So what is it about hunting?

[Rare Breed]

What is it about this pursuit, this sport, this way of life that grabs your interest and keeps your interest? It is more than just interest, it is passion, devotion, longing, all strong feelings.
I think it is a lot of things, for some the beautiful animals themselves, others the rifles and to others it is the great outdoors where it all happens. Of course it is all of these things in varying degrees and speaking for myself I find it swings from one to the other, so the meal is always interesting. Right now, as I tick off the days and months until my Ruger No1 arrives it is the hardware that has my attention the most.

Ah the incredible well respected Mr Peacock waxes poetic once again…well done sir!

 

[Rare Breed]

There are only two things that put me at total peace: holding my wife's hand, and hunting. Since she is often my hunting buddy, I get to do both at times. The rest of the emotions and benefits of hunting, well, you all know, and that is what makes the total experience so joyful and addicting.

Safe hunting

You know Kevin I can’t wax poetic as you can my friend but I could not stop thinking about a common US south saying that fits hunters “you can tell a man his bird dog is ugly just don’t tell a man his dog can’t hunt.” Same for us hunters “ you can tell us we and our rifles are ugly just don’t tell us we can’t hunt or our rifles can’t shoot.”

 

[mdwest]

You know Kevin I can’t wax poetic as you can my friend but I could not stop thinking about a common US south saying that fits hunters “you can tell a man his bird dog is ugly just don’t tell a man his dog can’t hunt.” Same for us hunters “ you can tell us we and our rifles are ugly just don’t tell us we can’t hunt or our rifles can’t shoot.”

I know most of my rifles are ugly.. I cant be offended by anyone telling me that..

I also know that most of my ugly rifles are still prettier than me... so.. again.. awfully hard to be offended...

 

[Dhutson]

E: All of the above.

It is the total experience and the interconnected pieces that make it up. Enjoy them all. The more you make of each one the greater the overall experience.

 

[HookMeUpII]

What is it about this pursuit

Didn't even need to finish your first sentence to find my answer. For some reason, and my wife will echo this, I am driven by the pursuit of all things difficult. I am not sure why to be honest.

Really that's it. 2 reasons. 1) The pursuit of something difficult. 2) It now keeps me occupied from November through April until offshore fishing starts up.

 

[F. Vaccaro]

Just being in the mtns. with a good rifle & six-gun is enough.
Sitting quietly watching a trail till the area gets quiet from your intrusion & a Squirrel hops on a branch of the tree you’re sitting under, looks at you, then relaxes & chews on a pinecone is special! No shot taken & it’s a great day!

 

[MS 9x56]

I prefer the company of my Labrador retriever to most people. I detest large cities. Very few man made things impress me (ok maybe the pyramids and statue of liberty). Give me wilderness and mountain views. Some people identify by their proffesion. As for me I am a hunter, a meat eater. There is nothing prettier than a sunrise in the field listening to the world come to life. Lord let me leave this world dragging out my last buck while a soft snow falls.

 

[leslie hetrick]

what do you call a non hunter from eon,s ago? skinny.

 

[MS 9x56]

what do you call a non hunter from eon,s ago? skinny.

That would be a gatherer. If you couldn’t hunt you gathered.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

The very concept of venturing into the wilds of mother nature, acquiring your own meat via your skill with the gun & your bushcraft, processing it, cooking it, eating it… It’s the most beautiful feeling in existence. No better method exists to help man connect with nature (the greatest artwork of his Creator) than this.

And yes, I also do love hunting wild game which I don’t eat (lions & leopards). But it’s for a good cause, as it benefits the conservation of these species as a whole. I also invariably try to go after livestock killers and problem animals whenever possible.

From dove to elephant… I love it all.

 

[MedRiver]

I think it grabs so strongly because it is ALL the things….hope, despair, excitement, triumph, defeat, harsh, comforting, rigorous, relaxed, cheap, expensive, clean, dirty…all of it.

Each hunt means something different to me.

Every year I take my family to eastern Montana to hunt antelope. We have good friends we stay with and hunt their land. The hunt is not strenuous and if a stalk is blown we simply go find more. We love antelope and substitute it interchangeably with elk meat so that is a factor but, honestly, it is seeing our friends and building memories. Things as simple as gas station hot chocolate on a frosty October morning hold a lot of meaning.

I hunt migrating mule deer with one specific group of friends in one specific place every year. It is as harsh if an environment as I know of in the lower 48. Bitter cold, extreme winds, steep terrain and the ever present grizzly looking for a few more calories before finding a place to hibernate. We know the land and we continually learn the animals, but mostly we go because it is nice to spend time in brutal places with people that appreciate the rawness of the experience and the magic of a calm day when deer are moving. That hunt would be terrible for me with most any other people, instead I look forward to the few days I spend in the wind tunnel every year.

All winter I follow my hounds after just about every fresh snow. From the anticipation of the weather, to seeing the fresh blanket and ultimately the fresh track, to the first time my red dog Sarge let’s out his deep bellow, to the highs and lows of the chase, the steep hikes and ultimately seeing my whole pack barking under a tree. I couldn’t care less to ever kill a lion but it would bring great sadness to never chase another.

Getting my dad out a few years ago and having three generations under a nice Tom will no doubt make the highlight reel as my life winds down.

I have enjoyed hunting with my kids immensely since my oldest (now 20 years old and living out of country) was a baby. It has created bonds in our family but on a more selfish level scratches the itch I have felt for never pursuing my childhood dreams of guiding and outfitting.

I have enjoyed taking my kids out of our home state to go on bigger adventures. Hoping that someday they too will be able and interested in passing on the feelings and experiences that this lifestyle brings.

(Yes, she did choose to where a US Border Patrol hat for a Javelina hunt along the Rio Grande)

With six kids and a love for butchery it was natural to develop a field to freezer lifestyle. My oldest boy just graduated high school and is striking out on his own soon. I felt more than a little pride that one of the things he wanted for Christmas last year was his own set of quality butchering knives. My younger kids love the grinder and “shop time” extends the hunting experience for us.

This year the kids helped kill, process and donate hundreds of pounds of venison to friends and strangers in need. Few things can teach the circle of life and living as well as hunting and sharing food. Is there anything more tribal and communal than that?

Like Kevin, the hardware is important to me. I love rifles and definitely get as excited about the rifle I am hunting with as the hunt itself at times. This past year my obsession has been my .400 Whelen and loved hunting river bottom whitetails with it on my home turf. This little buck meant more to me with a rifle my wife gave me for our 20 year anniversary than it would have with a different rifle.

As my kids move away I wonder if hunting will take on new meaning for me. Maybe I will have grandkids to focus on or maybe large adventures or simply a greater appreciation for a short walk behind a good pointer. Maybe all of it. Maybe none of it. Time will tell and that is ok. Hunting truly is about the hunter and that is what keeps drawing me back.

I love planning grand adventures and have many more in the works for someday. That is one of the main reasons I am here on AH. Seeing what others have done and allowing that to shape my vision of what I want my first African experience to be. Right now it feels an awful lot like getting my 70+ year old dad to SA to hunt birds and warthogs would be a great adventure.

As I wrote up this post it became clear to me how little the animal actually played a part in my reasons for hunting. It is a character for sure…just not the lead role. Perhaps that is why I would be just as content hunting warthogs as Kudu…at least for now

Sorry for being so long winded and for the photo dump but the original post just made me do some reflecting. Thanks to the OP for that!