Hunting philosophy

[AtomicDog]

I was wondering why people here hunt.

The reason I ask is that I am thinking of trying it. I am a gun owner, but have never hunted. I love animals, and thought it would be wrong to kill one "just for fun", but on the other hand I am not a vegetarian. Obviously, someone kills the animal before I eat it. Therefore it seems like just squeamishness rather than morality to not go hunting.

Basically, I feel like I should either try to be a vegetarian or go hunting.

Anyone else think about the philosophy or rationale for hunting?

I have heard people do it for cheap food, but when you figure the cost of a tag, gun, practice, etc. it doesn't seem like it would be worth it.

 

[Clam]

If you have to think about why you hunt, you don’t get it (yet ) It is pre programmed, in me anyway.

Go! experience it! You don’t have to kill anything to have a great time. Hell, bird watching is basically hunting as well, just with a camera instead of a gun.

As far as the meat, in my case my significant other is from Poland and her greatest culinary talent is that she specializes in preparing wild game. She is proud of her tasty creations and it is her hobby.

Economically, maybe some actually save money by hunting, although no one I know of has ever come close.

 

[Dsnow9]

Wait… your supposed to kill stuff when you go hunting? I have been doing this all wrong.

In all seriousness my philosophy has grown over time. Started out as getting in the woods and hopefully bringing home some meat. Now it is a way of life and my family hasn’t purchased red meat from a store in 5-6 year. Minus bacon of course. My life revolves around hunting now and if I don’t bring home meat from a hunt my wife is disappointed and my five year old daughter gives me shit for atleast a week. They keep me honest, hunting for meat to feed the family is more important, not going home empty handed because I didn’t see something to put on the wall.

 

[BearFoot]

Go! experience it! You don’t have to kill anything to have a great time. Hell, bird watching is basically hunting as well, just with a camera instead of a gun.

Our hunts are big camping trips, sometimes we get one, and always having a great time!

 

[BearFoot]

I love animals. Take lots of pictures. Hunting is learning new things about nature, weather, animal habits, your survival, but a lot about who, you are and what your abilities/limitations are. Our hunts are big camping trips, with a desire to harvest legal game. Typically its a lot of work, maybe bugs, cold, freezing, wet, sun baked, wind burnt, and an infinite number of other issues. It's all good! It's living life! Hunting is an experience, sometimes extremely miserable, or exciting beyond any expectations. An animal down and properly handled is a great accomplishment. Not everyone can pull that off.
However the big camping trip goes, can't wait for next year!

 

[dgc1963]

The time we spend getting away from concrete as I call it is special to me and Tammy she loves the outdoors, No time tables dont need to be at any meetings, appointments, Job sites letting the sun wake up the world as we watch .Slowing the pace of this crazy world we live in even if just for a while
And if lucky putting some clean hormone, antibiotic free protein in the freezer is a bonus

 

[Nick87]

Bigger question is why people dont?

 

[Bob-WY]

It's good cheap meat for us. Our total license cost in wy is under $1000. Amortize equipment and put 500 or so lbs of meat in freezer. We don't buy red meat

But that's not why we hunt. We love being outdoors, love the environment, the animals, the process. Its fun

 

[Panda Bear]

90% to eat. immediate family and village
5% to teach the young
5% protection, research or Govt direction/request

 

[NDcoyote]

Why I love it. Quality time spent with my Dad. It's an adventure. It's a challenge both physically and mentally at times. Great meat in the freezer. I love watching a dog point a bird or make a good retrieval. Getting to watch other game/ non-game animals. Appreciation for life that it's given me.

 

[kwyeewyk]

Not sure who figures it can't be economical, even NR, consider a WY type 6 cow tag, $300, even if I spend another 300 on fuel and misc. expenses that's still about $4 per pound for high quality meat. For residents who can consistently kill big game in state there's a major savings, if you don't need a new set of Sitka gear every year.

I hunt because I like to provide as much of our family's food as possible through hunting, raising animals and gardening, but also because it has been a passion since I was young, and the quality time with friends and family.

Don't feel like you have to go vegan if you find out hunting isn't for you, support small farms that practice good animal welfare and make friends with hunters and offer help packing and processing.

 

[belshawelk]

All about the experience, friends, challenge, exercise ( the way I hunt) , adventure ( again the way I hunt) and last to feed my family on free range non chemical induced meat.

To sum it up, God gave me the ability, resources and right to provide for ourselves. I think I owe it to him and myself to try and do that.

 

[noharleyyet]

Tasty protein is a byproduct of the far superior attributes of fellowship and topographical grandeur....and, of course, gear nerdsmanship.

 

[huntnpack]

Tobi Cerulli sums up a similar jounrey in this book. I believe he's from VT. Might be worth exploring, he certainly weighs the philosophical, kinesthetic, and social aspects of hunting.

 

[Gerald Martin]

. Why do I hunt? Because it connects me with the natural world and people I like sharing life experiences with.

 

[Steiny]

I come home empty handed many more times than I come home with game, so "sport" and just getting outdoors, unplugged, in the elements and away from people and things are the primary reasons. Having said that, we really relish the harvest and eating wild game is pretty special, and needs to be appreciated. I think folks that hunt and give it all away, mis-handle or waste meat should not be hunting.

 

[one ate E grain]

Tag was around $40, now $50. I practice off hand with a 22, doesn't cost much. I hike a lot off trail anyway. I mostly only hunt weekends or after work. When I started the 200 lbs plus of meat really was nice, plus many of the cuts you can't buy in the store. Better meat than we were buying. I used to get a cow every year, sometimes two or my kid would get one. Pretty much most of our meat and we liked eating meat.

I'm not sure how much longer I'll hunt for meat. I make a lot more money now and I'm into fixing up the house. Beef tastes pretty good. Wish I could freeze a few hundred pounds of salmon like in AK.

I like the hunting and butchering part. Shooting an elk is like winning a little lottery, big critter. Then cutting up and wrapping it all.

 

[Steelsearchin]

I hunt because without hunting i just would not be me anymore. It connects me with wonderful family and friends, alive and deceased. I used to say it was for the food, but anymore I give away nearly as much as we eat. My favorite memories can be tied to hunting, whether we punched a tag or not. My best friends ALL are hunters.

My son killed his first deer when he was eight. He and his sister had been with me on many successful hunts prior to that moment. His sister has no interest in killing anything, but I love her just the same as if she were my best hunting partner. When we pulled the tenderloins off the grill from my son's first deer I told him, "from here on out, meat will taste different to you." He took a bite and said, "Yeah Dad, you're right."

My wife always asks how I can remember or know so many people. I continually remind her if somebody hunts or fishes, my brain will remember them, if not, it's like I never met them.

A wise hoops coach once said, "Find things in life that motivate you, and do those things." Hunting motivates me.

 

[rustednuts]

Hunting allows me to see and engage the natural world in a way no other activity I found. You enter in a place where you are forced to learn about the natural environment and prey. You then take knowledge and enter in to their world to see if you can be successful and harvest an animal.

 

[Misguided]

Was born a hunter. I’m not a deep thinker so I don’t try to analyze it much…but it’s definitely ingrained from birth. As a kid in the 60’s I had my nose buried in a Herters catalog or Outdoor Life Jack Oconner stories. It fulfills my spirit like no other activity.