I hope this isn't going to open a can of worms, but I'm having issues tonight with tomorrow's hunt. For years I've listened to family tell hunting stories and wished I could have been in on the fun. But it seems I was never in the right place, or it wasn't the right time, or some other excuse that kept me from going on the hunt. Prior to last year I had hunted twice in the 70's and never got anything, and now that I'm "in my fifties" I have my own small piece of Texas I can hunt on. The property is only 18 acres, but the farms/ranches surrounding me are all about the same size - and most have been cleared for cattle. Evidently, none of the neighbors feel there are any deer around or any other reason to hunt and as a result the hunting pressure is virtually non-existent.

So, last year my father passes away in the summer and I'm bummed because we never got a chance to hunt together - even though he taught me to shoot. I decide I'll see what I can do on my small farm and set out to harvest my first deer. I buy all the gear, read all the books, and take a deer in the second weekend.

Now I'm hooked (or so I thought), and I begin to plan for this year. But life gets in the way - as it usually does - and I find myself two weeks away from the start of this season with nothing acomplished. I rush out to the farm, clear a few lanes, setup a feeder, install a game cam, and fire the gun - one shot - dead on. I put the rifle back in the case and head for the house.

Flash forward to today. I arrive early, pull the game cam SD Card and marvel at the deer. I then map out the times, determine the pattern, and sure enough - this evening two bucks show up as if on que. All I need to do now is pop the bigger of the two tomorrow evening.

So, what's the point? I've got a 7mm Rem Mag that I've hand loaded down - WAY DOWN - and it's still a cannon. The deer I'm targeting are less than 100 yards from the house - and truth be told I could probably hunt off the back porch if I wanted to. If I hunt from the spot I have picked out I could likely take the deer with a bow and arrow. So what am I missing, cause I don't feel like I'm hunting...

Sounds like you need to take up bowhunting.

Sounds like you need a friend or two out there with you. Or maybe you have a niece or nephew, or someone whose kid might enjoy the chance to hunt. Think about that and maybe make a phone call.

I agree. Bowhunting or maybe pistol hunting. Something that will make you as the hunter close the distance you feel that is making this all too easy. My father got this way when he turned 50 and he started pistol hunting with a scoped .44. He loves it. Then he moved from our lease at home which is about 40 acres to a west Texas lease in crowell that is 3500 acres. Now hes back to rifle shooting on all that big country. Its like a kid with a video game, if its too easy to beat the game aint that fun. If however you bomb over and over that's the game your really addicted to because you cant beat it.

Go sit in a brush blind you make on the ground tomorrow within range of your feeder. When or if a bucks walks in that is legal to shoot put the crosshairs on him and see if it feels like hunting. If your heart is pounding in your ears your know what hunting is like. Don't cheat yourself out of giving it a try.

One of the guns my father left me was a Ruger 44 Magnum. It's "old style" and I'm not sure a scope could be mounted on it, but I think pistol hunting might just be an excellent suggestion!

That's how I took last years deer - except I was about 200 yards off the feeder. I liked that spot - and it felt like I was "hunting" from there, but the neighbor on that side of the property cleared more brush this past year and now the dogs bark and the lights shine and it's gone from a great spot to an awful spot. This year the feeders in the middle and I've added the technology of the game cam. I have a feeling it's the game cam that taking some of the fun out of the equation...

18 acres isn't a whole lot of land to hunt on.....maybe get a lease some where in the area and that will make it seem less "familiar" my inlaws own 30 acres in kendall county that we never hunt on because its too small and we don't feel like its actually "hunting" not to say hunting 30 acres down the road would feel like that but we just don't hunt at home.

also....ditch the game cams.. I don't like them in that aspect as you know whats going to show up. this year we didn't put them up and its goin to be a real mystery as to whats out in the brush.

Rule of thumb is the deer around the house are pets, go shoot the ones you don't see every day.

OR find a cheap lease in ETX and try to hunt 5.5yo+ bucks... it will seem different.

Well, the deer here at the "farm" are no where near where we actually live - which is 90 miles east of here. But we do have a house here we can stay in. So technically, I don't see them everyday. But I do get your point. Matter of fact, I've repeated it to myself several times over the last few weeks.

My uncle - who also lives in the area - hunts on a friends property about an hour south of here. It's only 5 acres and they actually do shoot off the porch. I just can't do that...

I have found that it is more rewarding for me, to guide and help teach others to how be successful at hunting and enjoying the outdoors. I get more pumped up about taking people out for their first buck than I do tagging my own deer. Wierd I guess. Maybe try that. Ive been guiding for 10 years and it never gets old.

I'm almost in the same boat as you, I'm push'in 50 and now only own 15 acres, but I still enjoy it immensely. I think I find it more rewarding when it is an all year endeavor, not the "kill".

The brush clearing, plot growing and land improvements for the wildlife in general, but aimed at deer, makes it the most rewarding. The taking of a deer is only the :fruit of your labor" so to speak. Doing it the way you describe would be almost pointless to me and as you said, "to easy". It's the whole ball of wax to me, even when I had almost 400 acres.

My real "hunting" happens when I go to the Rockies, that can be tough at times.

Take up bow hunting... when I killed my first 10 deer with a rifle and never missed it took the fun out of it.

This morning the sun rose and I was 34 feet in a tree stand. Camo boots, pants jacket and hat, face paint and my mathews bow. Had some deer even walk right under me. That will get your heart pumping!

The reason I don't gun hunt, to me it's not hunting it's killing, but to each his own. Whatever floats your boat.

Hunting is hunting. I hunt 6 acres and have more deer then most 300 acres. Theres 1600 acres north if me that no one hunts. Just enjoy hunting.

take me with you, and i will cook you breakfast in the morning.

+1

call me crazy but i still get a rush hunting big bucks with a rifle.

The easiest way to make it harder is to get a bow.

Well - I may have found an answer on the Game Cam this morning. Seems there are several "new arrivals" to the feeder cam. A couple of does and two bucks - one a 10 point... They appear to be part of the Denny's crowd (you know - stay out till the bars close and then head over to Denny's). Game Cam says 2:30ish this morning... The challenge might be in going for the 10 point and letting everything else slide.

On bow-hunting - I hear ya'll. While I have a feeling it will eventually come down to this, right now I still get a kick out of the big bang from the shooting stick...

If you simply do not have the passion then I would not hunt...but test yourself prior. Sit in the stand and when the te comes and if your heart is not racing then in deed it is time to call it quits. If your heart does race then maybe you miss the companionship or possibly the work that is involved with hunting.

Take up bow hunting, it's what I did.

Seems like at first I'd start breathing hard anytime a deer came out. Then I'd only breath hard if a nice buck came out. Then after a while I'd just sit and watch the deer more than anything.

Then I got a bow. Got that feeling I first had all over again.

Or buy a nice camera and start an album...