RE: Losing my desire to hunt
Muley69,
I totally understand where you're coming from, same thing happened to me about 3 years ago, I just turned 58 this month. My brother is 4 years older than me and he too, has lost the desire. Just today we was talking and he said that he was going to start hunting again. I think in his case, he lost his wife this past August because of a long term illness, he's retired and has a lot of time on his hands now. Just like you I grew up from a bb gun to firearms. I've hunted it all here in GA. I can go on and on repeating everything you said and I can't explain it. I don't know what brought me back to the deer hunting, but this past summer I had heart surgery and will be out of work, probably until March 2007. May be the time I have on my hands, but I got back to deer hunting this gun season for deer. I only have one deer stand I'm able to get in to and have seen several deer, bucks and does and let them all walk. Just didn't have the desire to kill one, but enjoyed watching them.
Now to counter my point, even though I lost interest in deer hunting, I really fell back in love with duck and turkey hunting, which was almost lost with the deer. I had a chance to go to Montana with a couple of buddies that go out there quail hunting, and that was nixed with my surgery. I could have cared less about hunting the birds, but was really looking forward to going out there with two lifetime friends and seeing some new country.
I even got back into squirrel hunting this year, mainly because I wasn't allowed to shoot a high power rifle. I got out an old 22 rifle I hadn't shot in 20 or 30 years and was able to harvest some squirrels, which I eat. The Doctor has just recently allowed me to shoot a deer rifle or shotgun, so that's allowed me to do the deer hunting.
I'm not sure what's turning me around, maybe because of my limitations or because of going back to hunting things I hunted from my youth, but it's turning for me, and I'm glad to get it back. Maybe trying hunting for something you hunted years ago and gave up for big game could be what you need.
I do hope you can get the desire back and wish the best for you.
dog1