Lost that feeling

[musical hunter]

I have hit a wall in my hunting life. I no longer have the desire to do it. I just dont know how to get it back. Being forced to hunt public land has killed all desire to go hunting.
Maybe one day it will come back. I hope so

 

[Deer Assassin]

find some private land ? lease ?

 

[SES]

Get on a lease with some guys that are fun to be around. I have my own property to hunt but I miss spending time with people that I used to hunt with on the lease I used to be on. What part of the state are you in?

 

[AT Hiker]

Get some buddies involved and start making an adventure out of it. Maybe dedicate a few days every fall to setting up camp and hunting the public land, make camp nice and the food nicer. Dont focus on the kill, focus on the experience. Invite new people that have never hunted, make it a tradition.
Maybe switch to squirrel hunting, late Oct early Nov is an excellent time to hunt them.

 

[rtaylor]

Squirrel tournament on public land with your buddies is a good time. Also, expand to hunts that you've never done before. If you've tried hunting every species that Tennessee has to offer go antelope hunting out west and see something new. It is easy to get burnt out with the same thing all the time.

 

[batten_down]

Take a year off, or two.
I hunt public land here exclusively. And relish every opportunity. But it's all I've ever known. We're fortunate to live in state with a beautiful variety of public land, but also to be central to a lot of quality hunting in neighboring states as well. Maybe consider an out of state hunt to get those juices flowing again, something to look forward to. Break down maps, etc. Or find someone new to the sport and mentor them. Just a couple ideas. Think back to the early days and what made you want to go to begin with. I hope you're able to rekindle that old flame.

 

[vanleerbuckbuster]

Been where you're at. After i bought my own property in 2019 that desire to hunt came back stronger than ever. On our 3rd season of hunting our own dirt and its exciting once again

 

[trout]

Hope you find your joy in the spirit of the woods. Sometimes we forget it's not wild game we seek.

 

[Laserman1]

I know how you feel. I get excited thinking about going. Get involved getting things ready to hunt. Then find excuses not to go when I have the chance.

 

[TNGunsmoke]

Go for broke(or maybe that's go broke), take up public land duck hunting, lol.

Seriously, with a good group of guys it is a lot of fun, especially when you get to cutting up and eating good when there are no birds in the area(which seems to be more often than not the last few years).

 

[Antler Daddy]

I prefer public. I'm a roamer. Private is too limiting for me.

 

[kamml]

Sure killing a nice deer is the reason for the season, but that is just the destination, enjoy the rest of the journey too.

 

[megalomaniac]

Agreed, find friends to hunt with, deer hunting is more about comradarie than killing a deer. Turkey hunting is mostly solo... one vs one. Too bad I always have too many folks to guide during turkey season, but I enjoy turkey hunting solo even more than deer hunting with friends.

 

[huvrman]

I've gotten to where I film more deer than I shoot. I used to anticipate taking 4 a season. Now I plan on 1, with possibly a 2nd if it is larger than the 1st. And the 1st has to be pretty darn big for me to shoot. So, I spend alot of time just watching, learning, and refining my ability to get in and out undetected. Still keeps the spark alive.

 

[catman529]

Since you have to hunt public, try new places often. A change of scenery keeps things fresh and you never know what you may find. Like AT said, do a deer camp and have a good time. Don't have high expectations, just enjoy the new scenery and see what you can learn. When a deer walks up and gives you that perfect shot, you'll have tenderloins to cook over the campfire.

Not everybody enjoys public land because of all the people, but it can be fun in 2 different ways. One is the challenge of trying to work around the crowd and find the deer. Finding an overlooked honey hole is always exciting. Second, it's fun to ride around camp sites or check stations and see what all has been killed on the weekend, and maybe BS with some of the local hunters.

 

[TN RDG RNR]

Im 57 and hit a wall few years back. Not sure why. I manage 800 acre lease 5 minutes from my house, love hunting public land and retired.

 

[timberjack86]

Get some buddies involved and start making an adventure out of it. Maybe dedicate a few days every fall to setting up camp and hunting the public land, make camp nice and the food nicer. Dont focus on the kill, focus on the experience. Invite new people that have never hunted, make it a tradition.
Maybe switch to squirrel hunting, late Oct early Nov is an excellent time to hunt them.

Excellent advice!!

 

[UTGrad]

Join a gym and do spin classes.

 

[fairchaser]

At 64, I still enjoy going. The strategy of outsmarting a mature buck is still a thrill and challenge. But, without friends and a great private lease, I'd probably just find other things to do. Once my grandsons can hunt, I'll get more involved in passing on the tradition. For me, I've built a lifestyle around hunting and fishing so it's part of my DNA. I'm thankful I still have the freedom and health to go.

 

[rsimms]

I have hit a wall in my hunting life. I no longer have the desire to do it. I just dont know how to get it back. Being forced to hunt public land has killed all desire to go hunting.
Maybe one day it will come back. I hope so

I was in the same boat. After being a passionate deer hunter for decades, the fire left me 15 or so years ago. One, maybe two deer hunts a year has been my standard. I just didn't have the drive to "do the work" anymore. But the deer hunting fire is back, ONLY because I have found a place in my life where it is easy. My wife and I bought our "dream home," last year. It wasn't by design, but turns out it is situated where I can deer hunt out my back door. We worked hard lots of years to put ourselves in a position to buy such a place. But, I know how extremely fortunate I am and will never take it for granted. I hope you can find the same one day.