Why do you do it?

[Bible Andy]

I hunt because God has given me a passion to do so. I love to explore the woods in and out of season, and the excitement I get when I get close to deer and turkey is unmatched in any of my other experiences. I don't necessarily like wild game more than store-bought meat, it is just a side benefit. I also don't just do it for the comradery, because I am perfectly fine with wandering around solo. I love to see a plan come together, whether it be a stand strategy or a set up for a small push. It gives me a great deal of satisfaction to see success in planning these out.

 

I also know that hunting can become too important in my life and I need to step back in order to prioritize. God has commanded us not to create idols before Him, and I need to make sure that hunting remains in the back seat to God, family, and friends. I know that hunting and my love for the outdoors will never completely satisfy me, and while hobbies are good in many ways, I strive to put my efforts in investing in things that are not perishable.

[wooly]

I have been reading these and trying to figure out just how to put it....there really is no way to explain it either it's in you or not...i don't hunt to kill things altho that has its bennifits as for filling the freezer or population control. But I live for Family, outdoors and motorcycles. That's what I work 40-60 hours a week for. When I get up at 5 to hit the stand and watch the sun come up and the birds start chirping and the woods get active it gets the blood pumping with or without target animals present. I have spent many many days in woods with friends and my dad and uncle and soon my son will join. It's a art it's a passion it's a skill to find what your looking for in either hunting or fishing or trapping. Pics will last a lifetime so please remember to take pics

 

Hey stoneam2006, you forgot your Squatch shot man,lol

[stoneam2006]

Hey stoneam2006, you forgot your Squatch shot man,lol

[chiefbkt]

To provide lean, delicious, unaltered meat for my family.

[Five Seasons]

Actually when I'm not focused on the act of hunting I'm usually thinking about work or home life. At one point i hired an employee from the stand last month. Idle mind usually leads me to not staying on stand or in the woods.

 

 

Thinking about work???? Maybe you are more numb than I thought... that's insane buddy!! The stand is suppose to get you away from that stuff... us older guys need to have a long talk with you.. young man..

 

I know what he means. Hunting is certainly an escape. But after hour 3 of sitting the mind will return to the things in life giving you stress. I too have made big decisions on how to handle issues at work, marriage and family while in the stand. It's a peaceful time to ponder and debate (gets scary between the ears sometimes) haha.

 

My heads on a swivel and I'm also thinking about how to motivate an employee. I assume this is more common for a manager. If I was blue collar I'm certainly not worried about making parts.

[First-light]

Hunting is my escape a place to let it all go for a few days. Talk about the outdoors, my camp and make some new friends. I have directed people for many years now. I make sure none of that enters my head when up at camp. Hell my boss comes up with his boy a few times a year and I can count on 1 hand how many times we talk about work. I shut work out and it works for me. It also depends what type of person you are and how you handle things, some people can't do this.

[Doc]

Some times we take ourselves a bit too seriously. It's a shame because life is way too short to cheat ourselves out of our own portion of it. In order to get myself re-centered, I often ask myself, just what will people think of my accomplishments 100 years from now. The answer always comes back that unless my name is printed on money, they likely won't even know who the hell I was. So I might as well make sure there is always time for me and my family because there's no 2nd go around on this thing called life. Keep the priorities all in the proper order.

[nyantler]

t it

I know what he means. Hunting is certainly an escape. But after hour 3 of sitting the mind will return to the things in life giving you stress. I too have made big decisions on how to handle issues at work, marriage and family while in the stand. It's a peaceful time to ponder and debate (gets scary between the ears sometimes) haha.

 

My heads on a swivel and I'm also thinking about how to motivate an employee. I assume this is more common for a manager. If I was blue collar I'm certainly not worried about making parts.

 

At your age I get it... I lived it... thought it all seemed important then too... then my son got leukemia at 14... we nearly lost him to a pneumonia caused by a MRSA infection during his treatment... other parents we got to know weren't so lucky with their children... believe me... there is nothing that has to do with your work that you can't handle during work hours... for all you young guys that are burning the candle at both ends... stop and take some time to think about what is really important in this life... it isn't money, It isn't that big promotion at work,  it isn't the acceptance of other people, it isn't who has the biggest or most stuff... slow down and enjoy the things and people you love... you really don't have much time to enjoy those things... I was 30 yesterday, I blinked... and now I'm 55... and now I never go anywhere or do anything without stopping somewhere along the way to smell the roses. I've learned that I have never had a bad day in my life... some are just not as good as others... when I thought I was having a bad day... I would think about those parents that lost their young child and realized my day wasn't really that bad at all.

[wolc123]

To me, every deer is a precious gift from God. I can think of no finer food than whitetail venison, and how awesome it was to be able to pursue it this season on some of the most beautiful land I have ever scene, or even after a short walk out my own back door. The Dr's told me this spring that I should have never saw 50, but Lord willing, I'll make that on Thursday. Right now, the only worry I have is to keep things right with someone else who was born on that day about 2014 years ago. Merry Christmas everyone and happy hunting however or why-ever you do it.

[stoneam2006]

To me, every deer is a precious gift from God. I can think of no finer food than whitetail venison, and how awesome it was to be able to pursue it this season on some of the most beautiful land I have ever scene, or even after a short walk out my own back door. The Dr's told me this spring that I should have never saw 50, but Lord willing, I'll make that on Thursday. Right now, the only worry I have is to keep things right with someone else who was born on that day about 2014 years ago. Merry Christmas everyone and happy hunting however or why-ever you do it.

My dad will hit 49 thursday after all his health problems it's a miracle and thank god daily for it....

[Elmo]

Many of the previous posters have already summarized the reasons as to why I hunt so I'll just repeat them in my own words.

 

There are 3 main reasons why I hunt.  To escape, the thrill of the chase, and to provide.  Neither one of those reasons is enough by itself to get me to hunt.  That is a very important point that is often missed.  As a matter of fact, if it was for any one of those reason by itself, it would even be ludicrous.  It is the combination of all three that ultimately leads me to pull the trigger.

 

To Provide:  Oddly, it is the least of my reasons.  There is certainly a joy of accomplishment when eating a meal that I know is extremely healthy and that I obtained myself.

 

The Thrill of the Chase:  This is something that can never be explained to someone who has not felt the heart pounding adrenaline themselves.  You simply have to experience it.  The adrenaline rush isn't limited to the chase itself.  I find my heart pounding even more after I pull the trigger.  Did I hit?  Was I successful?  Where's the deer?  It isn't until I am standing over the prize do the rush of excitement get washed over by the mixed emotions of sadness, joy, and content.  You don't get that kind of rush with a camera in your hand instead of a bow or firearm and you miss half of the excitement if you don't pull the trigger.  It is akin to a poker player playing cards without any money on the table.

 

To Escape: It really is about returning to our primal natural selves.  We, as a society built an armor over this primal being and often that armor gets ugly and tarnished.

 

Growing up in the city and poor, all I've ever known was bricks and concrete.  I use to remember sitting in the library and reading National Geographic magazines and imagining myself being that explorer.  I guess that was my primal voice calling me.  Wanting to be set free.

 

I still love the city (ridiculous gun laws aside) but every once in a while, I need to escape it.  The primal part of me is what decided the woods would be my escape.  It's what makes me curious to see what lies beyond the next ridge.  Looking for a nice place to call home for the next few hours.  When I get to this place.  A place where there are no one else around that will judge me, I begin to shed that armor.  Piece by piece.  Great words from a not so great man, "Without destruction, there can be no construction."  It isn't until my entire armor is gone that I begin to construct a new one.  I guess that is what phade and belo mean when they say we make some of our best work/personal decisions while out hunting.  Often times our decisions are swayed by many lingering residue in our subconscious and my subconscious gets a spring cleaning after several hours in the woods.

Edited December 26, 2014 by Elmo

[fisher2]

food first and foremost, second is the thrill of the chase

[Doc]

That "thrill of the chase" reason, is all about the true predatory nature of man that we all like to hide and disassociate with. But the fact is that humans are predators and we do like the chase part of the hunt. And yes, there is a lethal component to it all also. We don't do "catch & release". There is a finality to what we do, and it is just as natural to us as it is to any of nature's predators. As much as we try to flee our natural instincts and pretend that we are not part of nature's systems and balances, there are always going to be our little core minority of hunters who choose honesty and refuse to pretend that we are something we are not.

[Four Season Whitetail's]

That "thrill of the chase" reason, is all about the true predatory nature of man that we all like to hide and disassociate with. But the fact is that humans are predators and we do like the chase part of the hunt. And yes, there is a lethal component to it all also. We don't do "catch & release". There is a finality to what we do, and it is just as natural to us as it is to any of nature's predators. As much as we try to flee our natural instincts and pretend that we are not part of nature's systems and balances, there are always going to be our little core minority of hunters who choose honesty and refuse to pretend that we are something we are not.

I cant find the thrill of the chase unless i can find 1 single mature animal i want to harvest and go chase that animal until i harvest it. I dont see the thrill of just chasing "any" deer. That seems and is to easy for many. Thats the nice thing about living where we do. We still have the right to hunt where we want and for whatever reasons suit us best!

[Doc]

The "thrill of the chase" is an individual thing. The predatory nature of hunting takes many different forms. It is only one component of why most hunt, but I don't think there is anything very competitive in it except as regards the competition with the prey.

[bubba]

So I can come to sites like this and be told I am not doing it right and called assorted names.  (JK)  I enjoy the time away form the world as the woods is my sanctuary.  Sitting alone in the woods is about ac close to perfect as it seems I can get.  I also enjoy the camaraderie of family and friends at camp.  I also truly enjoy helping a new hunter get into the sport, and be successful.   

[Five Seasons]

I cant find the thrill of the chase unless i can find 1 single mature animal i want to harvest and go chase that animal until i harvest it. I dont see the thrill of just chasing "any" deer. That seems and is to easy for many. Thats the nice thing about living where we do. We still have the right to hunt where we want and for whatever reasons suit us best!

Satisfaction comes in many forms. Harvesting a doe in NY was never much of a thrill. I had great private land with years worth of scouting "handed" to me. Moving 16 hours south and scouting a few weekends of public land and doing it all from scratch...by myself and then finally after many weekends getting a doe was a huge rush. Accomplishment isn't just in the score of the rack.

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[Elmo]

Satisfaction comes in many forms. Harvesting a doe in NY was never much of a thrill. I had great private land with years worth of scouting "handed" to me. Moving 16 hours south and scouting a few weekends of public land and doing it all from scratch...by myself and then finally after many weekends getting a doe was a huge rush. Accomplishment isn't just in the score of the rack.

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Much is to be said of someone who can pick a small fruit from an old dying tree than someone who can pick a giant fruit from an orchard.

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[Four Season Whitetail's]

Satisfaction comes in many forms. Harvesting a doe in NY was never much of a thrill. I had great private land with years worth of scouting "handed" to me. Moving 16 hours south and scouting a few weekends of public land and doing it all from scratch...by myself and then finally after many weekends getting a doe was a huge rush. Accomplishment isn't just in the score of the rack.

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I agree. Although i did not mention size,sex or antler score in my response it does take a little something special to float my boat. To beat just any deer is not really satisfaction for some in the stage they ate in of their hunting lives. Now to match wits with a mature deer,one on one on its turf is something special on its own. The antlers only gives you a vision to look at so you know you are dealing with the same animal. But in this case it would have to be male,mature and the more bone the better.

I mean if i see say 3 mature bucks on a piece of ground i would have to go after the highest scoring one but cant say i would let one of the other 2 walk if they happened by as i was after the biggest one. Its nice that we all have a choice.

[adkbuck]

My Reasons for Being a Hunter:

1. Hunting keeps me out of trouble.  (I am my own biggest problem and my biggest source of problems)

2. Hunting and time spent outdoors makes me the best version of myself and enables me to help and support others.  

3. Hunting refreshes my soul.  It brings me closer to God and increases my appreciation for those who I live with.  Check out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn2_yZt0exU

4. Time in the wilderness or semi-wilderness restores my attitude and makes me understand my own smallness in the grand scheme of things.  It reawakens a right sense of humility. 

5. It is a ritual.  Rituals are important for us and keep us focused on enduring values rather than the political noise and materialism of the modern world.

6. Hunting helps me supply my family with good food. Butchering and sharing my deer and small game is also an important part of the ritual and one that I savor.

7.  It provides me with happy memories which give me peace and happiness.  All hunts provide a sense of peace and joy, no matter the outcome.