Is this obsession or just a hobby for you?

[Bowhunter4life]

In finding this site several years back I found other people in this world that was as crazy about hunting deer as I am. Really used to think that no one put in the time or effort like I did when chasing or just trying to learn these animals. Early 20s I spent every spare minute I had in the woods or I was reading and studying about deer. Wanted to know everything. Felt there was something I was missing cause I had such a tough start so if there was more to this I was determined to figure it out. Lost touch with many friends, dropped other hobbies like rabbit/squirrel hunting & fishing. Nothing else mattered to me but to devote any free time I had to deer. I was obsessed. Didnt really care to talk to you if it wasn't about hunting or chasing deer. It was that bad. I have a family now and a little girl that has become my center of attention by far. That drive and determination to continue learning still sits inside me. Each year I want to beat the last year and I don't judge my success anymore on the size of the deer I drag out of the woods. Used too that was all that mattered to me. The game has changed greatly and now I look at each hunt and try to break it down. I now judge success based on did I walk away from this season knowing or learning more than I knew the year before. To me this is what it's about now. ive heard others say this same thing and find it to hold true myself that you often learn more from the failed hunts than the successful ones. I have had plenty and I mean plenty of failed hunts in my life. Still do to this day but learning from those is the key. Not to get discouraged. I have some family I am trying to now help in hunting deer and I often see them getting very upset and wanting to give up. Try to take something away from each hunt you go on. It's often the smallest details that we miss that could of lead to the kill.

So is this your hobby or are you obsessed, what does success mean to you now as a hunter? I'm just curious what some of you have to say?

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[headgear]

I'm probably in between the two right now, much more of an obsession several years back but 3 little ones keep me from going overboard. It's easy to see the wife start to stress and the kids get a little bitter when you are gone too much. I still use all my free time to hunt and scout but I try not to be as crazy about it as I use to be and just enjoy it more. Not sure it will ever be a hobby.

[Wlog]

My other obligations keep my hunting from going from hobby to obsession. I used to get ticked off when something prevented me from hunting or scouting or shooting my bow enough. I just eventually realized that it's supposed to be fun. Don't sweat the small stuff. There are people with real problems out there and my deer hunting woes don't even come close in comparison. I still get a little wound up sometimes but don't go overboard. I just do the best I can with the available time I have. I don't have anything to prove to anyone after all.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[DaveT1963]

Yes.
Traditional Archery = hobby
bow hunting whitetail deer = obsession

[DeerDylan]

Right now I'm definitely more into deer hunting than I have ever been. I'm not nearly as fired up about spring gobbler as I usually am because I just keep thinking about deer but I'm sure the switch will flip very soon on that. Closing in on 30 as a bachelor, I think being focused on hunting is a healthy and worthwhile habit.

[<DK>]

Cool topic, but i have to go w Obsession!
It's like something that had been missing from apart of me and I never knew it...

the family doesn't get it, but they sure do like reaults! As if (pre BEAST) we need another reason to love hunting more, now I can barely flip the switch turn it off...

[ Post made via Android ]

[<DK>]

Right now I'm definitely more into deer hunting than I have ever been. I'm not nearly as fired up about spring gobbler as I usually am because I just keep thinking about deer but I'm sure the switch will flip very soon on that. Closing in on 30 as a bachelor, I think being focused on hunting is a healthy and worthwhile habit.

LOL I just wanted to say the single guys on here should have twice as much Intel and kill more bucks than all of us!

[ Post made via Android ]

[whitetailassasin]

Good topic B4life. I would say hunting whitetails is an passion of mine and used to be an obsession. I devote a lot of my time to chasing whitetails, but as I've gotten older my time has been spent with my 2 kids. I've learned to make the most of the time I do spend in the woods, whether scouting or in season. The Internet has allowed me to be home more and maximize my Intel until boots to the ground is required. I use to feel I needed to spend every waking second in the woods learning and if I wasn't I would be off my game. But I've since learned that for me, maximizing my time when the time is right allows me to pursue other aspects of my life I'm equally as passionate about, kids, camping, family, friends, and even vacation. I love talking hunting and pursuing mature whitetails, but I've also been taking the time to enjoy other avenues of life and find they bring me the balance I need. But I will say this, when I'm in scout or hunt mode, it's all business about getting the job done and learning from my surroundings. As well as sharing any knowledge I have with equal like minded hunters looking to be successful and learn the tactics I feel are necessary to wrap tags around mature animals.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Lockdown]

For now its both. I don't HAVE to scout and hunt a lot, I CHOOSE to because I love it. My time in the outdoors is my therapy and keeps me grounded.

I'm fairly new to Beast style hunting, so I'm kind of addicted to the challenge and finding tons of bedding for future years. I'm not going to start a fight with my wife if I can't scout or hunt on the "perfect day".

I can see myself slowing down in a few years, especially when my nephews can both bowhunt. I plan on spending some focusing on them and getting them outdoors. That and I want to help get Dad on deer. He's 60 and won't be able to hunt and climb trees forever. He's got some good years of hunting left in him yet, still I plan on putting his hunt before mine when he comes with.

[DeerDylan]

Right now I'm definitely more into deer hunting than I have ever been. I'm not nearly as fired up about spring gobbler as I usually am because I just keep thinking about deer but I'm sure the switch will flip very soon on that. Closing in on 30 as a bachelor, I think being focused on hunting is a healthy and worthwhile habit.

LOL I just wanted to say the single guys on here should have twice as much Intel and kill more bucks than all of us!

[ Post made via Android ]

I'm not sure I'm the man for the job haha

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Hawthorne]

I could go out in the field everyday and do something deer related if I could. Not possible for me right now. The beast helps with that. So obsession, yes.

[ Post made via Android ]

[tbunao]

I don’t like to refer to hunting as an obsession in my life. I like to say I’m very passionate. Everything I do is geared towards hunting. Whitetails is my main passion but western hunting is a burning desire. I work in a hunting department, scout on my day’s off, think about scouting or situations when I’m at dinner with family or even worse on the occasional date in attempt to have a relationship, stare at distance hills thinking on how the thermals work on that particular hill while driving to some function that I probably don’t want to attend and even have two separate bank accounts with savings for a hunt out west and the other for equipment. This Train to hunt competition that I am getting ready for is really just a half way point motivation thing to keep me in the best condition I can be for next years western trip. I was actually just offered to move up in the corporation I work for but declined due to the fact that they wanted me to move farther north. I don’t want that. If I move I want to go to a state with good whitetails and closer to the west where a western hunt will be easier to get to. Family has a time share in Cancun but I decline that as well as like most I have limited time off and I would much rather spend that time doing something I enjoy rather than trying to piece last night together. I’m 35 and have always had issues with relationships as I’ve always been the kind to do what I want when I want. I don’t see that changing anytime soon nor do I see it fair to a women to have to put up with that. I’m happy and satisfied with the life I live whether it be an obsession or passion that runs it. It's really a way of life more than anything

[DaveT1963]

Yes.
Traditional Archery = hobby
bow hunting whitetail deer = obsession

obsession is defined as : an idea or thought that continually preoccupies or intrudes on a person's mind: funny how [glow=red]deer hunting thoughts[/glow] intrude upon my conversations with the little lady about what color drapes will look best in the guest bedroom guess I'm obsessed

[mainebowhunter]

Yes.
Traditional Archery = hobby
bow hunting whitetail deer = obsession

[glow=red]obsession is defined as : an idea or thought that continually preoccupies or intrudes on a person's mind[/glow]: funny how [glow=red]deer hunting thoughts[/glow] intrude upon my conversations with the little lady about what color drapes will look best in the guest bedroom guess I'm obsessed

I was going to say I was passionate...but by definition, guess I need to call a spade a spade. I am very well aware though, that it needs to be kept in check. I think about the post Dan put up 2 mos. ago about remembering that once you lose time with your kids because of chasing big bucks, you cannot get it back. For me, I am willing to cut out all other hobbies to pursue this one. BUT family comes first. Its easy when you have a big buck on the brain to forget about some of the other stuff. My marriage means WAY more to me than any big buck I will ever shoot. Lots of guys have lost sight of that...and when hunting comes in front of a marriage, things get ugly real fast.

And, unfortunately, there is never an off season.

[Jphunter]

By definition I would say yeah it's an obsession.

[ Post made via iPhone ]