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A tough decision

J

Jgetch

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 14, 2017
Messages
463
Location
Wisconsin
This year I have decided to try and start a business. As such I have been very busy and haven’t had much of any time for the outdoors (even though the business will cater to that clientele). Now that fall is rapidly approaching I’ve made the difficult decision that I won’t be bow hunting for the first time in 18 years. I’ve even gone so far as to loan out my bow to one of my brothers for the season! If I’m going to be able to launch by spring and have product available to buy then it’s going to take all of my free time to get there. I’d like to wish everyone good luck this season and I’ll try to check in and see how everyone’s making out. Maybe live vicariously through all of you a bit. I do have a question for everyone however.

Have you ever had to take a year or two off? What for? And how did you cope? Also, how difficult was it to carve that time back out of your busy schedule after the break?
 
Congrats on the business opportunity bud! And good luck!

Bummer to miss the time in the woods this Fall, but life calls us to these situations sometimes. Hopefully your hard work and sacrifices will pay rewards for you down the road.

I have yet to experience the time off that you asked about so I'll let others handle that question.

Just wanted to let you know that you have guys like me out there thinking about you and pulling for you.
 
Best of luck in your new endeavor! Life happens to us all sometime.

I have been extremely lucky over the years but to be able to enjoy most all the deer seasons for 45 years. That said,
I had to take the season of 2015 off. My Mom was diagnosed with brain cancer the first week of October of that year and I had to care of her that year. It ended up that I was only able to get away for opening day of rifle season that year. It was a hard year for me, beyond the obvious reason, as hunting season has become the only time of the year I take any extended time for myself anymore. I typically use my hunting season as "get away" time to recharge and refocus myself.
 
Bigterp said:
No matter how crazy my schedule gets even when I was working 16-18 hr days ( gotta make time to recharge) if you’re burning it at both ends for too long it won’t be your best work anyway.....
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I agree but given my real job and all the hours I put in there plus being on the road and having young kids at home the only thing I have to cut is the outdoors. Oddly though if this venture works out, even though I’ll probably be doing more hours of work, I should end up with more free time by losing my day job and getting away from traveling for work. That’s the goal anyway. Focusing big picture. Sacrifice this year and maybe next to be able to have more time there after for my family and my passions.
 
When I was active duty, I lost several seasons completely due to deployments. This was difficult, and unavoidable. I also lost a complete season due to the birth of my son, that fall my wife and I were on such a tight budget that I couldn’t afford a license. That was the worst and most miserable year for numerous reasons. You’ll be back in the saddle soon, and the missed season will fade and hopefully the sacrifice now will pay off for you. We will all be pulling for you!!!
 
My hunting time for the last three seasons along with this year is limited to some weekends. Between my normal job, my business, and my young kids there isn't time during daylight during the week. I've debated taking a year off all three years. However it's the only me time that I get all year. Harder part has been not being able to put the time in need to stay on the bucks I want. I would say you should take 3-4 hunt's and just relax.
 
I didn't hunt for a period of over 10 years. I moved to a different state to go to school. During that, I had no time and even if I did, I didn't have any connections for properties to hunt. The regulations and terrain were also drastically different than what I grew up with.

Then came a job, moving to a decent sized city, and getting married. It was only a few years ago that my wife and I were in a position that we were fortunate enough to purchase some land. That's come with another set of challenges, but so far I'm glad we did.

I definitely missed it during those years, but life happens. You have to play the hand you're dealt and if it's important to you, do your best to position yourself to get back to it eventually.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
 
Jgetch said:
I agree but given my real job and all the hours I put in there plus being on the road and having young kids at home the only thing I have to cut is the outdoors. Oddly though if this venture works out, even though I’ll probably be doing more hours of work, I should end up with more free time by losing my day job and getting away from traveling for work. That’s the goal anyway. Focusing big picture. Sacrifice this year and maybe next to be able to have more time there after for my family and my passions.
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Sounds like an exciting endeavor! If you’re able to eliminate or reduce the travel of job #1 then that will be huge for your family. Praying for y’all!
 
Congratulations on your new business endeavor! I have been helping my wife get her business up into full swing for the last year and half and have watched the trials and tribulations she has encountered. I respect anyone who makes the decision to blaze their own trail.

I would highly encourage you to try and find time to get outside. Being in nature even if it isn't to hunt is good for the soul. Maybe take an early saturday morning and climb a tree and just sit for a few hours.

I force my wife to go unplug from her business and being a mom and just go recharge. When she comes back I can see it in her face she is ready to conquer her goliaths.
 
I had to take 2017 off from bow hunting. My wife and I sold our house and had everything we owned in storage and moved in with my wife's mother while we looked for a new home in a city with a very competitive market. It took us a little time to find the house we wanted and then once we got that home, there was some work we did on the home before we moved in. We did all this while I had just started a new job too and this all started in the fall.

This was the first year that I did not bow hunt since I was 15. It really did suck and I really missed it. By December we were somewhat settled and I found a Saturday that I had a couple of hours so I bought a muzzleloader tag and went out and shot a doe. I only hunted for 15 total minutes in 2017 but I was glad I found a way to make it out. I only shot a doe but that may have been my favorite deer harvest as it was great to get out. I guess not hunting made me appreciate getting out even more.

Good luck with starting your new business. Hopefully you won't have to be out of the woods for too long. However, I can tell you that when you are finally able to get back out, it will be that much sweeter.
 
As a business owner myself it is easy to go all in, full bore but if I am not careful I know I will hit the wall and get burnt out. Business life is stressful ,take a little time for yourself every week your business will be better and also you can think things out on your days off . Good luck
 
Jgetch said:
Have you ever had to take a year or two off? What for? And how did you cope? Also, how difficult was it to carve that time back out of your busy schedule after the break?
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Best of luck with the new business!

As for you questions...I essentially took fall 2016 off (1 3hr muzzleloader sit...I'll get to that later). The reason...our second son was born that August. He was not a good sleeper for a while thanks to milk oversupply and reflux. I can remember more than 1 occasion of showing up for work after getting about 4 hours of sleep in 2-3 chunks. We were coping with a newborn, 3 year old, and some serious sleep deprivation. I tried to force 1 hunt in that fall. Long story short, I had a shot at a beautiful 10 point standing at about 7 yards. He had no idea I was there until he heard my hammer slam forward into no primer. Pretty sure I'll never forget to put in a primer again.

My way of coping with only one outing. Learn as much as I could. I made maps of the areas I hunt and studied them like crazy. Spent a ton of time on this site (I had just discovered it while looking into RCHs for use with treestands). Read an Eberhart book and "Mapping Trophy Bucks." I looked at it this way...if time in the woods wasn't going to happen, I was going to take in as much hunting knowledge as I could in any free time I did have. I was going to better myself in a hunting sense one way or another.

I will say this...I'm glad I took the season off. It changed my approach in a few areas I hunt, which has paid off. And it certainly made me appreciate my sits even more when they do happen. I don't hunt nearly as often as I used to. I am more strategic in timing, and thanks to all my studying I'm doing significantly less guessing on where to sit. Oh, and I haven't touched a treestand since....
 
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