So what the heck are you doing out there?

[Doc]

So there you are, sitting in the woods, shivering from the cold, Maybe rain slowly soaking through your clothes or snot dripping from your frozen nose, Playing all kinds of mind-games trying to ward off the creeping boredom, and having spent all kinds of money and time on expensive gear, just so you can kill something. What makes you do it? What's the addictive motivation for this illogical behavior? Why do you hunt?

[Jeremy K]

Spend time with my dad 

Visit my best friend for the weekend

See if I can figure out and outsmart the deer 

That adrenaline rush if I happen to outsmart and they coming my way.

The meat in the freezer 

In no particular order.

[wolc123]

I don't do it.  That is what nice, comfortable, enclosed blinds are for.

[Caveman]

I could wax poetic about being part of a long tradition, the camaraderie of deer camp the night before the opener, feeding my family nutritious venison, communing with nature, or the incomparable adrenaline rush I experience whenever I see a deer.  

Instead, I'll give you the short answer.  Because it's worth it.  

[Lawdwaz]

30 minutes ago, Jeremy K said:

Spend time with my dad 

Visit my best friend for the weekend

See if I can figure out and outsmart the deer 

That adrenaline rush if I happen to outsmart and they coming my way.

The meat in the freezer 

In no particular order.

I'll add that one of the best parts is just being in THEIR element and enjoying all the sights and sounds of nature. Maybe it's the ocasional black squirrel, the red tail hawk swooping through the trees, the red squirrel chasing the gray squirrel, the crazy rutting activity, getting to see your first (happened to me this past fall) black bear from the tree stand or even just enjoying the heck out of watching the black capped chickadee dancing from branch to branch.

Those are the things at the top of my list...........

[Doc]

33 minutes ago, Caveman said:

I could wax poetic about being part of a long tradition, the camaraderie of deer camp the night before the opener, feeding my family nutritious venison, communing with nature, or the incomparable adrenaline rush I experience whenever I see a deer.  

Instead, I'll give you the short answer.  Because it's worth it.  

Actually it was all those things that I was looking for. I know that for most of us, it is the satisfaction of something buried deep inside ourselves. Something that we may not even fully understand ourselves. It is taking our natural place in the wild and enjoying the nature that we are a part of and is a part of us. The act of hunting is something based on some overwhelming and powerful natural element in our make-up as human beings. It is the predatory ancient building blocks of heritage and culture and our genetic make-up from our ancestors. There is a certain honesty in those of us who do not run from feeding ourselves in the way man was intended to. We do what we do because it is an honest expression of our role as predators doing what we were designed to do.

Edited December 25, 2016 by Doc

[Core]

A large part of it is to prove I can. I could have applied this sentiment to any hobby but it happened to be hunting (and in the past it has been other hobbies). I hate to lose when I decide I am interested in a particular outcome. Going out a couple times/year and shrugging if I don't get something just isn't interesting to me, so I was out until sunset on the last day.

Hunting is also the least technological of any hobby I've ad. Though tech in stuff like bows will change and I love gear as much as the next guy, ultimately we're still walking around in the woods looking for wild animals and, although we can hear traffic in the distance, we're substantially doing the same thing people have done for thousands of years. What contrasts more with modern life than that?

There is also a primal aspect to it that many people are afraid to admit still exists in all of us (even the people who are hopelessly enslaved to city life). We're the same human beings who have been around for a long time and deep down we still get a rush when we kill our food. It's biology, and it isn't shameful. 

Edited December 25, 2016 by Core

[GreeneHunter]

I go out there because certain types of people will not !  I used to go out there to get away from the phones ... so much for that ! I sit for hours in the tree stand remembering or at least trying to remember previous years hunting !

[letinmfly]

For me it's therapeutic and it affords me a brief period of time to escape from the realities of life.   Not to mention some of the other things already mentioned. 

[turkeyfeathers]

My passion for being in the woods over trumps any discomfort and boredom.  Rain or shine , absolutely no other place I'd rather be. 

[Doc]

You know, we hunters may be the only ones who really can "get way from it all". I know humans are social animals and tend to travel in packs, but I do like the fact that I still can get the hell away from everybody for short lengths of time. It does form a brief period of alternative life without the stresses and constant bombardment of human interface.

[reeltime]

to get away from the day to day stress. 

to pit my skills against the best eyes, ears and noses walking the planet.

watching my dog do her work retrieving ducks and geese.

seeing the excitement in the grandkids eyes when they have a successful hunt.

 

[First-light]

Sounds relaxing to me! lol Enjoy being out in the woods no matter the weather. The woods speak to me like no other and usually don't talk back!

[Jdubs]

There is no more satisfying meal to me than the one I worked hard to put on the table.  Some of the best meals I have ever had were freshly caught fish (Mahi Mahi, Wahoo, etc) that were on the table within a couple hours of being caught.  Everyone who gathered around enjoyed a mouth-watering feast fit for a King!

I think of those meals often when my toes start going numb and my back is aching in the stand.  Why did I leave my perfectly warm and comfortable bed at God o'clock in the morning for this?  What the heck am I trying to prove by taking up hunting for the first time as a 40-something man with zip for deer hunting knowledge?  

For me, it's the challenge of figuring this out; carefully preparing for and working hard to accomplish a successful harvest.  I have made many mistakes on every hunt so far, but I'm learning from them.  Hopefully, all of those experiences will lead to taking that first deer next season.  My mind will be on that glorious meal, making all of the discomfort and hard work worth it.

[NFA-ADK]

Because I really love whitetails!  Simply put it is in my nature to chase them, like stated before I can not explain it I just have to do it!  Not just any whitetail will do for me it has to be special.  For me this usually involves calling them into me for a shot.

Hunting in nasty weather where everything tells you to go home and have a hot cup of soup is when I love hunting the most and for me the woods are home in those special moments.  Simply put it feels perfect when I am in the woods in the worst weather.   Rain is my least favorite due to tracking blood becomes an issue and my gear takes a beating.

Add the other posts above to my list, they all match my thinking!

[vizslas]

its what keeps me sane. Ever since I can remember  i was going on hunting trips with my dad. whether we were bird hunting deer hunting or trolling around in the car looking for woodchucks to shoot. thats when i learned to drive a car,while my father scanned the fields for woodchucks. It was a great time to grow up when an eight year old could learn to drive. I feel at home in the woods. Dad is gone now, but every time i go to where my heart belongs and score a deer i always make sure to thank  the man who showed me how to feed my family. A big thanks to my dad for  teaching my right.

[Salmon_Run]

1 hour ago, turkeyfeathers said:

My passion for being in the woods over trumps any discomfort and boredom.  Rain or shine , absolutely no other place I'd rather be. 

This about says it all !!!!

[catskillkid]

Because I love hunting.

[wolc123]

2 hours ago, Jdubs said:

There is no more satisfying meal to me than the one I worked hard to put on the table.  Some of the best meals I have ever had were freshly caught fish (Mahi Mahi, Wahoo, etc) that were on the table within a couple hours of being caught.  Everyone who gathered around enjoyed a mouth-watering feast fit for a King!

I think of those meals often when my toes start going numb and my back is aching in the stand.  Why did I leave my perfectly warm and comfortable bed at God o'clock in the morning for this?  What the heck am I trying to prove by taking up hunting for the first time as a 40-something man with zip for deer hunting knowledge?  

For me, it's the challenge of figuring this out; carefully preparing for and working hard to accomplish a successful harvest.  I have made many mistakes on every hunt so far, but I'm learning from them.  Hopefully, all of those experiences will lead to taking that first deer next season.  My mind will be on that glorious meal, making all of the discomfort and hard work worth it.

Hunting and fishing are exactly the same to me - it is mostly about putting top quality food on the table. 

[Four Season Whitetail's]

The older I get the less I will fight the weather. I am in a position where I can hunt whenever I want and a few choices all over the state to hunt. Everyday of the season. That allows for more freedom for sure.  Like Doc said we all have pretty much the same drive and enjoyment but now it is a drive of having to take the biggest smartest brute in the area I hunt and the rest turn into video harvests!  It all changes with Age!

[Doc]

18 hours ago, turkeyfeathers said:

My passion for being in the woods over trumps any discomfort and boredom.  Rain or shine , absolutely no other place I'd rather be. 

I think we all feel that way, but the question is, "Why"? What purpose does it all serve? Why do we feel compelled? What is the motivation that drives us to do something that, on the surface, seems to defy all logic?

[wolc123]

I would not hunt, if I did not need to eat, or if my appetite and that of my family could be completely satisfied with vegetables.  If that were the case, I would spend all my spare time gardening.   It say's right in the Bible, that God put animals on the Earth for man to eat.   Who am I to not carry out His wishes and do as He intended?  I suppose that anyone who does not hunt for food could probably be satisfied with computer games.     

[Uncle Nicky]

The older I get, the less desire I have to sit out in cold less than 28 degrees, or in the pouring rain. I eat a lot of wild fish and game, but this day and age way can but food in a store if we have to. Thankfully, I've been able to find quality places to hunt and I hunt smarter than I did in the past, so I;m usually tagged out by late season anyway. I like hunting October and early November the best. I also don't jog, golf, hate sitting in the house, and don't get too excited by spectator sports, so all my free time is spent in the pursuit of wild animals, until the weather turns crummy.

Edited December 26, 2016 by Uncle Nicky

[genesee_mohican]

At a very young age, my Dad would take me hunting for small game and deer hunts. The seed was planted and the roots grew deep. The excitement of deer hunting and the love for the outdoors has just grown and grown. The thrill of being out in the woods knowing a nice buck could come into range at anytime, along with the beautiful surroundings that I tend to hunt in, and all the other wildlife I see..... is just about the best thing in the world to me. I enjoy the challenge too, so I maximize my time out there during the season, and I have the gear to keep me out all day, in most weather. When there is snow on the ground during deer season, the desire to be out there intensifies and the cold temps only mean the deer will be up feeding during daylight hours and I want to be out there as much as possible to increase my odds. You can't get em' if your not out there and you never know what you'll see in the woods. The romance of the hunt, new adventures on solo hunts or with life long buddies and memories of hunts gone by keep me wanting more. Now in my mid 50's, I find it difficult to work on some of those really nice days during deer season. I save 2 weeks to spend out there, but sure wish I had 2 months! I suppose if I had that much time off to hunt I might stay in where it's dry on a few days. I'm sure I would need to rest.  But until then, I'll head out the door in the dark with my rain gear on, my backpack loaded with gear to get me through the hunt, doing what I love to do.

[growalot]

It's a game, I say that a lot during the year. That's my thoughts on it...This year they bested me at this game. I did get a couple, but on the whole ,for all my prep and strategy  they won this years match...So I'm in the planning mode again reviewing what I did or didn't do,considering what they did or didn't do. Hoping I can surpass or enhance the changing game board to work in my favor. So, I don't like computer games, but real life ones that are completely unpredictable I enjoy...That's why I do it.