Sold my gun this morning

[Buckfever]

I don't enjoy gun hunting presently. I like the bow hunting, I put a lot of time into it and derive tremendous satisfaction from my time in the woods with the bow. And I'm not saying that down the road I won't take it up again. I may very well do so. But every year I get unrelenting pressure put on me from the boys to draw a gun permit. I know that it is a question of friendship and comraderie and I do appreciate that. But it's become a thorn in my side dealing with this. I actually realize that the only reason I drew a late season gun permit was because, I was too much of a pussy to keep saying no and it was easier to just agree to put in with the group and draw a permit.

I called them and told them this morning that I wasn't going to make the hunt and I sold my 870 to one of them, as he was interested in it as a back up. He was familiar with the gun as he had taken it apart and cleaned it, the gun doesn't have 20 rounds through it.

I sold it to him for $50 less than he offered me, so he's happy.

I'm not sure why I'm posting this here except that maybe I feel some of you will understand. I feel such a tremendous feeling of relief. Not so much that I will not be bothered about gun hunting, but moreso that I am taking greater ownership of where it is that I want to go with my hunting at this point.

It is an amazing jouney this hunting is. Every year as I get better and more clearly define my personal objectives, I more fully realize how much further I have yet to go. Not just to hunt, but to be a hunter. It is a tremendous undertaking, once one grasps the enormity of the task at hand.

And I am in a hurry to get to it, without distraction.

[ncboman]

well I don't get it to that extreme.

I understand the bowhunting part but it seems like you want an excuse for your friends rather than just being honest and saying you have decided bowhunting is more fun.

You may plant a seed and see others follow your lead.

There's nothing so wrong with gun hunting that warrants selling your gun. What about your kids? A gun Dad or Grandad killed deer/turkey with is of great value to many. I have an old single barrel my great grandpa killed turkeys with. It's not worth much money at all but I'd like to hope my grandson will think a lot of it as I do.

Anyway,
I sure hope you have home protection. I wouldn't want to live near Chicago without it. ;D

[Buckfever]

NC,
I just sold the only gun approriate for deer hunting(For here in IL) that I own, namely the 870 with a rifled barrel. I purchased it a few years back, it has no history or sentimental value to me. And quite frankly if I were to gun hunt for deer in the future it will be with an 1187 with a cantilever rifled barrel and a scope. I will never sell the guns of my youth, the 410 double barrel Side by Side Stevens, with which I took 100s of cottontails. The AL2 Berreta 12 guage semi auto with which 100s of cock pheasants were taken. The Matador 20 guage side by side my first gun with automatic ejectors, that I used to reload, on the run. And finally the Ansley H. Fox that we found in a rural town gun shop for $100. And of course all of my dad's guns.

I don't want to give the wrong impression about guns. I have treasured memories wrapped around time in the field, with gun in hand. Nor do I have an issue with anyone who deer hunts with a gun. I celebrate their harvests just as well.

It is just that there comes a point in time in the life of a hunter where incremental improvements, particularly where time is limited, do not come so easy and require a singular commitment towards those gains and that is where I find myself at the moment. Maybe it will take a life time or maybe a few years. Whatever it takes.

[freedomrules3]

i'm looking for my "scratching my head " smiley lol( i gotta find one of those). once i get my hands on any gun and its paid for , it never leaves my possesion. glad to see your ok in case of an intruder . i think your plenty dedicated to what you do. i truely dont think selling your gun changes that at all. now where is that smiley .

[ncboman]

[freedomrules3]

thats the one i was looking for lol

wondering if i should switch this one for that

[ncboman]

[Buckfever]

You guys are too funny.

It's interesting how this worked out though. The fella I sold the gun to stepped up and is now going to make the late season hunt. There are some interesting dynamics sometimes in a group of hunting buddies. In this case my being pulled into the group for gun hunting was crowding him out and by me stepping out it made room for him to step in. And I'm not a dummy, I was definitely feeling it and called it right. I am well pleased that it had an immediate effect.