Dealing with an addiction....HELP

R

Rich Z

New member
Dec 29, 2012
295
So I was grocery shopping with the wife last night and I get a text from a buddy (bird dog) that says “I’m addicted to elk hunting”. That is fine, the problem is, both of us are planning our first elk hunt this year, we have never even been and we are already addicted.

I’m kind of nervous about once we actually go hunting and experience the mountains in September what is going to happen? I can’t imagine this addiction getting worse? We are ready to pack the trucks now and head out and and set up camp and just wait!!

How do you guys that are as passionate about this as we are cope with the off season?
 
Believe me, the addiction will get worst, I am 60, I live in SW Michigan, and I made my first Elk hunting trip to Colorado in 1986. Now I go some place out west for 2 weeks  every year DIY Elk hunting, with my Business and age I only gun hunt now. But I can't even imagine staying home for a year. As soon as I get home from one trip, I start planning the next. I took up fishing again, to help pass some time, but it is still a long wait from one season to the next.

Kevin
 
As mentioned it will only get worse. Even if I don't have a tag or big elk hunt planned I still hit the hills at least with someone else who is hunting just to be out.
 
Jim, Lyman - What do you do to control your elkaholism? I am looking at google earth every chance i get, but i feel that just makes it worse?
 
Not much you can do except immerse yourself in all things elk. It takes a little of the edge off.......but only a little.
 
If your overcome by elk abolish and need a way out, just buy a deer tag and head for the hills and focus on a big Muley. Side note, buy the over the counter tag you never know when a relapse may occur.
 
I hate to admit it but I am an Elkaholic also! There, its out, I am, I know I am, my wife knows I am but now I have finally admitted it... I feel so much better now ;)


I have joined the Rocky Mountain Elk foundation thinking is was a way out but NO... they made it worse!

This is the reason whey we spend so much time on these forums :) It's our only outlet is to talk to other Elkaholics like ourselves.


Welcome to the club :)
 
Rich Z said:
So I was grocery shopping with the wife last night and I get a text from a buddy (bird dog) that says “I’m addicted to elk hunting”. That is fine, the problem is, both of us are planning our first elk hunt this year, we have never even been and we are already addicted.

I’m kind of nervous about once we actually go hunting and experience the mountains in September what is going to happen? I can’t imagine this addiction getting worse? We are ready to pack the trucks now and head out and and set up camp and just wait!!

How do you guys that are as passionate about this as we are cope with the off season?
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Rich I'm glad I saw this. Thanks for calling me out. I had three of the four guys at my house last night making plans. And my wife just shakes her head and says I'm nuts.she also says I have 8 months to plan I think I'm running out of time. I can't wait to get there.
 
Man the addiction gets worse once you get out in the field.  I have the same problem when season is over.  I just want it to be Elk season again.  All i do on the off time is read about elk hunting, watch videos and practice.  Thats all i can do to prepare myself for the upcoming season. 

Its an addiction you will never get rid of.
 
Think about it everyday and how to get better.  It drives me everyday in thegym because I know the elk aren't taking an off season break.  Learn something everyday and you will be rewarded during the season.
 
My addiction is getting worse I watched the videos on here for two hours while waiting for my new badlands pack to arrive I was worse then a kid at Christmas. It finally showed up I tear open the package and put it on man it is great. But that isn't enough I go get all of my stuff and load it up then I strap the bow on it and then on it goes to do some laps around the house. I couldn't imagine a better fitting pack or I couldn't be happier with my badlands 2800. It seriously needs to be September now.....
 
Welcome to the addiction......... No rehab needed here though. Rehab is for quitters.

 
My addiction started when I was 12 years old.Yes It affects even the young.Its now been 34 years of dealing with it and It just gets worse.It is my crack there is no cure just  accept it you cant get away from it.Its like Freddy Cruger it will find you in your dreams.It will take the money from your wallet yet leave you completely satisfied.when Im not hunting them with bow or gun im hunting with a camera its a 365 thing.Good luck to you all, my fellow addicts. ;D
 
Just wait.  I remember being in your shoes...getting all the gear, doing all the planning, and just going nuts waiting to get out there.  I thought my addition was bad then, but the more elk I see and take during my hunts the worse my addition gets.  I'm going crazy and planning next year's hunt as soon as the season ends.
 
What state are you guys going to hunt in? Like everyone else has said. Its only going to get worse and the only thing to take your mind off of being an elkoholic is to hunt everything else during the off season. That will numb the pain of not being able to hunt elk. Thats how I try to cope with such an addicting habit.
 
It's funny you say that about planning next years hunt. Me and birddog have already talked about starting to plan a hunt for 2014 and neither of us have even been on our first hunt yet!!

MT_mulies
I'm in Michigan so we don't really have a lot of extra stuff to hunt. Me and the kids have been out after small game and coyotes a couple times, and we will be out this spring after turkey's -other than that it's just a lot of Google Earth time and rereading Extreme Elk Magazines cover to cover.

September is coming!!

wapiti_will said:
Just wait.  I remember being in your shoes...getting all the gear, doing all the planning, and just going nuts waiting to get out there.  I thought my addition was bad then, but the more elk I see and take during my hunts the worse my addition gets.  I'm going crazy and planning next year's hunt as soon as the season ends.
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