What do you do when it's just not "fun" anymore???

[woodchucker]

This is more for you "Old-Timers".....

Not really "old" but those of you who have been at this game for a LONG time. Regular guys who are probly "middle-aged" and have kids who are pretty much grown.

I grew up with traditional archery equipment,went the compound route for a few years,then gave up bowhunting completely in the early 1980's. I started shooting traditional again back in 1999. Raised 2 boys shooting traditional,and even had a custom bow built for my wife which she shot VERY often.

Now, my oldest son is in college and never shoots at all. My youngest is 11 and usualy shoots with me when I ask him,but never asks me or shows the enthusiasm to grab his bow and go out by himself.(which he is completely allowed to do) Like any else,we are far from poor. My wife and I both work very busy jobs,which we are both VERY blessed to have in this day an age. There are always bills to be paid,which just makes us work more. Rule number 1) NEVER say NO to overtime!!!(you never know when it will dry up!!!) Lately we have been fighting car problems... As of today,2 out of 3 cars are out of commission!!!

Maybe I've just got the blues LOL!!! I'm feeling "old" (gonna be 50 next month) and feeling sorry for myself (Oh POOR ME!!! I've got problems,and bills to pay) Honestly though, I'm a VERY Lucky Man!!!!! I've got a wonderful wife who loves me,and sticks by me through thick and thin!!! 2 of the best boys that a man could ever ask for!!! AND, I've got a secure well paying job that some men would kill me forif they could get away with it and just step in and take my place!!!!! I am truely blessed, Things are tough!!! But,they could be alot worse I know!!!!!

My problem is this.....

I try and get out and shoot my bow when I can. However, I just can't find any enjoyment in it. Most times I only shoot a few arrows and come back inside. There is always something more "important" to do.(like work lol) I used to shoot almost every day,sometimes for hours. Now,I hardly shoot at all. To be completely honest,I haven't even touched my bow since April when I was getting ready for Turkey Season.(Btw,THAT didn't happen either)

Traditional Bowhunting is in my heart. That is the way it is and always will be!!!

But, It's just not "fun" anymore.....

Thanks for listening!!!!!

[ishiwannabe]

I dont think it is anything more than life Chuck. I have had a spell very similar with my Dad passing, troubles with the wife, etc. Now I find myself looking forward to having time to shoot...the muzzy, and the fall.
Try this, instead of forcing yourself to shoot, go for a long walk in the woods without your bow. Ten bucks says that within a few hundred paces, you will be missing your bow, and smiling.
Best of luck my friend.

[vermonster13]

A good dose of Denton Hill with a bunch of other Trad Gangers and you'll find the spark again.

[Izzy]

Your working too much and its clouding your happy vision.Itll do that to a man.Just say no, life flys by us way too fast and when your on your deathbed you aint gonna say "Damn, Im Glad I Worked So Much!" Good luck to you buddy I hope all turns out well for you.I suspect getting out with that Mountain man pal Ken of yours and acting and feeling good like a child again will fix your blues.

[Stone Knife]

Chuck my son doesn't shoot with me much at all in fact I almost have to beg him, that is unless I'm going to a 3D shoot. He likes to hang around with the guy's and so do I. Most of the time around the house I shoot alone, I like to go woodchuck hunting, shoot carp you have to mix it up if your just pounding away at a target it will get boring fast.

[Ken Taylor]

Funny but I have felt a slight dip in my enthusiasm lately too.

 I am 57 and started shooting a real bow when I was 12. I have taken some prolonged breaks for one reason or another through the years, but not in the last 22 years.

The outdoors is my life and the whole family used to shoot a bow. Now my son and daughter live far away from us and my wife quit shooting a few years ago for a variety of reasons not the least of which is a bad shoulder.

I am the only bow hunter for at least 200 miles in any direction.


I always, always shoot alone. I don't mind it that much but it sure would be fun to have someone to share that passion with.
I will always be a bow hunter but sometimes my spark needs a little fanning too.

Come to think of it though, I have had a lot on my mind lately, I didn't get a job I was counting on, my son is getting married this weekend, my right knee is finished, and I have been fishing instead of shooting my bow.

It must be normal for guys in our age range that have been shooting a long time. I HOPE!

[AdamH]

Im at that point now, with way to many Bows !! Anyone lookin to buy some {ha Ha} they're All Lefty's ... Seriously, the Spark's just not like it used to be ...

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Why dont we all just quit     .

Chuck, I hope you find it in your heart to shoot again.  Everyone needs something away from work or else they end up with this void and can easily turn to depression.

Good luck brother, I hope to be flinging arrows with you soon.

[Sam McMichael]

Don't worry about it. Shoot only when you feel like it. It is a hobby and does not need to be an obsession. I think most of us have ups and downs every now and then, but after a while the urge to string the bow comes back into the picture. Here,in Georgia, it is often very hot in the summer, which is when I most often get out of the mood to shoot. You guys have had some extreme heat this year - could this also be a factor with you?

When this happens, I shift my focus and start doing an inventory of hunting accessories like clothes and camping equipment. Consider the stand locations for the upcoming season. Read good hunting books or watch the videos.

This usually perks my interest in the approaching season, and a natural desire "to be ready" causes me to want to practice.

Another thing is to shoot with other people if possible. Practice does not always have to be a solitary quest. It can, and should, be sometimes a social event. Group therapy is often just the thing needed to lift one out of the doldrums.

Good luck. I feel certain that when a little fall crispness is in the air and the season is approaching, your interest will again skyrocket.

[Stiks-n-Strings]

I'm in my mid 30's and when I get to your point I just find something else to do. Between seasons I usually work on bows, quivers, arrows and anyhting else that revolves around this sport. When I get a hankering to shoot I go shoot when I get a hankering to do something else I do something else.

 When I do shoot I quit leaving myself wanting just a little more and that usually keeps me looking forward to the next round.

[Winterhawk1960]

First off, I'm NOT in any way, shape, or form nocking anyone that shoots by themselves and enjoys it. I have and do occasionally shoot by myself......but......I have found for me, I enjoy it MUCH MORE when shooting with a friend. I was "trudging" along shooting by myself and sometimes it didn't seem like as much fun as I knew it could be.

Then along about last fall I met a local man and started shooting with him on at least a weekly basis out at a club that we both belong to. I have since.......really started enjoying shooting to a much greater degree. Lets face it, lots of things are fun.......but for me anyways, I enjoy it much more when I have someone to shoot with that enjoys it as much as I do. We have never been so serious that it ruins our day if we shoot badly.......heck, if that was the case I would have already given up learning to shoot a stick bow.

I have some grandchildren that are approaching an age when they just "might" strike up the interest to come out and shoot with Pa Paw, then again......perhaps their interests will go elsewhere, that remains to be seen. I am and have done everything that is possible to get them interested, but that choice is ultimately THEIRS.

I enjoy going to traditional gatherings and shooting with different people. I'm not a self-conscious guy and don't really care what other people think about either my "style" or "ability" to shoot a traditional bow. I just go to have FUN.......and part of what makes it fun for me is being around like minded people that love watching the flight of the arrow as much as I do.

By the way.......Thank-You......Bryan for putting up with me on at least a weekly basis. I have came a long way with my shooting ability since meeting you....and you have too, whether you notice it or not. It's always a good thing to have someone to bounce "lifes problems" off of and not be judged while doing it. That is the "true" definition of a friend. Thanks for being one.

Winterhawk1960

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

I'm 55 and the enthusiasm and fun  of archery is more intense then ever. I am a loner though and enjoy the freedom of not needing company to make something fun. I am not saying i don't enjoy shooting with others ,just saying the desire and the fun of shooting is there either way. with or without others. If its not fun anymore, do something else. Life is too short to not be having fun.!

[Archer Fanatic]

I am 63 years old and have been shooting since 1968. Every weekend our father brother and I would shoot together some place. We would also hunt and just have fun. Our father past in 1978 and my brother past in Nov. 1999. I think it started after my brother past. I stated to lose interest in shooting. Then our son wanted to learn to shoot so I helped him to get started and he did learn fast. In fact he learned so fast he won the state championship. He shot for awhile longer then he found girls. Then he left for the Army and he just got back from Iraq 3 weeks ago. I really lost interest really bad after 2005. I still haven't got fire or ambition to shoot much anymore. I think it will happen to almost everyone some time in their archery journey. I also think it is just life.

[COMPOUNDLESS IN CONCRETE]

I shoot by myself in my back yard everyday.  Usually really early in the morning before my 2 girls are up and late at night when they and my wife are in bed.  Being out of work and having the stress of not being able to find a job, shooting my bow is the one thing in my day that I can do and not think about money or anything else going on in our life right now.  

I wish I had another person to shoot with that shoots traditional bows but I just don't know anyone that does.  Sometimes the low points in life can suck the fun out of anything and as soon as things pick up, whaddya know, the passion is back for whatever was lacking.  

I think it may just be the ebb and flow of life.

[ron w]

After 38 years of work I was BLESSED with the chance to retire at the age of 55. I took that chance and never looked back. Now 3 years later I have more people to shoot with than I ever had all because of this site. I have made shooting and hunting friends and shoot a lot. I still shoot by myself and at times I need that. Chuck, sit back ,take a breath, think about what you want from this pastime. I think you'll be fine and continue your journey!!!

[KentuckyTJ]

Plan a hunting trip you've always wanted to do. That would get me excited.

[Ragnarok Forge]

I have been there on other things and have to say you are not tired of archery you are tired of the trials of life.  Been there too.  I use archery as my release from life.  I can just shoot relax and enjoy it without thinking of anything else.  You said it yourself when your shooting you think about work and other things.  You need to let those go and just get into the shooting with no distractions.

Archery is supposed to be fun and relaxing.

[el_kirk]

I think I know what you mean...
As far as I can tell (from looking at me and my friends) everyone goes through times like this.  It feels a little weird to me when I don't get super excited about something that I usually love to do, but ultimately it isn't a big deal.  Life is complex.  Some parts take precedence over others, then fade into the background.  
Don't feel like you have to shoot, shoot when you want to.  I think you'll find that you're more than just an archer.

Kirk

[MCNSC]

Yep same here, bought another house and been fixing it up using pretty much all my spare time. Sometimes I think about taking the bow out and shooting when I have time but usually opt to just rest. Strange cause one of the reasons I wanted this house was because of the few wooded acres it sets on, plan to make a nice archery range. Feel sure the desire will return when I have less on my mind.

[Slasher]

Woodchucker.. I just took a hiatus for a few months... from Jan-May, I don't even think I logged on TG... I am early forties with lil ones... a road warrior who never has enough hours in a day or days in a week...  However, I find that when I get in a rut it is usually because life gets in the way!!!

When emotionally I am not there for hunting or archery, it goes to the back burner... But when I get a new traditional bowhunter or get a new trad book... It becomes a relevant priority in my life.

Traditional archery and bowhunting give me more than anything I put into it! I am a better husband, a better father, a better person and employee..... It just takes making time for it and making it a priority! Plan a hunt, go to a shoot, or plan a trip with some tradgangers you never met! I am sure it will come back to you and you'll be a better person for it!!!