Hunt more? Or less?

As I get older(36) I find myself hunting way more. I've always hunted a lot, since I was a kid. Nowadays it seems to consume me! Lol. Not that I'm looking for b&c or anything I just really like being out there. Just wondering what will come out next really gets me fired up and I'm able to all day a lot of times.

There was a point in my late 20's where I just didn't have the time to go as much as I would like but family,work and bills come first. Now I'm fortunate enough to be able to go a lot! When I was 19 even quit my job so could hunt everyday! Lol. What bad idea. Shot a deer opening day then spent the rest of the season looking for a job! Lmao. Those were the days!

So, what about yall, as time goes by do you find yourself hunting more or less?

This is my first season hunting. Dad would've taken me but he was army and worked all the time, plus he didn't really know where to start. I'll admit, I probably wouldn't have started if my FIL didn't have a small place. It is fairly daunting getting started later in life, but I have gotten some great help. I will say as the season has gone on I have found more and more excuses to get out to the property. Since November I have added a variety of different guns to my small little arsenal, and have mostly kept my commitment to hunt each different animal or bird season. So far I have had a variety of failures, missed opportunities and poor decisions, and I am sure I will continue to bump into them. So far I have gone out for dove, deer, pig and coyote and am going on a duck hunt next month(Dangit I bought that stamp and I am gonna use it! lol) Can only imagine I will go more and more.

I find myself hunting a lot less. Years ago I couldn't get enough. Hunted different states, Canada, Africa for lots of different species. Right now I have taken 68 species of game. And then Dad died. He was my hunting buddy and when cancer got him it took a lot of the fire about hunting away. I still go every year and try to take a couple deer but now it is does for meat and it is more or less grocery shopping. I have no desire to hunt anything for the wall and no more interest in antlers/horns at all.

I know I could find a new hunting buddy but it won't be Dad. Those trips were special and I can never take another one with him. So now I hunt alone and just for meat. Times change. Enjoy your hunting buddies while you have them. They don't last forever.

I hope that is what I find. At 31 I have a 3 year old and a prego wife, life is busy for me. My old man hunts more than ever and I'm glad he is out getting it but I sure wish I was there too!

I know how feel. I've been there. I got married when I was 19. My wife was 17 and we are still going strong! Now our boys are 16 & 13. Neither wanted to hunt this year which sucks but it happens. Normally once season starts im gone! I'm home enough to make sure my guys are have work scheduled and everything is running smoothly! I'm lucky in that aspect but it didn't come easy or quick! Lol. Feels good though. I'm lucky my wife knew from when we were dating that when deer season started I would hunt as much as possible. We made a deal to never fight over hunting and money! And we don't. Also great because I tend to spend a good bit during deer season. Lol

You learn from thoughs mistakes. They will make you better if you let them! You already know that I'm sure! Good luck and stick with it!

Sorry to hear about your dad. That's a tuff one. Yall made some amazing memories together it sounds like and traveled to some amazing places! Prayers for your Dad.

My wife feels she is truly a deer season widow, in that almost every weekend I'm at the lease. But I would say this season I haven't been as much as previous years. This is the first yr I've have the lease to myself so its gets a little lonely without company. Lets see, in October I probably hunted 3 weekends, November was every weekend at least an overnight stay, December two weekends so far. But I've found that the longest I'm staying is for 2 mornings and 1 evening hunt. Versus in years past where I'll head out early on Friday for a PM hunt and hunt through Sunday evening. I just had a lot going on this year as well as it being really slow deer activity wise - I was a bit frustrated. But I did take a 10 point the weekend before last. So another successful season - not looking forward to Turkey in April.

I've gone through stages in my life. As a kid, my family was more of a fishing family. We only hunted Once or twice a year if that. I loved hunting (and fishing, but hunting more), and as I got into my late teens, I went more often. In my early twenties, I was in rut, and didn't hunt much at all. Late twenties and early thirties, I got back into hunting heavy. Late Thirties, my wife hated me going hunting, and I slowly dwindled down to only hunting Once a year, if that. After my divorce, I disappeared into the woods every chance I could get, even skipping family Christmas dinners and Easter to go hunting. Now in my 40's, I still hunt quite a bit, and now I get to enjoy taking my son hunting with me, and that's the best hunting ever!

I hunt deer and dove less, but hunt more and different kinds of animals.

Spent 8 days in Colorado and got an elk. Spent 6 days out west chasing desert animals (really need to hunt the whole season, but work obligations make it tough, after all, its what allows me to afford to hunt). Went bird hunting a few times and did my deer hunting in October taking the animal I wanted.


Have a lease 30 min from my house but unless the kids are with me I rarely go. No trophy deer unless a big axis slips up but that's hit or miss.



To be honest, between work and having 3 kids, I feel guilty leaving it all on the wifes shoulders to be gone all weekend every weekend. I take morning or afternoon trips that allow me to get to work and get home same day

That combined with my couple of extended trips keeps me happy.


One note, since I got into the real estate business, my burning desire to hunt all the time has subsided some. I guess being on ranches all day gives me enough of what I need just being there

Yup work, 3 kids, and the ol lady keep me out of the woods a lot more now. I could go whenever I want but I'd miss a basketball game, or baseball practice, or date night, or a football game so I feel too guilty to hunt like I used to.

I retired to my ranch in 2009. Before then I hunted every weekend. Now I hunt 4-5 days a week, so a little more.

I hunt 4-5 days a week mostly nights

I hunt less than I ever have but it doesn’t bother me, because I still go a lot.

Sometimes the anticipation of the next trip is almost as exciting as actually going. I have a 5 and 9 year old that both love going but they are active and have a lot of obligations and events we cant miss. As much as I love hunting, not worth missing their stuff.

More. Starting about a month before gun opener, I'm at the ranch everyday. I love it. Don't have to shoot anything either. Just love watching the animals.

The same which is maybe 6 evenings a week. Weather had hindered 7th day most of the time. Only live once, why waist it in public.

Probably more since kids are grown and on their own and I slowed down in the rat race. Quite unexpectedly, my wife decided to become a hunter last year - so that has been great for both of us. Took up bird hunting with my pup 5 years ago too, which extended my hunting time through the end of January.

Hunting has always been a priority for me, maybe even a little too much some years when the kids were little. It kept me grounded many of those years though when work and kids made for an intense life. I can remember years when looking forward to even a short hunting trip seemed like the only thing that kept me going.

Life is much slower now thank goodness.

More. I went through different phases like many have done.

I had to start up hunting on my own. Saved for a Sheridan Silver Streak pellet gun. Was around 12 I think. Saved more money and put a scope on it. I was in the woods every chance I got around 5 mile creek growing up in Oak Cliff. To this day I killed more small game with that gun than any I have owned, lol. It's what I learned to shoot with and taught my youngest to shoot with as well.

A friend I met while working on the freight docks took me deer hunting for the first time around Gilmer in east Texas. I was hooked. Tried to deer hunt every chance I got but had more failures than success mainly due to not having any money to hunt with lol, so was usually hunting public land.

Once I could afford a lease things got better. Continued to learn more about my quarry and afford better leases. I hunted every chance I got but not all the time because I was in love with a girl who didn't hunt. And I ended up marrying her with no regrets to this day. I started hunting less when my two daughters came along. I really cut back during their growing up years when they became more involved with school, sports and dancing. I'm glad I did. They really grow up fast. We are very close because I chose to be a big part of their lives growing up. Best decision I ever made.

As I continued to earn a better living I was able to hunt more again and buy more guns and toys etc...They went off to college which gave me a lot more time to hunt. Found a spot on the Pitchfork Ranch ten years ago and hope I can hunt there as long as I'm able. Because we are MLD I hunt from Oct.-Feb. I also try to mix in some other hunts in other places each year.

I still like to hunt and kill but do most of my killing on hogs. I'm just not mad at the deer anymore like I was in my younger days. (I'm 57) I enjoy watching them more, but mature bucks that get my heart racing get killed given the chance. Some of the best times for me are simply spent outdoors with friends and family. I'm excited because my wife and two girls are headed to the Pitch right after Christmas to shoot, make s'mores and kill some hogs.

I probably hunt as much now as I ever have. The last couple of deer seasons I was living out of state so I only got to hunt a few times a year. Now that I've moved back to San Antonio and I'm only an hour from my grandmother's 200 acres, I go as often as I can. It's a small place with average at best deer but I love it none the less.

I just turned 27 and have a serious girlfriend whom I talk about the future a lot with. I figure the days of raising a family may not be far off so I better get it in while I can haha Enjoyed reading about some of ya'll who are well ahead of me.

I live in the DFW area, and the best thing I ever did was buy a place to hunt less than an hour from the house. I'm 33, nearly 34, and I have a 10 month old daughter, but I still manage to get out nearly every weekend for at least one hunt. Leave the house at 2 and I'm back by dinner, or I leave the house before everyone gets up and I'm back by lunch. I have sat more this season than ever before.

I like this answer NP!

Thanks everyone for responding. Keep them coming!