Feel like a kid again

[Deadfall]

SO.....Its crazy what happens when you turn something you love and is part of your DNA into a job. I guided for last 15 years, 2020 being my last season before hanging it up. Somewhere around 5 or 6 years ago I quit being as fired up for hunting season as once was. Never really thought much of it, until a couple weeks ago. I feel like a kid again! I've almost overnight gone back to full moron mode. Brother in law and I were out and about today looking some stuff over. Places we been pouring over with onx a few hours every night or so. Wife even went with today, although afterward she made clear, she would not be attending further excursions.
I have not been excited for turkey hunting in a decade. Now I am driving dogs nuts knocking the rust off. And my bride....

So excited I just put in for a deer permit...Something I never thought I would do, considering I pride myself in being OTC public Land guy. Not sure it really counts as putting in for, the tag is 100 percent draw or whatever, but still...

Funny how things work out when I get out of my own way.

Any other retired guides on here go through anything similar when hanging it up?

Can not wait to get back too pushing myself beyond....

Wonder how the "industry" guys do it. think it would destroy me after a time?

 

[MeatMissile]

I sold my big boat when I realized I was running a guide service. Everyone wanted to go salmon or halibut fishing, but never seemed to remember how to tie leaders or rigs. No one seemed to know how to back the trailer, no one knew how to run the boat. I was amazed that I was able to get them to bait their own hooks. I never actually got to fish because no one could do any of the other stuff. When we got back, I’d clean their fish half the time and rarely got help cleaning the boat when we got back. I said screw it!

 

[Jaker_cc]

This is one of the main reasons that I’ve never guided fishing trips on the coast. I love to fish. I love to fish with people I enjoy being around. Money isn’t worth ruining something that means that much to me. Plus I’d be pissed if I took a guy out Thursday, and he and his buddy are sitting in my hole Friday morning.

 

[Gunnersdad49]

I'm not, and have never been a guide, but I have taken a lot of folks out for their first deer or elk hunts. I usually had a tag too, and let them tag along. I tried to teach them as much as I could and found myself not putting any real time into my own pursuit of an animal so that we could get them on theirs.

Recently, I've committed to "me time" like you mention. I still take people out, especially the "adult onset hunters" that are friends (typically with sons) that want to learn so they can teach their kids. I just do it without a tag in my pocket. It lets me focus on them and their hunt, and I get such a thrill watching their jitters and highs and lows. I then focus on myself on a different hunt, sometimes in the same area for a different season. Their hunt is sort of a scouting trip for me, and they get my undivided attention. It is a win-win.

 

[HuntingIndian]

i used to race motorcycles, i got to a certain level. i was pushing myself constantly to get faster and better. it just consumed me to the extent of financial and marital ruin. I stopped having fun after a while. i one day abruptly stopped. I eventually got my stuff together.

Fast forward 6 years, racing bug bit me, i wanted to check my desire to race again and went with my bike to a race track. after one full day, i came to a zen moment. Been there done that. i was content. Done with that hobby.

People are different, may be in your renewed passion for hunting, you find happiness again.

Cheers!

 

[WCB]

I guided but not as long as you...I only held 2 tags in those years, filled one. When I stopped kind a of the same thing. I got to hunt as much as I wanted and was excited...but after 3 or 4 years kind of started missing guiding. Probably more of the waking up in a wall tent riding horses and generally just being out west. But it is funny how you forget about all the crap times and the few times a client made life miserable and want to go back. At least for me.

Maybe if I was actually retired form working altogether it would be different also.

 

[DCAN]

SO.....Its crazy what happens when you turn something you love and is part of your DNA into a job. I guided for last 15 years, 2020 being my last season before hanging it up. Somewhere around 5 or 6 years ago I quit being as fired up for hunting season as once was. Never really thought much of it, until a couple weeks ago. I feel like a kid again! I've almost overnight gone back to full moron mode. Brother in law and I were out and about today looking some stuff over. Places we been pouring over with onx a few hours every night or so. Wife even went with today, although afterward she made clear, she would not be attending further excursions.
I have not been excited for turkey hunting in a decade. Now I am driving dogs nuts knocking the rust off. And my bride....

So excited I just put in for a deer permit...Something I never thought I would do, considering I pride myself in being OTC public Land guy. Not sure it really counts as putting in for, the tag is 100 percent draw or whatever, but still...

Funny how things work out when I get out of my own way.

Any other retired guides on here go through anything similar when hanging it up?

Can not wait to get back too pushing myself beyond....

Wonder how the "industry" guys do it. think it would destroy me after a time?

If someone really wants to end up not caring about what was once a loved hobby, try working on the enforcement side of wildlife for a bunch of years. Maybe someday the desire to hunt will return. Maybe.

 

[Molon Labe]

Guided for 5yrs at a high end lodge. Hyper wealthy clients suck.
I burned out and put the sticks away for a bit...stopped tying as well.

I still fished but not very hard...just really take it easy now

 

[TheGDog]

i used to race motorcycles, i got to a certain level. i was pushing myself constantly to get faster and better. it just consumed me to the extent of financial and marital ruin. I stopped having fun after a while. i one day abruptly stopped. I eventually got my stuff together.

Fast forward 6 years, racing bug bit me, i wanted to check my desire to race again and went with my bike to a race track. after one full day, i came to a zen moment. Been there done that. i was content. Done with that hobby.

People are different, may be in your renewed passion for hunting, you find happiness again.

Cheers!

Hunting was what "I took it down a peg" to once I started noticing my degrading vision and noticing how all the old injuries from motos and MTB's were taking their toll on my lower back and hip socket.

To race... as a serious J-O-B... that takes HUGE commitment time-wise and gym-wise and almost always requires the need to come from well-to-do parents if that's ever going to evolve into a reality and an actual profession. They typically have to front things until the kid gets noticed by some bitchin team.

You gotta ride at bleeding-edge pace... for an extended amount of time... to even have half a chance at doing some decent winning. The kinda pace that ya just really can't do quite the same as a privateer, as you can when you have this whole crew that just handles everything for you once you come back into the pit.

And that feeling... that consumed you and pushed you. In the end, in motos, what does that get you? Playing with Motos is just like playing with Fire... you WILL get burned, eventually, it's just a question of when, and how badly. And... how badly will that affect my quality of life for the remainder of my life?

But man... there sure is something to be said for launching skyward isn't there!