Lately I've been feeling the urge to quit also.

I also got burnt out on hunting. I use to hunt West Virginia and PA. I wasn't a trophy hunter but instead my goal was to fill every tag I bought. I'd hunt with a rifle and bow. I'd schedule all my vacations during the various seasons. I was obsessed with filling those tags.

In a span of about 15 years I'd bag anywhere from 5 to 8 deer a year. None of the meat went to waste, by the way. My family would eat about 3 and the rest would go to friends and other family members that didn't hunt but liked deer meat.

Anyway, I think the actual killing is what I got tired of. I loved the "hunt" but lately the killing is what I am having a hard time with. Many times I'd walk up to a deer I just shot and ask myself " Why did I do that?"

As hard as it is to admit, it's actually brought me to tears a few times. I'd swear to myself that I was done. Then as next year would roll around I'd be out hunting.

During the last few years I've been taking my daughter and step-son. I haven't been doing as much killing since I let them shoot. I stilll got to do the "hunting" part of it, while they did the killing. It still bothered me a bit but it was outweighed by my excitement for the kids getting a deer.

Now that the kids are almost 18, They are more into other sports and don't hunt as much. They go the first day and thats about it.

But now I have another dilema. I have a feeder in the back yard. I have a doe that has ben visiting for the last 3 years. She has brought fawns with her the last two.

Anyway, this doe will let me sit by the feeder and come within about 3 ft of me. When I sit there and look into those trusting eyes, I really get a guilt trip. I start thinking of really giving it up for good. I'm the only one in the family that she will approach like this. If my wife or the kids try, she stands at the edge of the yard and watches but won't come in.


Sorry for rambling on but I just wanted to make the point, that I can relate to what you are going through. I spend lots of time on this forum and just reading about hunting makes me want to go. Then I look in the yard and see that doe with her fawns and I start having second thoughts.

Its a real see-saw ride, let me tell you.


I decided to try to just go out and enjoy the sights and sounds of the experience and not be worried about filling a tag. I'm also going to take a muzzleloader instead of a rifle and only shoot bucks with a bow.