For years I have road the wave of being able to hunt when I want. My first job out of college was great, I could work flex hours and was 20 mins from where I hunted. I hunted at least 6 days a week, second Job at Cablea's was even better!! I was 5 mins from work and could hunt in the morning.
Then we had Hillary and my hunting sufferd a bit, but not much. Form 1998 to 2006 I average 1 mature buck a year in MI, no small feet, but I hunted a lot.
I now find myself with two kids and one who does everything, LOL. If I hunt two nights a week I am lucky, it hascauses a different hunting approach. If one is going after big one in MI, I can no longer afford stupid mistakes, I have to be smarter. I was sitting in the stand last night, waiting for Preacher to pray me in a beast and thinking about what is to come of my hunting life. I foresee in getting smaller forthe coming years, it's ok. Hilllary and Zach need me around, I am ok with it(kind of). I do long for the days of hunting every night, but I am afraid those days are gone[&:]
My first Job I met my best friend Don, I used to laugh at how busy he was, always running somewhere. He was a big hunter also, he was my age when we met. He now loves to here me whine about not hunting, he just laughs.
To all you young guys, hunt hard while you can, you SOB's
Side note Preacher prayed for me yesterday. 5 mins later a small doe and a sorry excuse of a Rob buck came by, LOL Thx Preach[:-]
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You still get to get out though, and quite a bit still actually. Being a dad comes before anything else, atleast you realize that. Im fortunate my dad was always around for me, and active in my sports as a coach and such. He even got me started in hunting even though he had quit 15 years prior.
I think you will still crack your fair share of bigguns over the next years....who knows once they get old enough, maybe your kids will take an interest in it and go with you. Once the kids become my age, you will be back to hunting every night too.
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Gary....I know how you feel. I met with a company this morning....and I was offered a position that would have me away from home quite a bit. I'd work from here.....and basically it would be treated as MY business (with their capital)....but I KNOW I'd feel an obligation to them and me to be "out there" a lot more than my previous position allowed. I'm gonna give it a lot of thought over my vacation.
The up side is...."maybe" the slow time in that business would coincide with hunting season. I also have the luxury of being close to the "office". I'd also be looking at quite a bit more $$. So the trade-off isn't dismal.
If bowhunting was still a big part of my life at 50 yrs old.....with this venture....I might be able to do it full time, THEN.
Gotta think about our families, first. You;re a great dad and husband.....and I'm sure you're doing the righ tthings.
Damn straight......hunt while you're young. Or....realize it's a high priority (higher than some other things in your life).....and make your life decisions, accordingly.
I hear ya. I have three kids...6, 4, and 2 months. Best thing to happen to me in the past two months is that I went to a 12 hour work schedule. I only work 14 days a month, so when hunting season opens up in 2 days, it is on! Last year was very hard hunting, I basically had to die to hunt. Getting up early at 5am to hunt in the morning, then going into work from 3pm-11pm. This year
I think you'll be able to hunt more and more as the years go. As they get older you will probably be able to spend more time in woods again. I know right now (at age 20) my father can spend more time in the woods than I can, and this has been the pattern for the last few years.
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I feel ya bro! I haven't had the time to get out there like I want to either. Between my job (which takes up most of my time) and the remaining time I try to spend with my family, my time in a treestand really has suffered. I've come to the conclusion that if I can take one good deer a season I'll be content with that.
Germ....any suggestions for someone thats 21 and no kids and not married to ensure a life full of hunting???
just kiddin....i dont think its the end of the road for your hard huntin days....before you know it, your kids will be grown and off to college...dad just got a new job and after all these years he has days off...and me and my sister are off to college....my mom works a 9-5 job...dad works shifts...but he has days off now which my whole life, he really never had a "day off" if he did, he was busy....we spent a TON of time together when i was 12-16 hunting...even before that...since i was 16 though im lucky to see him a couple hours a week...between me working and now at college, schedules are hard to meet up...but now he is bored outta his mind when he got days off!! tells me all the time he needs a hobby....i just might get my huntin partner back! im kinda pumped...id love to take my buck early this year so i can spend some days huntin tree rats and fall turkeys with DAD...havent hunted a day with him since i turned 16...he started working a ton....hopefully next year hes back in the stand with a bow in hand...he used to be quite the bowhunter from what absolute strangers have told me when i first meet them and tell them who i am....
good luck Gary....life is full of choices and priorities...you know that...and you got em straight....kudos....
next year i aughta be unemployed right about this time.....im going to hunt my heart out just because i know my day will come when im posting somethin realllll similar....i cant imagine being unemployed all fall and winter....it makes me smile just to think about it i will finally get to hunt PA BEARS if all works out....but im also going to be trying my hardest to find a full time permanent position so i could be changing gears REAL quick...
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RE: A tough new era in my Hunting life
Quote:
ORIGINAL: Germ
For years I have road the wave of being able to hunt when I want. My first job out of college was great, I could work flex hours and was 20 mins from where I hunted. I hunted at least 6 days a week, second Job at Cablea's was even better!! I was 5 mins from work and could hunt in the morning.
Then we had Hillary and my hunting sufferd a bit, but not much. Form 1998 to 2006 I average 1 mature buck a year in MI, no small feet, but I hunted a lot.
I now find myself with two kids and one who does everything, LOL. If I hunt two nights a week I am lucky, it hascauses a different hunting approach. If one is going after big one in MI, I can no longer afford stupid mistakes, I have to be smarter. I was sitting in the stand last night, waiting for Preacher to pray me in a beast and thinking about what is to come of my hunting life. I foresee in getting smaller forthe coming years, it's ok. Hilllary and Zach need me around, I am ok with it(kind of). I do long for the days of hunting every night, but I am afraid those days are gone[&:]
My first Job I met my best friend Don, I used to laugh at how busy he was, always running somewhere. He was a big hunter also, he was my age when we met. He now loves to here me whine about not hunting, he just laughs.
To all you young guys, hunt hard while you can, you SOB's
Side note Preacher prayed for me yesterday. 5 mins later a small doe and a sorry excuse of a Rob buck came by, LOL Thx Preach[:-]
LOL on the prayer, Gary It aint over yet!!!!
Now on to the meat of your post ..... I am where you are coming into ...... the last 7 years I have been in the Christian school .... the time off is in the summer [&:]I love to fish, but not anywhere near as much as hunting ..... my kids are much older now ... my finances are finally getting in order (the ministry does not pay much) and due to that, this year I will be hunting with a fellow HNIer in PA .... Hopefully be going out there next friday afternoon, hunting Friday night and all day Saturday ....gotta look for horns tho ...fine with me, I'm not out there just to kill something, after all
You have the right perspective, Gary .... it'll come back around ... mine is starting to....
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for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks!
I know what you are saying. I have a 1 year old son, and a 2 1/2 year old daughter, so if i can get out one or two evenings a week and on Saturday, I am doing pretty good. But it is all in what your priorities are, and family is my first priority. Good luck in your limited time the season!
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A tough new era in my Hunting life
