Staying Motivated To Hunt

Do you love the outdoors or just love harvesting animals in the outdoors? With our daughter going on youth hunts over the last couple of years, this has been a question bee-bopping around our house. Why? Well, because she has now been on several youth hunts and harvested nothing. Which, in theory, is alright. The experience is so fruitful otherwise, and there are many lessons that she is learning along the way. However, in the age of instant gratification, how long can I continue to convince her it is worth her time and effort?

If you can relate, read on to find out some tricks to help stay motivated to hunt.

There are so many rewarding things about hunting that it is easy for it to stay on my “favorite hobby” list even when I do not harvest an animal. Maybe it is because in my day-to-day life, I am constantly “on” and it provides an escape to ground me, plus it is a great excuse not to communicate with the general public.

Yet, it is hard to make time and stay motivated to hunt when you feel you have come up with nothing time and time again, and when the nearest grocery store is super enticing to provide your favorite eats anyway. Of course, those of us who are all-in on hunting recognize how many intricate layers exist that are not about the outcome but about the process. The desire to harvest something has been great recently, by proxy, as I am just the “plus one” on my daughter’s youth hunt. She wants it so badly, and I want it so badly for her. This has led me to get super creative in encouraging her to stay with it, especially when she sees first-time hunters be instantly successful.

Here are some ways how to stay motivated hunting:

1. The true trophy isn’t the buck but the experience. Time is precious, and in a blended family of six kids, we both cherish every moment we get one-on-one together. Spending the moments outdoors together has been precious. While we could schedule things in the city when we are on hunts, our only option is each other. It is about the process rather than the outcome. Every outdoor experience is unique. Whether it is becoming proficient at scouting, tracking, or just meeting new people, there is beauty in each experience that drives you towards the next one.
2. Embrace the suck. Not everything comes for free, and the lesson to try and try again to get a harvest is building resiliency that she takes into everyday life. It is incredible to watch her grow each hunt and choose to keep trying. Well, that one was quick!
3. Try new things and embrace new strategies. Practice and build confidence for when you get a shot-literally. Through the youth hunt program, we have been able to hunt a variety of species all across the state of Florida, and with hopes of trips elsewhere to get wild in the outdoors. Our family vacations have turned heavily to outside activities, which is an amazing shift from being shuffled through the city in various tourist traps (although that can be cool, too). While adventuring, practice the process of being still, raising the gun, aiming-and then practice again. If the binoculars are your only form of entertainment out there, watch how nature moves and work to be a part of that. Get interested in trying archery and getting proficient at that, learning about tree stands, and listening to the expertise of those around you to figure out new techniques that may help you be successful. 

Ultimately, hunting is a gift, and the experience, no matter the outcome, is worth it. For even seasoned hunters, it can be difficult to stay motivated when life is so busy, as well as during a hunt… let alone if you are just dreaming about a harvest. However, it is that focus that provides the comfort and appreciation for the practice of hunting. It is that time outside that reminds you that you are part of something so cool and bigger than your cell phone or TikTok trend. Anything in life worth having is worth working for, so embrace the hunt rather than the harvest.