[chris in va]

Sorry guys, this may piss off a few of you but it's not my intention, just trying to get some insight.

I don't hunt, never have and really never felt the urge either. Recently I moved to a more...hunter friendly area in VA. It seems the whole town hunts, and half the populace wears camo all year round.

Basically I just want to know what the draw is for hunting animals (and again, just a neutral question). I can understand wanting to do it for food needs, population control etc but at what point does it actually become 'fun'? My friend's 13 year old daughter is all excited to go hunting with her dad in KY, even though she's never shot a living thing before, and I suspect it may have negative consequences on her psyche (or maybe not!). She certainly enjoys shooting my 9mm carbine.

Many times I've seen these pictures of guys holding up a deer's head after the shot with a big cheesy grin on their face. I'm not sure I understand that either. If I were to shoot something, my mood would be extremely respectful and sombre, probably remorseful. I certainly could not bring myself to hunt merely for sport.

Lastly, at what point is there a crossover from where I am to becoming a 'hunter'? Is there something magical with the first kill that makes you want to do it again?

Thanks guys, replies should be interesting.

[Camp David]

I just want to know what the draw is for hunting animals.

Chris: It is very hard on a Message/Discussion board to flesh this point out completely... I also live in VA so I can speak first hand about it. Hunting is not the "kill" but that is certainly part of it... Hunting is about being out and about, the sound of the leaves, the hint of frost in the air, banter of squirrels in the morning, the aloneness of the deer stand, and the security of the gun in hand. Hunting is more categorized as a hobby than a sport; although the sport and skill elements of hunting remain. Killing is the end of the hunt, but not the only or best part. Ourdoorsmen like the outdoors, and the game that is present, and the sport of the hunt.

Whether one is in a duck blind at dawn, a deer stand at dusk, or in a turkey valley at noon, it is all the same: the hunt, the knowledge of the prey, the satisfaction of the hunt, and the skill of the kill; all combine to characterize hunting.

Some of my best hunts yielded no game; some of my best times outdoors as a hunter involved no kill.

So what is the attraction to hunting?

You ever go camping? You ever make a fire and stand around it in the evening, saving its warmth? Felt compelled by the fire like a primitive call from an earlier day? Hunting is like that... exactly!

[chris in va]

I guess I should have clarified, I could probably go turkey hunting. I *love* a good turkey. Unfortunately I understand it's one of the more difficult things you can do.

Thanks for the input CD, guess I never really thought about the natural aspects of it.

[pauli]

heh. i'm not a hunter, but i've contemplated the idea; most of the things that camp david list as upsides are in my list of downsides.

[Preacherman]

I agree that the outdoor life is part of the draw of hunting: but the killing itself is not something I've ever given much thought to. I don't trophy-hunt - I hunt for food. Did so in Africa, and do so here. I'm not into the whole philosophical thing of how hunting is such a manly activity... for me, it's a digestive thing! :D

[mustanger98]

From my own perspective, I just enjoy being out there. I've been hunting off and on since I was 8. I've been deer hunting regularly for the last six or seven years now and a lot of it is peace and quiet, the deer, the other animals I observe. If I didn't enjoy the outdoors, the wildlife, guns, what all else that goes into it, I probably wouldn't bother.

Most times I go out, I see deer. I rate that as success. If I kill a nice buck, that's icing on the cake, and really really good luck to be there at the right time. In my family, we eat what we kill, but luckily, we won't starve if I don't kill.

Those "big cheesy grins" on hunters' faces in photos, well, I guess that's just excitement at such good luck, or the culmination of so much work put in scouting, managing food plots, stand placement, etc.

Considering what all has been said describes why it's called "hunting", not "killing".

[esheato]

Considering what all has been said describes why it's called "hunting", not "killing".

You can say that again. ;) I spend a lot more time hunting than I do killing.

For me, it's about getting out, and away from city living. Getting back to what's important. I like the quiet, the camaraderie with my family members, and being in the woods.

It's also somewhat of a game...pitting your wits and skill against an animal that should by all rights never lose. The food is great and is what you're there for...but it's really about the hunt. The preparation, the scouting, gathering information to have it all come together and see a gorgeous animal appear exactly where you predicted it would come from. Oddly enough, hunting isn't really about guns..the gun and shot are an extremely small part of the equation.

I hope this makes sense.

If you're still curious, find a responsible hunter in your area to show you the ropes. You never know, you might enjoy it. ;)

Ed

[Oldnamvet]

All said about being out in the quiet with friends and alone with nature is so true. You take your place in nature to help things balance out. That is what game management is all about. Some people like to enhance the challenge. This is why some people hunt for specific deer based upon size, antlers, etc. Others make it more of a challenge by using a pistol, and others employ archery. Some people like to still hunt, moving quietly and trying to see the game before they see you - a very difficult skill to attain. For everyone there are special circumstances to make it enjoyable - even when you are cold, wet, stiff, and tired, and haven't seen anything all day. Sounds like we are all nuts, and maybe we are but I wouldn't change it for anything.

[ReadyontheRight]

-Tradition
-Family
-Time spent understanding the natural order of things
-Observing the wild
-Quiet
-Slow
-Comeraderie
-Quietly sustaining yourself in the elements long enough to see wild creatures
-A reason to walk around with a rifle you know you can shoot well
-A break from civilization
-Imposing a little civilization on the wild
-Venturing into the unknown
-The satisfaction of eating something that lived a free, wild life and had a VERY good chance of slipping right past you
-The magic of a patch of woods turning into a deer staring at you
-The heart-stopping drumroll of a flushed Grouse
-Conquering your shock to react and shoot quickly and accurately at the two experiences above
-Discovering a pattern in the behavior of a wild animal you can use to hunt it - a scrape, a bed, a trail, etc. (again - notice that discovering the pattern is still "hunting" - they usually still just breeze past you without your notice)
-Finding joy in the tiny Snickers bar tucked away in your hunting vest - from last season - after sitting in a stiff breeze mingled with snow pellets for 6 hours
-Knowing that you can humanely track, shoot, gut, drag, clean and butcher a stag - a skill humans have thrived upon for millenia
-Campfires
-Anticipation
-Satisfaction
-A tradition to pass on to my children

[ACP230]

Three years ago my sons and I were scouting the evening before the late turkey season.
We walked into a small field where we'd seen toms before and spotted five eagles circling above the woods on the other side.

We'd never have seen them if we hadn't been there scouting.
Lots things happen on the sidelines of hunting.
Some make memories that last as long, or longer, than the hunting itself.

Stuff my brother and I did while hunting grouse and deer 30 years ago still makes me grin.

[DT Guy]

All that philisophical stuff aside (not that it's irrelevant...) hunting is a gas! My first deer, last year at the age of 41, was one of the most exciting, memorable moments of my entire life.

We're talking vibrating in place, hear-pounding, shaking with excitement here. An absolute thrill...and strangely, it felt like something that was 'right' to do, like walking upright and breathing. I had never hunted before, but I realized in that instant that I had been built, bred, designed-whatever-to do so. Part of humanity, I think.


Larry

[Art Eatman]

I grew up in a mix of town and country; college teachers and farmers/ranchers in the family. I plowed behind a horse, as a kid. Worked cattle. Ran the woods since I was around seven. And now I'm 71+, with some 30 years of playing in the southwest Texas desert.

You can probably guess from my age that I've been in lots of discussions and arguments about guns and hunting and animal rights and all that stuff. Yup, BTDT.

For me, it's a package. I can sit around a campfire at hunt camp and sorta feel in tune with thousands of years of ancestors, the hunter-gatherers who were around before farming. There is the definite bonding that occurs with others who hunt, who also have the instinct to provide their own meat for their families. That instinct holds, by the way, even for those who've never thought of hunting, but who have the responsibility for others besides themselves. You can have a day job for the money to go out and buy meat, but you can also be a do-it-yourselfer and cut out the middleman.

There's the challenge in the hunt, itself: Bambi practices thinking like a deer for 365 days a year. His eyesight, hearing and sense of smell are far superior to HomoSap. And success in meeting any challenge of whatever sort brings a delightful adrenalin rush.

My father once commented that killing the biggest buck in the pasture took work. First, you have to check out a whole bunch of bucks to find out which one is Ol' Biggie. Then, you gotta go back and find him again. Now, Ol' Biggie works really hard to not make more than one mistake a season, and you've already used up his #1. Creating the second mistake isn't easy.

So, if you succeed, you can strut a bit, just like the guy at the Chamber of Commerce gathering who's just closed on a multi-million-dollar deal. Same emotional situation. We're predators; some sublimate by hunting in the world of money--Donald Trump comes to mind...

Me? I'd rather eat supper off Ol' Biggie.

So after the fun is over, the work of skinning and butchering is done, I have a set of horns to hang on the wall. Ol' Biggie is now immortalized for the remainder of my lifetime, and maybe my younger firends or even my son. That is, your only immortality is in the minds of your friends and relatives who live on after you're gone. Sure, I'm old, and some memories are fading, but I can still describe the day, the circumstances of a fair number of "immortal" bucks. :)

I guess the same hold for fishing trips and sports car races and a lot of other stuff I've done. Memories.

If memories were money, I'd be a billionaire.

And November 25th is Deer Season Eve. The 26th begins a 16-day holiday season.

:), Art

[Subby]

Hunting is about being a participant in the world, rather than an observer. It's like watching a football game vs. knowing what it's like to throw a block. Actually being out there, doing what hundreds or thousands of generations of our ancestors did to survive. Have you ever sat against a tree while the temperature dropped 30 degrees in 2 hours? Sat through the rain, sleet, snow in progression? Have you ever been on the top of a mountain while a snow storm rolled in? Lightning crashing all around? Our ancestors did all that, and I have, and I'd guess most of your genuine hunters have. The kill itself is a relatively minor part of the whole experience, although a much relished part. The "rush" is like the first time you ask a pretty girl out, or "almost" being in a car accident, or if you were a young delinquent like myself, that twinge of adrenaline as you were opening the door to get out of the store while shoplifting. Heart's thumping, eyes focused, saying "don't f this up" in your head, pull the rifle up slowly, safety off, one eye on the crosshairs, one on the deer, just two more steps until he clears that fallen oak, he pauses to eat an acorn, you know for damn sure he knows you're watching, you don't dare move, he takes one more step, it's like watching a game winning field goal, one more step, breathe, one more step, quick check to make sure he has antlers, crosshairs settle on the chest, you try to squeeze the trigger like on the range, wham, do the old up-pull-push-down on the bolt, crosshairs back on him, he kicks twice and is still, now the adrenaline really kicks in. You watch him for a few minutes through your scope, he doesn't move, you ease on down to him, circle around his back, tap him on his rump with your muzzle, he doesn't move, eyes are glazed over, you are now a hunter. You sit down next to him, look at his antlers, rub your hands over his hide, apologizing and thanking and cursing the gods simultaneously, sorry that you killed a beast more pure than yourself, thankful that you have sustenance for the winter, cursing that tomorrow you're back swinging a pick.


Sub

P.S. Sorry for the run-on sentences, I done been to college, but I didn't stay for long.

[wolf_from_wv]

Have you ever sat against a tree while the temperature dropped 30 degrees in 2 hours? Sat through the rain, sleet, snow in progression?

Last year, I sat under a piece of plywood in a drafty wood pile. Kept thinking "what if there's a snake under here...". Reminded myself that it was 30 degrees or less and snowing - and I'm holding a shotgun if the snake for some reason is more flexible than a 2x4... Weather started as sleet, and rapidly worsened. Saw a few deer heading on the hill, but they were moving really fast... Oh well... Wish my coat had been warmer - I'd have stayed a little bit longer.

Next day, went on a little "hiking with weapons" trip around the hill with my dad trying to drive deer. Heard a couple, but didn't see any... Oh well...

Having said that... Given a choice between a fresh deer that's been hit by a truck and the finest cut of steak, I'd rather have the deer. Don't have to do a lot of processing for the deer - it's already been "grilled"... :p :banghead:

[Subby]

Stonewall Jackson Lake, year before last I believe it was, probably the same storm.

Sub

[orangeninja]

I'm trying to get into the sport of hunting. When I was a child I hunted every weekend until about the age of 13. Unfortunantly my family moved to urban North Texas and any and all hunting knowledge and skill I had is gone....only the love for the outdoors remains. I am trying like fire to get back out there, starting small, with rabbits, next I'll move on to hogs....I don't have the money nor the inclanation to hunt deer however, but I do plan on doing a big game hunt before the end of my days, probably elk or bear or both.

Fowl hunting really doesn't ring my bell. I remember cleaning all the shot out of those birds, (dove, quail, duck, etc.) and to me, the birds taste better from a grocery....at least you don't have to squeeze the lead out.:D

[ReadyontheRight]

Hunting is about being a participant in the world, rather than an observer....

...Have you ever sat against a tree while the temperature dropped 30 degrees in 2 hours? Sat through the rain, sleet, snow in progression? Have you ever been on the top of a mountain while a snow storm rolled in? Lightning crashing all around? Our ancestors did all that, and I have, and I'd guess most of your genuine hunters have. The kill itself is a relatively minor part of the whole experience, although a much relished part. ...

...You sit down next to him, look at his antlers, rub your hands over his hide, apologizing and thanking and cursing the gods simultaneously, sorry that you killed a beast more pure than yourself, thankful that you have sustenance for the winter, cursing that tomorrow you're back swinging a pick.

I love it. You nailed it Subby. Art and the rest of the answers ain't to shabby either.

As much as you might think you will, you just are not going to sit outside in a snowstorm in the middle of the woods unless you're hunting. And if you've never hunted, you probably cannot understand the appeal of such a thing.

[chris in va]

Wow guys, those are some amazing responses. I guess I really didn't know it was like that. Maybe I should join a few guys hunting without doing the shooting and see what it's like first.

I do have one hangup though, how do you get over shooting something living that's not attacking you? Over the years I've had a few people close to me die (one in a bad car wreck) and seeing something on the ground bled out like that would probably give me nightmares.

Again, just a neutral question.

[spooney]

One thing I really like about is that it isn't something that some people can do the world over, deer hunting is somewhat of a uniquely North American passion. My ancestors in Wales would have been hung for "poaching" the "King's deer," for doing the same thing that I do several times a year.

Also part of it is just being out there, we generally don't kill many deer each year, (mainly because we don't care to spend all afternoon butchering meat) but just seeing them makes me happy.

[mustanger98]

One thing I really like about is that it isn't something that some people can do the world over, deer hunting is somewhat of a uniquely North American passion. My ancestors in Wales would have been hung for "poaching" the "King's deer," for doing the same thing that I do several times a year.

This was part of the subject matter in Jim Carmicheal's article on the American Deer Rifle. (He said to understand the American deer rifle, you have to understand the American deer hunter and that goes back to the "old country", colonization, the Revolution... the Battle of King's Mountain was won by deer hunters...) We get to do something we're born to do and thumb our noses at royalty.

Just seeing them... yeah... the does walk out and look straight at me... I'm like "I'm not here" and the doe's like "the hell you're not".:D Yeah, I'm probably on a first name basis with every deer on this place, except for the big bucks. They walk out, look at me and say "there he is again" and go on eating.:D

[orangeninja]

Wow guys, those are some amazing responses. I guess I really didn't know it was like that. Maybe I should join a few guys hunting without doing the shooting and see what it's like first.

I do have one hangup though, how do you get over shooting something living that's not attacking you? Over the years I've had a few people close to me die (one in a bad car wreck) and seeing something on the ground bled out like that would probably give me nightmares.

Again, just a neutral question.

Chris, without seeming judgemental or anything, I think you can answer wether you are ready for that or not. Someone very close to me lost someone very close to them within the past 3 years. She just started therapy which is nothing to be ashamed of.

As for an animal suffering....that really gets me bad....I'd rather not shoot anything at all than take a half assed shot that's going to hurt some poor creature. A responsible hunter won't "wing" a deer....the shot will count and the animal should be dead before you ever get to it.

Lastly you have to look at it objectively, you eat a hamburger made from a cow that never stood a chance, it was raised to die, so you could eat it. At least in the wild game has a chance and is free all of it's life until it dies. This is a healthy thing, everything and everyone will die. Me, you, the deer, the grass...in due time everything perishes, but that's not a tragedy, that's nature. Nobody can beat it. When you accept death, then you can live. I recommend reading Tuesdays with Morrie. It'll do you good.

[Subby]

"how do you get over shooting something living that's not attacking you?"

With all due respect, you're looking at it the wrong way. My grandpap had a quote he would say(I don't recall the exact phrase in Italian but here goes) "death for you means life for me." His old man would say it when he gave the backyard rooster the hatchet. In the long run, we're all toast anyhow. Have I/Would I give the rooster the hatchet? Yes. That doesn't mean the rooster's worthless, or doesn't have a say in things, or can't pick the spread on Monday Night Football better than me. It just means that's how it is. A celery-munching vegan still needs to eat. That celery didn't grow there naturally. Some pioneer in buckskins(he had to eat, he's one of us) with an axe chopped down the trees to make that field that the celery grows in. Some flannel-clad hick(he had to eat, he's one of us) had to shoot/trap/poison that groundhog that threatened his family with starvation. Some camo-clad redneck puts a Nosler through that whitetail's chest(he's eating now, he's one of us). Bigger things eat big things, big things eat little things, little things eat littler things. In the end, all we do is keep on living until we die. That's all there is. I think hunters tend to be honest about this, accept it, whereas Joe Public tends to forget/ignore/disapprove of the fact that all life is propped up on a giant mound of skulls.

Sub

[Nematocyst]

"how do you get over shooting something living that's not attacking you?"

With all due respect, you're looking at it the wrong way. My grandpap had a quote he would say(I don't recall the exact phrase in Italian but here goes) "death for you means life for me." Chris, I agree with Sub.

I haven't read this whole thread (yet). I've been at work most of the night ('cept for reading a few posts on THR), and am dog tired now, heading to sleep.

But couldn't resist checking this one.

Here's my (biologist's) version of Sub's grandpa's words of wisdom: life is impossible without death.

That is, life as we know it cannot survive without killing other living things.

Whether you're a carnivore (meat lover), herbivore (vegetarian), fungivore (love them mushrooms), or omnivore (enjoy a salad or greens with your steak & shrooms), you gotta kill to eat.

Yes, there are a few bacteria that can supply their energy needs from inorganic chemistry. (Chemolithosphores they're called; can extract energy from inorganic compounds like S02 or N02.)

But for the rest of us, we've got to eat living things.

Admittedly, the large majority of Americans get their organic nutrients from places like Kroger, Safeway, Albertsons, Fred Meyer, etc now. Meat wrapped in plastic & styrofoam; veges & fruits in display bin; most of the rest in cardboard boxes, cans & bottles.

But just image, what if TEOTWAWKI happened tomorrow. What if there was no more meat in plasticized styrofoam packages, no more vegetable/fruit bins, nor cereal in cardboard? What then?

Those hunters smile because they know where the next protein meal could come from: squirrel, rabbit, quail, goose, turkey, deer, elk, even ground hog is all the others are in short supply.

The hunters are smiling because they know how to put meat on the table.

I gotta tell ya, bro. There's nothing quite as good as squirrel stew.
McD's Big Mac :barf: ain't s**t compared to squirrel stew with potatoes, onions, garlic, corn & greens.

Wow, it's almost bedtime, yet I find myself hungry.

Wish I had some squirrel stew cooked up.

Nem

[Dave McCracken]

I hunt because it's a family tradition. We've hunted for at least the last million years. It's enabled us to get enough protein to grow big brains, enough to give us leisure time like lions, enough to prosper.

Once, at least a dozen hominid species existed. We survived because we hunted well enough to out compete and/or eat the others.

Hunting molded every facet of our being, from our stereoscopic vision to our marvelous ability to co-operate in times of crisis.

Doubt this? Watch small boys of any culture play chase down and ambush games like Hide and Seek, or Cowboys and Indians. It's in the DNA.

Reenacting our oldest job FEELS a lot more comfortable than the newer stuff, including staring into a monitor and pecking out this on a keyboard.

Besides all that, it a reconnection with the natural world, R&R for our very souls.

Right now, the woods near here are lit with light like that coming through stained glass windows in Cathedrals, and I get the same sort of spiritual jumpstart from either.

Without hunting, I'd miss that.

As for the killing, I can't recall the author now, but here's a quote from a book entitled Meditations On Hunting.

"One does not hunt in order to kill, one kills in order to have hunted".....

Death is the process whereby Life moves from one organism in the food chain to another. EVERY living thing is alive because something else is not.

"Predator" is not a dirty word. Since we are the only predators that think,(With the exception of Dolphins and Orcas) we have to kill selectively and humanely. Stewardship is ours by default.

And those GOBs with the cheesy grins in the hero shots are on an incredible adrenaline rush. BTDT.....

[Art Eatman]

"I do have one hangup though, how do you get over shooting something living that's not attacking you?"

chris, do you eat? Eat food? How did it get to the store or restaurant?

Somebody slaughtered the hog for your bacon, and did the butchering, wrapping and shipping. Same for the steer and the steak. Same for Kentucky Fried or Wendy's. None of those people who killed the animals were doing it because they were being attacked.

Hey, I'm not joking: There is scientific evidence that some plants react to human emotions. They emit extremely weak electromagnetic radiation, received via a cascade of amplifiers to be heard as sound. One could then indulge in flights of fancy as to the horrors of an innocent carrot being cruelly yanked from its happy home--without warrant or probable cause. :)

Food chain: From algae "way down there" on up to us, basically the top predator and omnivore.

Oh: Consider the difference in attitudes about animals, between city people and farmers/ranchers. I think it's fair to say that squeamishness comes from a lack of familiarity with the processes of life. It comes from ignorance, which is of course curable. Ignorance is not the same as stupidity; stupidity is forever.

As a kid, my job was to catch some particular chicken. I'd cut off the head, and after all the bleeding and flopping ended, my grandmother would dip it briefly in scalding water to make it easier to remove the feathers. She'd disassemble it and then cook it and we'd have Sunday dinner.

Art

[ACP230]

The author of the book Dave mentions is Jose Ortega y Gasset.
I recommend it.

[rick_reno]

I hunt because I enjoy it.

[Art Eatman]

"One does not hunt in order to kill. One kills in order to have hunted." -- Ortega y Gassett.

:), Art

[Lonestar.45]

I grew up hunting, so it's in my blood. My grandfather is 89 and just took a deer. My great uncle is 75 and shot 3 deer with his bow (a recurve at that!) at 8 yds last year. Dad has taken more deer than I can count.

But really, for me, it all boils down to the "do it yourself" nature I have in me. I'd rather fix something myself if I can, than get someone else to do it. I'd rather build something myself than pay someone. And I'd rather put my own food in the freezer than go to the supermarket meat section and buy it in a package. Just the pride in doing it yourself, I guess, or at least knowing that you can, is a good feeling. Knowing I can do it and most people can't or won't is an empowering feeling in my opinion. It sets one apart a little, and I have confidence that if ever I was in a survival situtation, I could fend for myself and prosper rather nicely.

As for the remorse thing, sure, I feel a little twinge of sadness after every deer I take, I don't think you'd be human if you didn't. In fact, and people here may think I'm totally strange, I say a prayer over every deer I take when I find it. It's respectful, and keeps me connected to God and nature.

I feel better taking that wild deer knowing it had several years of good free life and was taken fair chase than thinking about the cow that was kept in a pen and fattened up for the slaughter that I just bought at the drive through.

[Nematocyst]

As for the remorse thing, sure, I feel a little twinge of sadness after every deer I take, I don't think you'd be human if you didn't. In fact, and people here may think I'm totally strange, I say a prayer over every deer I take when I find it. It's respectful, and keeps me connected to God and nature. I think that's cool, Lonestar.45, and respect you for sharing it on this forum.

I've never shot a deer (not for lack of trying when I was a kid; haven't hunted in the last 30 years, but about to start again...next year), but I have shot squirrels, rabbits & birds. I always feel a tinge of ... sympathy or remorse for them when I pick up their still-warm body to field dress it. That was a little life form I just shot, and I just ended it's life & cognition. (It may not have been self-aware, but it was aware of it's surroundings, says the biologist who studies life because he finds it so special.)

When I cook up a stew, or some fried dove, I at least unconsciously think of the animal that I'm eating.

Take the following with a grain of salt (I'm a biologist, not an anthropologist): I've read somewhere that at least some indigenous peoples either now or in the past (or both) reportedly speak to the "spirit" of the animal they were about to kill (or had killed?) thanking them for giving their life so that the hunter could continue his/hers.

Nem

[orangeninja]

Okay, okay...I confess. When I was 12 and 13 years old my dad took me hunting for deer. The first time I got a deer in the glass, I couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger. I just watched him. Later my father who was trying to chase him out of the hedges into the field asked me, "did he ever come out? Did you see him?"....I replied "nope.":o

In fact of all the times I've been deer hunting, I've never even taken a shot....I just couldn't do it. This later paid off when on one dusk it was "doe day" the one day a year a doe could be killed in Louisiana and a doe trotted out of the brush 25 yards in front of me, big as day. I cocked my single shot .20 ga. (slug in it) and aimed, I had her dead to rights, when suddenly the woman who was camping with us jumped in front of my gun about a foot in front of the muzzle yelling "NO!!! You can't shoot that one, it's a girl!" The doe just looked at us like we were crazy and casually jogged away. To put things in perspective...the deer was in my sights, my finger was on the trigger and the hammer was back...I could have pulled the trigger any second, including the one in which the woman jumped in front of my shotgun....had I been inclined to shoot that deer, I am positive I would have put a slug right through that womans chest inadvertantly.:what:

[ACP230]

My son and I were hunting grouse this afternoon.
We went out behind a friend's house and worked through a small swamp.
Found two small trees that had been rubbed by a small buck, lots of deer trails, some apples still on wild trees, but no grouse.

What made it special is that we borrowed my friend's dog. She's black with "feathers" on her legs and long ears. She's got some spaniel in her somewhere. I used to have a Springer named Hog. He lasted 12 or 13 years, and I hadn't hunted with a dog since. My son had never hunted with one. My friend's dog wasn't too serious about the whole thing but she did hunt around in front of us. It was fun to have her along.

Dogs and dog work are other reasons hunting interests folks.

[scout26]

I do have one hangup though, how do you get over shooting something living that's not attacking you?

Like Lonestar, I also take a moment and thank the animal when I get to it. For the same reason we also say Grace before every meal. There is a confusing array of emotions the I go through at that moment. Regret, Sorrow, Surprise (at the size/beauty of the animal), Remorse, Pride, and many others, spurred along by the adreline dump you're just come off of after the shot and/or the mini-one you have after spending some time following the blood trail and now finding the downed animal.

Describing hunting and the emotions/feelings around it is kind of like describing a passionate love affair. What everyone else said maybe only covers 1% of what it's like.

As far as why I hunt:
- It's the annual get together with 20+/- of my closest family and friends.
- It's hearing the same stories, from the same guys, year after year, and still laughing just as much as the first time you heard/witnessed them. It's also adding new ones each year.
- Keeping traditions alive. (Our Deer Camp will have its first 4th Generation member this year.)
- It's some of the best and best tasting food there is: 100% free range, no hormones/anti-biotics or other drugs/poisons. Relatively cheap also. For roughly $30 (Resident Hunting licence and tag) I can butcher myself a fair amount of meat. If I fill the freezer (normally three deer will last us all year), I won't buy any/very little beef for the year. I figure we save $30-$50 per week.
- "Dad, can I have more venison." - my 5 year-old son, who won't eat a McD's Hamburger, but loves, venison, pheasant and wild turkey.
- There's a magical moment that occurs just before sunrise, after you're in your stand and the woods accepts you as part of it now.
- You are no longer an observer of nature, but an active participant in the life and death struggle that is nature. Nature is not some cute, cuddly Disney movie. It's cruel, violent and vicious. Can't remember where I heard it, but "Everything in nature spends 50% of it's time trying to find food and the other 50% trying not to be food."
- "The fun end when the hammer falls." - Can't remember who said this either.
- It's my time with me. Spending a day in the deer woods recharges my batteries and brings a inner peace. A week at deer camp makes up for the other 51.


And finally,
Those "big cheesy grins" on hunters' faces in photos

Go look at ancient cave art. You won't see drawings of well tended vegetable plots or nice orchards.

That part still lives on in all of us, and when you take your first deer and realize that you have just provided for your family (tribe), you've connected with nature and that ancient part of yourself in way you have to be there to understand.

[mustanger98]

I've read somewhere that at least some indigenous peoples either now or in the past (or both) reportedly speak to the "spirit" of the animal they were about to kill (or had killed?) thanking them for giving their life so that the hunter could continue his/hers.

Ever read Louis L'Amour's novel "Last of the Breed"? The Indian did that. I've also read in other places that other people would say to the animal's spirit, "because of your sacrifice, my people will eat."

In fact, and people here may think I'm totally strange, I say a prayer over every deer I take when I find it. It's respectful, and keeps me connected to God and nature.

Sounds like something Ted Nugent said.

I cocked my single shot .20 ga. (slug in it) and aimed, I had her dead to rights, when suddenly the woman who was camping with us jumped in front of my gun about a foot in front of the muzzle yelling "NO!!! You can't shoot that one, it's a girl!" The doe just looked at us like we were crazy and casually jogged away. To put things in perspective...the deer was in my sights, my finger was on the trigger and the hammer was back...I could have pulled the trigger any second, including the one in which the woman jumped in front of my shotgun....had I been inclined to shoot that deer, I am positive I would have put a slug right through that womans chest inadvertantly.

If I didn't know of women who hunt, I'd have said "stupid girl". Instead, considering her objection was to shooting a doe, I'd have to say she's just an ignorant idiot for jumping in front of a loaded gun.

[spooney]

Wow guys, those are some amazing responses. I guess I really didn't know it was like that. Maybe I should join a few guys hunting without doing the shooting and see what it's like first.

I do have one hangup though, how do you get over shooting something living that's not attacking you? Over the years I've had a few people close to me die (one in a bad car wreck) and seeing something on the ground bled out like that would probably give me nightmares.

Again, just a neutral question.


This is one reason I don't bowhunt yet, I don't believe I have the skills necessary to hit a deer in an ethical and clean manner(I use all traditional equipment btw) I can consistantly hit the target in a relativly small area but there is always at least one shot out of five that goes a foot high and to the right. This will either result in A. a miss(best case) or B. a poor shot which I think could really sour me on hunting totally.

[MNgoldenbear]

Most of us do enjoy all the things mentioned (nature, camaraderie, etc.), but some of us do really enjoy killing things. I guess it is a strong predatory instinct with some -- it is with me. I can still have a great day afield without shooting something, and the work part definitely starts when the animal is hit, but I just really do enjoy dropping the hammer on game. If it makes me blood-thirsty and primitive, so be it.

[22-rimfire]

Chris, I think you just have to give it a try and if you are successful, see how you feel about it then. It is something that is part of the life experience of most hunters. Hunting is something very basic and social. It is a challenge, a thrill, knowledge that you were good enough to score, confidence that you can humanely harvest a large game animal (deer), that you have learned enough about hunting and shooting; many things all in one. But it certainly isn't just about killing.

I grew up in a hunting family and I didin't pull the trigger on the first buck that I had an opportunity to shoot at (age 13). My dad asked why I didn't shoot (as he was present)? It just didn't fit my vision of what was going to or should take place at the time. The funny part about that event was that I was using old old 16 ga slugs (punkin balls) and after buying current or new ammunition for my second deer season. we were plinking away the old ammo to "see how they feel" and they were all duds.

A couple of years later, I didn't get a buck and was doe hunting... saw a doe at about 50 yards in the woods and just watched it until it wandered away. Just didn't want to shoot a doe.

After hunting deer with a bow and later a rifle, everything was really built up in me to be successful and get a deer. It is not about meat for me. I prefer beef actually. After taking my first deer and walking to the downed animal, I can only describe it as pure exhileration and I wanted to yell out. I was shaking and really pumped. That was the first, and that feeling never came back completely again. I still get excited. Same applied to getting "buck fever" >> it happened once. I'm not blood thirsty at all, but that first time is truly memorable. I think ever man should feel this at least once. It could help you in the event you feel that you have to defend yourself as you get a feel of what a bullet actually does to an animal. A deer is similar in body mass to a man.

You said that you don't know if you could intentionally kill an animal that wasn't attacking you. I suspect you would feel the same way about people and it would take a big leap to actually pull the trigger unless you were in true fear of your life. Even then, I imagine you would feel a little sick and ask yourself, did I really have to do that for a long long time afterwards? I would feel that way, I think. All this talk about self defense and so forth, when the time comes to make that leap to defend yourself and possibly take a life, you won't know how you will feel until you do it. Hopefully you will never feel the need for such a course of action.

Go deer hunting and experience this part of life. It is a good thing and you can tell us how you really felt about the experience.

[MDHunter]

Chris,

A lot of my reply content has already been stated well by other members - I'll just add a couple of things:

1) Hunting, killing game for the table or so others can eat, allows me to keep in tune with the circle of life on a more intimate basis - it reminds me that death is at the end of all life, and that life will go on for other people, even after we're gone;

2) Killing animals with rifles, muzzleloaders, and bow and arrow (I use all three) reminds me of the deadly power of these tools, and forces me to treat them with the greatest respect, every time I pick them up. I've seen firsthand what type of damage a firearm can do to a living thing, a realization that shooting at the range doesn't provide for me. This serves as a constant reminder of my responsibility to treat all weapons in a safe, responsible manner, and of the danger that can result from doing otherwise.

3) A couple of people have commented about the feeling you get being in the woods when the day breaks - I call it "watching the world wake up." You go into the woods in pitch black darkness, get to your stand by flashlight, get settled in......after a while the darkness begins to fade, and birds and small animals begin to stir......if youre lucky, you can hear the footfall of larger animals in the distance (deer, bear, etc); on these rare occasions, you get a glimpse of the life of animals when unimpeded by humans, and it truly feels like a privilege, at least to me. There's also a distinct burnt-leaf smell to the woods in the fall, which I find addictive.

During my years of hunting I've experienced a few sights that I've never seen on Discovery Channel or anywhere else.....it's partly the opportunity to have those moments, along with the chance to participate first-hand in the circle of life, that draws me to the woods each fall.

If you opt to go hunting with friends,let us know what you feel and find, it will be interesting to get your perspective.

Michael

[EghtySx]

Basically I just want to know what the draw is for hunting animals

That's a trolling question if I ever heard one.

Why don't you ask why people like bowling? Or the color red? Or lasagna?
Pretty much any activity known to man has fans and people who enjoy doing it.

It's an activity, a sport. It has been handed down from father to son, generation to generation, since man first inhabited this planet.

I grew up hunting and while I like going to the range, plinking, competitions, any type of shooting, quite often I have to kill something. (I don't HAVE to I guess but I sure get the urge) I can't explain it, I just grew up hunting and enjoy it a lot I guess. While I do eat a lot of what I kill, some things I just exterminate. (feral hogs, coyotes, feral dogs, skunks ...) All great fun.

[countertop]

As for the remorse thing, sure, I feel a little twinge of sadness after every deer I take, I don't think you'd be human if you didn't. In fact, and people here may think I'm totally strange, I say a prayer over every deer I take when I find it. It's respectful, and keeps me connected to God and nature.


I am always moved whenever I watch The Last of the Mohicans (http://www.awesomefilm.com/script/lastmohi.txt) (one of my all time favorite movies, and the book ain't too bad either) when they hunt the elk in the beginning of the movie and Chingachgook says a prayer for its life and soul following the successful hunt.

We're sorry to kill you, Brother.
Forgive us. I do honor to your courage and
speed, your strength ...

[Nematocyst]

- "Dad, can I have more venison." - my 5 year-old son, who won't eat a McD's Hamburger, but loves, venison, pheasant and wild turkey. .30-30 with ammo (including range practice): $400.

Hunting license and tag: $30.

Child who doesn't like McD's: priceless.

After taking my first deer and walking to the downed animal, I can only describe it as pure exhileration and I wanted to yell out. I was shaking and really pumped. That was the first, and that feeling never came back completely again. I still get excited. Same applied to getting "buck fever" >> it happened once. I remember reading some stories about "buck fever" published in a hunter's magazine about three decades ago. I still remember two of them today.

1) The hunter that downed a buck with one shot, and ran towards it immediately, forgeting he was in a tree stand. Fell out of tree, broke his leg.

2) Another hunter that "fired" 3 shots at a beautiful buck with a lever gun, but didn't hit it. (No blood trail found.) His friend later found 3 unfired cartridges on the ground. Interpretation: the guy was so excited by the sight of the buck, he forgot to pull the trigger and simply ejected the unfired cartridges.

Nem

[rust collector]

Although we have seen some great responses, you're dealing in a realm which doesn't lend itself to the written word. Even the most cogent and well crafted written accounts can't possibly conjure the emotion and effforts, tribulation and exultation of the hunting experience.

When I was young I read everything I could get my hands on, but nothing can prepare you for the pulse-pounding flurry of pheasant flushes at the end of the field. Until you have watched a magnificent buck standing broadside in your sights, you cannot imagine the experience. And when you can watch, patiently, over a period of hours in howling wind and biting cold, you get a sense of how powerful and powerless we humans are. Hunting helps to restore a scale to life that we've forgotten, living our insulated lives in the buildings we've made to keep nature away from us.

And don't get me started on those hunting shows that feature some character sitting in a box, whispering to the camera and passing out high-fives after blasting a buck at a feeder. Hunting is something different to each participant, but you won't know until you try, or at least accompany some good hunters out in the field. Hunting is a uniquely personal experience best shared with others who share your values.

May not be your cup of tea, but there's only one way to really find out.

[MrDig]

I hunt frequently and Kill rarely. Just as in fishing there is something about bringing a meal to the table. The only way to catch and release while hunting is to shoot with a Camera. There is for me a Spiritual connection when hunting that can only be experienced not explained. When I say spiritual I mean exactly that. A Connection to a power greater than myself whose vision of life and it's design is beyond my scope of understanding completely. I don't understand for example why some years deer have walked spitting distance from my stand, and other years I have placed my stand over an area that has Bedding, Cover, Water and Food, and only seen chipmunks and Squirrels.
One Season was particularily warm weather and most of the Raptor Population hadn't moved to warmer environs yet. I sat on a hillside over a swamp and watched two Falcons hunt for hours, during that time I was so entranced by the falcons that three deer walked into range and I saw only one. The only reason I know of the other two is the sign (dung and tracks) they left for me. It wasn't there as I walked in.
This season as I was scouting my hunting areas I sat with a lawn shair and some binoculars looking over Two spots I thought I wanted to place a Stand. A Ground squirrel cam through the leaves and grass Cheeks full and gorging out, it litteraly walked inches from my boot and stopped to snif the air and look around. It got up on its hanches and sniffed some more and turned finally to look at my boot and follow up to see me sitting in the chair. I thought the poor little devil was going to spit the seeds out of its mouth when it realized it walked that close to me. I looked like the springs exploding out of a pocket watch when it figured me out. I laughed so hard I had to leave as I know I was making too much noise to scout the area.
These moments are as much a part of the hunt to me as the shooting of an animal, and getting to Harvest one is just another in a list of blessings too great to count.
I know I didn't help answer your questions much but again the expierience is more explanatory than the words.

[research]

This is a great thread, Chris. I'm glad you started it so I could read the information and thoughts shared.

I have grown up shooting guns but had never even considered hunting. As far as I know my Dad never went either. When I started thinking about my first gun purchase, I gave some thought to it. After three years of that, I went deer and elk hunting this year for my first time ever. I didn't get anything, but will do it again.

While deciding, I asked a lot of questions of my hunting friends. One suggested I tag along (not hunting myself) with him or another group and see if shooting/cleaning an animal would work for me after watching someone else do it. I asked a few people this season if I could tag along and all agreed. Realizing that I would have to take the time off, get the gear and food together, do all the mental preparation, do all the hiking, and help with the butchering, hauling, gas money, etc., I might as well get a license and take a shot at it. I was already doing everything else. If I did it all and hated it, at least I would have the meat for the one time I did the hunt.

My decision involved a lot of logic. Some of the reasons I decided to try it:
ECONOMICS - you can get a good amount of meat for a lot less than the grocery store.
VARIETY - I've never even SEEN elk or deer (or grouse, or chukar, or pheasant, or quail, or hungarian partridge, or ... ) at the local store.
HEALTH - the only way to get meat you know hasn't been injected with a lifetime of synthetic hormones.
COMFORT ZONE - I try to get out of my computer job comfort zone when I can.
EXERCISE - I don't do any hiking or even much walking at my job. This is a fun way to make it happen.
GUILT - I have lived with some of the country's most beautiful mountains at my front door for nine years (house looks at an 11,750-ft peak 1.5 miles away) and hardly went on so much as a Sunday drive.
SKILL - Doing any kind of outdoor activity (even thinking about it) only demonstrates how little I know about the outdoors or living in it. As others have posted, hunting covers a lot of them.
SURVIVAL - I am not a doomsday-ist, I just think a person aught to be able to build a fire, find/make a shelter, and find/kill natural food. (A good 72-hour kit is also a must.)

After my first hunt (I hit the magic 3-0 this year) I have learned enough in these categories to write a book and have increased my desire for all outdoor activities. Most of all I keep learning how dependent I (and most people in general) have become on conveniencies. We lean on other people's knowledge, skill, deeds, killing/butchering, etc. This is not necessarily a bad thing in a cooperative social structure, but I believe that if one does not have skills in those essential areas one should at least seek experience.

As for the actual killing part. After several outings for elk, deer, and upland game birds, I have only come home with one ruffed grouse. I had a great hunting buddy who was very helpful for my first hunt ever. My hands were shaking when I went to see the bird I had shot. It struggled on the ground for two seconds and then was dead. My comfort was that I would respectfully clean and eat the bird and build what I see as an essential skill. (By the way, they do taste just like chicken.) I continued hunting after that (a bit more relaxed) and have been out several other times this season.

"I have never heard a dying man say, 'I wish I had spent more time at the office.'" --wise man

I am interested to see what else people post. Do we get an update on your thoughts, Chris?

Thanks,
Research

[PCGS65]

All I can do is tell you why I go hunting.
Hunting gives me a sense of freedom away from all the idiots. Out in the woods where I can relax and I am the only one or a friend or two. To watch nature. I also love fishing. Which to me is hunting(for fish). It's like a vacation without spending a ton of money to relax and still having to be somewhere at a certain time. Yes hunting is exspensive initially. When I hunt/fish I like to catch something to eat, it saves grocery money in the long run. I also love camping. To me you just can't beat the relaxation from it. Not to mention it is healthy also. Great fun exercise. Hunting is not for everyone just like golf is not for everyone. People are different. Try it more than once. The first time or two you maybe sore or just don't like it because it's different. But if you end up liking it you'll wish you did it long ago. I've been camping and fishing since I was 7 years old. My only regret is not starting to hunt 25 years ago.

Remember hunting is like fishing you don't catch something every time. Learn to enjoy nature first.;)

A bad day hunting beats a great day working. But you know what I've never had a bad day hunting or fishing!!:cool:

[Camp David]

how do you get over shooting something living that's not attacking you?

Hunt animals that do attack you... lions in Africa or polar bears in the Artic ought to do it!

However, if hunting other animals that are not in the "dangerous game" category doesn't float your boat, then don't do it! Seems you are questioning hunter's ethics... Take up your question with the State Fish & Game Department: they set the hunting seasons for things such as squirrels, ducks, and other lesser game not officially cited as "dangerous"!

How do you "get over" driving on the beltway without police chasing you?

[Diesle]

I get a profound satisfaction (particularly as a life long city dweller...) in going out into the world to harvest food for myself, family or friends. It brought me to hunting originally and still is my motivation for getting out there each year and 'suffering' the early mornings, variable weather, mind blowing boredom, posted signs and (what I find to be the worst part of it for me...) field dressing larger game.


Diesle

[RandyB]

The reasons are many and vary as much as the folks that hunt. For me its:

1. Being outdoors. Nothing like deer hunting ans watching turkeys, squirrels, etc. playing around. I've had grouse land and drum above my head in the trees, watched geese fly, listen to coyotes howling.

2. being self-sufficient and putting food on the table.

3. the challenge of the hunt.

4. A GREAT place to take a nap.

5. Get away from the rat race.

6. Spend time with my family and friends.

7. To be alone.

8. To take the time and enjoy something as simple as a drink of water and a sandwich.

9. Seeing new areas of the country.

10. Sharing stories with others about past hunts.

[bearmgc]

Wow guys, those are some amazing responses. I guess I really didn't know it was like that. Maybe I should join a few guys hunting without doing the shooting and see what it's like first.

I do have one hangup though, how do you get over shooting something living that's not attacking you? Over the years I've had a few people close to me die (one in a bad car wreck) and seeing something on the ground bled out like that would probably give me nightmares.

Again, just a neutral question.

Chris, Have you ever visited a slaughterhouse or a cattle auction, or a feed ground, where they are being held for slaughter? The cattle, moan all night long, stepping on the weaker ones, all packed in there in space too small for their numbers, for weeks at a time. They often can smell the stench of their species being killed for days, before their own demise. This is how most cattle spend their last days...humane? I shot my deer this Fall on a mountainside along a ridge overlooking a wild river. A herd of about 8 deer was meandering along this hillside, at 0700 as the sun was coming up. 1 shot broke the spine and down he went. 2 does from the herd momentarily lingered until they could see me, then off they went to resume feeding on forage with the rest about 400yds away. My deer, the food for winter, lived and died in the wild. I mourned his death, and said a prayer of gratitude for the food. Nuff said.

[dfaugh]

Well, after 20 years of NOT hunting, I'm going deer hunting this year (as well as coyote hunting, more on that later)....

I hate to admit it, but I went deer hunting for many years, and never shot one...I went because many of my friends/relatives did, and I hunted other game, so why not deer? But, somewhere along the way, I just lost interest...No philosophical reason, and I certainly had no problem with others that did hunt...

However, I'm now getting older, and I'm partially (well, almost totally) disabled...I can't work like I used to, and I'm looking to recapture some of the things that I enjoyed when I was younger, before "life got in the way", and to make the most of my little time left on this earth...

Over the last few weeks, I spent a few hours in the woods building my tree stand (due to my disabilities, lengthy physical labor is hard, have to do things a little at a time)...When it was done, I just climbed up there and sat for a about an hour...And I haven't felt that peaceful in a VERY long time...Just sitting there in the woods brought me to a place I thought I had lost forever...

Now, maybe I'll be lucky enough to get my 1st deer (at 50 yrs old!) maybe I won't...But, I now know that I'll regain something I lost years ago...

I'm searching for words here...

I guess it has alot to do with all the wondrous things that are found in nature, including the trees and other plants and all the wildlife...It truly is a miraculous creation (Don't know if you believe in God, but I do and see his hand in all that exists).

For me its has nothing to do with killing...It's simply a function of nature...Other than the occasional vermin (my friend just started a sheep ranching operation, and has a coyote problem, in fact in recent years we've become "infested" with 'em in this area) I never kill anything I won't eat. To do so (IMHO) would be disrespectful to the game. (although I won't eat the coyote I shoot, I do plan on keeping the pelts). plus I could use the meat, being on a fixed income and all...

Lots more to say but i can't type much more at this point...But I might suggest you go hunting with a camera... I have friend that does this as she doesn't have it in her to kill anything (although she doesn't critize us that do)...Can be just as much fun, and challanging as well...and if your personal philosophy doesn't allow you to kill, so be it... I appreciate that you are looking for answers that come from deep inside, and, as with many things, we all have to deal with these...

P.S. from the Bible: " And God gave Man dominion to all the living creatures of the Earth".

[mtnbkr]

I hunt because I like the outdoors, I like wild game, I like the idea of getting my own food and being self sufficient, and I enjoy "the chase". I've gone as far as drawing down on animals and not taking the shot because I didn't need the meat. However, I fulfilled every other aspect of hunting I enjoy by doing that. As far as I'm concerned, it's a successful hunt when I can outsmart the animal and get to make the decision to shoot or not, even when I don't shoot.

I too feel a twinge of sadness when I kill an animal.

Chris, I'm going to be hunting not far from you this weekend. Wanna join us? You don't have to hunt obviously, but you can hang out and soak up the atmosphere. If you like to fish, there's a decent trout stream there, but it may be too late in the season for trout (don't quote me though, I'm not a trout fisherman).

Chris

[mohican]

Basically I just want to know what the draw is for hunting animals (and again, just a neutral question). I........ My friend's 13 year old daughter is all excited to go hunting with her dad in KY, even though she's never shot a living thing before, and I suspect it may have negative consequences on her psyche (or maybe not!). .


Negative consequenses on her psyche?

Are you trying to get in touch with your female side? :neener:
did you type this while watching LIFETIME or E?

She'll be fine
I hope someone doesn't ruin it for her by asking whether it bruised her psyche :banghead:

all kidding aside, and others have probably said it better, but

It's the dawn breaking, and light creaping over the hill

It's because deer are like Tolkiens hobbits, appearing out of nowhere in silence, and dissappearing in like silence (when you let them walk)

It's the comraderie of hunting with friends and family, some of whom you may see only during hunting season

It's the moment of truth, when years of experience and confidence from a summers worth of practice at the range culminate with a crosshare or a front/rear sight aligning with vitals

It's just you and a muzzleloader, out in the snow, as distant as you can get from moderntimes, for a day or two.

and finally, it's getting a buck, painting it's nose bright red, and telling the Kids "sorry about Christmas, guess who I just shot..........."

[mustanger98]

Are you trying to get in touch with your female side?

Hey Mohican, High 5 on that one. Actually, it reminds me of this t-shirt at the gun shop. The picture is a good-lookin' blonde with a rifle and a monster buck. The caption reads "Yeah, I Hunt Like A Girl".

and finally, it's getting a buck, painting it's nose bright red, and telling the Kids "sorry about Christmas, guess who I just shot..........."

BWAAAHAHAHAHAHA

[Berek]

Basically I just want to know what the draw is for hunting animals (and again, just a neutral question). I can understand wanting to do it for food needs, population control etc but at what point does it actually become 'fun'?

I find that, while maintaining a familial and human tradition, there is a sense of earning. When I hunt, I hunt. I don't sit in a "tree house" over a feeder that was all set up by a guide. I go out, find signs, determine the when and where. When/if I harvest a deer, I feel that all of the work I put into it was earning it. Espeicially during archery season. Compared to going to the grocery store and buying meat from a chained animal, hunting gives a greater sense of worth as well as respect for the animal. Beside the Hindu, who openly respects a cow? Or chicken, pig or farm raised turkey? You don't earn those, you buy them.

If nothing else, I enjoy going out and watching nature. Birds, squirrels, fox & whatever.

All three of the basic conflicts exist. Man v. nature, Man v. beast and Man v. himself. Man v nature because of the weather and terrain to be overcome. Man v beast as you have to track the animal and be where is is going before it. And finally, Man v himself as there are things a person will find out about themselves (advantages and disadvantages) when he hunts (not sitting over bait).

I know, long winded, but there it is. I feel that hunting has given me a better respect for the animals and a greater appreciation for them, as well.

Berek

[AnthonyRSS]

If you do believe in God, then surely you believe that he made us different from the animals, and gave us dominion over them, as Dfaugh stated.

I hunt for all the reasons listed, and I thank God when He gives me meat.
I shoot does more often than not, there are a lot of them around these parts.

[IDriveB5]

lots of great posts here, i enjoyed reading all of them. im planning on going bowhunting for the first time next season with my uncle. also interested in doing some upland and waterfowl hunting.