work and hunting time

[hb270deermanager]

I am writing this topic just to let hunters

and outdoors people know that dont take

for gratited the time in the outdoors.I work

65 to 80 hrs a week I hunt maybe 2 times

aweek.Having sundays and a qiuck spot

during the week to get out.Everyone knows

how important time out in the woods should

be.every tree ,bush,animal,I take the time to

enjoy every moment given to me these days

plus I am no young gun blazing around the

woods anymore passing this great time onto

my son now days.So take it all in if your young

learn as much as you can now.If your middle

of the road share what you learned savor the

moments for great memories and most of all

take to heart every single second your here to

do it.After all your here one time.

[Doc]

What a battle we all go through as we make our way through life and try to balance those things we need to do for our future and the futures of those in our family versus our other passions of life. That battle is behind me now, and am reaping the benefits of retirement. However in the years along the way, I did do that balancing routine, and in fact did pass by some opportunities in favor of enjoying those outdoor activities that my life has always revolved around. Sometimes I was able to turn down that overtime, or rearrange my work schedule a bit, or just plain refuse some assignments. My decisions were not always popular with the bosses, and maybe cost me some opportunities for advancement along the way. But the times were such that a guy could get away with that and still do pretty darn good anyway. I do believe that was a different sort of time when employees were actually valued and not merely treated as a disposable commodity.

In all fairness, I do recognize that the bulk of my life was spent in an era when I did have those choices available. Those choices may not often be available today. Some guys are doing whatever is necessary just to stay employed. That does indeed trump hunting and fishing and so on.....lol. But if you feel decades getting by you with no real life experiences other than what happens at work it might be useful to check those priorities and see if some adjustments can and should be made.

What puts all this into perspective is when you suddenly realize that your getting a bit old, and you get a chance to look back on it all. No one wants to say, I wish I had taken more time for this and that. The only time to avoid that fate is right now while you are living life. I think I did a pretty good job with that balancing routine. I hope others take the time to do the same.

[Paulie]

Doc, If you don't mind....what did you do and from when to when. Just curious as it seems the rat race continues to get faster and faster....seems the only way out is to win the lotto....!

[Paulie]

Sorry for the bold type, dont know what happened there....

[ELMER J. FUDD]

Yup, I'll take the cliffs notes version of Doc's post please.

[hb270deermanager]

That was great I just wanted everyone to really think about everything past

and present in your life.It goes so fast with so much going on all the time.

Kenny Chesney's don't blink sums it up so well.We just all seem to get caught

up in life.Next yr I will be half a century old and just can't believe how fast it

got here.Before we know it we'll be 70 standing on our porch waving good bye

to our great grand children and their kids.But the thing that really hits me is I sit

in the same patch of woods every yr and realize it has changed too.But its still

such a quiet and great place to be and then I think the animals here are probably

10 generations older then when I first stepped foot here with dad.

[hb270deermanager]

I spent alot of time in the field when I was younger.

Some say damn the economy's bad and your getting

unlimited O.T.It sounds great But I lost my closest hunting

buddy 3 yrs ago now my sons old enough to hunt.We

really enjoy our time out there.I think now at 49 I have to

reconnect with it all and I know I belong out in the woods so

a career change might be a better choice now.I just wanted

everyone to know that time is short and don't feel either way

that you haven't balanced it out.I love the outdoors in many

stages and I could see being there til the end.

Edited October 27, 2011 by hb270deermanager

[5.9cummins]

I have been taking stock of where i sit lately.

The last couple of years have been a real issue with management and a complete change in course of what we did and how we were doing it. Its been pretty demoralizing to the staff so much so that many are looking for positions. That being said the economy sucks and those jobs are a needle in a hay stack at this point.

On the up side i have one of the most flexible jobs i know of and i get to hunt like crazy. My job is secure (no overtime) but decent pay. That being said it gets tight from time to time with a single income wife, 3 kids and one more on the way.

But all in all i think i am pretty blessed.

And as for the bad points relating to work, as my father in-law says "out live the bastards"

[MountainHunter]

It's hard to fit it all in. I want to move a number of stands that I had set to what I believe would be more productive area's and I am struggling to find the time to do it. Never enough free time while balancing family and business. In two weeks I will be in Idaho for ten days whitetail hunting. So I have no I realize I am very fortunate. I just can't concentrate very well when there is an open season and I am not in the woods.

[SteveNY]

I am writing this topic just to let hunters

and outdoors people know that dont take

for gratited the time in the outdoors.I work

65 to 80 hrs a week I hunt maybe 2 times

aweek.Having sundays and a qiuck spot

during the week to get out.Everyone knows

how important time out in the woods should

be.every tree ,bush,animal,I take the time to

enjoy every moment given to me these days

plus I am no young gun blazing around the

woods anymore passing this great time onto

my son now days.So take it all in if your young

learn as much as you can now.If your middle

of the road share what you learned savor the

moments for great memories and most of all

take to heart every single second your here to

do it.After all your here one time.

Very nice post, thanks for sharing

[GreeneHunter]

I retired from the race in 2009 on a Friday (the day before opening day) and on Saturday I shot an 8 pointer (attached hopefully) Sadly I became bored too tears after hunting season and am now a member the "the race" again !

[GreeneHunter]

I am writing this topic just to let hunters

and outdoors people know that dont take

for gratited the time in the outdoors.I work

65 to 80 hrs a week I hunt maybe 2 times

aweek.Having sundays and a qiuck spot

during the week to get out.Everyone knows

how important time out in the woods should

be.every tree ,bush,animal,I take the time to

enjoy every moment given to me these days

plus I am no young gun blazing around the

woods anymore passing this great time onto

my son now days.So take it all in if your young

learn as much as you can now.If your middle

of the road share what you learned savor the

moments for great memories and most of all

take to heart every single second your here to

do it.After all your here one time.

Nicely Stated !

[damore81]

Unfortunately as every year passes my time in the woods decreases and other responsibilities increase. I am hoping as I get older that will change but I cant seem to get around all my new responsibilities that prevent me from being in the woods.

[Dom]

Money's short and times are hard lets use whats giving today.They say you will have plenty time to do what you want after retirement but im not going to live by that.Im very happy with the time i have on earth and will not let my job control my life.If i want to work i will if i want to spend time with family/freinds thats what i will do.We have to make our own choices and live the way we choose.And allways good hunting.

[damore81]

Money's short and times are hard lets use whats giving today.They say you will have plenty time to do what you want after retirement but im not going to live by that.Im very happy with the time i have on earth and will not let my job control my life.If i want to work i will if i want to spend time with family/freinds thats what i will do.We have to make our own choices and live the way we choose.And allways good hunting.

Well put.

[Doc]

I always had a motto that I work to live, not live to work. My life does not belong to any corporation and I always made that perfectly clear to anyone that asked about it. Yes, I took pride in my work and found satisfaction from doing a good job. BUT anytime I began to feel that work was unfairly dominating and dictating my lifestyle I always made adjustments. I never regretted that.

[SteveNY]

You never hear someone on their death bed wishing they worked more.

[mossy725]

This is an interesting topic, and one that I think about a lot when I'm in a tree. We are the only country that has the work driven society that pretty much kills people or does not let them enjoy life after retirement (because of early passing). It's unfortunate really, and something we should look into as a country. It's obviously not working, given the state of our economy over the past 3+ years.

I use to 'live for my job,' and that has changed drastically. I've been married for two years now, and have a baby on the way (my wife is 40 weeks yesterday). Things will look a little different, very soon. haha

[nyantler]

I have always made time for the things that I love to do... my dad passed at 59 and was the "I can't wait 'til retiement so I can do all the things I've always wanted to do" unfortunately retirement never came for him... I have always been a do it now type of guy and my father use to hate that... about 2 weeks before he died he said to me.. "If I had it all to do over again I'd do it just like you"... I made myself the promise that I will never say that... if I die tomorrow.. I go knowing that I've had a pretty good ride while it lasted... no regrets.. I'm going hunting!!

Edited October 28, 2011 by nyantler

[Dinsdale]

Being self employed means I can generally move my schedual around to hunt more than the typical 9-5 folks. It comes at a price, like now I have been slow for work for a long time,(carpenter), you never know what the future will bring for work, and all the benefits like retirement,insurance are on your own back....

But I have done more than a few month long hunt trips and I wouldn't trade that for a regular job at the time.

As I get older I'm not so sure that I don't want a steady pay check, but if things pick back up I'll just go find a long trip and do it again anyway.....who am I fooling. LOL

[nyantler]

Being self employed means I can generally move my schedual around to hunt more than the typical 9-5 folks. It comes at a price, like now I have been slow for work for a long time,(carpenter), you never know what the future will bring for work, and all the benefits like retirement,insurance are on your own back....

But I have done more than a few month long hunt trips and I wouldn't trade that for a regular job at the time.

As I get older I'm not so sure that I don't want a steady pay check, but if things pick back up I'll just go find a long trip and do it again anyway.....who am I fooling. LOL

That is the same for me.. when I'm not working I don't make money.. like others here I have learned to balance my work and pleasure time... loving what you do for a living makes it easier... at 52 I've learned how to work smarter not harder, which affords me the income to make my own decisions when it comes to time off and not be a slave to my job... I also have made a rule.. that if I can't make a living doing what i do 40 hours a week, I will do something else.. no overtime or weekends ever for me... and sometimes no fridays.. I can do 40 in 4 days..

[arrow nocker]

Ill sacrifice hunting to watch my boys play football.Or my daughter cheer.Thats more important than hunting.If my boss asks me to work on a saturday during hunting season he knows whaat the answer will be.I work sometime 80 hrs a week through the off season and dont mind a bit.But hunting season only comes once a year and i only live once.If i have to budget it and go without i will.My kids are fed.My bills are paid and my priorities are taken care of.BTW.hunting is a priority.LOL.

[Dave]

Guy's all your comments are right on the mark, life is too short. I turned 62 last month and now feel I am on the downward side of the hill. It's a little startling a position to be in knowing you don't know how many hunting seasons you have left. But my health is good and I have no physical disabilities thank god. So every time I have something to do that that prevents me from going up state to hunt I rearrange my schedule. If I don't go now then when will I, my time is now. Just like Joe said about his dad, I think too many of us put things off till we retire and some don't make it. So we have to live every day and do the things that make us happy remember tomorrow is never a sure thing. With that said good hunting to all.

[GreeneHunter]

Well said Dave !