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Since we are just about done with Spring Turkey season, I figured I'd start a thread where we can all answer the question: What does being a hunter mean to you? I'll start: To me being a Hunter means being safe, ethical, respectful and responsible while participating in all aspects of hunting. But most importantly it means passing on good ethics and knowledge of hunting on to our youth so that they too can become ethical and responsible hunters.

Note: This is written as my own reflection and in no means am I questioning other people's reasoning behind why they hunt. For me, there isn't one reason why I hunt because I honestly have not found a single reason to why I hunt. There are a few possible reasons but let's be realistic, if you were trying to explain yourself with any single one of these reasons, they can counter your reason easily. 1. I WANT TO BE OUT THERE IN THE WOODS. Okay...but I can get that from hiking and camping. 2. I WANT TO EXPERIENCE NATURE. I can shoot nature with a camera more easily than I can with a rifle or bow. 3. I HUNT FOR FOOD. Let's get serious. It's not like if I don't come home with enough game, me and my family won't make it through the winter. Heck, with my novice skills, game meat makes such a insignificant part of my diet. 4. I WANT TO GET CLOSER TO MY FOOD SOURCE AND GET MY HANDS DIRTY. SO why don't you grow your own vegatables or raise your own livestock? Don't have the room or the means? Instead of going to the supermarket, you can go to a livestock market and purchase your chicken there. 5. I LIKE THE CHALLENGE OF SHOOTING A TARGET. I could do that at a warm and dry shooting range. Why take a life if all I want to do is hit a target? 6. I WANT TO BE A SURVIVALIST/OUTDOORSMAN. But yet, I'm not sitting around trying to weave baskets out of vines or trying to start a fire with two sticks. 7. I WANT TO SPEND TIME WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY. Oddly, I go hunting to get away from friends and family and destress. Sure, every once in a while I go out into the woods with friends and family and enjoy their company but it if I really want to spend time with friends and family, I organize a trip of some sort or I drive over to their place and have dinner. Besides, the only other person in my family who hunts is my brother and when we go together, we never talk. Our entire communication consists of eye contact, nods, and hand signals. So why do I hunt? While the seven reasons I just gave are not enough of a valid reasons individually but when combined, it gives me all the reasons I need. I go hunting because of all those reasons and I can't think of a better activity that I can do that will give me the joy, the relaxation, the feeling of appreciation, and the feeling of accomplishment as I do when I go hunting. PS: Note that I do not list trophy hunting as any of the reasons why I go hunting. PPS: Survivalist/Outdoorsman. I have a friend who is an investment banker. He once told me that if he had one regret is that he picked a career that offers no real skill of value. If all hell breaks loose and SHTF, a mechanic can fix cars. Doctors can heal people. Since all he can do is manage money and in a post-apocalyptic world money has no value, he would essentially be useless.

Its all about respecting the land and animals and taking only what you eat. For me its a way of life, saves money, and makes a person who they are and tests ones physical and mental fitness, not everyone can do what we do, sit in the woods in rain, snow or shine for hours on end, make the cleanest and most humain shot possible. As much as hunting is phyiscal it is as much mental, the hunt doesnt stop at the kill, it carrys on in memories, and follows through with tracking, cleaning, and sometimes making a mount for visual memories. Again, as i was raised, its a way of life, a way to get to know who YOU are as a person, while sitting out in the woods you have alot of time to think about things.

Thought this was pretty cool. God working magic on my food plot or maybe a pot of gold buried there!

Uncle Nicki - I like your timeline. It sure sounds like mine! In 1966 I purchased my first rifle a Rem 700 BDL 30-06, went hunting with my dad and shot my first deer in 1967. I was 17 then and over the years I have learned much from those that exemplified the true hunter. I passed the hunting exam in German and learned so much about the history of hunting from my mentor. I did shoot a nice Roebuck there. Then in Spain, although there was no hunting course, I did hunt mostly small game. The story goes on into Nebraska, Florida and now back in New York. The excitement for me is the HUNT...not the shooting. I also take great pleasure in mentoring beginning hunters no matter what their age is. Hell, I am 62 and still learning new things. LOL So, for me the HUNT is over when I pull the trigger and am successful. By the way, that 30-06 I bought was given to my son who now uses it. I am now using MY dad's gun, a Rem 700 BDL in .308 that he purchased new in 1963. One of the first .308's that Rem produced.

Commoon sense and government = oxymoron

For me personaly it is about enjoying nature and all it has to offer. Comradery amongst friends and respect for other hunters is highly valued. Safety is a factor I rule with a iron fist at our camp site and will not tolerate complacency. This is instilled on all hunters new and old and because of that fact, ONE hunter will not return next year... This safety is not just for the weapon, it is making sure we all come out of the woods safe and return home to our families so we can do it again next year. I instill fear in all hunters who enter the ADK where we hunt for every year someone gets lost and some never make it out, knowing your limitations is key!!! Two guys in my camp never go past 50 yards off any trail... Killing a deer is just the means to the end that I will not sacrafice on just any deer. Being that I go for mature deer I am considered by many a trophy hunter, yet age is more importiant than the rack to me. Most deer I go after are at least 2 1/2 or older. I am asked by many why I do not hunt on LI, I explain for me it is not the same as stalking the vast woods of the ADK or the open woods of the Catskills. The deer have huge racks on LI and many trophies come from Suffolk county yet the hunting is just not the same as the Catskills or many other NY hunting area's. Lyme disease scared me! I can not say I will never hunt LI as the short ride and thrill of hunting so close to home is tempting me this year!!! The more friends that go the better the fun. My family is not realy into hunting except one brother wich will only hunt the Catskills so our time together is limited but cherished... Sharing stories and knowledge with all hunters young and old is a part of hunting I will always enjoy! Just because I am older or have more experence than someone does not mean I can not learn from them! All hunters get to have thier own experiences and no two are exactly the same! Soon my best friend will bring up his son and two years after his brother. I hope to instill our passion for life, nature, the thrill of the hunting and the outdoors on them so they can appreciate all it has to offer!!! I just hope he gets his 1st deer before they do!!!!!!!!!! I pushed 2 doe into him last year yet the bucks were not around...

To me, hunting means spending time with family and friends. I look foward to walking through the woods with my children pointing out deer sign, watching them reel in their first smallmouth, and pointing out different types of birds that land by our bird feeder. I really enjoy the whole process of hunting from scouting, putting in food plots and hanging stands. I look forward to the ride upstate, stopping at the Stone Castle Inn for dinner, and getting the trailer ready for the weekend. I really enjoy the stories after the hunt and spending time with friends and family!!

I had the Openshot top for my Viper but got rid of it because I didnt like climbing without the bar. It was just like being in one of my hang ons though, very nice for bow hunting. If you already have a Summit climber, you can get the Openshot top and use it with your current bottom section.

A funnel & 20' of PVC tubing could things even nicer...................<grin>

Almost like they WANT to get in the freezer.........................<grin>

I got a new "button buck"coming up behind my camp and is about 100 yards away. Just right for bow season in a year or two! North Country!