time. It's outdoors but, it's not a routine..same blind, same critters, days and weeks on end.

We can have a campfire. We can share stories and cookouts, especially if you fish the South Texas region. Lakes and or coast, it's what you make of it.

I still spot and stalk. I still get excited about getting surrounded by a huge school of tailing redfish, and or young tarpon rolling next to the boat. Spotting a massive speck, as it slowly stalks mullet in less than 2ft of water. Or the zing of the reel with the acrobatics of a huge bull Mahi offshore, spending days with some of your closest TBH buddies.

I'd be tickled to death to take someone fishing, if they would pop an Axis doe for me. I'll run us out in the Laguna Madre, spending an entire day chasing fish on the flats.

I love me some Axis venison!

[Atfulldraw]

I've heard that the amount of estrogen you produce goes up as you get older....

Could just be manopause

[Atfulldraw]

Now that I've picked on you, I'll admit that I agree with you

I still want to go, but it's now more about other folks getting to hunt, and of course tracking deer for other folks. . I sit in the stand and hope the phone rings with a kids wounded buck that we can go help find.

[tmurray]

Im 32 and I am starting to see my drive to kill something decrease. Especially with a little boy at home. Usually I would have already logged 20-30 days on the coast fishing, but I have logged 2. The funny thing is that I am okay with it. I am getting excited about this coming hunting season (mainly about hunting out at Buff's place), but I will not be in a tree all day everyday like in the years past. I just don't have the desire right now. Once my little guy gets a little older, I will be pumped again I am sure. As of right now, I would rather take some kids and newbies hunting/fishing.

I'm in the same boat, just a year younger. Been back home to LJ only 3 times this year for saltwater therapy. My boy turned 2 a couple months ago so I'm a little ahead of you in that department but still a ways to go.

[EastTexun]

I applaud you and your decision to spend time with kids and family. I didn't realize it until much later, but my Dad gave up every hobby he had to spend time with my Mom, sister and I. I'm sure that he would have rather been fishing than at baseball, football, etc but he never missed a beat. Once I started to get interested into hunting, he was there to fan the fire, and I turned out to love hunting 100x more than he ever did. Unfortunately he left a lot sooner than we were ready for, but I use those memories to guide how I interact with my daughter and plan for the future. IMO you are showing your kids how to be a model parent, and that is something that is not all the common anymore.

[Cold 1]

I have been there for the last few seasons. Seemed like it got worse after I started elk hunting. I still deer hunt, but will let them walk sometimes just to watch or take some pics.
This year I bought a bowfishing boat and it has been great to get out. We also throw out a few jugs will shooting and sometimes we end up with a free lunch.

[41Chevy]

Been there. Switching bows now.

[Devin]

I love very few things. I love my family. I love my job. I love my friends. I love business. I love to hunt. As I get older, I find hunting to fall further and further down the list of important things in my life. I gave up a lot of hunting time when my older girls started playing school sports and being involved in other things. Now, our younger girls are showing animals, playing sports, etc. Jen and I are building a lakehouse, business is better than it's ever been and growing everyday and there are just a lot of things in my life that are more important to me than hunting anymore.

I have several hunts scheduled this fall that I just can't imagine being away from the office for 10 days at a time. Lots of fun deals could happen during that time. I don't wanna miss any VB games or BB games. I have a lease in South Texas that I don't even get excited about going to. Luckily, my BIL, has taken care of stands and feeders and cameras and such. I know I could take the family with me, but that doesn't work with their school/sports/4H schedules and Jennie just goes because she knows I love it.

I used to live for my time in the woods. Now, I just don't get as excited about it as I used to. Don't get me wrong, I still love it, I just don't NEED it like I used to. I'd rather fish on the lake with Jennie, or teach the girls how to execute a proper crossover dribble, or negotiate with a client or close a big deal.

So here comes hunting season and I'm not near as excited about it as I used to be. Has this ever happened to you? I wonder if it's temporary or if this is the new me. I feel like I SHOULD be in a tree, but just don't have the drive I once did. It's a weird phenomenon.

You could have saved all that typing and just said:

I'm getting lazy with my soft job & Jennie doesn't let me take my ****s out of her purse very often anymore

Seriously, I feel in a lot of ways the same and have since the boys started hitting high school. One's a senior this year and I'm looking forward to his last year of football more than anything. Priorities change as we age..... almost always for the better!

[aggie2000tx]

Kid activities dictate what we do now days. I used to go all over the state and country and shoot archery tournaments. I have not shot one in about 3 years now. With baseball, softball, cheer leading, 4 h and horses it is hard to find time to hunt. One thing both my daughter and son like to do is hunt dove. I dove hunt a lot with them for the past couple of years. I don't even have a feeder running right now. We are practicing right now getting ready for fall baseball and competition cheer. Good times and in the spring we spend more time at the ball fields than we do at home most of the time.

[Dakota7493]

I'm getting that way with deer. I'll still go sit in my blind on opener and whenever I get some free time but I don't do whatever it takes to get out there anymore. I find myself enjoying dove and duck more than anything the older I get.

[Big Todd]

When I was 32 I was driving roundtrip to Clair, Saskatchewan just to kill ducks. I was climbing in a tree stand at daybreak and back out at sundown....sandwich and bottles of water. I was sleeping in dive hotels with my dog while chasing waterfowl all over North America. Now, at 42, I dread driving to Academy to buy my new hunting license.

I'm getting there myself Curt. My son graduated high school last year and we don't sit in a blind together anymore. I have a 6 year old daughter I hope to start getting out there but I'm same way. The thought of driving to Academy to buy a license this year almost wants to make me not buy corn to put in the feeder! I have a few hunts I still want to make and do but other than that my same little lease seeing the same 80-110 class deer just aint the same. A lot has to do with fact my lease doesn't have a camp or place to spend the night. I used to really enjoy the three hour drives to spend 3-4 days and the late nights around the camp fire. miss that part of hunting more than the actual hunt. But Unfortunately for me I can't afford one of those places any longer.

Hang in there and know your time spent with your girls beats time in the stand! Your spending your time right!

[Patton]

I'd be tickled to death to take someone fishing, if they would pop an Axis doe for me. I'll run us out in the Laguna Madre, spending an entire day chasing fish on the flats.

I love me some Axis venison!

Well now.. I just happen to love shooting free range axis does, and I'm about to spend a lot of time at the ranch this fall