Walking Away

[PartridgeCartridge]

I've always been a hunting and fishing person. I did get side tracked into back country skiing for a few years until I realized I was probably gonna die in an avalanche if I kept up the Heli stuff.

Saw some fabulous country but came close to being a spring found grey cadaver once too many times.

Used to love to shoot my recurves instinctively and shot some phez last year but the archery season for deer conflicts with my best grouse hunting, so that has kinda petered out to.

The whole precision long range shooting at PD's, colombian ground squirrels and  pasture grizzlies was a huge fever that has waned too.

My big game fever is slowing year by year.

I still love to spearfish.

I'm pretty content to chase the wild birds of the world as my life's final ballet. That and some fishing. It gives me everything I need to be a very happy and whole man. Friendships, shooting, beautiful places, wild birds and a comforting sense of peace. I'm ok being grounded in those things, helping others to see and enjoy that life and will die as an upland being. A very happy and content upland being.

[rprovines]

Bowhunting deer used to be big in my life until the kids got big enough to need to be drug around. I'd hunt Indiana and then when got one over here I'd buy an Ohio license. If I got one there I'd climb trees and shoot photos of them. Crazy humans...

I still love to spearfish.

You're slightly more normal than I thought you were. Used to do a hell of a lot of bowfishing, just got started again at that a couple of years ago. Main problem is someone to go with.

[dogsnhorses]

Polo.  I miss it.

[ESS6]

I had a friend get me into windsurfing..Got all the top of the line gear, gear enough for all situations. Gear to go fast or go slow. One day the wind didnt blow so he brought out his fly rod. Soon I had thousands of dollars worth of fly rods. Gear to go fishing in a brook, fish a pond, fish a sea. Winsurfing boards didnt get out much. That worked awhile, then came work. Then deer hunting. Fast foward to last few years. I have a bunch of dogs kicking around, train every free minute I have, and make an occasional trip to the grouse woods.....All the other crap is in a big heap in the  basement and shed. My friend is gone....Dogs are hoping a new friend doesnt come along with something fun to try.

[Firelight]

I seem to have given up skiing, something I used to do quite a bit. Never a concious decision to stop, it simply happened less and less and stopped. And Tim and I used to fish more often and have vowed to get out more this summer, we'll see if it happens.  I have been involved in bird dogs for 40 years now, has always been my strongest sport passion and will likely remain so.

[tricker]

Bow hunted for must have been 5 years. I've considered taking it back up but it would take into my upland and duck hunting.

[bosco mctavitch]

Climbing.  I used to climb about 60 hours a week, between guiding for a living and doing it every free moment as well.  I loved rock climbing and was majorly into ice climbing, I did both essentially full time for almost 20 years, and in about 20 states and 5 or so different countries.  Did first ascents in several states, climbed many of the "big name" routes in most of the major climbing areas in the US, etc.  Since most of my friends have either had kids and get out only at odd times, moved away, grown apart or simply died I have gotten out a lot less, and that's been ok.  For a while I couldn't pick up the climbing magazines because there was an obit column for a friend in practically every issue.  At some point it stopped being fun and I realized I was no longer doing it for the reasons that drew me to it in the first place.  Plus, it's hard to take the dog.  

I still enjoy it when I do get out either on my own or through work, and though my ability isn't close to what it once was it's still part of who I am.  At this point I only get out a few times per year, but that's often in some of the best locations on earth (which happens to include my back yard)

This was me up until just a few years ago, when I reaqlly returned to many of the things I did as a kid--fishing, hunting, etc.

[River19]

Baseball.........junior year in college.  Didn't feel like roiding, and since it was Division II I wasn't on a full ride, or any real ride for that matter.  I had a difficult major and two minors and at the time I figured, I'm 5'11" and throw "only" 87-89mph so my future is at a desk not a pitchers mound.

It sucked.....still sucks, I loved throwing side sessions as much as games, making a baseball move, curve drop etc. was just a blast.

Now I enjoy the hell out of mountain biking, golfing, drinking and hunting.........

Sometimes we just move on to new passions.

Dave, sweet pictures, I am not great with heights so I'll have to just live through your pictures.

[Brad Adrian]

For a long time I was a steelhead flyfishing nut. By about 2000 the runs were declining, the rivers were getting more crowded every year. So I bought a bird dog and moved to Nevada to hunt birds.

[GB Jack]

drinking, ( after a couple of surgeries and scares, not related too) i just relaized it wasnt for me. Big game hunting drive is gone completely, and HONESTLY my waterfowling bug has been pushed out. if i REALLY had a great grouse seoasn i probably would cut back on that too. I REALLy have a hard time killing these days, and Im only 34, but feel ive taken much more than I've given in this world, strange position to be in, at least for me

[PartridgeCartridge]

Now I enjoy the hell out of  drinking and hunting.........

Sometimes we just move on to new passions.

I love an honest man.

[Hunshatt]

Furman, yur nuts......

I started bird hunting when I was 12, living in Washington St(some big game as well, elk,deer,bear, with my g-dad).

Moved to Europe when I was 16, did a crap load of bird hunting, but learned about sports cars(England)  and skiing(german/austria/france). Came back to the states and got reintroduced  to big game,( bird hunting in jersey left a little to be desired) Fancy recurves, Schafers, black widows, big horns and the Bear mag takedowns(my fav and the ones I still own) Still skied, a lot, met kathi skiing (still ski a bit) Moved to new england early 90's and took up motorcycle roadracing, all the big tracks on the eastcoast Bridgehampton, Pocono, NHIS, Mid America, Daytona, bla bla, on big bore, way to fast ducatti's/hondas and suzsukis. Moved on from that,  to offshore fishing. 41' hatteras(huns old hatt aka hunshatt)

all that "stuff" is gone, and while I'd dabbled with bird hunting thru out all those other hobbies, I became reobsessed with it about 115 years ago, to the exclusion of jsut about eveything (still ski a little, and Mt Bike)

bad thing is the little short guy has me back on a gun buying program(I thought I was cured) and now he's learnin me about flyfishin

[GB Jack]

i loved drinking too, maybe thats why i decided to stop!, haha

[gunsrus]

Hockey , used to play 3-4 nights a week . 6 arthroscopys and I need knee replacements . Softball , couple different leagues , done . It all endes 5 years ago , put a fork in me . Still golf but not as competitive as I used to be . Used to love whitetail deer but hated that it was only one week a year . When I move north and can hunt on my terms and my time I think I'll get to enjoy it again . I have found my passion bird hunting with my dogs . I cannot hunt all day but will try to be out everyday for as long as my knees will let me . I don't think I will ever give up bird hunting .

[mike campbell]

Since most of my friends have  ... simply died I have gotten out a lot less, and that's been ok.  

The nearest I came to living (and dying) that dangerously was playing pool for cash in redneck bars on Friday nights.