For me, hunting is more than a past time, more than a sport and is definitely something I do not take lightly. It’s a tradition passed down from generation to generation. It’s a way to take my mind off of things and leave the rest of the world behind, even if it’s just for a few short hours. Most of my friends realize this about me, and understand where I’m coming from since most of themselves, their friends or relatives hunt. But it’s those who have never been introduced to hunting, those who only think of hunters as a bunch of heartless butchers out to kill Bambi’s dad, that are my favorite to explain it to.
I love it when those who have never been introduced to hunting tell me the stereotypes they have of hunters. This list of words and phrases that are synonymous with hunting includes, but is not limited to, the following: Rednecks, jacked-up trucks, country music, racist, arrogant, chew tobacco, filthy, killers, butchers, cruel, and my favorite of all, uneducated. When I hear all these words bashing the tradition that I love it makes me sick to my stomach. Why do people think that about hunters? Where are they getting all of these intuitions? Have they ever even talked to a hunter before?
Most of my friends are hunters. Most of them have gone on to four-year colleges, and have been educated in some way, shape or form. It’s that slight percentage of the hunting community that conveys why people look down upon hunting. Those that have no respect, that are just out to kill everything and not take care of the land that the rest of us hunters work so hard to uphold, those are the kinds of hunters that give the rest of us a bad name. Every time there is a news story about hunting, it’s always about some guy who was caught doing something illegal. You never hear those stories of the clubs, organizations, and national non-profits that are doing great things for the habitat animals live in. What about the fact that Ducks Unlimited has conserved nearly 13 million acres of wetlands in North America, and whose influence covers nearly 75 million acres? Why aren’t stories like that heard by the general public?
Then you’ve got the hunting television shows that show hunters shooting trophy animals. What message does that send to the non-hunting public? I wish, at least from time to time, that hunters would take a step back and think about their actions before they do something. Ask themselves, “Are my actions going to reflect badly on myself and hunters everywhere?” Maybe by doing that, and showing the true character that would make fellow hunters proud, we can exemplify just what type of a community hunters really are.
I have to admit, I absolutely love the feeling of shooting a big buck out in the woods, but that reason is hardly the reason why I hunt. Yes, pictures are taken displaying the majestic animals, but it’s never in way to disrespect them at all. It’s a way for me to reflect back on the memories of that special occasion, and know that this animal may have lost its life, but not at the cost of a trophy collection. It’s a sustainable harvest, and most likely the only way I haven’t starved since I have been in college. That’s the great thing about hunting wild game. It’s a self-sustaining food source, has no artificial preservatives, no antibiotics and the animals have lived their lives completely cage free, not to mention it’s cheap for college students like me!
If you were to ask me specifics as to why I hunt, I could go on for hours. It’s something that has always had great meaning in my life. It’s taught me responsibility, respect, patience, persistence, gratitude, humility and many, many more things that will go a long way in life. It’s a sense of wholeness for me, being at one with Mother Nature. I know that every time I head out to the woods that I will get to see something new that I’ve never seen before. But can I really put why I hunt into words? Not really. For the true meaning, you have to experience it for yourself. Words can’t describe it. My only hope is that I can pass on the tradition of hunting to those who have never experienced it, and in doing so, enjoy it myself along the way.
