I'm curious if anyone of you Veteran and non-Veteran (cause War is not the only cause of PTSD) hunters that suffer from PTSD and still hunt?  What are your reactions?  I'm curious cause the past week leading up to this morning been going out morning and night not truly hunting but scouting for deer, of coarse I have all my gear but the idea is not about me getting a deer but finding the right spot for my son, now of coarse if a good mature deer presented itself and I had a good ethical shot I wouldn't hesitate, but this morning scouting a new set of woods, big acreage, water, food and cover I came across a 30 yard wide open area well traveled path thought great ambush site, had the perfect wind but like a dumb a$$ I questioned my gut and thought get deeper in the woods, went to go thru the trail across the field got 10 yards spooked a bedded down doe, gave a couple bleets to keep her close, turned around and went back to my ambush site, covered my scent as I went back out of the trail and hung a urine drip, waited about a half hour, suddenly 2 doe come to the edge of that trail I spooked one from, I was numb, completley numb, I had no chemical reaction in my body what so ever, no adrenaline or nothing, I know my base-line is high, but this is why I haven't hunted since my return from the war, I've lost all love for everything I used to do, my whole purpose of teaching my kids to hunt and fish is 1 they want to, 2 its my job to teach them new things and how to survive & 3 my son has been begging for 8 years now, my kids are my world and I do everything I can with the limited time I see them.....definatley a spot I would or will be taking my son Saturday after noon, all the signs were present rubs, fresh droppings, scrapes just a few to name that I scouted before I left it is a perfect spot for them to come out and feed, three trails leading to this opening, already checked the weather for Saturday cold front coming in with a nw wind, I will continue to scout the hard way, another spot I want to check, but as for my encounter, 1 good to see deer 2 I thanked God for allowing me to see them although they were too small and never fully came out in the field, they scented me, so didn't bring in the Buck I was hoping to see....just curious if the love will ever return or I need to go skydiving again and see if that increases my base-line....

yes i have ptsd and still hunt! there are times it is difficult to get motivated! i can slip into depression at times! not service related but after 28 surgeries since 99 they(the doc`s) gave me that label! i wish you all the best grunt! my season starts in a few days now!! did alittle scouting this morning! fell so d@&n many times it aint funny! good thing i brought a strong young man with me! did see a couple nice bucks but they were 300 yards! judging by the bodies they were shooters!! hoping to find 1 in a few days now!!
best of luck to you grunt, i hope you fill your tags!!

Well I do not have PTSD, so I have no clue as to what you are dealing with. But I do believe that you still enjoy hunting more then you think. It seem you are enjoying coming here and posting looking for help. You seem to be enjoying the scouting and seeing some Deer, just not the Bucks yet. 

Yeah I agree RClark, it is for my kids as I stated, I do everything for my kids, I do a lot of scouting and such, does bring back a lot of memories of Ft Benning and Ft Knox, trucking thru the woods, rucking it, stealthy and I do ask a lot of questions as I've been away from it for so long, technology has changed and sometimes I doubt myself so look to hear sometimes answers I may know but just need a confirmation, as i said I'm not too worried about the "kill" or tagging out, what I do when my kids are not here is for them, I just thought it would give me that spark I needed locating deer and seeing them....though I will continue to get up early and stay out late when I can it is all for my son right now...I'm sure in time I will find that spark and maybe it will be seeing my son take his first deer, I don't know but I do know the Camera will be ready and I will be very proud of him...my daughter is still work in progress but not giving up on her, she just needs more practice....I know I have made some real progress the past 6 or 7 months, hell a year ago I only left the house for Groceries, pick up the kids or dr appts now I'm out in nature and being active so I'd say I'm on the climb up, just a matter of time.....I guess you can not be judged by how you fall down but by how you get up....

and one last note, I've learned over the past 8 years to surround myself with Veterans, Veteran organizations and like minded people, I do my socializing from a computer, I interact and volunteer where I can, but most of the time I keep to myself and use social media as my way of socializing....

My love of hunting is what motivated me through the strokes, heart surgery and back surgery, and even though I don't suffer from any type of depression disorder, I can truly say that since I don't drink or smoke anymore, and since my wife died......don't risk having sex anymore (even if it would get up), hunting is all I have left in the world other than Travis to get me through the days. The pain in my knee is so bad I don't think I can even manage to climb into the stand some days, but I do it. If and when the day comes when I don't get excited, just seeing a deer, then it will be time to give it up. In my case, since Travis is almost 16 and plans on a military career, I'm hoping that day never comes. When he's gone off to build his life, I hope to die sitting in a tree stand or on a stool down in the swamp with the dogs running.

I'll bet that once your son sees his first deer and has even a slight chance to kill it, his excitement and adrenaline rush will be contagious!
BTW, R Clark, the time in the outdoors don't count for chit, if you don't kill something.......but that's just the way I feel about hunting. If it was different, I'd be bird watching instead of hunting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

11bgrunt .Just don't let it get you down .I have many problems and my hunting for more than just animals is not all I look forward to .That is what gets me going most of the time .I think hunting most all the time .If it is not for game it is for gold .Yes I hunt for gold as well .I can do that most all year .The pain I go through most of the time I think about giving it all up .But then I would have no reason to get up in the morning .Thats what keeps me going .Some days I do not won't to do anything at all .I do have times when I remember things when I was on the fire department if that counts .Just don't give up .

From one Bravo to another I will tell you I have PTSD and the way I get excited is when I am 30 feet up alone on a hot trail and my future harvest is walking up I just focus on all that sweet meat and challenging my shot to smaller areas to pin point that perfect heart dropping shot. The harvest is all i think of and I found that is what gets me pumping some adrenaline again. It does suck when nothing gets you going I cant take my kids to roller coasters because its just not fun for me. I will still take them once a year if my wife motivates me. I feel your pain and if you wanna talk some time I got your back. brothers forever 11B follow me Delta 2/58 sand hill 2003

well I have PTSD and I hunt. I take no pleasure out of killing game at all. I get involved in the SHOT. It keeps me interested if it is difficult and I make it. So I guess it is only what you think of it, maybe the scouting, the ambush, the shot. Or a combination of all of these when it works. The pleasure of teaching your family also ranks right up there in the feel good range also. Each of us take the pleasure in part or whole and in many different ways. Nam vet with bad back, bad knees and bad lungs. Remember LIFE is what you make out of it. Life is never what you can't do, it is what you can do.

PS. 310 yds (range finder) heart shot on my first deer this hunting season. Old doe in Mi.

All good input, appreciate all the feed back, I think the reason it is effecting me right now is I'm doing it alone for my son while he is not here to find a honey hole to put him on giving him the best opportunity with the limited time I get them, every other weekend is tough to put good hunts together and then there is splitting the weekend to accomadate each child, as I stated my daughter didn't take it seriously yet so I can not just spend the whole weekend hunting with my son, although I'd like too, I gotta give my baby girl some time too...so its dark when I leave and been stalking some dense wooded areas brings back the "Night Fighter" as we trained in 11 Bravo school and through out my career....its sitting there listening observing waiting all brings back memories, the Saturday I took my son I was doing all I could think of to get him to see a deer, didn't happen, now I've located deer just need to put him on one, I think hunting with him is easier than by myself cause face it the memories I'm trying to make and capture are all surrounded by him, I've had my first Deer, there will be time for me to get my trophy, right now its doing all the leg work to make him successful and happy, he put in the hours of practice and like everything else, sports etc. it just seems easy for him, he is everything I was as a kid except he has me, I had a single mom, taught myself to hunt, fish camp, guess thats what drove my desire to become a Grunt, I had a very high asvab score could have picked any career in the Army, but I wanted that outdoors, blowing{1}**** up, multiple weapon systems, I wanted that Blue cord and to repel from helicopters, was training for Ranger school when I got activated for Iraq, I know I would have passed I did it all by the book, but got injured in Iraq 2003, multiple leg injuries, then came the PTSD....but yeah I agree with all of your all's input, the spark will come for me when my son puts his first deer on the ground just like his first home run and his first sack....I appreciate everyones input and replies...not a pity party...just curious what others experienced knowing there are a lot of Veterans here, and Holly yeah my hats off to you First responders, fire fighters, police, they all see some stuff, so yeah thank you for your service and all you dealt with... and karmstrong2, thank you for your services and sacrifices...HOOAH....hook me up send me a friend request....

Grunt, thanks for your service. My son is a former Ranger. He was with the 75th Ranger Rgt in Ft. Benning. He got out in June 01 with severe back injuries received from a chute malfunction during a jump. He sometimes is a little hard to deal with because he is in pain constantly but one thing is true and that is he loves deer hunting. He never even went until his Army days which makes the "old man" in me pretty happy. I have been hunting for over 45 years and I still get excited when seeing game. Take your time. Love the woods. Love and cherish your time with your kids (especially in the woods). The "bug" will bite you and your son, and when it does, watch out. Best of luck to you.


hughj47

I forgot to tell you to take a cam. with you for the moment.

Brother, I deal with the same issues bt in a differet way. As you say, we tend to keep to those who know what we know. I am currently hunting in an elk camp with 4 other vets, three of which are vets of the last two wars lik myself. For me being in the woods alone is my most calm a peaceful time. I really don't like beng around folks much anymore but camp is a totally different situation. It also makes me more serious ad solemn about my harvest. Life is life Best to you brother!!

SFC B

I don't have PTSD but am an old Marine. Time in the woods will help, doesn't matter if you are looking for something to shoot or just getting away from the rat race. I spend a lot of time of by myself, guess I'm getting old and crotchety, and there is nothing like sitting on a hilltop with bino's watching the world come alive. Or doing a 5 to 8 mile hump just because you want to see what is on the other side of the hill, there might be something there I like. The outdoors will help you get your act together.

No matter how YOU feel you need to spend time with your kids. Focus your attention on them.

Again all good input, I appreciate it, and believe me Christmas break will be all about early mornings, hunting, lunch, some play time and back to the woods...I'm doing this all for my kids this year, once I get my son to get his first Deer, than I will worry about myself, but I enjoy the time we have already spent in the woods together, miss my son when I'm out there scouting and hunting, kinda lonley...but get the kids this weekend so got a spot I think looks promising....Thanks for all the input and kind words.....

I am a Vietnam Veteran with PTSD. I have hunted more this year than in the last twenty. I found property to hunt; and I am having a great time. I shot a turkey. I didn't get a shot with rifle deer. I am still bow hunting deer. I am having a great time in nature. I have discussed my hunt with my Vietnam Veterans group. I don't believe any others are still hunting.

Yeah my Son is my driving force right now, once I get him all hooked up and he opens his new bow for Christmas maybe I can enjoy whats left of the season..trying to make plans for next season now, farmers I want to target to swap chores to hunt their property etc...I'm hoping to get started on some more taxidermy and get the spark going...

"The hills on Sicily were not that high, but we still had to climb them" Col Robert L. Murray, CDR 4th Ranger BN WWII.

I'm just a Cold War vet with 24 years of service in the Army, I did all kinds of stuff and made just over a hundred jumps.  While I don't have a clinical diagnosis of PTSD, I sometimes don't realize that I am a civilian when I am sleeping or when I am moving around on my property; especially when I am close to the DMZ....I mean fences. I look at the unused portion of the land as a valued-buffer.

I'm not a peer support professional either; but I suggest handling your "load" as the professional that you apparently are. Make staying calm part of your mission for the day; just like you did on the battlefield-roger!

Situation awareness.

Any true hunter knows that killing an animal is only part of hunting process (especially if you drop a 900 pound elk that slides 400 yards down a ravine), the real (most important) task to me is enjoying life, nature and coming home safely.

I'm partially paralyzed with sciatica and a bunch of scar-tissue so I just keep going out and doing as much as I can every year.
Even though the State of Oregon allows me to shoot from a parked vehicle, I chose flat trails to walk-on and make the best of it.

Oh listen, its 0001 2013 and the civilians are out shooting their guns; burning ammo.

Happy New Years!

For some people just being out in the feild calms ptsd down. Rather than dealing the commotion in the city.

I finally found serenity when I took up bowhunting as well as my trapping. Six months out of V Nam I was hunting public grounds. When all the shooting started I high tailed it to my truck and back home. Eventually I was able to go back out gun hunting BUT when there's a lot of shooting going on I'm on that edge that only a Vet can define its those times the woods takes me back to the jungle. Even bowhunting I have to check out every sound but that may be a good thing as it might be my deer.

I don't have much trouble now but back for a while after I returned to the "World", loud noises made me duck and seek cover. Those who had no experience thought it was funny or were just confused.
I was married when I went over, that only lasted a few more years, she just couldn't wait for me to be all together again, there was lots of that went around. It was like parts of my mind went into hiding. Been married to my current wife for 30 + years now, got it right this time.
Gut I am glad you found the best way for you and I hope the others who have those lingering "confusions" (for want of a better word) can find their way out of that "jungle".
Allen

What was funny to me is they had a "General Quarters" siren where I was stationed out of. Yeah like we needed to have a siren when we had incoming mortars etc.!!!!

I hear what your saying gutpile...our scud alerts were tornado sirens when I first came home and still to this day I hear a tornado siren I reach for my pro-mask.....getting better about it now but just instilled in my brain....