Do you get tired?

David658

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Joined
Oct 15, 2021
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552
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Northern NM
My boss is a hunter. Big ol' Minnesota guy, mid-50's, tremendous condition. He seems to always draw at least two tags, if not more, and usually tough draws here in NM. He takes friends hunting, his wife hunts, as do his kids. Dragged me out of my chair to my Ibex hunt in early '22, and he was all over his javalina tag and wanting more.

Yesterday he shared something with me I would have never expected to hear - he is "hunted out." Not for good, but just till next season. He has been in the woods four weeks since Pronghorn season started him off. But to hear him simply not want to go is pretty earth shattering for me.

Now, I haven't drawn enough tags in a year to get tired, and had to dump my deer hunt due to my rotator cuff surgery week before last. But do you guys get "hunted out"? That would be like getting fished out. Impossible. I think.

What say you?

David
NM
 
I've been awfully close with waterfowl hunting over the last 5 years. Low bird numbers, warm weather trends and spending easily over $1k each year to kill MAYBE 20 birds gets old.
Each year I say I'm done with the home state and I'll do travel hunts instead.

Next thing I know I'm 30 days afield with the same hand or worse to show for it.
 
Towards the end of October after a lot of waterfowl hunting I am about done with it. Then give me two weeks the birds have migrated out and I’m wishing for one last shoot lol. Use to get sick of trapping towards the end of the season after going hard for four months. Now that coyotes aren’t worth much I just do
A bit for fun not hardcore like when they were $100 each a few years back
 
This year after getting back from my archery elk hunt, i had no desire to bowhunt deer, around home. Didn't even buy a tag, lots of deer around, plenty of nice/ big bucks in the area. I don't really know why either.
I did buy a gun tag and have been out a few times. Haven't even put bullets in the gun.
 
Tired of hunting? Hunted out? I have the foggiest idea what that would even feel like! Even though I'm sure my better half is probably " hunted out" halfway thru archery season!!! I've got 2 elk for the freezer +3 whitetails and am not sure I've got enough freezer room but am heading out to deer camp for 4 days tomorrow. Tonight I sat and watched four fat does and a forkhorn all within range and one at 15 feet and never reached for my rifle!! During archery I went out a few times without my bow just to enjoy the woods! I think if the focus is too much on killing and not on enjoying nature than yes you might get burned / hunted out!
 
What do you think @Marshian ? You hunted out?

Or what about you, @Greenhorn , you a quitter?
I’m temporarily at peace with the season ending. Regardless of the goat tag, I feel this way each fall. Hunt as much and as hard as I can for 2-3 months and then am at peace until spring bears. High point for me was getting my neighbor into hunting. He has three boys, so in a round about way, I feel like I’m helping carry on a tradition. I know I made some converts there. Here is his happy smile. We went to a MDF and RMEF banquet over the summer so he could see ways to give back. IMG_0636.png
 
It has happened twice to me in a season.

The first was quite a few years back when I was really getting into waterfowl hunting. Was living and breathing it every day that year and when after just two weeks of the main season I was already over 50 ducks due to some great teal season hunts, I set this dumb idea in my head that it would be cool to get 100. With 2 weeks left, and deer season in full swing, I was 20 shy and literally hunting almost every morning before work to just get a mallard or two for the sake of hitting that 100. I made it with 2 days to spare but man was I burned out. Took the fun right out of it.

The second time was a few years ago when we went to idaho twice for shiras, elk and deer followed up by Kentucky for a cow elk. 17 days in idaho with most of them being lots of hiking and no elk seen. 2 days scouting in Kentucky and 3 days hunting without any elk seen. My wife quit that night helping me find my cow elk. After the morning of day 4, walking in 6 inches of wet snow, I too quit. It was a lot of hunting and hiking that fall and in total it was actually over a month away from home.
 
I drew quite a bit of tags this year, I think my final count was 6. Started in August and I still have 2 to fill. I’m burned out on the camping and the driving. Would like to still hunt but would love it if the unit was (quite literally) in my back yard.
 
I get burned out, 2 years ago I had 7 tags, last year I had 5, this year 6. Plus pheasants, waterfawl, and helping the kiddo, wife and other family members. Helped guide pheasants a couple times this year too.
 
Hunted/fished out, no, bored, yes.

When squirrel gets boring, I'll go rabbit hunting, when that gets boring, I'll go kick up pheasant. By the time I'm bored, it's gun1 deer, then back to small game and fowl, then seasons come and go, back to late season deer.

Toss in late fall/winter boat trips to break it up, add excitement.
 
Haven’t tired of hunting specifically in a season yet.

But the mix of baby, work, social commitments, and the many other family commitments does start to mentally and physically drag on you when every other microsecond of free time is filled with hunting over the course of a fall. I tire of that mix, which usually means hunting can have to take a back seat sometimes when I need rest. But I always want to be out there; the enjoyment is still there when I am.

Luckily I’m still filling enough tags to not feel like I’m missing out.
 

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