The Tragic Event That Caused Me To Stop Hunting… 

I don't care if others don't want to hunt but I object to others deciding for me that I am some kind of monster for hunting and that is exactly the society we are in. I do find it a little ironic that people who are militant against hunting don't mind eating what someone else has killed on their behalf.

I’m 72,I’ve hunted all my life and still do.I love it!! To each his own

Much respect to you. I’m the same way, grew up hunting a lot. Also grew up on a farm with death every spring. I love wild game, I love fish and love every meat there is. I’ve butchered, killed and everytbing in between, as age comes on I cannot do it anymore. Cheers to you for coming out and saying this. NO shame at all

I'd much rather eat Deer 🦌 Burgers I cook at home than McDonald's The difference is very clear

Thanks for opening up about it and crazy how similar our childhood was, beef slaughter and all. I lost the will to take a life around 5 years ago after 40 years of hunting. I’ll eat venison and all meat but I can’t do the “deed” anymore. Thanks again.

My story follows your Randy. Nothing against hunting, I just came down from my tree stand and thought to myself I don't want to do this anymore.

The last deer I killed…..dropped like a rock. I walked over and his eyes were glazed over. All I could think was, “man, he was just walking along grazing. Now he’s dead.” Never shot another. I went for a few more years, mainly just watching and eventually realized I just didn’t want to kill anything anymore.

Fishin, huntin' you are death You are the predator. Other predators tear game animals apart live. We at least have the decency to kill em' first. Me I don't shoot no more either, and I respect all the life out there. Whether it was compound bow, or my .22 I never shot any game over fifty feet away with it. some people kill bass in their livewell & think nothing of it. If a bass dies in my livewell, I consider it a personal failure.

I have hunted and fished for 50yrs....I love hunting deer and turkey as much maybe more than bass fishing.......You can be a trophy hunter without the ego that you mentio.....Theres stages huters go through, and as we age and succeed at harvesting game, we observe the animal more, let smaller ones go, and take only the larger racked deer, as they are older wiser and more difficult to kill....the kill becomes harder to accept, and appreciation is more important and as you consume the animal at the table. God put these animals here for us to eat and enjoy......i get the sadness every one I kill and walk up to.....But my effort justifies the harvest. And the animal is never wasted....

You're an honest & decent bloke Randy. All the best mate.

Excellent video. I used to hunt, I stopped when I was sitting on a stump on a logging trail. This whitetail doe came walking up the trail towards me. She kept coming and bedded down just opposite of me on the other side of the trail. Not more then 10 to 15 feet away. The more I watched her as she lay there, the more she started to remind me of a dog. After 45 minutes she got up and walked away. I walked out of the woods and that was it, I was done hunting.

I couldn't agree more with Randy on this view point. I've hunted and killed many animals before I said, I don't enjoy killing animals....why am I doing this? Just so I can show someone a picture of an animal with antlers......dumb. I bought a good DSLR (camera) and find it much more rewarding to photograph these animals than to kill them. Randy is absolutely fearless expressing his opinions on such controversially topics, lol. This opinion can't be a popular on a fishing channel!

With all due respect, you fish for the biggest fish to win a tournament. You yourself have said how many of the fish caught in a tournament die from the stress of being caught, hauled around all day, weighed in, etc. Most trophy hunters go for a quick kill, and that animal is eaten. What about the 10 pound bass that gets released after the tournament and barely swims off just to die the next day and go to waste? I’ve fished tournaments for years and I am an avid whitetail hunter myself. I believe in taking ethical shots and keeping my fish in good shape to be released. However saying what you said about trophy hunting could easily be applied to tournament fishing. Just my take on it.

I don't have the heart to kill any animals anymore.I grew up in a big hunting,fishing culture.Most kids by the age of 14,15 were good seasoned hunters.My dad,when I got home from school,frequently would tell me to go hunt supper and don't come back until I had what he wanted.Though I loved hunting, being made to hunt on demand sucked the love of hunting out of me.I love watching nature much more than killing it.

I’ll say this though….animals spend their entire life eating, and trying to avoid being caught and slowly killed by another animal. If it lives long enough, it will get sick and slowly starve and/or dragged down by coyotes, etc. At least if it’s a decent, ethical hunter, the death is quick.

Sorry man, if that damaged you so bad, you REALLY should not eat meat, period. The fact someone can eat meat killed by someone else but is not willing to kill themselves is pitiful.

I would miss the Outdoors to much to quit Hunting. I was taught by my Father and Grandfather. I have hunted for 58 years and will continue to watch the Sun Rise and hear the wind on the wings of Ducks and the flush of a Pheasant behind a good Dog. I will say as one ages it’s more about the time outside and time with friends and family. Yes I love Wild Game to eat as my Mothers Pheasant Dumplings was awesome as is Deer meat.

There’s more deer in America now than ever before in history. 100 years ago there was around 200,000 deer. Fast forward to today there are over 25,000,000 deer. Population explosion. The reason being we unfortunately removed all the predators (wolves and cougars). We actually need hunters otherwise the deer will further decimate native plants to the point of ecosystem collapse which threatens other native animal species as well.

thanks for sharing your experience. i really appreciated the notes on the satisfaction of observation nature towards the end

Thanks for sharing your story. I feel the same way. Cheers.

No doubt that one experience is reflected in your protective instinct on conservation today. Very good video and life lesson here.

My dad had a similar experience during a goose hunt. I hunt a lot but I have a ton of respect for that kind of heart.

Best video of the year.

I grew up on big ranch here in Northern California, started hunting about 7 on my ranch, kept the freezer full along with the farm animals we butcherd, thought it was all great until one day I was shooting cans and a coyote ran into a field near by, I quickly shot towards him and heard the thud and yelp. I followed the blood forever and never found it. As I pictured that animal somewhere dying, it changed me, broke my heart. So now I still go hunting with my buddies but I don't do any killing. They think I'm nuts but I love it. Thanks Randy

Nice. Appreciation for living things. Hopefully, everyone gets to that point their life.

That squirrel probably didn’t chew his leg off, a predator probably ate him and left the leg for ya.

Pheasant and Quail are too delicious and the friends & family getting together on opening day are some of my best memories. I stopped big game for the same reasons as you did. Good video Randy Over

Neither my dad or Grandpa hunted so I didn't grow up with anyone to teach me or get me into it. This is my first year to start deer hunting, already have my 6 tags ready to go. I think I'll probably just harvest 3 this year. That should hold us over pretty good I think. I just got done assembling my ar10 chambered in 308 a month ago. Its zeroed & ready. I also started raising hogs for my family after COVID. I've fished as long as I can remember, I have my Grandpa to thank for getting me into that. He took fishing all the time.

I understand your feelings If any hunter ever says that they never wounded a deer or lost one -they are either lying or haven’t hunted long. Personally- I strive to always make a quick ethical kill but sometimes it just doesn’t happen. I do want to kill a big buck-one worthy of a place on my wall so I’m not just killing deer. I do spend hours just watching and learning. All that said- I have a desire to hunt-I love it It’s an instinct that is strong in many people I don’t have to kill something to be successful in the field-the experiences I have cannot be replicated any other way. Anyway we must realize that if you are omnivorous you cause the death of something -directly or indirectly..

To each their own. Im an avid bird hunter and probably won't ever stop. I have a son and hes very allergic to the idea of killing an animal. I think thats a healthy instinct and I always tell him im proud of him for being so intelligent and empathetic.

If it weren’t for outdoorsmen, especially hunters, there would be very little management of all wildlife resources. Fact

Great video. I quit hunting for similar reasons. I don’t need the meat and would rather watch the wildlife in my pastures than take its life for the bragging rights. Thanks for posting this video Randy.

Randy your decision to stop hunting is honestly pure and admirable. But I think you could have used that experience to have made yourself and others better hunters. I myself was never brought up hunting and I started when I was in the army. My 1st deer was not a 1shot one kill episode either. But This is what I took away from my experience.. I promised myself that I would strive to consistently shoot 5 straight shots in a tight 2” grouping before I went back out hunting. I myself have 2 nice looking buck mounts that I’ve gotten in the years after that. I don’t hunt for trophies. My main objective is to get meat for my family so that I don’t have to keep buying it. I don’t see anything wrong with keeping the trophies as a reminder. Native Americans kept them also by taking scalps. Yes there are many reasons you can come up with of why. But it still doesn’t change the fact that they did take them. I believe that your choice is just that and don’t begrudge anyone for that. But at the same time please don’t place judgment on others that choose differently.

Randy, I totally agree with you on hunting property being gobbled up by greed. The problem I know from talking to my farmer friends in Wis. or my son that runs a ranch in Montana. The owners are between a rock and a hard spot. 1. Their son's and daughters wish not to farm or ranch and wish to go to the cities to work. 2. A developer offers a large sum of money to purchase the place. This money is probably more than they have ever made in their lifetime. What would you do? Sad but it happens every day. They can't work the land and the family doesn't want to.

We need young people to hunt. It is a God given rite of human kind, imbued with the sacred imperative to survive. Any young person who wants to should hunt. It provides huge benefits ecologically , psychologically, and instills respect for the animals themselves. Hunters are the only group who have put their money into wildlife management. Failure to understand why we hunt is a failure to understand where we came from. I know hunters who have a damn site more sense than a bunch of city pretties who love nothing more than the sound of their own voice. One cannot, in my estimation, be truly intelligent if one runs away from the elemental things that God placed in our world and with which we had to deal in order to survive, and then to prosper. Anti hunting sentiment is a virtue signaling opportunity for people who have no grasp of what real life is. They live in a world that to all intents and purposes, is canned.

You're good people Randy.

Sir Randall you are respected for having a good soul

Agree one hundred percent Thanks for the great story, Randy

Archery hunting this happens alot. Love to trophy bull hunt. Bueatifull Animal

❤ Have you ever thought of working with a youth group of sorts? You could make a great counselor, mentor, educator,... Share your wisdom with those who don't have a positive influence in their lives. Most important, keep up the good fight!

I was raised by a dad who hunted so I did too. Like you I lost my stomach for it. Things are different today and hunting is not needed for most.

I’ve never hunted but always fished. For the past 20 years I’ve stopped keeping fish. Now I just catch and release because I just don’t want to kill anything. But, I don’t feel the same about insects.

Great story Randy I support you. I don't hunt I only fish 👍🏻

Randy you can choose to not hunt anymore. As for me, I will always continue to hunt and enjoy the time outdoors (the kill is not the only reason), the hunt, and time with family or friends enjoying God's gift of game. I love the challenge & the venison! Same goes with fishing for both the mystery and challenges and the fish to eat. My grandfather was like you & eventually stopped hunting. My Dad never stopped and planned on hunting more had he not had health issues that prevented it. Now I hunt with their rifles & carry on our families legacy. Deer season will be here soon but until then there are a lot of fish to catch!

If TRUMP don’t win you better get ready to hunt again

All the "trophy" hunters I know respect the animal at the highest level and do the most to provide superior habitat and food. A lot of time, money and effort is put into creating this for deer. Ask me how I know. To each their own.

we've all been there...i've aged out of it now after 40 years of hunting. just doesnt do it for me anymore. now i fish more

Woods and water, wouldn't have it any other way. Great story Randy

Funny how you talk about fishing in your hunting story lol. 10 pound buck. Fishing in the field. Lol nice. Yeah stck to fishing randy.

I absolutely understand what you mean.. My pawpaw and grandaddy where born in 1921 and 1924. Both ww2 vets. I'm only 42 so they were pretty old when I came along. We hunted tho cuz that's what we did but I remember my Pawpaw telling me Rob back when we were kids do you know how I know the Great Depression was over?.. Me and my brothers were outside in a circle talking and a big ole rabbit started running thru the yard and nobody was trying to kill it!😂

I went on my last Hunting Trip last year . After 50 years . I finally hung it up . The only reason why I'll ever go again is if it's absolutely necessary ✌️🏹✝️😊

I quit hunting back in 1978 when I shot myself. Dang that hurts.

That’s why we have so many young men sitting behind a computer, and not learning a thing about being a man. Young men must learned the good and bad lessons in life, and come to know the difference. They won’t learn them sitting behind a computer screen play games. They never have to look the deer in the eye!

I commend you for recognizing the consequences of your actions and then committing to change. If more Americans had this capability the country would be a very different place ...

I don't give a shit about a trophy. I just wanna feed my family quality meat, that we enjoy eating. I released all my biggest largemouth bass also. Instead of killing & mounting my 11.4 I got good pictures, length, girth, weight & had a replica made

Had pretty much the same experience. Took a shot I shouldn’t have and injured a pronghorn. Got up to it and it was trying to get up and run. Just looked pitiful and made me feel a certain way. That was it for me. Can’t bring myself to do it anymore.

I get tired of guys that talk about planting clover plots and using corn feeders on their land to entice the deer to eat there. Then, in season they post pictures of their “hunting” day kill when all they did was sit in a tree and kill the deer they fed all summer.

Good Story Randy

I hunt because the food in the store is full of poison and I try to limit that as much as possible.

My grandfather told me a similar story. Huge hunter and he killed a baby deer who looked him in the eye and was crying. He never hunted again. I dont hunt but fish and at 55 years old the best feeling I get is releasing a nice fish I caught. I do still keep to eat, but its getting harder and harder to be honest.

Good one! Grandfather's lessons to Tom Browne are invaluable. And yes that's 100% science is not taking the best genetics out of the population.

hey randy know how you feel thanks for sharing

My dad was a depression era guy, and fought in WW2. I don't think he liked to kill things other than animals harmful to our livestock due to his experiences in combat in the Pacific. We had a big farm for us to hunt and fish on, but we had to learn the skills from people other than him. Fortunately, we have a hometown locker that can make venison taste great in a hundred different products.

I feel for you. I hunted when I was young for food. Hunted up until last year. I'm 74 now. I never shoot unless I know I get a fast kill. I won't hunt anymore because I just can't insure my shot.

If it's just about the hunt then you have missed the point. For me it was about family and friends and the great .memories created that I still talk about today. It was never the kill.

Amen so true

So how many fish have you killed?

Back in the 80's a good bow season was I saw six and missed one.

Hunting pays for a a lot of wildlife conservation. I do think ethical hunting is important and should be taught at a young age.

I've never hunted in my adult life, but killed a lot of creatures when I was a kid for no damn reason. I'm glad I grew out of it. I feel a lot of shame looking back on it now. In my 20's, I caught my first 7lb bass and had it mounted. I regret it every time I look at it now. I actually don't even have it hanging up anymore. I'll take game if I have to feed myself, and had to do it.

Trapping is cruel, no way it is not unless the trap expires the animal.

I love to fish and release 99% of my catch . I can’t hunt not because I think it’s wrong but it just doesn’t feel right for my soul! Many of my friends hunt and eat everything they kill and they have respect for the animals they go after. I wish all hunters and fisherman would show a respect for game we pursue and know we’re blessed in this country to have the freedom to do so!!!

That's why I love fishing, you can win the battle and watch the fish swim away. Hard to do that with a dead deer. 😉

I hear ya man, I never made a sketchy shot but still got tired of all the blood and death stuff too, none of my get it, I’d rather just bass fish now

honoring the belated birthday of your father thanks for sharing that photo on IG i would feel the same way you did about the event i couldn’t imagine having to rectify that situation that would be my worst fear

Thanks for sharing your personal story Randy. You told it like I was right there with you during your experiences. However, I do not agree with feeding the deer. Legality or not, they start depending on your feeding rather than foraging for themselves. Good video!

I am on the same wave link!

Might as well get a deer or 2 here in OK. They are not the best hood ornaments. Everything you eat, Dies. Whether you shoot it or not. I'm not a Trophy Hunter. Grown is good enough for me. We process our own. I grew up Wing Shooting and Competition Archery. Training English Setters. Over the Years my Desire to Hunt has started fading. My Taste for Quality Venison has not. The cost of Beef is outrageous now a days. You should leave critters alone if you're not going to eat them. Unless they are a nuisance. Like Wild Pigs destroying your crops and fields. God Bless, C.

Watch the seek one video on the Ellis family. Hunting is healing! Happened here in Alabama super sad. Makes you think of all the safety aspects for sure!

I was big into bow hunting…. Spined a deer…. Had to really think if I wanted to do that again. Then it hit me… I would get aggravated putting down my rod to go have to get in a tree.

The same thing happened to me when I was squirrel hunting , still remember like it was yesterday and it was over 30 years ago , let me just keep it short , I have not been squirrel hunting since

So what was your answer to your dad when he correctly questioned why did you want to kill a defenseless animal when you didn't need the food?

Not really my thing either. Thanks for the story.

My first deer was a 4 point buck with my step dad at like 8 years old with a .260 and I don’t recall where the bullet hit it, but we chased it about a mile and then he told me to shoot it again after we walked up on it for the 3rd time. Shot it in the head and it was a wrap for me after that. I became a hunter. Have killed one every year at least since. They all ended up in the freezer. Got lucky one year and got a nice buck when I was 18 and he got it mounted for me. I only ever missed one, and hit another one in the spine. The one I hit in the spine got away, somehow could only find hair at the location of the shot. It was just gone after that. I made sure to zero in my gun every year after that.

I don’t kill anything unless I need the meat, which isn’t that often because my family hunts and I just get meat from them

I own 7sections in Texas (not high fence) thats been in my family 5 generations and have worked my ass off to keep it as well as beat off all the Windfarm and Solor developers who are raping the land just as much as the housing developers. Ive hunted that country 50 years and have grown out of it in the last 5 years. Ive managed to preserve and improve the wildlife habitat and its an amazing piece of ground. Its ass deep in deer and i grow some big ones. I still manage and only allow my son to take 7 year old bucks or older. Why? Because when he gets old and becomes week the other deer will run him off or beat him to death. Im not against hunting anymore i just emjoy more preserving the habitat and providing the wildlife a good home. I guess our prioritys do change over time .

So its ok for a cow but not deer

What is intergelical?

A trophy animal has meat on it too!

U just last winter picked up a really nice compound bow and learned to shoot. Im pretty good at shooting and am prepared for my first hunt this season and im not sure how i feel about it. I love shooting but u dont think im going to like hunting as much as i imagined i would. Idk. I guess im gonna find out soon enough.

Born and raised in the south where hunting was just a way of life growing up as a country kid. Maybe I’m just getting soft with age but I just lost interest in killing, especially as Randy mentioned, we don’t need it for food. I don’t begrudge anyone hunting, it’s just not for me anymore.

Randy, we may go full circle on this one. If the economy gets back to 1933 levels, we may all have to become hunters and fisherman again? But we will do it ethically like Fred Bear.

I used to love hunting as well...i gave it up about 20 years ago. If i had to do it to survive i would tho

Maybe another critter ate the squirrel because it couldn't get away. Either way traps are pretty sick.

Everything has a soul

We knew you killed Bambi’s mother and that you were soft on hunting. Nowadays you project your guilt on anyone who threatens to kill Bassbi’s mom.

This video finally did it for me I’m not going to watch any of your content anymore. You keep dropping blue colored breadcrumbs.

I've never been a hunter. Especially with large game. I don't need a deer to survive or feed a family, so I don't hunt. I believe we are meant to be caretakers of these animals and this world we live in. Most people don't "hunt" anyway. They sit up in a tree or stand and wait. That's not hunting, that's sitting up in a tree stand and waiting. Just like looking at a screen isn't fishing, it's looking at a screen, and waiting. You're not actively doing anything. You're not "fishing" for something.

I think maybe if you had been brought up bow hunting that may be you would have a different outlook As a veteran Hunter, we tried to make things easier for the youth and give them tips and tricks and really looking back on it. I don’t think we should. I think the kids should do it the hard way and the right way and learn overtime. 🇺🇸👍

😢Randy, i sent you a super thanks and comment but dont see it posted here. Did you get it?