Author Topic: Depressing Times.... (Read 10327 times)

littletoes · « **on:** April 12, 2008, 08:24:30 AM »

Well, ok guys, I made myself a promise.....and I didn't keep it.
Promised myself to make it out for predators more this year, and I think I've gone out less this year than any year previous.

The same with fishing.....told myself I'd make it out more this year for fishing, and didn't.

How do you guys keep such promises to yourselves?

Head-shot · « **Reply #1 on:** April 12, 2008, 08:30:25 AM »

We Lie...

boneaddict · « **Reply #2 on:** April 12, 2008, 09:09:46 AM »

Well I don't know how old you are or if you have kids, but I can tell you after marriage and kids, it gets a WHOLE lot worse.

littletoes · « **Reply #3 on:** April 12, 2008, 09:15:15 AM »

Old? HELL yes, Kids? OH-HELL-YES,
I'm too damn old to be having any more, and #5 will be hitting the ground in another month....did I mention I work two jobs too???

PolarBear · « **Reply #4 on:** April 12, 2008, 09:19:29 AM »

I went from hunting or fishing over 200 days a year to less than a dozen. Marriage and kids put the kibosh on the time in the woods or water. Once the kids get old enough to go with you it gives you the opportunity to get out more. It sucks but the time will slowly come back. Unfortunately, you (at least in my case) might be too beat up and rickety to be as gung ho as you use to be. It sucks getting old.

Coasthunterjay · « **Reply #5 on:** April 12, 2008, 09:32:59 AM »

i just do it!

and i only promise one thing.......and thats bambi killin

rainshadow1 · « **Reply #6 on:** April 12, 2008, 09:54:50 AM »

Did exactly that with Coyotes this year, LT. "Four, maybe five east trips, maybe an out of stater too..." Ended up doing ONE basin run, opening day of waterfowl season with bird hunting family, out calling in the dust cloud of the 206'ers. Didn't make it over one other time. Life just gets in the way!

robodad · « **Reply #7 on:** April 12, 2008, 10:10:42 AM »

Your time is coming Jay.

Michelle_Nelson · « **Reply #8 on:** April 12, 2008, 10:16:49 AM »

Don't feel bad littletoes. I've been back in Washington for 9 months and I havn't been Hunting or Fishing yet! Only time I have been up in the woods was with BTKR up in CF looking for bear sign.

boneaddict · « **Reply #9 on:** April 12, 2008, 10:24:52 AM »

Coast will find a woman that will put up with him one of these days and take a little wind out of his sails.

bearmanric · « **Reply #10 on:** April 12, 2008, 11:30:07 AM »

i'm feeling better was a lousy year was tired and run down. had a stint put in my heart on oct 2 07 then this last week i found out i have diabetes. feeling better already. packing today for turkey in colville. and when i get back going after my spring bear. going to be a great year. going to hunt by myself this year and for myself. did get my biggest buck last year sherman pass area. and called my first turkey last year in colville. so this year is going to be awsome. Rick

gramps · « **Reply #11 on:** April 12, 2008, 05:02:15 PM »

bearmanric....keep up that attitude and your diabeties will be the least of your problems..good luck.

I haven't been out much either....and I am retired. I am so busy with 'stuff'....don't know how I ever had time to work.
But I am working on changing that...3 days a week every week off somewhere..another promise to work on.

Red Dawg · « **Reply #12 on:** April 12, 2008, 08:09:53 PM »

It is very hard to get away with little ones running around. I still get to go whenever i want but i have decided that i have more fun now with my kids so i guess its not all that depressing to me until i see what most other guys are doing. Wood cutting starts here soon and i love to cut wood.

jackelope · « **Reply #13 on:** April 12, 2008, 08:25:49 PM »

glad i'm not alone here. i wouldn't trade my new little one for the world...i'd give it all up for her if i had too. i don't so i won't, but i didn't do squat this year. thankfully i have a wife who can't wait to get back out flyfishing and hiking, and it looks like she'll be shooting some clays too, and we're working on ways to make it work with our little girl.
things are looking up in our house.

DOUBLELUNG · « **Reply #14 on:** April 12, 2008, 09:37:45 PM »

For me, what Polarbear said; left the 200+ day club, now 15-30 days a year in the field tops. It helps that I was fortunate enough to punch 50-60 big game critter tags before reproducing, and I have a wife that makes me go when I talk about not going to get other stuff done; so I've still notched another 18-20 in my first 9 years as a dad.

jackelope · « **Reply #15 on:** April 12, 2008, 09:40:45 PM »

i have notched 1 in my first year as a new dad, and hope to notch another 1 or 2 next weekend. i have a 3 day hall pass next weekend in e-wa.

archery288 · « **Reply #16 on:** April 12, 2008, 09:48:38 PM »

man you guys are all makin me feel really lucky right now that I don't have any kids, and that I have a girlfriend that comes out and shoots with me and loves to shed hunt so she can make house decorations! couldn't ask for more!!

As for time out this year though, I have only spent maybe 2 days in the outdoors because of school and work... but atleast I shoot my bow everyday or so!! so I am not the best example of gettin out there! haha

sisu · « **Reply #17 on:** April 13, 2008, 05:35:14 AM »

I was doing well with the hunting and fishing until the fuel prices did me in. I am currently checking the auto lists for an older used Suzuki Samurai. From what I hear good milage plus 4x4.

ICEMAN · « **Reply #18 on:** April 13, 2008, 05:56:59 AM »

Come on guys, you can get out with the kids really easy! Most everything I do in the great outdoors can also involve kids! You just have to tweak the way you do it.

Kids can completely revive why you hunt. If you used to love to get out and enjoy the woods, make sure your kids see and know why! So far my two seem to want to go and try just about anything in the woods I suggest. It is a bit expensive outfitting them....but I make sure to make gear purchases an all year process, involving birthdays, xmas etc...

I moved our wedding to avoid hunting season. We decided what time of year to have our kids, to avoid the hunt. As stated before, nothing worse than being that dad in elk camp, when your five year old is having their birthday at home... Before we married, I made it very apparent that this (hunting and fishing) is what I do. Not necessarily a "my way or the highway", but rather an understanding that this is my hobby, and I am not happy without it.

What also works for me is to make sure to do some planning on a yearly calendar for myself and my wife to see. Lay out what you intend to do...on what weekends....this seems to help to get me out of the house, a good plan...

All you old retired wheezers have no excuses for not being out in the woods!!!

Slenk · « **Reply #19 on:** April 13, 2008, 06:46:34 AM »

"All you old retired wheezers have no excuses for not being out in the woods!!!"

Iceman
Ya we do when you live on s/s it's called gas,gas ,gas.

Slenk

robodad · « **Reply #20 on:** April 13, 2008, 07:39:05 AM »

I agree with Iceman here that we really need to involve the kids in our adventures and for the most part I do that in between the flu, ear infections, soccer practice, music lessons, T-ball, school, homework, WASL studies, Dr appts, sleep overs, recital practice, swimming lessons, and a wife that thinks the outdoors is the space between the car door and the mall door !! Yep I do get out there but far less then I used to that is for sure.

Quote

glad I'm not alone here. i wouldn't trade my new little one for the world...

Ain't that the truth, given a choice (kids or the great outdoors) I would take the kids anyday !!!

Slenk about sums it up for me, I'm not on SS yet but VA disability is still fixed income and the cost of diesel is a huge factor in weather or not I get to go. Already had to give up my boat so no halibut fishing for me so hopefully I can save the money I would have used for that to finance some days hunting. (Actually I sold the boat and bought a 5ver so we could do more things together.)

I just heard that the CFN diesel price here in town just went to $4.69/gal, thankfully the safeway is only $4.28 but still what a nightmare.........

Red Dawg · « **Reply #21 on:** April 13, 2008, 08:02:11 AM »

yes the kids need to be in the mountains to be taught the proper ways of how to use and treat our good mountains. I take my kids on a fairly regular basis. The best one was to watch them pick huckleberries while I was bear hunting. Then we all proceded to pick enough to make a pie. My daughter who is now 2 did not put one of them in the bag. She *censored* her brains out for two days.

Next year we will have to watch her. Anyway back to the point, i am also stoved up with the diesel prices. I have a cheap outlet to fill up at 4.05 but it still cost me 135 to fill er up. Not a pleasent sight for my eyes. So I guess i am starting to save my fuel money for the big ones. Like hauling *censored*ters to the mountains.

robodad · « **Reply #22 on:** April 13, 2008, 08:06:35 AM »

Quote

Like hauling *censored*ters to the mountains.

You really shouldn't talk about your daughter like that !!!

Red Dawg · « **Reply #23 on:** April 13, 2008, 08:29:05 AM »

horses bro. I did not see you laughing so i could not tell if you were joking or not.

robodad · « **Reply #24 on:** April 13, 2008, 08:38:34 AM »

Yeah I was laughing out loud, (I'm supprised you couldn't hear me) but you mentioned your daughter earlier.

I knew what you meant but thought the way you worded it was funny that's all !!!

Red Dawg · « **Reply #25 on:** April 13, 2008, 08:42:01 AM »

I figures as much , just wanted to make sure. But i will say in all reality kids are *censored*ters also. they eat and *censored* and laugh and cry, god damn i love em.

tlbradford · « **Reply #26 on:** April 13, 2008, 04:00:20 PM »

I got out at a decent clip this year, but I must have rescheduled about 15 day trips over the winter. Between younguns, work, and house projects it sure eats up your time. I also felt obligated to go bird hunting on my free days, rather than coyote calling, since my dog is getting up there in years.

Jackalope, I killed two yotes this last weekend. One was an old bitch with most of her teeth worn down. She weighed in at 35 lbs, and this is with only 3 legs. To me she was quite a trophy since she is obviously wary to survive on three legs for so long, and to call her out into shooting range. Anyway, my point is, and this might not bother you, she was pregnant, and looked to probably be dropping her pups this past week. So you may want to take a shotgun and shovel with you.

I'll try to get the video up here this week on her. If I could have seen my LCD screen it would have been better, but the sun was directly on it, so I couldn't zoom in to well. The other one backdoored me so no video, it was a movig shot at about 9 yards. Stape if you read this, I was only calling on the weekend, because I was there for a funeral. This was a memorial hunt of sorts to remember my Dad and his best friend who's service I attended. I just haven't had a weekend since we talked.

jackelope · « **Reply #27 on:** April 13, 2008, 09:46:16 PM »

Quote

Jackalope, I killed two yotes this last weekend. One was an old bitch with most of her teeth worn down. She weighed in at 35 lbs, and this is with only 3 legs. To me she was quite a trophy since she is obviously wary to survive on three legs for so long, and to call her out into shooting range. Anyway, my point is, and this might not bother you, she was pregnant, and looked to probably be dropping her pups this past week. So you may want to take a shotgun and shovel with you.

there will be a shotgun packed along, but it probably won't be used for coyotes, at least not right away anyhoo...
i'll be looking to use it for a longbeard or 2.

alecvg · « **Reply #28 on:** April 13, 2008, 10:05:03 PM »

kids are amazing, and you can take them out with you!

jackelope · « **Reply #29 on:** April 13, 2008, 10:18:34 PM »

you can take them out with you eventually, but not when they are 4 months old and it's 30-40 degrees out. we are planning some hikes and just picked up a baby backpack so she can come along. not sure i'm into throwing flyrods with a baby in the driftboat, but maybe, but only if there is no wind. i don't want a fly stuck in my ear, nevermind my baby's ear.

bobcat · « **Reply #30 on:** April 13, 2008, 10:31:46 PM »

It's not easy for me to get out in the woods with my two girls, a 2 year old and a 3 month old. I'll feel lucky to get one full week and a couple of weekends to hunt this fall. I used to hunt something just about every weekend from September 1st to December 31st. Not anymore. But I sure am looking forward to taking the girls out hunting as soon as they're old enough to keep up with me in the woods. I'm thinking I'll start them out on grouse and with any luck after a few years of that we'll be hunting deer and elk together.

littletoes · « **Reply #31 on:** April 14, 2008, 10:26:09 AM »

I love teaching the kids about hunting.
My oldest Son will be 12 this coming deer/elk season, and I'm having some trouble deciding if he should go elk hunting this year. Last year was his first deer season, and he bagged a nice 3X3, but elk is quite a bit harder.

He's game, thats for sure. But going in a mile or two for deer is not the same as 10 miles or more for elk. Then, what if you actually get one that far in???

(I got back-up, two guys with horses/mules).

What would you guys do?

PS-I take both my boys yote hunting when i go out, the oldest packs his .243 deer rifle. Youth model, short and fast handleing!

Ridgerunner · « **Reply #32 on:** April 14, 2008, 12:03:19 PM »

Lots of common threads on here, kids are the greatest but man do they cut down the time in the field at the beginning. I've felt the crunch as well, I'm looking forward to them getting bigger so I can get out more again, but till then I'm focusing on accomplishing hunting goals that don't require the huge time committments, or out of state hunts. And I'm making sure I am getting out on quality trips, not quantity of trips. Taking them scouting can be great fun too.

rainshadow1 · « **Reply #33 on:** April 17, 2008, 09:40:25 AM »

LT, when my oldest is 12 my wife won't see much of us at all! My youngest will be 10, we'll be gone all the time! He's almost 4, his brother is 2. They both want to go, and love blowing calls, but I have to be careful about their introduction to the whole thing. Need to keep it positive and not boring, exhausting, cold, hot, or frightening. This year the 4 year old will be on coyote stands. Doesn't matter how tough it is for me, he'll see a dog come in, I'm determined!

Big game, that's another judgement call, you're absolutely right.

I love my kids and wouldn't be without them, it's just the way life goes when you try to do it right. Like I said, 10 years from now? Leave me a message, WE won't be here much!

News:

Advertisement