RE: how has your hunting changed???
 

Hunting has slowed down for me. I enjoy getting in the woods 2-3 hours before I have to, just to enjoy the show. My desire to just "kill" has decreased while my attempts to kill a larger mature buck have increased. So I went from a a guy who wanted to just kill a deer, to someone who did not mind killing 4-5 deer a year, to a small buck hunter, and finally to where I sit today...if there is such a thing, a person who has consistently killed 2.5 year old bucks. I want to move onto the next stage of my hunting, the pursuit of large bucks. I know it will take me many years of failure and hopefully some intermittent success to finally get where I want to in my hunting pursuits. After 15 years of hunting, I finally think I have put my time in from all the cold/hard days, and that I am ready mentally to accept the challenge of pursuing large bucks.

RE: how has your hunting changed???
 

It seems as though most of us have travelled along similar paths to where we are now. I too used to focus more on killing something than enjoying the experiences. Now it is the exact opposite. The experience of close calls used to be a big frustration. Now they are as prized as the times I have connected.

RE: how has your hunting changed???
 

X2 ;)I used worry more about filling my tag. These days im more intrigued with just having a good time and trying to learn more from watching them. I even laugh at myself when i get defeated in the woods :Dand the deer wins the game. Did i mention i laugh ALOT? :eek:

RE: how has your hunting changed???
 

I evolved from wanting - needing to kill a deer to waiting for a chance at a mature deer.

I have also become more agressive. I don't enjoy the long hours on stand as much so I take it to the deer. I love calling and moving around a lot. I don't know if I will get more deer this way but it sure is a lot more fun that sitting all day looking at the same trees:D

RE: how has your hunting changed???
 

Physical problems have really ruined me. Doctor told me 20 years ago that my x-rays looked like the spine of a 90 year old man. I can't get around like I used to, so I've gone from being a run-n-gun still hunter/stalker to mostly being a ground blind hunter - being on the ground still gives me the option of putting on a sneak if the opportunity arises.

Arthritis in my shoulders has ended my bow shooting, so now I'm using crossbows and muzzleloaders. And where I used to spend a couple of days in the woods, I'm only good for a few hours at a time before I have to get some rest.

Getting old ain't for wusses. ;)

RE: how has your hunting changed???
 

Seriously, when I very first started I would just plop down in a spot (we have over 3000 heavily wooded acres we can hunt) I would be shocked when I would see nothing. The place was loaded with deer, but they move around so much it was hard to guess where they would be next.

Then I woke up and started feeding them and using trail cameras. No more guessing where they were, or what sizes etc.. For me, it revolutionized my hunting and results.

RE: how has your hunting changed???
 

I get my fix year round now which evens me out I think. I used to dream of the woods year round and I wouldn't be able to contain myself by the time I got there. Every deer I saw was pure magic back in the early days. I have to say that's changed some.

When you hunt alone obviously you have to adapt as you get older. Instead of dragging a deer 2 miles to the truck you go get the quad. :)

I cherish it all too and I know it will end some day. I've become a trophy hunter now and far more selective.I also know that if I only measure fullfillment by the result of killing a deer I'd be pretty unhappy. I've personally found the sport to be a lot tougher than they make it look on the video's.

I just never get sick of the journey and I guess I feel more at home in a treestand than any other place on the planet.

RE: how has your hunting changed???
 

Still the same just better at it.

RE: how has your hunting changed???
 

I believe that leaving parts of your property alone is the best way to hold mature bucks. I leave about 120 acres alone and stay out of there as much as possible. Ten years ago I would have beenhanging stands up in every tree that over looked a trail. Now I hunt three locations with two stands for different winds.

RE: how has your hunting changed???
 

Every year I have become more and more patient. I find that the older I getthe more I really enjoy everything around me.