# Why do hunters quit hunting?



## MrRecurve (Mar 24, 2005)

Nagging wives.


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## ptcrad24 (Jan 7, 2005)

*Nothing to hunt with?*

All killed by a bear?


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## redruger (Mar 20, 2005)

*what??*

I did not understand the last post at all by ptcrad. 

As for why they quit hunting, some never began. I grew up in the midwest and most "hunted". However if you got right down to it very few hunted, most shot and occasionnaly killed. Very few people out of the total population hunt. I've always been amazed at the lack of knowledge about the game they pursue. 
Standing at the end of a cornfield with a gun you shoot once a year while your drunken buddies drive game to you is not my idea of hunting.


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## Mr. October (Feb 15, 2003)

I think the single biggest reason these days is lack of places to hunt. With suburban sprawl many traditional hunting spots go away and there just aren't that many places open to hunting that aren't already occupied.


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## Skywriter (Mar 3, 2005)

I think that it's probably because you're busy working 55 hours a week trying to stay flush on taxes and trying to pay for that big house in the suburbs you bought. Driving your kids to and from band practice and track meets and making time for family, music and lawn care. Trying to pay for that thousand dollar flute and the cheerleading uniform and a yellow page ad. Hell, suddenly the sun goes down and you're hurrying up just to get a chance to pull the bow in your own back yard for a few minutes. 
That's why.


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## JAVI (Jun 19, 2003)

I quit because it isn’t “FUN” anymore….

I spent 48 years roaming the woods of many states and enjoyed myself immensely, and then I found Archery Talk, “LEARNED” that I was unethical in my pursuit of game, and a poor hunter to boot. 

So I quit…


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## Dave T (Mar 24, 2004)

Slob hunters ruining it for everyone else. This sadly applies to rifles, shotguns, handguns, black powder and archery.

For me it ended the opening day of handgun deer season (1974) when I got shot at before sun up, by some (explative deleated) shooting at noise (me moving up a ridgeline). As a law enforcement officer (deputy sheriff) I knew of numerous reports on hunters shooting water tanks, mailboxes, cows, dogs, barns and outbuildings and on two occasions other hunters. Oh, and don't forget poachers and game law violators.

I know there are decent, ethical hunters out there but they are overshadowed by the jerks.

Dave


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## mike-uswest (Oct 6, 2002)

Here it is because of the lack of game. I know several people that have quit because the old areas that they hunted for years, now they never even see a deer. Deer still get killed, but they are few and far between anymore in most areas. That is what killing does will get you sooner or later.  

Mike


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## DwayneR (Feb 23, 2004)

I still hunt, but it is extremely frustrating... I get sick and tired of poachers and @#@##@ hunting illegally on our land.. we have it painted purple, have people watching, yet they still do it...

My biggest frustration came when one year a friend of mine and I went to the land... we always hunted this one area.. We hunted on the outside edge, and every year got 4 to 5 deer a year (each) and we "Picked" the deer we wanted to shoot. this year, we saw nothing...next week...nothing...next week... nothing... So we decided to move into the "forest"...Found illegal tree stands, Gut piles (and traces of gut piles from previous weeks (about 7 of them), all within about 50 yards of the bedding grounds of the deer.

I have even posted (on this forum) a thread on this very situation, and how hunters should turn these suckers in...

Now the problem... We own over 1000 acres of land...the best hunting land you can imagine...But we live 100 miles from it. Its been in our family for years. During the week, they know they can destroy our land...During the weekend, they know we come down... Personally I would love to set booby traps with cocked guns, bows, and other "man killers" and say "Accidents Happen". And what kind of fine is there for these guys??? nothing worth speaking about...HOw do you catch them? The only way I know of, is for other hunters to turn them in.

I spend upwards of 2000 dollars every year to hunt...on MY land. Why the hell can't I hunt my own land and not have others destroying it by running 4x4's on it (and I am not talking just about the little ATV's), PS.. that 2000 dollars does NOT include the TAXES I have to pay, nor the money it takes to kill abnoxious weeds, keep the land up to county code, nor the planting of feed strips.



Dwayne


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## Daemonspeeding (Jul 3, 2004)

bminn said:


> "Why do hunters quit hunting?" I read this post on one of the other forums and thought some of the replys were very interesting. Just wanted to know what the thoughts might be among the traditional talk viewers. I personally can't imagine ever giving up hunting. Notice I said hunting, not necessarily killing.



Ran out of tags. :thumbs_up


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## Bow_Art (Oct 30, 2003)

> I said hunting, not necessarily killing.


Good point.

I don't know Ted Nudgent outside heated, sometimes ugly debates on bowhunting forums, and what I gather, overall he's not my type of guy. However I can absolutely relate to one of his quotes:* "I hunt to hunt"* with my own interpretation of it.
Most of my family and friends can't understand that. I suffocate in the city, so every free moment I spend in the woods "hunting" with my camera or bow.
Hunting to me is to be able to outsmart a creature on its own turf with survival instinct developed over million years. To put myself in a position where it is my decision to shoot with my camera or with my bow. 
I know I get "whacked" for the following statement:
To me "hunting for food" economically makes sense only to farmers and land owners, they already have some kind of firearm for various reasons, they have animals roaming their land, so instead of watching tv, with relatively little effort and EXPENSE, they may as well bring meat to their freezers. For me, city dweller, and archery nut, the cost of each pound of venison in my freezer is just rediculus. When I tally up all my costs related to one kill, I may as well buy the finest meet every week. So I don't hunt for meet, it is a by-product of an experience that most non-hunters would not understand.

I think hunters, subconsiously, put too much pressure on themselves, you show a pic of your average kill, trying to share your greatest hunting experience, and you hear: "nice buck/doe, but did you see the monster Billy took this season".
You just can't measure the trill of a hunt using P&Y score card.

My greatest hunt was when I took a doe I first saw a mile away, stalking, making 1/2 mile circles using the wind and terrain, anticipating her movement and and ending with 25yds shot. It's been 2 years but I don't think I'll ever forget this one. I had descent size Black Bear in my sight, but I ended up watching him for 1/2 hour, what a treat, but if our paths cross again (I hope this upcoming spring season) I'll try to take him with my recurve.

Sorry for this "tyrade" bit off topic, too much time on my hands this morning, I guess


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## LBR (Jan 1, 2004)

Around here the biggest problem is money. Lots of folks are getting their timber cut--some just need the money to be able to keep the land, some just can't turn down the prospect of a windfall. Then there are leasers, clubs, and wealthy individuals that are snatching up every available acre--places I could hunt when I was growing up are no longer available. Can't blame the owners--getting paid for what they used to do for free, plus having a bunch of people to take care of the property instead of taking advantage of it. Slobs are hurting us all, and you are an enemy of hunting in general if you don't turn them in. More people are moving out here into the country--lower taxes, cheaper land, more freedom, clean air..less land available. At least we don't have game farms around here....yet.

Chad


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## gmcman (Sep 9, 2004)

I haven't quit hunting, but I'll tell you it gets frustrating sometimes. I lost both tracts of private land in the same month. Right after this last season. Very discouraging, then I start nocking on doors and keep getting them slamed in my face. People don't want to let me hunt on there land because they have had to kick other hunters off for doing really stupid things. Like- planting food plots without asking, or baiting and cutting huge shooting lanes without asking. If people would respect the landowners wishes we would all have more places to hunt. How am I supposed to prove that I am a good person and will respect their wishes? I offer to work on their land in the off season or around the farm for hunting priveliges and they don't care because some idiot did such bad things on their land they don't want anything to do with hunters anymore. It sucks some bad apples have to ruin it for the good ones. If anyone wants a good trustworthy person to hunt on their land from wisconsin, please let me know, I'm deffinetely looking for a place to hunt.


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## DwayneR (Feb 23, 2004)

Skywriter,

What part of Kansas are you from??

Also, are you a pilot too?

Dwayne


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## shtr. (Mar 30, 2005)

A lot of older friends that have quit hunting have done so because of health reasons or the fact that all their deer hunting buddies have died off.
The only old hunters that I know that continue to hunt are the ones that always hunted solo.
For the party hunters it seems there was a lot less hunting and a lot more festive goings on in celebration of time away from their life's.


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## bluej1165 (Mar 25, 2005)

I am from Texas, and most of the people that quit hunting I know quit because the price has gotten out of this world. My friends tell me that it has become a rich man's game. There is government land to hunt but you really have to be very careful while hunting it. On the other hand 1500.00 dollars a for one spot on a lease is commonplace in Texas. I work two jobs to pay for a lease for me and my boy, but we love to be in the woods and sit around a campfire.


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## John D (Mar 2, 2005)

I haven't quit hunting. The two reasons when I quit will be bad health or death. Plan to hunt as long as I can. Sometimes I spend my "hunt" trip looking at game without a shot. I enjoy watching game animals. The kill does not drive me to hunt, it is being out in the woods.


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## bluej1165 (Mar 25, 2005)

I agree with you, I have a lot more video than I do deer on the wall. Your reply fits me to a T. It's all about being in the woods, til death do us part.


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## TheDaveMan (Feb 26, 2004)

I personally love to hunt, and can't ever imagine giving it up. But i deffinetly can see what some of you guys are saying about money, time, poachers, ethics.... etc. etc. One thing I'll add though, is that some people get burnt out on hunting either because they dont' get anything for a few years in a row, or they make a poor shot and don't recover an animal. I know that that can be very discouraging, but its happened to the best of 'em at some time or another.....


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## Skywriter (Mar 3, 2005)

DwayneR
I live in Lawrence. Yes, I am a pilot too. You fly?


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## dew-hoyt (Mar 1, 2005)

*why ????*

cuz of mr vang killing ppl and not deers


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## longbowhunter (Mar 5, 2004)

Many times I hunt solo and many times I hunt with friends and family. I think age and health reasons are a predominant factor for many who can no longer hunt. :sad:


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## 45-70cannon (Feb 10, 2004)

I haven't quit hunting because getting out in the woods is something we enjoy doing in our house. Hunting and fishing flows in our veins. Its who we are.
Now then, in reading the posts, I hunted a large track of land in central PA and the owner took out a full page add in the newspaper warning people to stay off his property, giving them the boundries and so forth and anyone found on his land that wasn't supposed to be there would be severly delt with, police take notice.
He allowed six people on his land during hunting season and that was it. Everybody else got their ass arrested. A quad runner serves the purpose quite well.
I pick and choose who I hunt with and only hunt with people of like character and mind set.
I also don't hunt during gun season because there are just too many nasties out there that shoot at everything moving. Incidently, a long time ago I was hunting and a nut with a gun put a couple of shots over my head for ha-ha's. Well, I put a couple of well placed 22's inches above his head and all of a sudden the game wasn't fun anymore.
People quit hunting for all kinds of reasons. Mostly because their hunting buddies have traded their hunting stuff in for golf clubs. Or they have to find someplace else to hunt because someone built a house in their favorite grove.
Overcrowding of other areas comes to mind. Party hunters drive the whole piece and the rest of the gang shoot everything that comes out of it, legal or not.
I'm usually on the lookout for hunters that "take their deer every year" as usually its because someone else has shot it and they take it away.
I like guys like that.
I report everybody! Its our woods too!
Then you guys can look into this because there is something to it. If the land remains unposted, everyone can hunt it and if someone gets hurt, he has noone to sue because it is open land. However, in the case of posted property, if a person gets hurt while trespasssing, he can sue the owner and win because the property IS posted.
Ask your landowner if he wants to be on the end of a losing court battle?

Last but not least, get out there and enjoy OUR wilderness. remember it belongs to all of us and we quit using it, then all those nutcases will be left using and destroying it and we seriously don't want that to happen.

45-70


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## SCATTERSHOT (Apr 4, 2005)

About the time one of my hunting buddies had a heart attack, another moved out of state, and CWD hit the deer herds in Colorado, the state went to a limited license (drawing) system for deer. The combination just spoiled it for me, so I don't hunt anymore.

The hunt was always more about good friends than the animals, anyway.


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## tubby (Mar 30, 2005)

Haven't quit hunting but I have been completely frustrated the last two years. Another hunter decided to set up a stand 50 yards away from me. This guy is cutting me off. All of the deer come from that direction, and his stand is in plain sight. I don't see any deer anymore, I used to see them on almost every hunt. I really don't know what to do, he is legal but very disrespectful of the time I spent in that stand.


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## redruger (Mar 20, 2005)

Anyone who quits hunting is either dead or was never a true hunter to begin with. Those of us with "it" in their blood will never quit because we can't. Some of you know what I mean. I've been hunting since I was 7, BB guns and cheap bows. I ran a trap line from 10-16 years old. I'm 47 now and love it just as much. Quit hunting, hell no!!!!!!!


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## GreyWolfe (Dec 22, 2002)

I quit for alot of reasons back in the early 90's but primarily it was a lack of maturity. I wasn't mature enough to understand that hunting doesn't always equal killing. I was tied up in the "need for speed" trap of finding that perfect single pin bow and I finally gave it all up. About 3 years ago I got the bug to try "traditional" archery just for target shooting and then one thing led to another and I ended up out in the woods with my bow and two arrows. Now that first day I counted about 35 does and 1 buck, but what really impressed me was when I realized that I was sitting at the top of a hill and I looked back into the valley and watched the setting sun over the Hood Canal. I went home with a prize of a lifetime. That memory. I've been back each season and still haven't killed a deer, but I keep hunting for that next memory.

GreyWolfe


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## 45-70cannon (Feb 10, 2004)

Greywolfe:
Gott ya, kt ya mean. There are many a great memory made when you have a stick and string your hands rather than some modern day contraption. The stik and string allows for the body to go more places and the mind to open more and see and accept things that you are now a part of rather than standing in.
Know it well, it happens each time I venture into the woods with my bow, I'm part of whats going on, and like it that way.

45-70


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## 45-70cannon (Feb 10, 2004)

Greywolfe:
Gott ya, know what ya mean. There are many a great memory made when you have a stick and string your hands rather than some modern day contraption. The stik and string allows for the body to go more places and the mind to open more and see and accept things that you are now a part of rather than standing in.
Know it well, it happens each time I venture into the woods with my bow, I'm part of whats going on, and like it that way.

45-70


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## Dave T (Mar 24, 2004)

redruger said:


> Anyone who quits hunting...was never a true hunter to begin with.


Guess that makes you superior to the rest of us common folks! Of course feeling superior to someone disabled like me isn't all that hard, is it.

Dave


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## 45-70cannon (Feb 10, 2004)

Now, no one said anything about being disabled, did they?
Here we speak one mind, and we understand the same, everybody being equal. Disabilities only count if you let them get the best of you, otherwise you cope with what God gave you and work with the rest.
I'm sure there are a lot of guys here that have disabilities but you don't know it, because they don't talk about it.
Also, no one said anything about being superior over anyone else.
We all have our own traits and abilities, some of us better than others. Some of us work with what we have, and all of us share the love of the outdoors and the love of the bow. that's the criteria of this web page.

To all the disabled people out there, we are sorry you are abled, or disabled. We are sorry that you suffer from maladies that, you were either born with, or they were later adult onset. We are sorry if you were critter bit, or grew old. That doesn't change us, nor does it change you. We still share a love of the woods and the bow.


45-70


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## GreyWolfe (Dec 22, 2002)

I'm not sure how this got to "superiority and disability". I chose a more simplistic approach to a sport that I'd lost and have found again. No attitudes about one vs the other. Each have their own appeal. 

GreyWolfe


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## redruger (Mar 20, 2005)

Dave T, first of all I was not trying to sound superior to anyone. Just my feelings on hunting. Secondly I'm a bit confused, you are disabled and if so hats off to you for still shooting. 
But I am a Deputy Sheriff and have been for 16 years. I do not understand how you can be a Deputy Sheriff if you are disabled. No offense meant but here you would be retired. This has nothing to do with the post but you made an issue of your disability.

And I'll say it again, :angry: once a hunter always a hunter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Bobman (Dec 18, 2004)

I think some guys just get tired of killing as they age. I know thats what happened to me, I still go out and sit in the woods but I have trouble killing big game anymore. I hope its just a stage I'm going thru but I haven't killed anything but my mackenzie for four years and I've had a couple pretty good bucks in range. I do still hunt pheasants but I think thats more for my dog sometimes. I'm not saying theres anything wrong with it, its just me. I've been thinking about going elk hunting in Colorado this year but have been wondering if I can kill one. Sometimes I think I'm going nuts other times I'm sure of it :smile: I've always loved to hunt and feel lost since this came over me.


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