The way God intended.

[dan]

There are two distinctly different types of hunters in todays world.
Those driven by self promotion and greed.
and those driven by passion and adventure.

Hunters driven by passion and adventure care less about the kill, and more about the adventure.
They work hard to earn what they get, and would not have it any other way.
They believe the path to success far outweighs the kill.

Hunters driven by self promotion are looking for short cuts.
The easy way.
They would do anything to buy or kill a big buck.
They seek the big secret, or the magic pixie dust
and put more time into self promoting than they do hunting and scouting.

I feel bad for the self promoters cause they are missing out on the moment of awe the rest of us get every time we wander into the great wilderness.
They are missing out in helping others get there 1st buck, and share the magic...

I wish this sport could stay greed free, and magical... The way God intended.

[DaveT1963]

Well said Dan - the older I get just smelling the air out in the woods makes my heart come alive - living in a world of concrete and business - the sight and sounds of the wilderness bring restoration to my spirit.

[Bowhunting Brian]

That goes for just about anything in life.

[Ghost Hunter]

I agree 100% Dan.

[thepennsylvanian]

As with most things these days, hunting has become a fad it seems. As Dan put it, those looking for theagic pixie dust have created this robust industry of self promotion. As me and my house, i teach my girls that hunting isn't just killing because when can, but what we take away from hunting. Good post Dan!

[Chuck B]

Right on

[JakeB]

Very well said. Thanks

[thwack16]

Yes sir. Well said.

[bowfreak8]

Growing up watching Realtree, Drury's etc. It really had an effect on me. I'd put so much pressure on myself to kill a big buck i'd stop having fun hunting. I'd become obsessed and be in a bad mood all hunting season until I either killed or the season ended. Then when I did kill a good buck it seemed it never scored high enough.

It changed for me a few years back. I realized what you see on tv isn't real. You have to have a lot of land and money to do what they do. The essentially just farm deer.

Now I still hunt with the purpose of killing a mature buck but I don't let it get me down when I'm not having any success. It's suppose to be hard. If I killed a big buck every year and it was easy it wouldn't be fun. I'm also not expecting to shoot a 170 every year anymore. A good mature 130 is fine by me. If I don't kill it's OK. You see so much amazing stuff in the woods on a daily basis I just learned to appreciate it more.

[headgear]

As usual Dan well said! We sometimes get distracted by the hunting industry as a whole, so much better to get back to our roots and understand how amazing it is to be able to hunt these beautiful creatures and spend time away from the rat race. Some of my most memorable and amazing hunts are ones where the buck got away or where I run into other animals and see things so few get to see in this day and age.

[BradC36]

This can be applied to many aspects of life. Well said Dan.

[dan]

That goes for just about anything in life.

Indeed...

[dan]

To me there is nothing sadder than seeing a young man not even out of high school come up to me at a gas station and Tell me he is a big fan, and he shot his 1st buck with a bow, and then, make excuses for it being small... These kids should know that its not all about score and big bucks... My best memories are from chasing bucks around flinging arrows as a kid, just trying to kill anything. They are missing out on there childhood and the magic of hunting.

[magicman54494]

Well said Dan,
I know it is hard to understand when you are young and you have a burning desire to "succeed" but it is not all about a fast track to killing a big buck. It is also not about killing MANY big bucks.
There is a special peace in just letting it unfold. Each day, each hunt is something special. Enjoy each day. I will guarantee you that if you just relax and enjoy that your success will come.

[JRM KY]

To me there is nothing sadder than seeing a young man not even out of high school come up to me at a gas station and Tell me he is a big fan, and he shot his 1st buck with a bow, and then, make excuses for it being small... These kids should know that its not all about score and big bucks... My best memories are from chasing bucks around flinging arrows as a kid, just trying to kill anything. They are missing out on there childhood and the magic of hunting.

This is so so true dan. I talk about this all the time with a couple friends. They say how much fun it was when they were kids without expectations. Now they put so much pressure on theirselves to kill it's like a job. When someone in community kills I can see the frustration on their faces. To me this is one of the most humbling sports there is. Definitely must have confidence but when cockiness shows up you will be put in your place.