Why Do You Hunt?

[Uncle Lou]

Il'' start.

I eat therefore I hunt. I love to eat meat. I wouldn't say that I survive off the land, but I would say that what I take from the land tastes better to me than what I get from the grocery store.

My favorite cut of meat is




And my second favorite is



I believe that hunting seasons are to trim the herds, the flocks, the extra animals before a long winter. Therefore, if I have a tag in my pocket I am trying to fill it. For deer, if it is bigger than a rabbit I am shooting. For the QDMR's I may be part of the problem; for those in TB country or other areas of overpopulated deer, I am part of the solution. I don't care. I bought the tag and the right to chase. When something ends up in front of me metal will be projected.

I have shot little deer, big deer; little turkeys, big turkeys; little pheasants, big pheasants; little squirrels, big squirrels; etc









I love the whole process of field to table. I cut my own meat and never heard anyone in my kitchen say that is gammey. Wild game is to be shared and enjoyed.

To the Hardcore mature buck hunter, I tip my hat. To the newcomer who wants to enter the sport and gets their first deer off a corn pile with a mentor, I tip my hat. To all the women hunters who have come into the sport, I tip my hat. To the tag filler- the meat hunter, I tip my hat. To the weekend warrior, who only hunts for a weekend or two, I tip my hat. To all those looking for an escape from the concrete jungle, and doesnt know where to turn other than a bike ride during gun season in a brown and white shirt (I actually saw this) I say be careful.

So what say you, Why do you hunt?

[dirt nap giver]

I hunt because I love sitting and enjoying nature without the demands of resposability. I am a responsible hunter, but I need a break from the day to day responsibilities. I eat meat, my kids eat meat. I hunt, because with out it I am afraid of the person I MIGHT be without it. I hunt to keep my sanity. I hunt to fill the freezer. I hunt to remember the moments by putting them on my wall. I hunt to teach myself and my family the rewards of hard work, dedication, and practice. I love it when our family sits down for dinner and we thank the one who has taken the time to kill, process and prepare the meal. To see the look on my child's face when their siblings thank them for their commitment to the family.

I could go on with my perspective, but like so many of us here, we all share the same feelings in some way or another.

I am a hunter, because of the lifestyle it gives. And I like who I am because I hunt.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Brad]

It is hard to describe, I will do my best to try. I simply enjoy trying to "beat" an animal on ITS turf. I like the challenge of trying to find new spots, confirm what I suspect, watch the animals be it game animals or not, and I enjoy the constant learning. I enjoy all the planning and thinking that goes into any hunt, even for squirrels. I enjoy getting new gear and finding ways to make my hunts more successful. I think about hunting multiple times every hour, every day of the year. I enjoy the camaraderie, the anticipation, the adrenaline rush, the times when things go wrong and I try to plan a new strategy and get back in the game. I do not hunt for the meat, I do not waste meat, it is simply icing on the cake, and I certainly do enjoy it. I also like to get new trophies to admire every single day. I hunt for horns and memories, I hunt to live. If I could not hunt, you might as well shoot me because I would be miserable every day for the rest of my life, it isn't something I do, its just who I am.

[xpauliber]

I hunt because....when I do, everything makes sense.

I was brought up hunting, but I didn't become a hunter until I learned to respect the game I pursued. Did I take the life of the animal, yes. But that animal also gave its life up. The kill is a bonus of the hunt. Everything leading up to the kill is part of the hunt and I try to soak up every last bit of it. To me, sitting in a tree stand alone and hearing the unmistakable crunch of leaves behind you that makes your heart race, or watching as red, yellow, & orange leaves fall like rain all around you from a big oak tree like it's done every fall for the past 50 years, or watching a squirrel gathering his harvest that will sustain him for the coming winter, that is all part of the hunt. It's what draws me back to the woods & allows me to make sense of everything.

I had my first BEAST style hunt this year where I setup on a bed located on a point. I didn't see anything but I freaking loved it!!! I finally felt like I was now HUNTING that animal. Before that, I would waltz into my area, sling up a tree and wait in ambush for something to come ambling by. Now, I had to stalk into my selected tree being ever mindful of every location that I placed my feet so that I didn't break a branch and alert the animal that I hoped was in the bed 80 yards away. My entry route was dictated by the wind direction which held up its end of the bargain and didn't shift towards the bed. When I finally made it to my tree, I then took extra precautions not to make any unnecessary noise. In order to accomplish that feat, I had to really slow down the pace that I made my set. When I finally got perched with my bow in hand, arrow knocked, and the wind kissing my cheek, I felt like a spider that had just finished weaving his web. I had an unprecedented level of anticipation on that hunt that I hadn't felt anytime outside of the rut. It's my mission to find at least 6 primary beds this spring to hunt this style for next fall.

In short, dirt nap giver summed it up pretty well: "I am a hunter because of the lifestyle it gives and I like who I am because I hunt."

[Liberty-Hunt]

First, I hunt because it's natural for me, it's buy instinct.
As far as I can remember, I always wanted to catch the animals.

Second, I like heat what I kill. No chemicals, antibiotic, artificial hormones on the wild meat.
It's a real pleasure for me to cut and make some dishes.

Thirdly, I feel free, really a part of the heath, a predator.
We can see the wild buy a prism where no one else can see.
It's a real deep and strong feeling that you are alive! Even if some time I don't kill when I can.
Or have some compassion/respect for my pray...
We, the human, we are the only one how can express that, with an other dimension then other predators.

I just love it!

[Swampthing]

It is hard to describe, I will do my best to try. I simply enjoy trying to "beat" an animal on ITS turf. I like the challenge of trying to find new spots, confirm what I suspect, watch the animals be it game animals or not, and I enjoy the constant learning. I enjoy all the planning and thinking that goes into any hunt, even for squirrels. I enjoy getting new gear and finding ways to make my hunts more successful. I think about hunting multiple times every hour, every day of the year. I enjoy the camaraderie, the anticipation, the adrenaline rush, the times when things go wrong and I try to plan a new strategy and get back in the game. I do not hunt for the meat, I do not waste meat, it is simply icing on the cake, and I certainly do enjoy it. I also like to get new trophies to admire every single day. I hunt for horns and memories, I hunt to live. If I could not hunt, you might as well shoot me because I would be miserable every day for the rest of my life, it isn't something I do, its just who I am.

Are you sure you wrote that Brad ? Or were you reading my mind ? Well said !

[ Post made via Android ]

[Uncle Lou]

Topnotch responses. "felt like a spider that just finished weaving his web" xpauliber that is rich stuff. Dirt nap giver sets the bar high out of the gate, brad follows strong, xpauliber provides too many quotes to quote, then Liberty writes a poem. Swampthing is as blown away as I am, he goes for a quote.

Love it

[Edcyclopedia]

Good thread - good responses.
I'm just a natural born killa

[Schultzy]

Great thread!!

x2 Lou on the heart!! Best part of any animal as far as I'm concerned!! Man that pic got me tummy just a growling!! I'll be honest though about the rest of the deer, minus the loins I'd rather eat beef.

Why do I hunt? Cause I absolutely love the outdoors. Being successful Is a huge high as well. The satisfaction I get from killing a deer/bear with my recurve Is 2nd to none. Nothing (minus my daughter) gives me more satisfaction. I used to get that satisfaction when I shot a compound but something just didn't seem right so I changed It up. So I could also say the challenge In the hunt Is also why I love hunting. I also don't have to be successful all the time. When on hunting trips If I get something It's just Icing on the cake. Just being out there and enjoying mother nature Is success Itself.

[phade]

Because, after all that is involved with hunting, the moment I sit down in the stand, or set up in the morning for a turkey in the spring....that first breath feels like nothing other. Deep, fresh, air. And with the challenge before me, comes peace and the fact that I know I did everything I can to kill what I set out to kill, or I acknowledge what "mistakes" I made or left open and how to learn from them.

Nothing, and I mean nothing, short of time with my family and very close friends, can come close to making everything right in my personal world. I really enjoy watching the sun come up from the treestand. The other thing I like, is walking out of the woods after an evening hunt...with just a hint of light ending over the horizon...you know the kind of light...just ever so barely visible. Might be empty handed that evening, but that walk out is nice.

I also enjoy the challenge/kill as I mentioned, as well as the sustinence.

If I couldn't be with my family/friends on my final day someday when I'm called upstairs, I hope my hunting buddy and family members find me propped up against a tree or in my stand. I'm sure I'll be smiling. And, after some sadness, I bet they'll smile, too.

[whitetail4ever]

Hard to explain in a short message, but here are some reason why I hunt:

I love the challenge
I love to sit in the woods and enjoy nature
It is a great tradition (one that my family never started unfortunately)
It is a humbling experience
There are always stories to tell about how the hunt went
Venison is unbelievably yummy
When you do connect on a buck, turkey, or any animal, nothing can match the "high" you feel

Some reasons, at least.

[muddy]

because its fun to get out and challenge myself against my quarry.

they also taste great.

[Autumn Ninja]

I'm not real sure why I hunt....I guess I just like being out there in the woods. I really dont even care if I kill anything or not. Might just start taking a camera with me and leave the bow at home. I just dont get excited about anymore, even when I'm killing.

[Stanley]

Love to hunt at my leisure. No more to add.

[gatorbait42]

I just enjoy being in the woods, nothing better than sitting there just enjoying the moment, seeing animals go about their daily routine. I have a very stressful job and it's just a way for me to relax on the weekends. If I kill something it's just a bonus.

[ Post made via iPad ]