What Does Being A Hunter Mean To You?

[bubba]

Pygmy you nailed it.

[Deerthug]

You certainly did nail it on the head Pygmy!

[Doc]

So far, I guess most of the replies play some part in my enjoyment of hunting, but for me there are some other elements that have made hunting a huge part of my life.

There is a huge traditional aspect that hooks into history and our American culture (yes, we Americans do have a culture). I generally feel a bit of a link to all that, and actually it was some books about mountain men and early pioneers and their hunting activities that first interested me in hunting, fishing, trapping and all things that involve nature. Yeah, it sounds a bit hokey, but when I am out hunting, there is always those thoughts of ancestors basically doing the same thing, perhaps for different reasons, but it is a cultural thing that we all share with early Americans and even their predecessors.

Also, I have to believe that there is a connection with our basic place in the food chain and ecosystem as a predator. We may not want to call ourselves predators, but the truth is that we as a species have always taken on the role and existance of a predator, and it may very well be a more basic genetic reason for our attraction to hunting. Quite possibly it is built into our DNA. Perhaps it is more natural and honest to acknowledge that link than those that try to bury it and pretend that we have evolved beyond such things.

Also, there is some element of independance built into the activity. Anything that demonstrates an ability to fend for ourselves as individuals has some kind of appeal for me. It's like gardening. I wouldn't starve if I didn't put in a garden, and I wouldn't starve if I didn't hunt. But the fact that I can provide for myself to one extent or another does add a feeling of self-reliance. The honing of these kinds of survival skills does help establish some level of independance.

So perhaps there are some more deeper reasons why we hunt than just hanging out in the woods. maybe it's also a lot of stuff about how we are built and designed.

[Deerthug]

Well stated Doc!

[Pygmy]

Doc... Humans as predators...??...

ABSOLUTELY..!!..

We are at the very TOP of the food chain...

Without firearms ( and maybe including bows and arrows) we would be below the big bears and perhaps the black bears and cats, but since we HAVE firearms, we are a notch or two above the most powerful carnivores on the continent..

Nothing wrong with that...

[sg0331]

I think I can relate a little bit to every answer so far, but let me see if I can explain another one of my reasons in a manner that can be understood. The thrill of the hunt fills a hole in my soul that has been quenched only through combat. Stalking a deer or still hunting is just as patrolling to an objective. Setting up in a tree stand or blind is just as setting in an ambush. The thrill and adrenaline is immeasurable for me.

However, that is where the similarities stop. I do not hunt out of hatred or anger for the “enemy”, plus deer do not shoot back. I do hunt to provide food for my family, the camaraderie, and the solitude of yourself and nature. At times, it is just as rewarding to become a part of the environment as it is to harvest a deer. I have had birds land on me and squirrels run over me while sitting in stand. No matter how cold it gets, it is always awesome to be out in the woods.

For a combat vet, hunting and being in the woods is the most therapeutic remedy to date! Plus, deer taste way better than Al Qaeda…I’m just saying.

[Doc]

How about the element of competition? It always seems that it is me against the prey. We have a bit of a competition going with a winner and a loser. As the saying goes, "Sometimes you get the bear and sometimes the bear gets you".....lol. That's competition.

[nyantler]

I have to admit that the competitive part is also part of what drives me to hunt. Trying to outsmart an animal in it's own element is very challenging... as I have gotten better at it I have changed the rules to make it a bit more difficult and increase the challenge. The whole shooting bigger antlered bucks is much more about creating more of a challenge than anything for me... the harder I make it on myself to take a buck the higher it blows my skirt up and the greater the reward when I'm successful.

[NFA-ADK]

All great answers!!!

With the exception of being on top of a moutian or open water, I get no greater feeling then when I am in deep woods, ANY deep woods. It's self reflective nature rejuvinates and refreshes the soul and makes me feel at one with nature.

Wow Joe did not know you wore a skirt!!! LOL j/k Set yourself up for that one!

So true about the competitive part. Those old bucks are old for a reason! Limiting your advantage makes it even more challenging thats for sure!

I wanted to use my bow during rifle season yet I fear IF I get a 3rd ADK buck during rifle season with a bow, my hunting partners might turn on me! So now I do a solo early bow trip lol.

[defrazzle]

Seems we all have our reasons "what a hunter" means to us. I can associate with just about all the reasons given by all. Some days one reason is more important to me than the other and in retrospect, as I have gotten older and possibly wiser, the "what it means" to me changed with the years. I hunt because I can and because it brings out a primeval sense in me that I don't get working in an office! It's me against me. I hope I never loose that feeling!

[TreeGuy]

I only hunt so I can join forums like this....lol

Harvest and eat ( fresh back straps ), conservation, being in the woods, family and friend time, memories, the possibility of a trophy, peaceful mornings and amazing sunsets, and my list could go on. We all have different reason but to me the best time is time in the woods.

[adkbuck]

Seems there are many reasons why we hunt. Its pretty hard to single out which one is prezactly the main reason.

[defrazzle]

Seems there are many reasons why we hunt. Its pretty hard to single out which one is prezactly the main reason.

Exactly!!

[Doc]

Seems there are many reasons why we hunt. Its pretty hard to single out which one is prezactly the main reason.

But we sure have listed a bunch of them on this thread. Sometimes it's good to just sit back and think about some of these things. In fact, the stuff on these two pages pretty much shows that we're not just bunch of kill-crazed individuals, and that the whole hunting experience is a very honorable and well thought out endeavor that is a whole lot more complex than any of the anti-hunters would try to make people believe. I think it's pretty interesting stuff.

[ELMER J. FUDD]

I love waking up earlier than the rest of the world. I love the road trips upstate. The feeling of walking into the dark, just me, my gun, and I. Braving the elements and winning. Just knowing that I'm doing what my dad, all my uncles, and grandfathers did, makes me whole. I love the sound of a harsh wind through the trees. Watching the leaves fall as winter makes its presence. There's nothing like finding that perfect spot that you only see on a christmas card.

[PostedBoys Gallego]

Hunter = Provider to me