I hear you Muley!

While I'm just a deer hunter from PA, I too have been feeling the urge to quit. I've taken more than my fair share of deer in 30 years of hunting.I hunted PA and West Virginia. I was obsessed with filling all my deer tags. Many years taking 6, 7 or 8 deer a year. After several years I could feel my interest fading. I got burnt out. I got burnt out on the killing part of it. I loved the pursuit of it, but started hating the killing part. A few times, I actually kneltbeside the deer, I'd just shot, with tears in my eyes. I felt guilt. But the next year, I'd be back at it again. It was like an addiction. I started losing interest.Until the kids were old enough to hunt

I have a daughter and a step-son that both just turned 17 this year. I've taken them hunting the last few years and it did help getting my interest back into hunting, but only for a little while.

The daughter has taken about a dozen deer in her few years and she has stated that this is her last year hunting. She lost interest and doesn't care to go.

The boy has been playing high school football and hasn't went much this year and says he doesn't even miss hunting. He's taken about 18 deer while hunting with me, his father and his uncle. He doesn't seem to care about hunting anymore now.

Next year I'll probably be hunting myself and I am also feeling the urge, again, to just hang it up.

I did go on a moose hunt last year and found that hunting a different game animal brought back my interest. I also went black bear hunting in my home state of PA in 2003 for the first time ever. I connected with a bear and it really perked my interest for a bit.


I guess what I am trying to do is give you some ideas of the kind of things that brought back my interest, while I've been fighting this same battle you are. Taking a beginner and hunting a different species will work, if only for a little while it does perk your interest.

Maybe taking a year or 2 off will help get it back.

The one thing that keeps me in it is my love for venison. I like making jerky and smoking roasts.


I hope all goes well for you and you find a way to deal with all this. It's a tough situation. Good Luck!