Why do you hunt? Be honest…

[wcw280]

This should get some good responses. Everyone has their reasons. Tradition, because your buddies do, the score of the deer, meat, what's your why? I'll start.

I started hunting at 8 with my dad in the hay day of west TN public land before clear cuts and leases. This will be my 25th season. Then it was what I grew up in. Couldn't wait to be big enough to go. Got the first deer out of the way and I couldn't get enough. Went through a few years of had to kill the numbers and fill every tag. Anything that had a horn was killed and we were proud of it and to be honest it was some of the funnest hunting I can ever remember doing. No cameras just finding feed sign and hunting it in continuous big timber tracts. After that era I've settled into the sport. Longbow, roundball muzzleloader, whatever new deer rifle I've worked on for the year at hand and most importantly spending the time I have with my old man in the woods. I've never put a tape on a deer. Wouldn't know how to score one without google. Just enjoy it now for what it is. All this new YouTube sensation and talking to new hunters it seems like it's all for likes and publicity. I hate to see the way it's headed. But then again everyone has their why I guess.

 

[kaizen leader]

No humans!!! Nature is wonderful.

 

[tn24]

Because it is fun and I like having fun.

 

[TN Song Dog]

I don't hunt as much as I used to, but the thrill of preparing, outsmarting, and making it all come together, including executing under pressure, is what I enjoy the most. Next is the comrade and celebrating each other's accomplishments.

 

[Shanman]

Honestly…….Its who I am and in my blood.

 

[Mr.Bro]

Cause I have to deal with people everyday.
Sometimes mother nature is my getaway.

 

[KTS]

Honestly…….Its who I am and in my blood.

^^^^^^This exactly! ^^^^^^

 

[Lost Lake]

I'm not enough of a wordsmith to adequately describe the myriad of reasons why I hunt. It runs way too deep.

 

[Whitetaillane8]

Because it has been my on hobby for over 50 years. I still enjoy being in a deer stand.

 

[Jcalder]

I like killing, and I like eating, and humans aren't acceptable for either

 

[Buzzard Breath]

Honestly…….Its who I am and in my blood.

^^^This ^^^

I don't know any different.

 

[Iglow]

The way I look at it, a more fitting question I'd ask is " why don't you hunt"?
But aside from just following what nature made me, being in the woods is about the only " real" place in this world. In the woods there are no lies or deception, everything is neither right nor wrong, it just is. When a rabbit sees a bobcat looking at him both know the score.

 

[Wrangler95]

Ive hunted 57 years and get just excited now when I see a buck or turkey as I did all those years ago!

 

[killingtime 41]

I enjoy quiet time in the big woods. Also love the thrill of scouting finding tracks and trails and then finally putting enough intel together to sit before daylight never knowing what might come down the trail. I don't use cameras usually. Cause I still like the excitement of the unknown. Love the camp hunt with friends more than anything. As that's how it all began almost 30 years ago. Having food is an obvious other reason. The older I get the more it's about the whole experience than anything.

 

[TNTreeman]

I love being outside . The smell of diesel and dirt planting things. I love the solitude, I hunt alone almost 100% of the time. I love the cold weather and being in a tree high enough almost nothing knows I'm there. I love watching the squirrels eat and play and the smallest sparrows gather food . It's part of who I am and I think I'll always have the desire to do it. The actual kill is way down the list for me.

 

[DCA-DEER]

Well one thing it's my therapy but we also eat a lot of deer meat

 

[Ski]

It's in my DNA, the way the good lord made me. One of my oldest memories is when I discovered that dry golden rod weeds made great arrows for my little bow. Couldn't have been 4yrs old.

 

[tickweed]

I believe there are people who hunt, then natural born hunters.

 

[Biggun4214]

Hereditary, my original Tennessee ancestor was a long hunter.

 

[gtk]

1. Being in "nature"/communing with God
2. I love eating deer/elk/antelope/etc
3. Unwinding from a stressful job.
4. Comradery with family/friends

Nothing like sitting on a mountain top, with no one around for miles, and seeing AND feeling the sun come up and the world "come alive". Hearing that elk bugle one mountain top over. Seeing a black bear shuffling thru the woods. Watching buck antelope get to a high point on the plains as the sun's coming up, looking over his realm. Watching a herd of mule deer pick thru the brush single file. Watching an eagle fly over a mountain top.

If you can do any of this, and don't believe some "higher power" had a hand in creating what we call "mother nature", then I think your crazy

 

[SinningSaint33]

Been doing it since I could walk, there is no changing that. Looking forward to getting my son out there this year to see if it's embedded in the genes.

 

[knightrider]

Because i have to!!! I have a yerning deep inside to be on the hunt!!!

 

[deerhunter10]

A ton of very valid important reasons to many to list really. But the main ones are is a I'm obsessed with it and have been from a very young age so I guess it is in my blood. I love the time alone to reflect and unwind. I love the animals that I hunt and really most of all the animals. At the end of the day and for many past years I truly just have to hunt and when that passion or drive stops then I will walk away from it and be ok about it. Until then not a day goes by without thinking about whitetail deer or turkeys.

 

[Specializedjon]

I love being outside . The smell of diesel and dirt planting things. I love the solitude, I hunt alone almost 100% of the time. I love the cold weather and being in a tree high enough almost nothing knows I'm there. I love watching the squirrels eat and play and the smallest sparrows gather food . It's part of who I am and I think I'll always have the desire to do it. The actual kill is way down the list for me.

this

 

[rem270]

I think it's just naturally in me to hunt. I can remember going with my dad as early as around 5 years old. I remember the times before cell phones that he'd be hunting and I couldn't go and anticipating hearing his truck pull in. I almost always had him timed that if I heard his truck at a certain time then he didn't get anything then other times him being later that he more than likely is bringing one home.

When I said I think it's naturally in me then that don't make me naturally good at it. It just means that I never have to think if I'm going turkey, deer, or squirrel hunting. I know I'm going for whatever's in season.

I enjoy the peace and quiet and early wake ups with the anticipation. I hunt alone a lot and my dad still goes too but has slowed down a lot.

 

[Apostolic Outdoors]

I believe it's in my DNA. (Cherokee)
To provide food for our family.
Memories.
Solitude.
Getting out in God's creation.
To save money by processing our own food.
The challenge of outsmarting them. (Playing the game)
Some of my best prayer times have been in the woods, just me and Him.
A chance to fellowship with other hunters.
A change to teach the next generation.
Because I have to.
Because I can.

 

[Specializedjon]

I believe it's in my DNA. (Cherokee)
To provide food for our family.
Memories.
Solitude.
Getting out in God's creation.
To save money by processing our own food.
The challenge of outsmarting them. (Playing the game)
Some of my best prayer times have been in the woods, just me and Him.
A chance to fellowship with other hunters.
A change to teach the next generation.
Because I have to.
Because I can.

Well said sir

 

[hoghunter65]

2024 will be year 51 for me, once I get a deer or two in the freezer, I just like to watch the sun come up, roosters crowing, a owl in the distance, when I was younger I hunted hard, I felt like I was missing something if I wasn't in the woods, now I hunt when I want to and it's much more enjoyable.

 

[tree_ghost]

My friend, Bobby Worthington, said it best IMO…Below is an excerpt of Bobby's final book that will be available to the public around the beginning of deer season this Sept 2024.

 

[Buzzard Breath]

I'm in it for the likes, follows, and free merch. #publicland #publiclandhunter #stayhammered