Frustrated? Ever enough to quit?
 

Wondering if anyone out there gets frustrated, or beyond frustrated when hunting? Though I don't think I'd ever quit, I do consider seriously changing the situation. Curious who else out there can relate? For me now its the current property I whitetail deer and turkey hunt. I hunt it for deer, the turkeys are more of a bonus. Not having much luck with either the past couple of years. Trespassers, hunting/and probably poaching deer and turkey, along with neighbors, shooting anything that moves for meat. Others who also want to manage the land for bigger deer, not following some rules/agreements. Driving 3hrs to this place to hunt.

Can anyone relate? Anyone had this problem and changed it up/made it better? Please share some instances, whether current, or recent, or past, thanks.

RE: Frustrated? Ever enough to quit?
 

Frustrated ever enough to quit? Never. In fact.. more determined than ever in these situations.

What you are describing is hunting. Tresspassers, loose dogs, ATV dudes, and neighbors are a fact of every hunt. For some more than others. You just have to bear it.. deal with it.. and continue hunting.

The trick is to use these "invasions" to your own advantage. Keeping a low profile on your properties will only bring in the more mature deer. Year round scent control along with planned and well executed entrance and exit routes are a must.

Using other hunters in your hunt plans can create some fantastic opportunities for yourself. I consider it a must.. maybe so should you.

RE: Frustrated? Ever enough to quit?
 

I'am with you salukipv1, I try and let the smaller bucks grow but the guys in the woods next to me shoot at every deer they see . Last year i past up 6 deer and one was a 8 with a drope tine the frist one i've ever seen in the woods if i let him live next year he would have been realy nice but no the guys in the woods next to me had to shoot 5-6 time at him i don't know if he got him or not but i never seen him agian or the other bucks for that matter.I'mgoing to try and get some orther woods to hunt in but it's going to be very hard to do since the farmers and anyone else around here that owns woods to let you hunt ,because there just tired of hunter tespassing or tearing up the gates or leaveing trash on the land. I hope i can get some some where , but anyway thats all i have to say .

RE: Frustrated? Ever enough to quit?
 

Been hunting for thirty years and I've never really been frustrated.

RE: Frustrated? Ever enough to quit?
 

hunting public land makes me want to quit every year, but i never do.

RE: Frustrated? Ever enough to quit?
 

There have been many nights when I come home that I have said that I should just hang it up for the year, but I usually fiind myself right back out there the next day. Loose dogs that the neighbor guy refuses to keep on his land, and days on end without seeing any deer will do that to guy. Might just have to switch from deer hunting to dog hunting for awhile.:D

RE: Frustrated? Ever enough to quit?
 

I feel your pain. I don't mind bowhunting public land so much, but rifle hunting is awful. This past opening day, I hiked about 2 hours from the access area, with a climber on my back, to an area that I had scouted extensively. This was literally as far away as you could get from an access area. Right at first light, a guy came tromping through the thicket I was set up in. Shined my light at him and he kept going, only to sit down about 70 yards from me (I couldn't see him) and he shoots a nice buck an hour later that was headed straight towards my thicket. I got home that night and told my wife that if I didn't find private land to hunt before next rifle season, I was done with rifle hunting all together. You guys and gals that have private land to hunt are lucky people and I hope you realize that. Never take it for granted either...10 years ago I had several properties to hunt, totalling around 900 acres. In the years since I've lost it all, mostly to development.

So, to answer your question...Yes.

RE: Frustrated? Ever enough to quit?
 

Nope! I've stayed out of the woods a few stretches being my shooting was sucking hind tit but never have I gotten frustarated enough to quit. I just try that much harder!!

RE: Frustrated? Ever enough to quit?
 

Nothin can make me quit!!

RE: Frustrated? Ever enough to quit?
 

I hunt national forest land in wis. I have to put up with bear hunters and their dogs, bird hunters and their dogs, wolves, pine bough pickers, other hunters and their corn piles everywhere. Oh, I almost forgot the atv's. The deer population where I hunt is very low. I have had 2 seperate stretches where I hunted morning and evening for 7 days straight without a deer sighting. I've seen my share of frustration. Quit? never!

RE: Frustrated? Ever enough to quit?
 

well this past season was my 4th i shot a deer my first season got stuck getting the blazer to it
then the guy that gave me a ride went back and took my deer
the second season i did not see one deer only a ton of gun hunters
then for xmas that year i got a bow for the gun hunter reasons.
My third season i did not get to hunt due to moving
this season i said if i did not get a deer i was done i would sell everything and buy a xbox 360 which i now have anyways

Well after missing two does and one 9 point buck i never even thought about missing
the first doe was due to me trying to let my bow up and i shot by mistake
second one was due to deer fever
the buck was due to a severe case of buck fever where i was shaking like a paint mixer
i shot under him and though i had him until a hour later i get down and see the arrow
I almost cryed that day and i am not ashamed to say it

But i never once thought about quiting this season.

Now i am planning on spending 2000 plus this year for hunting stuff.
Muzzle loader insulated clothes tree stand. ground blind and a target for bow and a few other thing
god this is a costly hobby

RE: Frustrated? Ever enough to quit?
 

exactly, ive had such bad experinces on public, people hunting to close to me, walking through your spot, have to carry those have a$s climbers on your back, not knowing where your going,i even had a shotgun hunter shoot towards me, as the pellets bounced off the trees around me, and he new i was there [:'(]

RE: Frustrated? Ever enough to quit?
 

guy did that to me there would be one less hunter leaving and one more truck left on the road

RE: Frustrated? Ever enough to quit?
 

The biggest frustation I have ever had, was a 195" buck walk by my stand, just out of my range, walking into my neighbors land, and being shot. That has been the worst![:@]

RE: Frustrated? Ever enough to quit?
 

Nope, never wanted to quit, ever. Your managing for bigger bucks only works on a bigger piece of property with surrounding owners on the same page, which is where I 'm "finally" at. You have to actually figure out which day(s) is best for that piece ie; WED-THUR mornings are excellent for me, I know this doesn't fit for all, but you can do some things. If I was driving 3 hours, PFFFF, it would be right, or I'm finding another slice of heaven. BigDaddy12 darn thing looked just like a Yote to me!!! Just kidding, I'm not condoning shooting the neighbors dog, but I surely would do something about it, where I am it's against the law big time, and the CO "will" come out for it.

RE: Frustrated? Ever enough to quit?
 

Frustrated, you bet. I've been in a deep depression because of bad hunting, other people, stolen stands, etc but it usually works out fine in the end.

But I'd never quit, even if hunting was banned nationwide.

RE: Frustrated? Ever enough to quit?
 

The word quit is not in my vocabulary.

RE: Frustrated? Ever enough to quit?
 

I've had some tough times when I hunted for several days without seeing any deer,but as I got better at hunting and started using more scent control I was able to see more deer and we improved our hunting area with food plots.Some times when it seems like I'll never see or shoot a deer I change my hunting style or patterns or get away from hunting for a while and it helps me appreciate being out in the woods.I feel sorry for everyone that has to hunt public ground....after reading all the horror stories I should be more thankful for where I hunt! [&:]

I mostly Bow Hunt on the Family Farm andme and some hunting friends leased some private ground to Rifle Hunt on and it has been really nice there,2 of us shot nice Bucks there this past 2007 Deer Season and we're going to help with some work around there and will plant some Spring and Fall food plots there too.

RE: Frustrated? Ever enough to quit?
 

DITTO.....

RE: Frustrated? Ever enough to quit?
 

Just life everything else in life, it goes in cycles. It will come up eventually

RE: Frustrated? Ever enough to quit?
 

I have to agree that it can get very frustrating at times! Never enough to make me think of quiting.

Those tough times make the good times feel that much sweeter!

RE: Frustrated? Ever enough to quit?
 

The things that you have mentioned can be very frustrating. I know I did stop hunting turkeys for a long spell because of it. When I first started hunting turkeys in the late 70's there was not a soul to be seen in woods, and turkeys sure responded nicely. I'm looking forward to this year though hunting turkeys with my son, especially the kids only weekend.

Only suggestion I could make is maybe try to find some new places to hunt.

RE: Frustrated? Ever enough to quit?
 

I've watched tresspassers chase deer on ATV's, found meth labs near some of my best stands. I've called the DNR before, things have quieted down on that property since then. It made me extremely mad at the time,now I only hunt that piece of ground occasionally. I never considered quitting. It just made me find new "best stands" on that property.