Anyone else this way?

[Outdoor Enthusiast]

My interests have evolved over time.

I was focused only on deer hunting in my youth through my twenties. I started turkey hunting more seriously about 15 years ago. Now I anticipate it as much as deer hunting, and I love spring mornings in the turkey woods.

In the past 3 or so years I have shifted interest to western big game. Part of that is related to having the financial means now that I didn't have years ago, but also access to more information.

 

[gtk]

I'm out there every year at hunting season. I hear elk bugling, see huge bull moose, giant mule deer, and more bear than I can count. Absolutely zero interest in hunting those species.

Well, Ruger always said you "weren't right in the head"

 

[FredRog72]

Some folks got weird hobbies

Hi yes, does this rag smell like Chloroform?

Deer hunting #1. Occasional turkey but seldom. Gave up fishing! Will shoot a quail and pheasant once a year in South Georgia which is this coming weekend.

 

[BSK]

Well, Ruger always said you "weren't right in the head"

And Ruger, like always, was right!

 

[Lost Lake]

Deer hunting is number one for me, and I just can't get over Whitetail bucks. I doubt that'll ever change.

I enjoy trying to keep up with the hounds while bear hunting, but it's a social hunt with friends. Throw in a hog or two and it's an adrenaline rush.

Coyote hunting is pretty fun, again, another social hunt. I'd almost rather call and let friends do the shooting.

Dove, rabbit, squirrel used to be a lot of fun too, but it's been quite a while for me. The larger tracts we rabbit hunted as kids are mostly gone now, and I don't enjoy cleaning squirrels, although I'd shoot as many as anyone else would like to clean.

I ain't never been mad at a duck, and turkeys don't hold much interest for me, although I've had fun calling them in for friends who've killed them. That was kind of exciting.

Now, I could river and creek fish for Smallmouth from Spring til early Fall and never get tired of that. Love it.

Elk don't hold much interest for me anymore, but I'd LOVE to kill a big Muley, and just one Alaskan moose, preferably by float trip.

 

[fairchaser]

In my teens, I was ate up with fishing. All I wanted to do was bass fish. Then I discovered deer hunting. That started to take precedence, but at the time, living/hunting KY, deer seasons were short. So, fishing - which could be done all year - was still high on my list. But once I got my own hunting property, and especially once I got into wildlife and habitat management - which could be done all year - deer hunting finally won out. I still love to fish, but I rarely get around to it. I don't think I've cast a line in a couple years.

As for hunting other species, nope. Deer are all I'm interested me. Don't turkey, dove, duck, quail, rabbit, or squirrel hunt. And I have no interest in going out west to hunt the big mountain species.

Wow! You're a one species man! Being the best at something requires intense focus. No one really cares if your 10th best at something. Good on you!

 

[BSK]

Wow! You're a one species man! Being the best at something requires intense focus. No one really cares if your 10th best at something. Good on you!

I'm the most obsessive person you will ever meet. Once I latch onto a challenge, I focus everything I've got on that until a master it. Then I move on to a new interest/challenge. Only problem with deer hunting is, even after 45 years, I still haven't mastered it!

 

[Gravey]

I like deer hunting but I'd give it up if I had to choose between it and turkey hunting.

What he said! I'd rather shoot a big buck but would rather turkey hunt. I'd give up half of deer season for another week of turkeys. Don't get to do either as much as I'd like but enjoy it when I do. I normally duck hunt one weekend a year and used to dove hunt but haven't in a couple of years due to no place to go. When it come to fishing I enjoy it but only go a time or two a year with a buddy. When I'm on the lake these days it's with the wife doing water sports and just relaxing.

 

[AT Hiker]

I'd gladly give up the entire season of deer hunting to elk hunt one week a year.

Very few people come back from a Western hunt and say "meh, that was ok".

Most people start planning the next trip on their way home.

The most extreme pack up and move West.

 

[TNRifleman]

Very few people come back from a Western hunt and say "meh, that was ok".

Most people start planning the next trip on their way home.

The most extreme pack up and move West.

We are looking at Idaho. Would consider CO if it wasn't controlled by Denver and CO Springs.

 

[gtk]

We are looking at Idaho. Would consider CO if it wasn't controlled by Denver and CO Springs.

The entire front range is too crowded now !

our end goal is relocating to Western WY, South Western MT, or North Eastern ID !!

 

[Ski]

The entire front range is too crowded now !

our end goal is relocating to Western WY, South Western MT, or North Eastern ID !!

I'm a little different. After living in AK and NM I doubt I'll ever live out west again. We're looking at the hills & hollers of east KY. I've hunted other big game and I LOVE elk meat but whitetails and Appalachia is where my heart's at.

 

[Mattt]

Have you tried killing hookers/prostitutes?

Damn.

 

[7mm08]

Used to be " eaten up " with deer hunting when I had a 100 acres access . Land got sold so I lost that interest. I still love going with friends when I get an invitation.

I was also a big grouse hunter for years until the had to have a knee replacement

Seasons change

 

[GumbyGuy]

Deer hunting is all I do and I don't much of it anymore

Same here , my hunting buddy was in a work accident 3 years ago, is now paralyzed and it's just not the same for me anymore. Grew up hunting, fishing and seems the older I get the less I do. I tinker with guns when I can that's about all I do hunting related. I'm waiting on the wife to say if you don't hunt why you still buying them guns

 

[DMD]

Same here , my hunting buddy was in a work accident 3 years ago, is now paralyzed and it's just not the same for me anymore. Grew up hunting, fishing and seems the older I get the less I do. I tinker with guns when I can that's about all I do hunting related. I'm waiting on the wife to say if you don't hunt why you still buying them guns

Sorry to hear about your hunting buddy. That's so awful. I've always said - you really don't know a person until you've deer hunted with them. My hunting buddy is 86 years old now-he gave up on hunting about 3 years ago. We traveled all over hunting for 30+ years. I sure miss hunting with him. He called me yesterday and asked me if anyone was hunting with me. I said, "nope - hunting by myself". He said, "I'd go with you some if I wasn't 86 years old". LOL.

 

[MidTennFisher]

I like to deer hunt but I would say it's the least exciting hunting of all the species I hunt. Sitting in a tree as still as I can for ~3 hours and often not seeing anything but squirrels gets boring really quick. For me the exciting part is finally killing one and knowing I've got a lot of meat.

But as far as enjoying the hunt itself, everything else is more fun. To be honest, if deer were the size of dogs, I'd probably never deer hunt. It's the meat yield that makes it worthwhile. Constantly being on the move to hunt small game, turkeys, and fishing is way more fun. Even though duck hunting involves staying in one spot, there is always something to do/watch as you're seeing ducks fly (hopefully) and trying to call them in.

Everything is more fun than deer hunting but I sure do love deer meat and so do my wife and kids, so I chase them pretty hard.

 

[philsanchez76]

Im the same. My priorities are always driven by my stomach. If I cant eat it, im way less interested. Deer= 35-40 pounds of meat= #1 priority. Turkey = 5-10 pounds of meat= #2 prioroty. Fish = ounces of meat = lower on the list and so on.

I have recently gotten into offroading and building up an old Toyota Pickup and learning welding and fabricating. I can't eat that, but I still like it, so I guess thats an outlier. I do eat a lot of snacks while im driving though so maybe thats it.

 

[GumbyGuy]

Im the same. My priorities are always driven by my stomach. If I cant eat it, im way less interested. Deer= 35-40 pounds of meat= #1 priority. Turkey = 5-10 pounds of meat= #2 prioroty. Fish = ounces of meat = lower on the list and so on.

I have recently gotten into offroading and building up an old Toyota Pickup and learning welding and fabricating. I can't eat that, but I still like it, so I guess thats an outlier. I do eat a lot of snacks while im driving though so maybe thats it.

It can take you to where the meat is!

 

[DMD]

It can take you to where the meat is!

Hence the term "meat wagon"

 

[416]

We are looking at Idaho. Would consider CO if it wasn't controlled by Denver and CO Springs.

I can state for a fact that the minority and I mean a small minority party in Idaho is basically ignored by the majority party. We bleed dark red.

Northern and north central Idaho will remind you of East TN. The southern part of the state is dryer high desert. Lots of room to roam in both places. Lots of room to roam. The county I live in is above 60% public ground.

Come on out. Anybody with a work ethic can find a job but housing is expensive.

 

[MidTennFisher]

We are looking at Idaho. Would consider CO if it wasn't controlled by Denver and CO Springs.

Same here with the feelings of CO. My sister lives in Denver, we've visited twice but stayed in the mountains to avoid that crap hole. Colorado is just unbelievable, can't explain it. You just have to see it. But the liberals that control the state make it a no-go for us. IF we ever moved out West, it'd be Idaho or Wyoming. Maybe Montana.

 

[Ski]

Im the same. My priorities are always driven by my stomach. If I cant eat it, im way less interested. Deer= 35-40 pounds of meat= #1 priority. Turkey = 5-10 pounds of meat= #2 prioroty. Fish = ounces of meat = lower on the list and so on.

I'm same way. I get excited about the meat. With fishing i love going on trips where I can fill a freezer with fillets.

For sheer excitement I don't think anything beats rabbit hunting with beagles. Not a whole lot of meat but it's a delicacy meat. Dove hunting is a close second if they're flying well, and I love bacon wrapped breasts.

 

[BigAl]

My problem is there's only so much time. After spending a few months of hunting deer, I'd love to hunt something else (squirrels, coyotes, etc) but I got to move on and get other things in life done. Good thing the grass doesn't grow during deer season.

 

[East TN Bowhunter]

I think I am the oddball on this - deer hunting is the only hunting/ fishing that I'm interested in. I've tried about every kind of hunting and have tried fishing numerous times, but I have no interest in any of them except deer hunting. And I am eat up with deer hunting. It's the only "hobby" that keeps my interest year round and year after year. I enjoy hiking, but even then I'm looking for deer sign, wondering what kind of bucks are in the area, looking for sheds, etc. I often wonder if I'm the only one so interested in deer hunting, but have no interest in fishing or other types of hunting. How about you?

Crappie Fishing is hard to beat!

 

[Wooden Arrow]

But turkey hunting also overlaps spring fish spawn. So I turkey hunt then fish the afternoon. Last couple years I've had the lazy azz bad. Can't seem to shake it.

tried combining turkeys with crappie fishing. it never failed. if i was fishing, i'd hear a bird over on TVA land. run to truck, grab shotgun/bow, race up hill toward bird. sit down, call...nothing. half hour later i'm watching my float again... i think the fish and the birds got a deal these days.

 

[Wooden Arrow]

but never really got excited about it as it's a 20# bird, meh.

try bowhunting them, no blind. i've missed 13 or 14 now...

 

[killingtime 41]

tried combining turkeys with crappie fishing. it never failed. if i was fishing, i'd hear a bird over on TVA land. run to truck, grab shotgun/bow, race up hill toward bird. sit down, call...nothing. half hour later i'm watching my float again... i think the fish and the birds got a deal these days.

That's why I made the comment I did about turkey hunting the mornings and fishing the afternoon. We must hang around the same places.

 

[Darkthirty II]

Some of yall ain't never been on a banger of a duck hunt and it shows

I enjoy deer hunting but wing shooting will always take precedence over woods goats……..

 

[tree_ghost]

I love every facet of the outdoors and will hunt or fish for anything. But truth be told I'm a bowhunter at heart. My passion is hunting big mature bucks with a bow and a huge part of my free time throughout the year is spent on this endeavor. While my boys and me are squirrel hunting I have one eye in the trees and one on the ground looking for buck sign. If ole Tom ain't gobbling im covering ground and scouting for bucks. When we're fishing I often find myself on the banks checking for sign lol. I just can't seem to quench the desire to know "what's going on over there?" To me bowhunting big mature whitetail is the ultimate chess match with an unparalleled opponent. I have elk hunted in Colorado and that was an amazing experience and I believe this fall my wife and I will be back in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado chasing those burgling bruins yet again! Maybe with a few more western hunts my tastes may change but you can guarantee one thing will not…if it's legal to hunt it with a bow that's what I'm carrying! As I type this out I think I'm as enamored with archery as much as anything.