Keeping the Fire in your belly...

[3855WIN]

Going on blood pressure meds will take some of the fun out of things. Staying alive is a good trade off, though.
I don’t get as excited anymore. But I also don’t get as frustrated.

 

[belshawelk]

Not for me. The only thing I worry about is is how long health wise can I hunt the way I hunt now. But the hunting is more enjoyable now. Way less pressure. I have been fortunate enough to hunt and fish in some pretty cool areas, and bag some really good animals. Now its all about going out and having a good time, albeit working hard, because to me that is the fun. I have a few trophy bull, mule deer and antelope hunts that I will do because I have so many points and I will need to use them. For me here is what changed, and almost overnight. I know this is not necessarily a situation for all, but it was when i bought my property. My whole life I busted my tail, working massive amounts of hours, spending over 200 nights a year on the road away from the family. I would then come home and coach my girls softball all year, every weekend and travel through out the country playing softball ball every summer. Both my girls got scholarship for college to play softball. I am in my last coaching season as my youngest is a senior and heads to college in August. (Although I know I will coach again because if what the sport has meant to me and what I can share with young lady athletes). In September we will sell our house and move to our cabin in eastern Oregon until we find a new home somewhere in E Oregon, W Idaho.
I guess I got off on a ramble but all of the above has now put me in position to relax, enjoy the outdoors and hunting even more. It allows me to take my buddies hunting and share good times. Last fall I guided one of my buddies to his first ever big game, a cow elk. I know there are mixed feelings on private land owners, and while I still hunt quite a bit on public, there is no feeling like having a chunk of your own to fall back on, and it doesn't matter how big. Every year I hunt, turkey, quail, deer, elk, coyotes, grouse all on my property. It was what changed my future for hunting.

 

[Randi]

I loved to hunt, but it wast the only thing I enjoyed or looked forward to doing and for me the variety of activities kept them all enjoyable to me when I was fortunate enough to do them "Variety is the spice of life"

My grandparents have always encouraged me to try all the different things that I feel interested in. Their saying was dont be " a one trick pony", as life has a way of changing the landscape your living in from time to time.

Horses, hunting and ranching was all I knew as a child, but my parents and grandparents have introduced me to some interesting and fun hobbies. I can to wait to go snowboarding each winter and after the trip down the Yukon, I want to do the Mackenzie, Columbia, Mississippi, even the Amazon .

I hope to always hunt and ride but not "just" hunt and ride . Maybe by doing a variety of things, none of them will get old for me and when the body goes South on me, the memories ! I enjoy listening to the stories of senior citizens and hope I will be a interesting to listen to as the ones who are in my life now, are.

Shorter reply, I would suggest doing something different that you always wanted to do and possibly next year, the fire will be back in your belly , to hunt, but maybe not. Maybe you will find something new that puts a fire in your belly and that would be o.k.

 

[AndyPOW]

On my income and lifestyle I'll never be flying here and there for hunts. Rather, I live in the middle of it and have built a life I don't need a vacation from. I've always felt that learning a landscape intimately made for more success, and has been a reward unto itself.

 

[Mtnhunter1]

For those of you in your 40's and older, with a career and a family...

..Did you experience a dipping in your excitement about hunting when you started achieving some of those goals you had when you were younger?

How do you keep motivated after you fill that long shot draw tag, go on the hunt of a lifetime, achieve what seemed impossible, eclipse your goal?

It is tough when looking back seems brighter than looking forward...

Outdoor adventures have always been what populates my thoughts and plans since I was just a little bugger. Through my youth and deep into my 20's, hunting was #1 and everything that I did was geared toward that goal. As life progressed with marriage, mortgage, kids and all the responsibilities that ensue, my outdoor activities had to take a back seat. But, mentally, the out-of-door adventures were always swirling to the top .... even throughout life's added chaos.

What has kept me going is "The Adventure" or exploring new and different country. I have figured out, for me anyway, that the quality of the adventure is what keeps the flame alive.

I am fortunate to have been born and raised in Montana where adventures abound. There has always been many parts of the state that needed exploring. With that, I can say that your post has really hit home with me this year. I have found myself letting the chaos of life consume me! Here it is, March 25th, and I have not even purchased a hunting license, I have not released an arrow, fired a rifle or reloaded a round. With what has been going on here in Montana, as well as elsewhere, I have let these things consume me!

Time to let the chaos go, life goes on and is really too damn short! Look for that "ADVENTURE", something that will rekindle that flame and get your outdoor juices flowing again.

@2rocky, thank you for the question, it has helped me and I hope that you found a few responses that have helped you also!

Good Luck

Mtnhunter1

PS: The wife and I are headed to town today to purchase our licenses and pickup the regs. Deer and elk permit apps are due by April 1st and I have dilly-dallied around too damn long....might even pick up a new rifle!!!

 

[Salmonchaser]

I am 82. Last Fall was the first time I can recall not hunting. The Covid virus complicated travel and then isolation occurred. Despite being ultra careful I still came down with the virus. This year i may not have the strength but we shall see. The fire is not as strong as it has been throughout my life, two years ago i was in Tanzania for 21 days and took eight head of plains game and four Cape buffalo one shot each, maybe that is a good place to stop.

Damn Son, don’t even think about stopping just get well.

 

[AndyPOW]

Outdoor adventures have always been what populates my thoughts and plans since I was just a little bugger. Through my youth and deep into my 20's, hunting was #1 and everything that I did was geared toward that goal. As life progressed with marriage, mortgage, kids and all the responsibilities that ensue, my outdoor activities had to take a back seat. But, mentally, the out-of-door adventures were always swirling to the top .... even throughout life's added chaos.

What has kept me going is "The Adventure" or exploring new and different country. I have figured out, for me anyway, that the quality of the adventure is what keeps the flame alive.

I am fortunate to have been born and raised in Montana where adventures abound. There has always been many parts of the state that needed exploring. With that, I can say that your post has really hit home with me this year. I have found myself letting the chaos of life consume me! Here it is, March 25th, and I have not even purchased a hunting license, I have not released an arrow, fired a rifle or reloaded a round. With what has been going on here in Montana, as well as elsewhere, I have let these things consume me!

Time to let the chaos go, life goes on and is really too damn short! Look for that "ADVENTURE", something that will rekindle that flame and get your outdoor juices flowing again.

@2rocky, thank you for the question, it has helped me and I hope that you found a few responses that have helped you also!

Good Luck

Mtnhunter1

PS: The wife and I are headed to town today to purchase our licenses and pickup the regs. Deer and elk permit apps are due by April 1st and I have dilly-dallied around too damn long....might even pick up a new rifle!!!

Boom! Right on. . . When I moved from Maine to central North Carolina the hunting and fishing opportunities went to practically zero. Then working overseas and living in 3rd world crapholes for seven years they did go to zero. Now, on the remote end of Prince of Wales Island I have more than enough (even for me) to keep me fired up for as long as I can stagger through the woods or run a boat.