Losing the passion

[williamson88]

I've grown up a whitetail hunter as that's only big game my state has to offer. After being stationed in Colorado and going on a few hunts out of my home state I've lost my drive for whitetail hunting I prep in off season and get excited for the season but once its here it's like i dread going, I love going out west to hunt maybe that's got my attention right now

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[beachbunny]

if you were a stand hunter over bait,i can empathize with that feeling, i love nothing more than a free range spot n stalk

 

[williamson88]

if you were a stand hunter over bait,i can empathize with that feeling, i love nothing more than a free range spot n stalk

No bait just trails and rub lines I have sat bait but sucks I hate just sitting here I killed a muley doe when I was stationed in Colorado spot and stalk and I think from that moment I hated stand hunting even more


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[camping1601]

Been there.
I now spend every weekend in the public land mountains chasing them. Change it up and hunt somewhere different.

 

[adamm88]

Thats why i hunt large tracts of public land, theres adventure, land to roam and every deer is earned


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[williamson88]

Me and my fiance have plans to move to idaho so hopefully this brings it back

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[Dexter Grayson]

I moved to Alaska 5 years ago for the same reason. But each passing whitetail season rekindles the desire to hunt them again more and more. I say move west hunt out there for a while and you'll grow an appreciation for how you cut your teeth hunting.

 

[deerhunt1988]

I started losing the drive some but hunting strictly public land helped me keep it. So much more rewarding when you are successful. This year I've also switched primarily to archery. I've lost the 'rush' with a gun, but my heart gets to to thumping plenty with a bow in hand.

 

[williamson88]

I started losing the drive some but hunting strictly public land helped me keep it. So much more rewarding when you are successful. This year I've also switched primarily to archery. I've lost the 'rush' with a gun, but my heart gets to to thumping plenty with a bow in hand.

I only bowhunt but mainly hunt private I'll have to start public land more just hard cause I dont have as much time as I use to

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[arwhntr]

I can certainly relate to some extent. I grew up in the midwest, cut my teeth on whitetail and turkey hunting. I've got the bug for western adventures (those are the hunts I certainly look forward to most) but I always put aside time once a year to get back to the WI property to chase whitetails with my two close buddies. For me, the favorite part is the camaraderie and built up anticipation as my buddies check our trail cams and we share pictures. (These guys don't really hunt out west so this hunt is unparalleled excitement for them). Relishing in their enthusiasm, sharing camp with friends and time in the woods is always better than being at the office.

 

[rayporter]

ever since my first trip west in 83, deer hunting has been nothing but a fill the freezer thing.

 

[TradLife406]

I grew up WT here in Montana on the ground. Over the past few years I've started backpack hunting and it's a lot of fun.
But I still enjoy chasing deer on the prairie. This year I finally discovered treestands! Man now it's like my deer hunting passion got a jump start! At my uncles it's all brushy thickets and not really any trees. Lots of natural cover and ground blinds. But I've found some public and BMA's to treestand hunt. Plus these spots are closer to get to than taking a day away from my kids to drive an hour to the mountains for elk and back.

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[vanish]

After humping around the mountains and plains for several months (alpine fishing, elk and mule deer hunting, pronghorn hunting), I enjoy sitting in a blind or treestand as a change of pace.

 

[hunt1up]

When elk season is upon us the last thing I care about is deer. But right now, with the leaves changing and the nights being cold, I get that whitetail itch.

I look at western hunting and stand hunting for whitetails as two very different experiences. Trying to compare the two will surely make you think the western stuff is superior. I've come to realize they're just very different. After a few weeks of long cold stand sits in a tree, I'm just as exhausted as humping up and down the mountains for a week. The mountains are a more physical game, and deer hunting is more mental.

 

[LostArra]

I don't live close to elk hunting so my week or two in the mountains is short and intense and I love it. It also keeps me motivated to stay in shape all year.
The convenience of nearby deer hunting with a bow for 3 1/2 months is also nice. Post-season scouting, shed hunting and stand maintenance make deer hunting almost a year round hobby for me. It's also a good way for me to introduce my adult children and nieces and nephews to hunting.

 

[lyle_destroys]

No bait just trails and rub lines I have sat bait but sucks I hate just sitting here I killed a muley doe when I was stationed in Colorado spot and stalk and I think from that moment I hated stand hunting even more


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You can spot and stalk or still hunt even in hardwood stands and river bottoms. Not quite like big country out west but when you can only see 50 yards I always thought it was exciting when deer appear out of nowhere only feet away.

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[OFFHNTN]

I grew up whitetail hunting, the tradition runs so deep for me that I can't see me ever giving it up. With that said, after chasing elk or mule deer at 10k feet during September/October, I really look forward to the stand sits for whitetail deer!

 

[backcountry_hunter]

I'm going the exact opposite direction. I used to loathe sitting in a treestand chasing deer and couldn't wait to spend days and weeks in the mountains. The older i"m getting I realize I never gave whitetails the credit they deserve. I still love my time hunting elk and mule deer but never downplay hunting whitetails in October or November. There's something very settling about observing the woods from a treestand and not moving constantly, running and gunnign.

I love them both, but over the last 10yrs have really come to enjoy hunting whitetails. Never thought I would but my goodness it's been fun and only getting more fun.

 

[Mitten32]

Have you tried zoning in on or targeting a specific deer. Learning its habits, travel corridors, movement patterns, relocating him or heck even her throughout the year as the seasons change etc.. I find the process of learning about a specific deers behavior to be fascinating. Maybe it will help rekindle the flame. Just a thought.

 

[Kevin Dill]

Frankly I'm bored with the animal itself. I'm sure that's because I own a farm in prime whitetail country and I literally see them every single day. They are often in my yard and landscape. There's no challenge to finding them or wondering whether I'll see deer when I hunt. I've shot many dozens (please don't interpret that as a boast) with traditional bow and wood arrows. I've killed them from trees and ground stalks. I used to worry about big antlers but that aspect is totally secondary now.

I still have a strong desire to hunt, but with deer it's like broccoli. I can take it or leave it....mostly the latter.