Welcome to TheOhioOutdoors
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Login or sign up today!
Login / Join

Pathetic...

RedCloud

Super Moderator
Super Mod
17,381
193
North Central Ohio
I think we all run into this issue at one time or another in our hunting history. Hell, I took 3 years off from hunting and found my way back again with the same fire I had in years past. I still get ticked about a season here and there and want to toss in the towel but I haven't done it yet.

I think you need to take a break man. You watch the cams and know your deer way better then anybody else I know. You put so much stress on yourself to close the deal that it takes the wind out of the sails if it doesn't happen. That has to tear you apart man. Sometimes technology can be good but other times they can be very evil. Sometimes knowing too much information can take the fun out of it and make it more of a chore and take away the fun side of it.

Try doing what I did this season when and if you come back at it next season. I had good bucks on cam and would have loved to shoot one of them however, in the end it came down to shooting what made me happy. I don't regret a single moment of that hunt and don't care if people expected me to shoot something bigger and better then what I did. It's all about our hunts and experiences, and what makes us happy in the end anyway.

Go take some time off man. Go and enjoy life. The deer as well as all of us will be here when you get back bro.
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
I really don't give a shit what you dish out Phil. I don't need coddled and that's not what I'm looking for. I'm simply blowing steam and expressing my frustrations. That's all...

Easy bud. Cotty caught my drift. All I was saying is maybe we should take a different approach to this. I am not trying to dish anything out. Just trying to give you a hard time and obviously struck a nerve. Not my intentions and I apologize if I pissed you off.

Here is what matters: Jesse needs to do what makes Jesse happy. Period.

However, we followed a couple of charismatic guys to this website with a deep love and desire for the sport. Many of us cut our deer hunting forum teeth reading your threads. Many of us saw your passion and drive to get after these deer and it was an inspiration. If you throw in the towel, whether temporarily or permanently, most all of us will continue hunting deer. Just realize, it won't be the same without your hunts, stories, and chases every year. There is a bit of a shock value to reading you type out the fact you are considering hanging it up. This is quite evident in the number of guys chiming in on this thread trying to help boost your moral.

In the end though: Jesse needs to do what Jesse needs to do to be happy.
 

brock ratcliff

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
24,834
247
Redcloud probably hit it on the head, at least he did for me. I quit messing with super-cams this year. Apparently pissed off a formerly pretty good friend in the process, but the dang things were sucking the fun out of bowhunting for me. I got to know deer too well for my liking. For anyone that has never ran that type of cam system, you have no idea how good they are - they don't miss anything, and my property was saturated with them. Really, I don't like knowing every animal in an area by name, the surprise of whats there is what drives me or brings me enjoyment. I used a couple of cheap cams on scrapes this year and did get a few pictures of "shooters", but honestly, having used BECs in the past I know I only scratched the surface of what was on that property. Some things are just better, and less frustrating, if you just don't know whats there or how things "should" happen. At least to me thats how it seems. I don't want to know the day I will die or what my kids got me for Christmas. A little surprise goes a long way. How bad did it suck to see Moe on October 2 being where you would have been if you weren't trying to out-think a deer?
 

brock ratcliff

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
24,834
247
Last year about did me in Jesse. As you may remember, I sunk a lot of time in the stand trying to kill one particular deer. I had that dang deer go by the wrong cam I don't know how many times, even had Wyn email me from Italy and tell me he was 300 yards east of me as I sat in the stand waiting. Then, Sean shot the dang thing 20 minutes into his first sit on my property (In a stand I had already logged 40+hours in trying to kill him). That was the second time it had gone down that way, and I decided I didn't need technology messing with my fun anymore. The deer I shot this year was pretty nice, but the real beauty of this year was that I didn't have to carry around the knowledge that I had a 180 walking by my other stand as I was draggin out the one wearing my tag. Ignorance is bliss!
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
Redcloud probably hit it on the head, at least he did for me. I quit messing with super-cams this year. Apparently pissed off a formerly pretty good friend in the process, but the dang things were sucking the fun out of bowhunting for me. I got to know deer too well for my liking. For anyone that has never ran that type of cam system, you have no idea how good they are - they don't miss anything, and my property was saturated with them. Really, I don't like knowing every animal in an area by name, the surprise of whats there is what drives me or brings me enjoyment. I used a couple of cheap cams on scrapes this year and did get a few pictures of "shooters", but honestly, having used BECs in the past I know I only scratched the surface of what was on that property. Some things are just better, and less frustrating, if you just don't know whats there or how things "should" happen. At least to me thats how it seems. I don't want to know the day I will die or what my kids got me for Christmas. A little surprise goes a long way. How bad did it suck to see Moe on October 2 being where you would have been if you weren't trying to out-think a deer?

This makes perfect sense, Brock. I think that's the biggest reason I have such an easy time enjoying myself out there. My expectations really don't get all that high because I'm pretty "removed" from my main hunting ground. I have a couple cameras set up there, but by only checking them once or twice a month I have a hard time keeping good tabs on deer. I'm sure consistently seeing and knowing what's there would add a significant amount of pressure to one's hunting experience... Not to prove to anything to others, but to prove to yourself that you can get it done.
 

Huckleberry Finn

Senior Member
15,973
135
Jesse, sounds good to me. I am really enjoying reading and following your duck hunting adventures. I've never been and it seems like a hell of a good time. IMO, Ohio has too much to offer for you to get stuck in a rut bow hunting. On the topic of bow hunting, now that I've completed my first season of it, I know that like you told me several years ago that there's nothing like - so thanks for passing that bug on. On the flip side, I only went out with my friend's beagles (hoping to squeeze one in this weekend) and didn't take a walk for squirrels. There's too much to just focus on one select sliver of hunting. I love bow hunting and I'm hooked - but there's a line between an addiction and an obsession. I have no doubt that you will take the same passions you've had and transfer those to duck hunting. Power to you. Shouldn't the co-owner of the best damn hunting website in the state be well-rounded?!?

Who cares if Sandridge doesn't offer deer hunts anymore? Last I heard the clients were jackasses that shot button bucks!
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
Thanks for the words across the board fellas. And Brock, I think you really hit home more so than anyone. I have three BEC's in commission right now, along with 4 SpyPoints and I have 2 Coverts at Skeeter Creek to pick up yet! Dang. I've been naming deer since 2005 and the stories have been building since 2007. I'm not so sure I can think of a positive that has come from all that other than some fantastic pictures. I honestly believe running cameras could be the primary issue that has lead to this frustration. The problem is... Cameras are addicting and I love running them! Even if I didn't hunt, I'd want to run cameras. I'm obsessed with them and it will be a hard thing to overcome. But you know as well as I do how fucking frustrating they can make your hunting and I need to seriously consider selling the SOB's and buying a rabbit dog or something!!!

The biggest issue for me right now is I don't know how to make it fun again. I really don't know how to hunt without hunting one particular deer. I've been doing it for 7 of my 10 years of bowhunting. I feel lost thinking about not knowing a damn thing about who is in the woods and where he is coming from or going to. I do know that cameras have done nothing to make me a more successful hunter, so not using them is going to have no impact on my success. At this point, I can only go up...
 

DJK Frank 16

Senior Member
Supporting Member
9,358
133
Hardin County
You have to do what makes you happy man. If that means taking a year off or cutting way back, then so be it. Still have a lot of years to bow hunt, no need in making it stressful. Do what ever is "fun" for you, whether that be ducks/rabbits/deer/etc.

Best of luck with whatever you decide!
 

brock ratcliff

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
24,834
247
Thanks for the words across the board fellas. And Brock, I think you really hit home more so than anyone. I have three BEC's in commission right now, along with 4 SpyPoints and I have 2 Coverts at Skeeter Creek to pick up yet! Dang. I've been naming deer since 2005 and the stories have been building since 2007. I'm not so sure I can think of a positive that has come from all that other than some fantastic pictures. I honestly believe running cameras could be the primary issue that has lead to this frustration. The problem is... Cameras are addicting and I love running them! Even if I didn't hunt, I'd want to run cameras. I'm obsessed with them and it will be a hard thing to overcome. But you know as well as I do how fucking frustrating they can make your hunting and I need to seriously consider selling the SOB's and buying a rabbit dog or something!!!

The biggest issue for me right now is I don't know how to make it fun again. I really don't know how to hunt without hunting one particular deer. I've been doing it for 7 of my 10 years of bowhunting. I feel lost thinking about not knowing a damn thing about who is in the woods and where he is coming from or going to. I do know that cameras have done nothing to make me a more successful hunter, so not using them is going to have no impact on my success. At this point, I can only go up...



Well, I got some cameras now too... But as Milo eluded to...they are kinda "traditional". Ha. I bought 5 more little bitty ones I can tote around in my pack. I snuck one in before muzzy season and got pics of a dandy 10 point that I didn't know was around on another property. Mason and I had fun knowing one had been where we were waiting, but we didn't know his schedule. And deer don't know what they are gonna do from one minute to the next either, so it's pretty hard to make that prediction. Anyway, I think I'll get a kick out of scrape pics and dropping cams on secluded trails and such, but having the dang phone buzz everytime a deer walks by a cam is just too much for me...frustration.

You get too hooked on watching the cams you'll quit going to the woods. I'd rather just go to the woods and "sit back, see what happens". Sean, on the other hand, prefers to watch his cams over hunting, and maybe I would too if they were my brainchild, but they aren't and I like to see living, breathing critters.
 

5Cent

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
12,291
212
North Central Ohio
Everyone here is looking out for you and their words are true. But brother, u do suck at bowhunting...........only because you let your head get in the way. It is not from a lack of preparation, energy, commiment, or skill.....your noggin is just flat out getting in your way. You have to figure out a way to turn it off.

It's good to see you waterfowl hunting. We'll get ya back up on the lake more, out on the ice if it ever decides to form, and you need to get a baitcaster in your hand......April is quickly approaching:)

Become the best outdoorsman you can, not the best bowhunter......it's much more enjoyable!
 

Diablo54

Senior Member
7,082
126
Outside
S
t
i
c
k
b
o
w

Thats the truth. You think he's joking but acctually it will help you. Maybe you need to pull out the stickbow and try to arrow anything thats brown. To me thats as much of an accomplishment as killing a big boy with your compound. And You will be more relaxed with that thing in your hands. This way your not hunting a particular deer as well. You need to make it fun again and a stickbow is the way to do it.
 

moundhill

Senior Member
Supporting Member
5,327
103
Hebbardsville..
Thats the truth. You think he's joking but acctually it will help you. Maybe you need to pull out the stickbow and try to arrow anything thats brown. To me thats as much of an accomplishment as killing a big boy with your compound. And You will be more relaxed with that thing in your hands. This way your not hunting a particular deer as well. You need to make it fun again and a stickbow is the way to do it.

:smiley_chinrub:
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
That's not a fair analogy. It was only a four years ago for you two. It's been 25+ for the rest of us!!! :smiley_crocodile:

Lmao! You too MH. Dang Taylor, can we keep some things to ourselves! Lol

In all Seriousness though, you make a valid and great point Taylor.
 
Last edited: