Dan, why look for fault in regard to deer hunting?

In addition to the cost of hunting becoming too high, the article I mentioned earlier noted three separate but closely related reasons that in my opinion, work together to take the fun out of hunting.

#25 - Possessiveness over free-range deer

#26 - Too many deer "need another year"

#27 - Inches over memories

#28 - Bullying amongst hunters

Yes, now we have game cameras for taking photos of that buck we've given a name and considered "our buck" after all the photos we have of him eating at our feeder for the past six months.

Nowadays, you would be hard pressed to find a lease where any legal buck would be considered a trophy.

We've invented the term "cull buck" to use when taking a buck that we feel won't impress others.

Simply put, you ain't chit if you aren't a member of some Deer Management organization that touts their way as the best way to raise deer. And God forbid should you describe it as raising deer as if they were livestock.

"No Kids first 2 weeks of deer season". Well why not? My boys go with me whether we are hunting or not. IMO Family leases are becoming a thing of the past, trophy hunting only and its very sad.

That's just crazy to me. I'm far more interested in putting my kid on a good deer than I am shooting one myself. In fact, helping my kid get a good deer is a bigger accomplishment and an investment in a long term hunting buddy. What kind of jerk bogarts the opportunities for himself instead of his kids? Maybe someone who's never shot a good deer yet? I guess I might understand that.

I'm definitely a supporter of family hunting. However, I have to wonder how many kids who are put on well-fed trophy buck as young teenagers (if not before), will still be eager to hunt many years down the road. It's these later years when a lack of time, career needs, and interest in other hobbies can make people decide that monster they killed as a teenager was enough.

Sadly, I feel as if I have reached this point in regard to deer hunting. I am finally at a point where I have the money to do it, I own a piece of property that has good deer on it, and I am losing the love, or least that is how it feels at the moment. I always told myself I would stop if I quit getting that lightning bolt when I knew I was going to seal the deal on a deer. Well, it happened to me this year during bow season. Last year I fulfilled a very long-standing goal. I shot a really nice deer with my bow; on property I own. Perfect heart shot, dead within 30 yards. He taped at 152 and some change. I was over the moon but now I feel rather flat affect when it comes to deer. Whitetails at least.
This bow season I had a nice respectable 12 point at 15 yards. I felt nothing, no jolt, no excitement. Then I felt heartbroken because I didn't understand it. I let him walk and I went back to my cabin and had a cup of coffee and to pick apart what had happened. My daughter enjoys hunting deer. I am still hunting with her this season, but I don't plan on shooting anything for the foreseeable future. I'll keep feeding, keep working the property to make them happy. But as far as hunting I'm done for a while. Maybe it is just a funk. I shot a blacktail in Alaska this November with my buddies and that was a blast. But more so for the experience rather than the deer. I don't get it. Anyway, there is a lot of psychology that goes with hunting, and I think it is going to take me some time to really dig into my own and see what is making it tick, or in my case, not tick.

I am enjoying this thread; it is helping me to see other people's point of view on the subject.

I here ya, I re read my post this morning and admit I sounded pretty morose. I agree with you completly with what you are saying. I really think it is a slump brought on by many things. I'll never hang it up and walk away. I've been hunting since I was 8. It is a huge part of the fabric of my family. For now, I'm just finding joy in caring for the wildlife rather than hunting. I know I'm not going soft; I am just looking at it from a different angle. As for the adrenaline dump, I appreciate that comment. Expecation is the right word to describe my thoughts on it. Honestly, I feel spoiled to be able to even think like this.
When I was younger, I had to beg and borrow and barter for places to hunt. 20-year-old me would slap 41-year-old me for passing on deer!

That's just crazy to me. I'm far more interested in putting my kid on a good deer than I am shooting one myself. In fact, helping my kid get a good deer is a bigger accomplishment and an investment in a long term hunting buddy. What kind of jerk bogarts the opportunities for himself instead of his kids? Maybe someone who's never shot a good deer yet? I guess I might understand that.

Killing 1 good deer is not the end all be all to a hunting career. Lots of other animals to shoot besides whitetail deer.

If that’s all it takes to make them stop hunting then they were never that into it to begin with

That leaves the question if a kid is more likely to continue hunting well into their adult years if their early days are easy or made more challenging? There has no doubt been many a football coach who has taken the approach of using greater challenges to see which kids really want to play football.

I once knew a football coach, who after taking over a team with a very poor record, told them he thought the only reason why they played football was because their dad and girl friend wanted them to.

I once knew a football coach, who after taking over a team with a very poor record, told them he thought the only reason why they played football was because their dad and girl friend wanted them to.

And how did the team respond to this cheery fellow?

When I was an assistant band director, I got the kids that were just taking band to get out of PE. That was an inspiring bunch, let me tell you.

I took JROTC to get out of PE.

No slight taken. I thought it was a jab at how bad public school PE sucked