I got into bow hunting when I was 19 years old had a old beat up pse bow but I shot it pretty well. The first year I bowhunted I didn't get to go all that much but my second year I lived and breathed it year round and for the next 7-8 years I had the bowhunting bug in a worst way I had to be in the woods everyday rain snow or what ever I was out there as much as possible and practiced everyday or so. Now the past few years my intrest in archery has change ALOT. As far as hunting goes I think I want to go then get into the stand and in 30 mins or so am ready to get down and go home not because I don't think I will see deer because I would most of the time if I stayed, it's like the drive and desirer to hunt has left me. As far as Tech side of archery I am very into that I buy a new bow every year this year I bought an Allegiance had to order the straightest all carbon arrows the best of everything and that gets very expensive but that doesn't bother me what does though is I am never statisfied anymore I alway think I should shot better so I tinker and tinker and tinker and thats with any bow I have had the past 2-3 years. And my intrest in hunting is very low. I don't 3D shoot heck now I may practice 2-3 times a week. But, one thing that makes me think the desire will come back is the past few years I have had a serious problem that I am not over(Not cancer or anything like that) but its a problem that has been very hard for me to accept and I cna't work becaue of it and it will most likly be with me the rest of my life and it's NO fun at all I don't wish it on anyone not even my worst enemy. Enough about my problem. Is this normal to lose intrest like this. Or do you think it's just a phase.

Yes i think it's normal, i'm 61 and i lost interest i've been doing this for 45 years. What help was my kids & friends got me off my a$$ and that did the trick. Believe me its not the kill its the quality time with your friends and family. Have some fun and litein up Rich

RWK is right...

My dad had the same type of reaction to hunting, he got more and more sick of it over the years...then I got into it, we both picked up bowhunting and now we are hooked for life...sometimes I think he gets more wound up about it than me! He is always calling and making plans for our next trip with more enthusiasm then I thought I would ever see out of him

again go with RWK's advice about getting family, friends, kids...into it with you, there is nothing like hunting with a great group of people that you have known for a long time

stick with it, it sounds like your heart is in the woods, but at the moment your head is not

i shattered my heels and couldn't work for a year. i got depressed, that's all there is to it. i'd start a fight with jamie before she left for work, and then when she got back all i'd have to talk about was what was on tv. i didn't realize how much work meant, and i didn't realize how bad feeling useless would affect me. i'm sorry to hear about your problem, but it might be affecting you more than you think. if thats what it is you really need to meet it head on and don't let it chip away at your life. i'm lucky, i'm pretty much completely back to normal, except for having to finish my education at this age cause no more carpentry. maybe find some volunteer work, something like that. all kinds of places need your help. i guess what i'm trying to say is i lost my self worth for the year i couldn't work or anything. it took about 7 months. saw the same thing happen to my step dad when he was down for a year with cancer. anyway, probably more about me than you wanted to know but i thought it might help for someone to say i think its normal for what you're going through, but you're going to have to do something about it.

bigcountry25,, hey dont let it get you down, I get into slumps too, and get depressed sometines, and it makes me lose some of my enthusiasim.. I have no idea what your going through, but try to find some hunting buddies and spend some time out, then sooner or later your going to have an experience that will really light you back up, something like taking a huge buck, or just having a really great and memorable day. For me when I get down I do lose some of my excitement for going out, but a good day in the woods always makes me feel so much better, just getting out and experiencing the world that God has given all of us, it really gives me time to reflect, and by the time I climb down out of my stand or make it home from a day chasing turkeys I deel so much better. Hang in there and it will come back to you, everyone has slumps. Good luck, and get out in the woods even if its just to go for a walk.

I'm going through it, too, at the age of 58. Actualy it's been coming on for a few years now. Lack of places to hunt, lack of hunting partners anymore, urban sprawl. A lot of things, I guess. I never thought of it much before but deerhunting is just plain boring. Sitting on stand for hours or days without seeing anything or just seeing the same little fawns and their mothers.

Tinker with a new bow? You bet. All the time. I still have the desire to shoot. Maybe not as good as years ago, but not for lack of desire.

My family and friend just can't believe that after shooting compounds for 31 years that I still love to do this. But I gotta say, it beats hitting a little white ball and chasing it with an electric cart, just to hit it away from me again.

I am having a realy down day to day as some of you probaly guessed it is not a physical problem it's mental I have lost 2-3 years of my life because of Bipolar,OCD,social anxity and skiso effecto or how ever you spell it and I still see no light at the end of the tunnel what I mean by that I don't feel much better than I did 2-3 years ago I have good DR's it's just finding the magic pill if there is one out there for me. I really don't think this is the place to discuss this but I just need to vent a little. I am more less a hermet when it comes to going places with other people I like to be alone. Although my brother in law just got into bowhunting this year and it did spark some of the old feeling of bowhunting and I found it fun again for about 3 weeks. Before now bowhunting was my release I would think in may if I make it to bow season everything would be fine then but bow season doesn't last forever and now I have lost that release that bowhunting used to give me. I don't want you to feel bad for me because I do relize that there are alot of people that are worse off than me but this is happening to me so to me it is bad. Sorry for the sob story but I just needed to vent and I think of this place is a place for support weather it is for bowhunting or to get each other through bad times. And I feel I have friends here.

do you turkey hunt? is there any hunting or outdoor expo's coming up soon in your area. these things always get me geared back up when i start getting "burned out". man this nasty weather we had this year in ohio, really started hitting me the wrong way. i got depressed,mad, you name it. but now the days are longer, the sun is out, the air is a little warmer. turkey and mushroom season is about here. things are looking better. good luck big country. things will get better, they always do somehow

I think it hit's all of us at one time or another. I used to shoot my bow year round but not anymore. I think being aroung family and friends that enjoy the same things as you do helps. Hang in there. One doesn't have to kill an animal to enjoy the hunt. Setting in a tree stand in the early morning hours and watching the sun come up and the woods come alive is a good way to gather your thoughts.

i'll keep you in my thoughts bigcountry.