I began my hunting career back in 1990 and was never succesfull until 6 years later. Since then I have been very successful. I was taught that its not the kill that matters when it comes to hunting and that I should take in everything around me while sitting perched high in a tree or sitting in my blind. Over the years I have lived and loved this advice, untill a few years ago, when I totally found myself not feeling the hunt in my heart. I didnt have the ambition or care if I saw anything whenI went out. That slowly dispersed and I got back into the swing of things. Well this year has been very similar. Sure I go out every nite if I can. Sometimes I see deer sometimes I dont. I can live with that. But most people know I have had very bad luck this year. I have lost a total of 3 deer so far. Talk about a downer. I just about hung it up permenately when my neighbor told me not to. Charlie has given me some great advice over the last 3 years I have known him not just when it comes to hunting but life in general. I have to say next to my wife and kids, he is my best friend. Well with all the loses I have had this year I figure something has had to have changed, is it me? Is it my bow? Did I not shoot enough over the summer? Well together with my cousin, we started a process of elimination. He whatched me shoot, its good, next we were wondering if something on the bow had changed, something did a little bit, WB was slightly out of tune, and we removed my ultra noc and cranked up my bow a bit. Im now shooting the way I was before the UN was put on. I shot andtuned some heads and went out yesterday after work. As I sat there,Igot to thinking andstarted to take in everything around me. I had 2 yearlings come into my stand area and started eating and playing. I watched these two for over 45 minutes as well as 4 other deer. I totally got lost in it. Had a big doe and a nice buck come through and I just let them come through. I was so lost in the moment and realized what has been going on. I became the person I swore I would never become. I was so caught up in the kill that I had lost myself in the hunt. As I sat there watching these deer it was plain to see that 99% of the time, it was me. Ill be honest. When I saw what I was seeing in myself, a tear slowlyran down myface. It tookthesefew deer tohelp me find myselfonce again, not only as a hunter, but as a true sportsman.

I am sorry to hear about the challenges you have faced this year! Glad that you have found your way back to the mind set you want to have!
I respect the way you expressed your self and I wish you much enjoyment and luck!!

That sums it up quite well. Being a hunter is far different from being someone who hunts - you are a hunter.

We often get caught up in bits and pieces and forget the whole experience. You were kind of like the lyrics of my favorite hymnal "I once was lost, but now am found; was blind, but now I see." I try to enjoy the whole experience every time I am out there, but often get side tracked by the little quirks that life tends to throw my way. I hope your blindness never returns brother.

Great post, and welcome back!

Great stuff- Thanks for sharing- I truly enjoyed the story!

I want to send you all a big thank you for your support, it means alot to me, you are my other family.

I posted a thread about this same kind of thing about a month ago and was amazed how many people were too caught up with the numbers and amount antler they saw. Too many people were angry if they didn't see X number of deer, or good bucks. I argued that there is far far more to hunting than that and was continually amazed by the responses saying otherwise. I'm glad to see that there are still a few who can look past the numbers game and horn porn in the long run, even though it can be a frustrating thing in the short term when things aren't going 100% how you had planned.

Glad to see you are back. Things get so crazy in life that you get in a rut (and not the good kind). Everything at that point becomes about "the process". Everything becomes routine. The best part about hunting is that every sit (good, bad or indifferent) is unique unto itself. You experience and (should) learn something new every time you are you. Believe it or not, your work and family life should be the same. You can walk blindly through the routine. Look for the "non-routine" in life. You will enjoy it more.

Glad you found your way wis, I know about 8 years ago I had taken a couple days off and was out sitting, about 10:30 I was so frustrated that I actuallygot out of the stand.

I got so caught up in everything that I had to do and the fact that I should have been at work that I did not enjoy anything. When my feet hit the ground, I stopped, took a deep breath and thought back about the morning.

I had 8 turkeys picking their way along the hillside at 50 yards.There were probably 10 deer that hung arround the stand for a total ofabout 45 minutes just outsiide of range.A pair of canadas were pond hopping and had been honking on and off throughout the crisp morning. The phone was not ringing,I was not putting out fires or dealing with clients... I realized exactly how fortunate I was that morning, climbed back up the tree and have never looked back!

Every now and again we just need a reality check!

- Mike