PABowhntr

I am sorry to hear that but can understand where you are coming from. When a good portion of your life is devoted to something it can be very easy to get burned out with it after a time. Get into something else for awhile. I am sure your passion for the sport will come back. Absence does make the heart grow fonder.

Dirt2

I've got to say that I'm sitting here with egg on my face. I wish I could take that last post back. The little 'x' button on the upper right is there for giving a guy one last chance not to jackass himself. Sadly, I didn't avail myself of that chance.

While I don't take back anything I said specifically about wolves, I am sorry I took the chance to basically kick a guy when he was down. I apologize to Wolf Killer, and applaud his composure in basically ignoring me.

What I wish I had said was that I went through a major burnout phase of my own, didn't hunt at all for ten years from my early 20s to early 30s. I had hunted through my teen years with hardly any success, and it got to me. I had my testosterone and general sense of self-worth so tied into my hunting results that it paralysed me. I viewed an unsuccessful day of hunting as a reflection of some deep failure within me.

For ten years, I was in the woods all the time, hiking and backpacking. I spent one whole elk rut in the Idaho Selway just watching the elk do their thing. During those ten years, I learned, really for the first time, to love it. I came back to hunting in '99 with a fresh outlook, truly dedicated to the proposition that first and foremost I will enjoy myself. Let the results fall where they will.

IfI feel like laying down in the pine needles under a warm September sunand taking a nap to the tune of a bull bugling a quarter mile away, then that's what I'm going to do. The amazing thing about adopting this sort of casual approach to hunting is that I find myself hunting harder now than I ever dreamed a man could, and loving nearly every minute of it.

To Wolf Killer, I'd say just get out there in the woods in some capacity - hiking, camping, fishing, bird watching, whatever. Go out there into God's creation and just chill out.

pintoshot

Not knowing your history its tough for me to say but, it might just be a question of balance. Being a businessman and long time hunter I never have the time except for 3 day hunts which I relish. fortunately, I live where i dont have tot drive all that far to the hunting grounds. I never get burned out because I can't go near enough to do so. Plus, I have many other interests and a wife that doesnt hunt. Also, its really the only thing my brother and I do together. The thing is its like training a retriever. You dont want to give them more than they want-but always keep then wanting more so they dont get burned out. People are the same way. If you do something (anything) too much it loses its luster. For those of us that cant go hunting as much as we feel we would like this is hard to imagine. But I get that way with guitar playing. Its alwaays there to do and I will go in spurts where I'm playing everyday for 6 months...then quit for 6 months as though uninspired. We all need balance in our lives and burn-out on anything is usually a sign of imbalance. You just need to measure out your hunting in doses that keep you wanting more instead of over saturating yourself with it. Balance is the key. Go ahead and quit for a while. Then when you start back up, dont go for it like a man posessed. If youre like me you go at things all the way. Well, this can be a good thing but it can also be a prescription for burn-out. Hope you recapture the love of hunting and the outdoors. And, remember that balance is the key to keeping things in perspective. good luck. My hunt schedule goes like this and nevr gives me enough:

1. 2 day dove hunt Sept 1 & 2
2. Oct 1 & 2 Upland bird opener for quail chucker and hungarian partridge (also some deer scouting
3. Oct 15 Opening general deer arrive 14th hunt 15th& 16th
4. Oct 22 Opening pheasant 2 days
5. Oct 29-Nov5 Elk will try to sneak in a couple of 1/2 day hunts
6. Nov 1-14 for my deer doe tag will only hunt Nov 11-13
7. Maybe a late November pheasant hunt 2 days
8 1-2 pheasant hunts in december 1-2 day duration
9. Maybe 1 or 2 duckhunts in January

THEN DONE FOR THE YEAR. PLUS I GOT A NEW LAB PUP LAST MAY THAT IS NOW % MONTHS OLD AND ALREADY WORKING LIKE A VETERAN

muley69

This is an intresting thread. By the end of hunting season I am ready for it to be over. I find that I am crawling out of bed because I "need" to get out there, not necessarily because I "want" to get out there. I realize that hunting has time limitations and anytime I have to do something else I feel I'm jugling my time and hunting season is slipping slowly away. I feel more free time when hunting season is over. I guess we all get a little burned out toward the end of season.

ironranger

Wolf Killer & BBJ, good for both of you. Sounds like you both were getting too many demands on your time and it's time to just say "No" which is not the easiest thing to do andespecially when family might be involved. I've had that happen to mewhere I had success either turkey hunting, elk hunting, or pheasant hunting and suddenly they all want to go. I put alot of work into researching map and following up with game dept people wherever I plan on hunting. I'm thru with the big group thing and more and more either go solo or with one person that I can stand to be around in the woods. It always seemed to be a big competition out there and a whole mess of testosterone stinking up the place!! I pick my hunting partners much more carefully now and it's made it alot more enjoyable when I do choose to take them along. Have fun out there...

gotlost

About 10 years ago I just hung everything, I was total burned out, work, family,all the other pressures. I didn't even pick up a fishing pole. After the 2nd hunting season I'd missed, the calls from family and friend about taking them hunting or fishing had quit,
I played around with some gold panning just to get outside once and a while.
The 3rd fall was the fall wyo lowerd the age to hunt big game to 12 and he had turn 12, so I just my songot a cow tag.
That was all I needed, walking in to the areaI hunt elk with the boy I knew I was ready to get back at it.
I stopped on the way home, Bought a general elk tag and never looked back.
I now hunt from a camp that we all pitch in with the cooking and chores and when there's elk to get out the fight not about who has to help pack Quarter but who needs to stay behind.

That brake was what I needed

HillClimber

Sounds as if you identified your pain point, though it can be tough to say no sometimes. Mentoring someone can be rewarding as long as it doesn't get out of hand.

azhoyt

I feel your pain? I felt that way just before I moved to AZ from CO. I had to wait at least 6 mos before I could hunt as a resident and that time help me refuel my love of the sport. Then I started hunting by myself and it is much more gratifying for me. Take up a new sport like fishing or bow fishing it's relaxing and rejuvinating?
Good Luck!!!!
AZHOYT

DoctorDeath

You know I am kind of going through the same thing ... Ive hunted hard for over 20yrs here in Alabama and have taken a number of deer with bow and rifle however no real trophys ... but after the buck I took last year in Alberta Ive kind of lost the zeal ... not sure what it is ...maybe Ill get it back when the weather cools off and rifle season opens ... but right now Id just as soon ride my Harley or watch college football ...

Roll Tide
DD

REG

Sounds like your burned out on people. I know the type, they always start calling in late August the calls increase through November. I never hear from them the rest of the year.They want to know were the elk are, they want you to take them to your best spot, shoot an elk then have you pack it out for them. I have a way of dealing with people like that. The night before your planed hunt eat a whole can of bush beans, for breakfast eat a couple of egg burritos.Then insist on leading up the trail in the morning, and throughout the day. Absolutelystay upwind, soon you will be hunting alone!