The Passion...

Hey Fella's

I've had an amazing run. Hunting and Fishing this incredible planet has been my passion for the last 30 years.

Sometime after my 2015 Tanzania Safari, I began to feel some doubt and an us-easy feeling. As most, I would burn with passion and anticipation prior a trip. The drill of packing lists, un-packing and repacking was part of the fun.

I did Tanzania with Wayne Grant in August/September this year. I didn't even begin packing until two weeks to go. Even my wife has noticed it. I did make sure the guns were right, long prior.

I went, had a great safari. I spoke of this with Wayne whilst hunting. He understood, but thought it unwise.

Hunting with Wayne did re-ignite something a bit. Now, I at least want to complete the Masai species.

Saturday December 8, I returned from a "River Monsters" type Brazil fishing trip. Riding home from the airport, I told my wife, once again, I'm done. At 57, time to be both a better father, husband and even a better business partner. He has had the patience of Jobe. The only comment I ever hear is "again, another 23 days?"

I have many interests. I have been riding and racing bicycles for most of my life. I also have been an avid performance boater. I've been without a boat for two years and am in the process of getting back into that.

The point of this thread, guys, enjoy every second of every day on Safari. Enjoy every second of every thought about it, packing for it, shooting in your guns. For someday, maybe, you'll feel the same. I can look back at all my travels with affection and have no regrets as to my path.

I also do not regret mounting every animal. I know some people go and shoot, take pictures and don't take a trophy home. That's another subject for another day but I can wander into my trophy room and remember absolutely every detail of every hunted trophy in there.

Just some food for thought.

Steve

Hi Steve,
I can see that to a degree. My body doesn't want me to do some of what I used to take for granted. I see it right now in ice fishing. Used to go 8-12 times a season. Last year maybe 2-3 times. Had the chance to go yesterday and declined due to a lack of prep time. I'm still excited about hunting in general. Just not so much about a long hike to get in somewhere lonely.
We change as we age. Our goals change. Our decision processes change. Our health changes. Our needs change. Our relationship with our spouses change. We evolve as we age and thus so do the things that we want to do. Our passions if you will. So lets make sure we enjoy the time we have. Don't waste time doing nothing. Perhaps this makes sense. I hope so.
Bruce

gillettehunter said:

Hi Steve,
I can see that to a degree. My body doesn't want me to do some of what I used to take for granted. I see it right now in ice fishing. Used to go 8-12 times a season. Last year maybe 2-3 times. Had the chance to go yesterday and declined due to a lack of prep time. I'm still excited about hunting in general. Just not so much about a long hike to get in somewhere lonely.
We change as we age. Our goals change. Our decision processes change. Our health changes. Our needs change. Our relationship with our spouses change. We evolve as we age and thus so do the things that we want to do. Our passions if you will. So lets make sure we enjoy the time we have. Don't waste time doing nothing. Perhaps this makes sense. I hope so.
Bruce

Click to expand...

Hi Bruce, It absolutely makes sense. My priorities have in fact changed. I built a real log cabin in Northern Arizona. It is where I want to be. I do long...long walks up there. The climbing at altitude is healthy and refreshing. I have found a small creek with a native population of yellow bullhead catfish and some weird sunfish. I walk down there, alone and it fills the inner need. It also is right smack dab in the middle of some pretty good Mule Deer country and absolutely fabulous Elk country. Just need to draw Arizona tags, which is difficult.

So, I still have the desire and means to hunt, fish. Just the fire to hop on a plane or three to do it isn't there anymore.

QTR..Quality Time Remaining.

I know exactly how you are feeling Steve. I don't think most understand how much desire and commitment it takes to do the things we love at such a level that you have pursued over the years. At some point you are liable to want to slow down or change direction. I know for me personally my hobbies have placed lots of undo stress on family, marriage, business, etc. For now enjoy your QTR and life will go on, if you want to go on a trip you can just walk into to your trophy room!!

thank you for your contribution's to this and other sites,
Gale Johnson

Steve - I'm only a couple of years behind you, but I'm with you. I can't explain it, bjut I'm feeeling the need to anchor myself a bit more. I've only done a couple of African hunts, but I find myself wanting to spend time on my wife these days...even if the psycho broad keeps trying to drag my ass to freakin' Disney...

Take off a year of chasing game or fish. Sometimes our pursuits are like a crossword puzzle. It needs to be put down and gotten back to at a later date and looked at with a new perspective.

Thanks for the encouraging thoughts, guys. Perhaps the 3-4 year boating sabbatical will hit some internal reset button.

That said, there are just a few things that give me the “feeling” I and many others get when making that last approach on the buffalo of our dreams or a group of Jumbo in the thick.

One is making hard runs in boats, well equipped, built for speed. Another for me is the last few K’s of a bicycle race, Mountain or road. You’ve chased the lead group or leader for hours, the effort and reward are all yours. You accomplish these things internally and alone. The older I get, the harder it is to remain competitive.

So, whatever I do, I’ll be happy and heathy.

One of the guys I fish with in South America is a very large soy bean farmer in Iowa. On this last trip, he confided with me that his pursuits, have cost him time away from family, never to be gotten back. My wife and son deserve a better and more attentive husband and father. I think that conversation really hit home.

As men, we rarely discuss how important family is to each of us, we (myself included) put on these hard coats of emotional armor. Those trips home from the airport when my wife picks me up I’ve realized the things my absence has missed. Without our families, we cease to exist.

Steve time with family is the most important, sometimes a man needs some time to reflect and enjoy the memories of the past while making new ones. Sometimes it is an internal reset of priorities and lifes goals. It may not be Africa or boating it may be a simple teaching grand kids how to catch weird sunfish

Years ago I had a couple tragedies happen in my life in a 6 month period and all I could do is bow my head in prayer and want to come out the other side of sorrow with me just being intact. Well fast forward to today and all my passions in life of hunting, fishing and the outdoors. In my youth I was a very competive tri-athlete and bicycle racer. So I understand that as we age it is harder to remain competitive. I have cut back to only running marathons (When i am not injured. I adopted the idea that every new race I set a PR for that race on that day for that age (I am almost 61 going on 19). If I can finish and say I put in the best performance I could for the condition I am in and the age I am that day it is a new PR. and I help with coaching some young tri kids.

I am also very lucky in I met the love of my life that is as adventurous as I am and shares the passion for the outdoors be it here in souther AZ, Northern Alaska, of the bush in Africa.

I wish you well and if you ever just need someone to bounce an idea off just drop me a line.

AZDAVE said:

Steve time with family is the most important, sometimes a man needs some time to reflect and enjoy the memories of the past while making new ones. Sometimes it is an internal reset of priorities and lifes goals. It may not be Africa or boating it may be a simple teaching grand kids how to catch weird sunfish

Years ago I had a couple tragedies happen in my life in a 6 month period and all I could do is bow my head in prayer and want to come out the other side of sorrow with me just being intact. Well fast forward to today and all my passions in life of hunting, fishing and the outdoors. In my youth I was a very competive tri-athlete and bicycle racer. So I understand that as we age it is harder to remain competitive. I have cut back to only running marathons (When i am not injured. I adopted the idea that every new race I set a PR for that race on that day for that age (I am almost 61 going on 19). If I can finish and say I put in the best performance I could for the condition I am in and the age I am that day it is a new PR. and I help with coaching some young tri kids.

I am also very lucky in I met the love of my life that is as adventurous as I am and shares the passion for the outdoors be it here in souther AZ, Northern Alaska, of the bush in Africa.

I wish you well and if you ever just need someone to bounce an idea off just drop me a line.

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Thanks Dave.
One thing here is Arizona that has eluded me is a trophy size Coues. I’ve hit the magic 200” Mule Deer on the plateau. But no big Coues. There is a few places up by my cabin (Munds Park) that have reputations for them. Rattlesnake canyon and other nameless canyons that have those genetics. Arizona still has bounty to be explored.

Are you in the Arizona Chaper in Tucson?

I keep meaning to go up to tucson but something always comes up. I was just through Munds park while visiting friends in Flagstaff. I have hunted 6A for muzzle loader elk a few times. I have seen some big coues while out hiking but never when I have a rifle in my hand, lotts of decent one but never a huge one. The 200 mulie keeps eluding me also

A friend of my wife has hunted all over the world. He hunted with Fred Bear, Earl Hoyt, and a number of other notable hunters over the years. When his mother in law was dying it changed the way he felt about death and suffering. He decided he never wanted to actively participate in that every again and stopped hunting cold turkey. He took all his mounts to his archery club and told the members to shoot them all.

Every thing was going good hunting wise for me until our dog died a few years ago. God, I loved that little girl. That was a moment that started my personal struggle with hunting. I remember shooting shooting a coyote a couple years ago (the first one I shot in quite some time). The emotions of seeing a dead canine was overwhelming; I will never shoot a coyote ever again.

I feel different about deer hunting. A big buck, no problem. A big old doe, no problem. A 6-7 month old fawn I have never had a problem shooting such a tasty tender animal. I am starting to struggle shooting the cute little guy.

My guess is at some point I will stop hunting. When a hobby no longer excites you, it's time to think about getting out. When your hobby starts to mind f you, it's time to think about getting out. It's a personal decision only you can rationalize.

Good luck in future endeavors; there are certainly no shortage of other things you can do.

Totally agree with the Quality Family Time. For each of us it is different. I've been hunting with my boys for 40 years and now their sons as well. We spend a week together in the spring doing deer food plots and a week bow and or rifle hunting. Being together is what counts. Passing along my love of the outdoors and shooting to the next generation has and will continue to bring great joy to our family. My wife neither hunts or shoots even though she is an excellent shot (being a Texas girl and all) but she does accompany me to shooting matches where she enjoys going shopping with the girls during the day and being taken out to a nice restaurant in the evening. It was she that suggested the venue for our 50th. wedding anniversary, a family hog hunt in Texas with the girls staying on The River Walk in San Antonio, culminated by a fantastic Mexican Dinner with Mariachi music. Five years later we still talk about that trip. Hunting can provide the gel for Quality Family Time providing you want it to.