life without deer hunting

[Sailfish]

Yes there is more going on here. I am not going to go into family history..

Yeah I wasn't trying to pry, hopefully you didn't think that.

I was equating your scenario to me and offshore fishing.
It would take more than neighbors and such to get me to quit doing it. It would definitely have to be something well involved.
And like you mentioned, you have other endeavors/options available.. I guess I could always pick up bobber fishing if I had to as well

Good luck, i'm sure whatever path you'll take it will all work out.

[celrdweller3]

Before I made my decision to quit I wanted to make sure it was the right choice and didn't want my family talking me out of it. I need time away from them and this situation and quitting is the only way. My family involved has since offered me more freedom on the land and tried talking me out of it. I know I made the right choice because these offers from them made no difference to me. I don't like to second guess myself and by taking the time to really think about it gave me the clarity I needed. I have made the right decision for me. I appreciate all the support and understanding from this forum. thank you

[kellory]

No reason to leave the campfire, just because you wouldn't be hunting in the morning. Stick around, the beer is good, and the company is better.

[oletimer]

Not doubting your decision but there must be some doubt in your mind. Otherwise why would you come on to a site like this which is definately full of avid deer hunters for advice/confirmation. It is either in your blood or it isn't. Don't let someone else rule your life...it's way to short. Quiting is always the easy way out. Look for solutions.
That being said sorry that it has come to this and good luck.

[Homunculi]

"celrdweller3 wrote:Yes there is more going on here. I am not going to go into family history.."

sorry to hear about this decision ... been there several times over the years and i am not afraid to mention the troubles that was pushing me to leave hunting all together ...
when i got my first deer in 91 i was a shotgun only hunter .. archery for lefthanders was almost not there at all and very expensive also not having my father around (he left my mother and did not come around)
and a few years later i was sued for child support and was 6 years in arears upon the order.. and left with about nothing and it ruined my first marriage ...
only being able to hunt 1 week and 2 days out of the year ... kind of really sucked pond water ...
my 2nd wife of 17 years now .. was not very supportive of my hunting she let me do it anyway ... and as i said shotgun only
only took one season to figure out it was vacation on that week or have no paycheck at all for support taking so much of my check .. thus started me working 2-3 jobs to keep money coming in to pay the bills leaving very little time to even get out...

3rd problem that had me thinking that i was going to quit was i did not bag another deer till 2010.. heh some record and talking with other people and admitting i had such a poor record at hunting deer did not make me feel good ... turkey squirrel and rabbit is where i had it going on ..
but there was a little light .. my father gave me some burger and a roast ... got my mrs to try it .. (this was 4 years ago) after 13 years of marriage she said finally she liked deer meat though she could not think of where it came from ...
and after my 2010 kill she was about all in and i asked for a crossbow to extend my hunting to 4 month of the year (not to mention child support was off my back) was able to get into the swing of things again ... and put 3 in the freezer that season ..

4th after that i seemed a little malcontent .. i did not know what i wanted to do besides people hounding me about killing those poor deer .. and a local police dept that every time i have a bow or shotgun in my driveway seem to like to stop and ask to see my license check my weapons and my truck for anything they can write me up for .. posted in this forum and got some support from kellroy .. shaman .. deebz ... jph ..woodwalker and others things started looking better ...

then i ran into wayne a compound bow hunter that got me to thinking about a compound again and it gave me someone to chat with about hunting on the weekends or time off work to meet new people at the range and work on my archery skills .. so besides the fellows here in this forum that helped clear the funk away .. i had a buddy that i could hang out with when i was not working in the off seasons,,,
and this past year i have been working more with archery than my guns ... 2 full seasons my shotgun has stayed at home ... and for this season so far i have put 4 deer in the freezer my mrs is very happy (and hiding the jerky bags) ,,,,

everyone has their reasons .. i will not ask what prompted your decision... you might just need a season or two away from it ... i have had more than my fair share of reasons not to go out in the woods and to give up hunting all together ,,, just hang on to your gear for a while and really make sure this is a decision you "really" want to make ... if i read correctly you have a lot of money tied up in your equipment and time in the woods ...

and a side note just because you are not out hunting does not mean you are not welcome here

[celrdweller3]

I did not post on this site because I doubt my decision. Instead, I posted here because where else could I find people who could maybe understand?. It is nice to know that I am not the only one who gave up something they love for reasons beyond there control. Because, even though it is the right decision for me it would be nice to know that it will be fine and that I will love other outdoor activities as much. That the reason I love deer hunting is not because of the deer.This last year I found myself not even staying until dark, I would leave 15 minutes before. I didn't put in my food plots or even pursue the big one. I seen him from two different stands and never went back to them because didn't feel like walking that far. The passion is not there like it was before. I used to spend gobs of money on food plots because I liked providing them with food in the tough winters, and not because I wanted a better chance at a deer. I have shot 18 deer in 7 years of bow hunting. I kept 2 and donated the rest to food pantries. I don't even like venison. Is there a better place then here to tell my story?

[shaman]

Yep, if you don't like the taste of venison, then this probably is not a good sport for you.