Too many hunting interests?

[crock239]

It's definitely hard to find time for all of it, especially with family, work etc. ...my outdoor interests are many, and I am trying to be better about enjoying and taking advantage of what's available where I am living at the time....

SC --> whitetails, largemouth bass
LA --> ducks, pirouges, redfish, speckled trout, offshore charters, more ducks and redfish (man, were those good days)
OR --> fly fishing trout, ducks, Roosevelt elk (should have been better about exploring eastern OR too)
IA--> BIG archery whitetails, pheasants? (Thought there'd be more opportunity), driving west for hunting

So much to do, not enough time...anymore it's just nice to get into the outdoors, and it's cool to involve my kids now too!

 

[Europe]

I had a different problem, the same, but different.

Although I always enjoyed hunting, it was just one of the things I enjoyed. hunting, traveling, sailing, and I loved river trips ( Mississippi, Nile, Amazon, Mackenzie, Colorado, Columbia, Yukon--type rivers ). I always enjoyed the hunts and we did them first as my husband was an avid hunter, but then he always humored me and accompanied me after each hunting trip on a different adventure. ( Although he did not follow me off the mountain in Rio--he did accompany me on most of my "wants") Oh, and drag racing, how could I forget that --maybe because I never won )-;

Anyway fellows, DO IT, hunting or whatever else you want to do and do it a soon as possible . It is not the years in ones life, but the life in those years. And include family as often as possible. When I look back through the memories in my mind, the ones I think of included a family member.

What would I like to do over again ? All of it ! Well I could live without those stupid hog hunts in Texas and the mechanical bull at Gilly's was not my friend one evening )-:

Glass Eye ----your wife and I chose the same type of man And, I was sorry to hear that you might have to postpone your Hawaii trip, that sucks, but you will get there.

Randi, I want to say something here about the "interests" of men-------but I wont. I will just say a real man loves to hunt and has being doing so since the beginning of time. God bless them ! Any of his other interests might or might not be discussed on a different thread and/or forum (-;

 

[Randi]

Touche !

 

[tzone]

This all explains why I have not shot a buck with my bow since i've been doing it for 19 seasons (the last 5 years being picky now).

being this is the first year bringing my 6 year old out, I had to keep telling myself we may drive 20 min to hunt for 1.5 hours for turks, or we may getup early and walk to the deerstand at primetime and only last 30-45min.
Same with the fishing, all the time it takes to get the boat ready, drive to the access then actually fish, its small little doses with success.


We got a pup before the kids popped out and I told my wife, raising kids is very similar to a puppy, short, successful, training sessions goes a long way, as long as I can keep my composure

Bow hunting is pretty much what I gave up to get the kids outside and in the woods. 3 of them like it enough that they have their own bows now. My oldest daughter has hunted with hers, but only turkeys so far. My step-daughter and son will do so this year.

 

[tzone]

being this is the first year bringing my 6 year old out, I had to keep telling myself we may drive 20 min to hunt for 1.5 hours for turks, or we may getup early and walk to the deerstand at primetime and only last 30-45min.

And that will happen. I made my mind up going in that when they wanted to leave, we were going to leave. Even if it was prime time of the bite was just getting good. If they weren't having fun anymore, I wasn't going to force them to stay against their will. I was afraid that would make them not want to go anymore.

Thankfully, that's only happened 3 times. Once while fishing. But, the weather was bad. High winds and rain. I would have stayed out myself. But my son was a bit scared of the waves and boat bouncing. Not having been fishing in those conditions, I understand where he was coming from. Once was when the high temp was 10*F for the high. He actually made it 3 hours and we both had enough in that deer stand!!

The last time was 5 years ago now. It was misty or drizzling all day. And I mean all day! He made it from sun up to 3:30 in the stand. It was a perfect November rut day too!! I really had to bite my tongue on that one, but we climbed down and headed back to the truck. On the drive back we say dozens of deer running all over. All I could do was smile and know he did have a good time.

Now, he's a hellova hunter and a better fisherman than his dad.

We always made it fun too. Making a campfire, cooking hotdogs on sticks, make a "fort" out what mother nature gave us, hold the flashlight while we track a buck, play "what made this track"...doing things they think is fun. But won't learn til later that you're teaching them to light a fire in the woods, build a safe shelter, blood trail deer, find their way in the dark.

Make it fun and they'll be hooked for life.

 

[tzone]

Here are some from over the years. You’ll never regret bringing them...even once.

 

[2rocky]

Bow hunting is pretty much what I gave up to get the kids outside and in the woods. 3 of them like it enough that they have their own bows now. My oldest daughter has hunted with hers, but only turkeys so far. My step-daughter and son will do so this year.

I'm fortunate that the 3D range is just 3 miles from my house. My girls grew up shooting critters every Wednesday night during the summer. It was easier to take them there every week than haul them with me on a backpacking bowhunt . It's not all about the hunting. It's the stuff that you might do to prepare for something that could be too intense for them. But they are included in it.

 

[Jmnhunter]

Bow hunting is pretty much what I gave up to get the kids outside and in the woods. 3 of them like it enough that they have their own bows now. My oldest daughter has hunted with hers, but only turkeys so far. My step-daughter and son will do so this year.

I may have to do this and stick with rifle deer and go to SD rifle hunting for more venison since our zone is only 1 deer

 

[Jbotto]

I may have to do this and stick with rifle deer and go to SD rifle hunting for more venison since our zone is only 1 deer

Plenty of zones around the state that allow bonus antlerless tags without going to SD. Not a bad option still, but paying non-resident fees is always a pain

 

[Jmnhunter]

Shhh, its my excuse to do a combo trip (pheasants and deer)

 

[Jbotto]

Shhh, its my excuse to do a combo trip (pheasants and deer)

Barely any deer in MN anyways! better hit up another state too for an extra deer or two!

 

[tzone]

I may have to do this and stick with rifle deer and go to SD rifle hunting for more venison since our zone is only 1 deer

Yeah, we are 1 deer zone too. We slide out to SD during MEA and hunt on a youth tag. Typically, we'll hunt in the unit I have a tag for so we can get some scouting in. Kids can shoot a doe for $10 anywhere in the state hunting is open.

They get a chance to watch 20-50 deer a day, in pretty nice weather.

We go to WI as well because the kids can shoot a buck and a doe on their deer license. We eat a ton of deer per year, so we try to stack the freezer pretty good. MN has a poor youth season compared to other states in my opinion.

 

[tzone]

Plenty of zones around the state that allow bonus antlerless tags without going to SD. Not a bad option still, but paying non-resident fees is always a pain

NR fee for a kid to hunt in SD is $10

 

[Hilljackoutlaw]

@wllm1313 @nick87 that didn't take long. According to two pregnancy tests this morning there is a baby brewing in this household.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

@wllm1313 @nick87 that didn't take long. According to two pregnancy tests this morning there is a baby brewing in this household.

Congrats!

 

[Hilljackoutlaw]

Congrats!

Thanks
Talked a baby right into her..haha

 

[marshman]

Anyone else like me, in that they enjoy so many different hunting and fishing interests?
I love to bowhunt/rilfe hunt deer, ducks, pheasants, grouse and turkey hunt.

With fishing, I love to panfish, bass, walleye, etc but this is during the summer so it does not interfere with hunting at all, until the fall, when the bite is supposed to be great, but to be honest I may try once in the fall if its too warm to hunt.
The problem starts when in about October, deer hunting starts to ramp up, duck migration getting better and then pheasant opener mid ocotober.
then when ice fishing starts, early December usually, but I love to pheasant hunt late season with the pup, archery hunt if I dont have any venison in the freezer by Dec.

Add in a family with a dog (soon to be another dog next year) and balancing all of these gets tough. Although, my oldest kid is getting to the age where he can start to join, although we did do our first turkey hunt this spring which he liked hearing the turkeys although we didnt see any and our first bowhunt this past weekend and he could only last 30-45 minutes.

I have thought about dropping duck hunting and or bow hunting, but I just cant seem to do it, especially now that my kids are getting older, I figure I would introduce them too all of it to see what they like. I have a friend that seems to be doing the opposite, he sold his duck gear, their dog just died so no more pheasant hunting. He said hes going to wait to see what his son wants to do when hes older.

I'm starting to figure out the balancing, as I'll focus on archery until early october then I'll hit duck opener with the pup, then wait until pheasant opener, then back to bowhunting then rifle season, then I really get into the pheasants. realistically, I only hunt ducks on opener then maybe 2 more times.

Give up duck hunting?? For me that was enough for depression to set in! Don't know if I can finish the thread now!

 

[Nick87]

@wllm1313 @nick87 that didn't take long. According to two pregnancy tests this morning there is a baby brewing in this household.

Congratulations!!

 

[Deleted member 38069]

I focus on my passions. For me it's:
1. Ice fishing
2. Western rifle big game
3. Waterfowl
4. Crappie spawn

Then I plan around the seasons and trim the "fat". The nice side of the draw system is that it forces you to pursue your other hunts!