If you’ve ever fallen victim to heading home early from a hunt before filling your tag, use these tips to help you stay in the game.
by Josh Kirchner
With all that steam ahead of hunting season, it’s funny how quickly the rug pulls out from under someone come game day. Depending on the severity of the rug pull, some hunters get flipped on their heads and head home early. I’ve seen it happen to others and experienced it myself. In doing so, I’ve narrowed the “why” behind it all down to three things and developed some remedies to help combat them.
This article will cover the mental obstacles that hunters encounter. Things like family emergencies or injuries are game-stoppers and appropriate reasons to give up. Keep that in mind while reading this article. Sometimes, heading home early is unavoidable.
Reason #1: Discouragement
It had been 15 days since I last saw a bear while hunting bear during the fall in my home state. And to boot, I had seen more hunting pressure in my go-to spot than in previous years. All year I daydreamed of this hunt and envisioned how it would go. And just like that, it wasn’t going in that direction. I wanted to go home, but I knew that with persistence something was bound to happen. That “something” occurred in the form of seeing four mountain lions in 48 hours and taking a nice unexpected tom. It may not have been the big bear I was hoping for, but it was an experience I never would have had if I left due to discouragement.
Whether it’s hunting pressure, a lack of animals, or a lack of knowledge, discouragement has a way of snuggling up to us now and again. And that’s the critical part to know here. It will happen occasionally and is ultimately part of the experience as a whole. I consider discouragement a mental test. If you learn to become friends with it, you’re much more likely to share a happy hunting camp with it. Through that companionship, you’ll find resolve and remain steadfast.
A few things I focus on during these moments of discouragement are that what I’m currently doing is a privilege, and I also try to recognize my small wins. This could mean anything from how far I packed my camp to get into a specific area or how I was successful at getting into the bow range of a particular buck. These small things can help make that discouragement not feel as crushing as it may feel at times. You’re winning. Keep going, and don’t forget that.
Reason #2: Missing Family
Missing family wasn’t something that held a lot of contrast on my radar until I became a father. My wife and I were used to me going on hunting trips and did well when apart. Once I saw my daughter’s face, though, everything changed. There was now this tiny little person depending on her mom and me to take care of her. I cherished every squirm, every whine, and every smile. Being away from her on hunts when she was younger was hard, as I felt like I was missing things in her development. It sent me home early more than a few times. Now that she’s four, it’s still hard, but I have a different perspective on things.
On the family front, I spend as much time as possible with them before a trip. We’ll do extra things, too, like go to the zoo, camping, or the movies. Quality time with them is a must. And with that being one parent at home is hard. I do as many chores as possible to make my wife’s life more manageable when I’m gone. This also alleviates some pressure off of me knowing I took care of these things before I left.
As for being in the field, I believe in maintaining some connection to stay level-headed. In the past, my wife would write notes that I’d open each day I was in the field. That helped out a lot and served as a little piece of home. I recently started carrying a small picture of my family printed on metal held in leather. I clipped this on my inReach Mini, which brings me to another point: Having a way to communicate back home via the inReach Mini is very helpful. My daughter will also make me a bracelet to bring along that I can look down on and smile at.
Staying out in the field away from family is hard, and it’s easy to feel guilty sometimes. This is where I have a new perspective, particularly with my kid. I want to lead by example, and life without passion is sad. I want my daughter to see her Dad doing things he is passionate about and apply that to her own life. I cannot teach her this, without showing her this.
Reason #3: Loneliness For the Solo Hunter
Solo hunting wasn’t something I ever planned on chasing, but with passion comes dedication, and that dedication has a way of breaking down barriers that take you past your comfort zone. I didn’t know anyone who wanted to be in the field as much as me, so I was, in a sense, forced into solo hunting, which brought on the obstacle of loneliness. You will never feel more alone than being alone on a week-long backcountry hunt.
Some people don’t do well by themselves. For them, I would ask, “How bad do you want to get out in the field and hunt?” You’ll learn to deal with being alone if it’s bad enough. That might mean setting small goals like staying out for three days instead of 10 to start. Aside from that, though, I think what’s important to remember is your “why“ and that you asked for this. This thing you’re experiencing right now is what you’ve been dreaming about all year. Slow down. Breathe. You’re in your moment, and the loneliness you may be feeling right now is normal and won’t last forever. Should you give in to it, you will regret it every single time.
Final Thoughts
The mind is a powerful thing. We can either use it to our advantage or be deflated by it. Because of how passionate I know we all are, it sounds silly to give in to the mind games hunting trips may play on us. We talk about these hunts pre-season with so much vigor. What we should be doing is not letting go of that feeling. Let that passion carry us through our hunts and see them through for what they are. Suppose you have eight days to hunt; use every one of them until you fill your tag, or don’t. If you don’t, at least in the end, you’ll know you gave it everything you had. Then, take that leftover steam and apply it to the next hunt. And the cycle continues.
