Burn Out

[HeadedWest]

Admittedly, I’ve only hunted one day this year but I’ve also seen a lot of threads about folks taking the week off to hunt.

When I used to enjoy deer hunting more, I’d always start wondering what I could/should be doing more productive with my time when things got slow…I’d find myself paying more attention to my phone than what was going on around me. I never feel that way on a bad day of small game hunting or walking the woods for sheds, etc.

Do any of you who take off all week to hunt without any success every regret taking off? It’s obviously your passion if you’re willing to take off, but I’m just curious if even the die hard deer hunters ever regret it.

 

[mudhole crossing]

I was fortunate to be able tweak my vacation on a day by day basis. I elected to work Monday Tuesday and today due to not much buck activity on my cams and visual sign. But tomorrow it’s game on; off through thanksgiving weekend. Prolly sit out Friday due to the much needed rain soaking we need.

 

[Drahts]

Ya can't kill em on the couch or at work, and you can't control the weather. But I will say a bad day hunting.....
I try not to push a stand to often and never on a bad wind, maybe push the wind a day or so but ya gotta be out there to kill one. This week has been slow as molasses with big buck movement, not even night pics of good deer. Red Moon starts tomorrow!

 

[Little FR]

I regret the looks I get from family and kids. Regret explosive diarrhea under my stand, regret getting frost bite.

Regret not being at work to be in nature? Negative!!!! Not even once.

 

[mudhole crossing]

Ya can't kill em on the couch or at work, and you can't control the weather. But I will say a bad day hunting.....
I try not to push a stand to often and never on a bad wind, maybe push the wind a day or so but ya gotta be out there to kill one. This week has been slow as molasses with big buck movement, not even night pics of good deer. Red Moon starts tomorrow!

Fill me in on the red moon please

 

[bondhu]

Beaver Moon = Bad Ju Ju
Must ride a white horse saddled backwards to stand.

 

[120+]

Fill me in on the red moon please

Little FR already explained explosive diarrhea.

 

[rockhousehunter]

There is nothing on earth that could be more productive than setting on a deer stand. I do other unproductive stuff so I can afford to set out there and hunt.

 

[CRFmxracer]

In the past yes. When I had a fiancé and a step son and I would sit in the stand for an entire unproductive weekend and think about what I could’ve been doing. After finding out she was a POS and now being single hunting and fishing is the ONLY thing in my life that keeps my mind off the shitty hand I was dealt

 

[Mountain Man4life]

I 100 percent know what your saying. When it’s slow and I see nothing for a few hours I’m always thinking what I could be doing around the house. But then I tell myself deer season is only in for a short time and I should actually take this time to decompress from work, kids, and the wife. So I just sit still and enjoy nature if I see no deer.

 

[Chimpy]

I get it, and that's why I've been shooting a limit of squirrels every time I go. I will get to the farm around 2, walk around and shoot 6 squirrels, clean them, then go deer hunting. For whatever reason I find it very satisfying.

 

[Tman6493]

Every year is the same for me. I get excited as fishing season starts to slow down. Shoot my bow a lot. September rolls around and after 4-5 hunts I realize I’d rather be fishing or with family. To green and to hot. Then around mid October I get the kick again. 4-5 hunts I start thinking the same thing. First of November rolls around and I know anything’s possible. I have been off for 5 days. 24/48 fire schedule makes it easy to get off a week. Hunted every day. Don’t regret taking off. But at the same time a lot of work around the house, golf, fishing with this weather, training the dog ect would have been more productive. Then I get to looking on here and see some of these people talk about letting a 10 Pt walk or a 3.5 year old 8 needs another year and seeing 12 bucks in range and have 2 thought. Either some people on here slightly exaggerate or Michael waddle, Ted Nugent, Kip Cambel and the buck commanders are all on this forum and not admitting it. I’m honestly just trying to shoot something that gets me excited. And it’s hard to do that. That’s why I have fell in love with duck hunting. Fellowships and friends. Lots of laughs and good times. And still haven’t to this day judged a duck as it approaches. But something inside me burns to get a buck with a bow

 

[east_ky_hunter]

I live to hunt and fish. I work so I can afford to hunt and fish. I eat to stay alive so I can hunt and fish. I do things around the house to live comfortably, so I can hunt and fish. But I have no kids, no wife and limited responsibilities. I do have a gf now but she likes to hunt and fish too. Of course this could be partially why I’ve been divorced twice. My second wife told me after we divorced she felt like a widow. Oh well, she knew what she was getting in to.

 

[carnivore]

I get 6 weeks off so taking 1-2 for deer hunting doesn’t bother me even if i eat tag soup. Only having 2-3 weeks off in a year would be an issue.
My wife had/has every opportunity to take up hunting and chooses not to. Thats fine but i wont listen to complaints about time away hunting. My girls are too busy to hunt with me but they are welcome as well.

 

[Oldrook]

Only regret I have is not being retired to do it more than the week I take now. I prepare and clear my plate so I have nothing to worry about. I also have a plan B in place in case hunting is slow. Like getting out of the woods and heading to a lake. Come on retirement!!