Why I Hunt

[BUCKHUNTER30-06]

I hear all the time people ask why do you hunt. Most hunters say it is not the killing of a deer but, it is a part of it. after a morning in the woods on Tues. finding a 4pt. buck hit by my grandson on Mon. night I am able to say why I hunt. My grandson 10yrs. old a mentor hunter hit a 4pt. with a crossbow with his other grandfather with him Mon. night in his tree house. they found the arrow a little blood then nothing Mon. night. my son called me Tues. morning early and said his grandfather who was with him when he shot it and my son were going to look for it. I said I would pick up my older brother and meet them in the deer woods. we went to the last blood and couldn't find any more to track. we then did a grid search nothing. I decided to walk on the top of a gully where a small creek ran because deer when wounded get a fever and need to drink a lot. I found my sons buck yrs. ago laying near a creek when we couldn't find it . I went about 200 yds. along the gully and finally there laying in the creek was the 4pt. buck. my son went back home to get his son and his tag. he went to the school and told them his son had a dentist appt. and brought him out to the deer. here is a pic of my grandson holding the 4pt. buck his 1st and me on the left, his grandfather who found it and, his grandfather on the right who was there when he shot it. the smile on my grandson's face tells the whole story. that is why I hunt. It is the being out in the woods with family and friends and the taking of a deer is just icing on the cake.

[trperk]

Nice story!

[ManOfTheFall]

I love it. I was there for both my sons when they killed there first and I will be there for my grandsons when they kill their first. Is your grand son named Ethan?

[zachc]

That awesome! I have to agree, my dad got me and my brothers into hunting when we were pretty young, I was 10 and 2 older brothers and 1 younger all started about the same time. I still remember my first hunt like it was yesterday, squirrel hunting at Fallsville with a 410. We only got a few squirrels between all of us but it was that hunt that got me hooked for life. Now I have 4 little ones and I can't tell you how stoked I am to teach them to hunt. I have already taken our 5 yr old out a few times, with no deer luck, I know people say take them squirrel hunting but she says she wants to go deer hunting instead so how can I say no, lol. Have our 2 oldest walking around the house all the time making deer grunts and turkey yelps! We try to have them outside as much as possible, instead of sitting in front of the TV or playing video games and they have no problem covering themselves in dirt hahaha. Anyways great story and congrats to all of you.

[Genesis 9:3]

That's awesome. I remember growing up, dad taught me to shoot a rifle, but we never hunted. I was always jealous of those couple kids who spoke of deer hunting. I grew up in the suburbs of Cincinnati, so there weren't a lot of options... at least that I knew of. It was hard enough just trying to find friends whose parents would let their kids go to the shooting range with us! Anyway, after I shot my first deer I found out my dad couldn't stomach seeing the carcass as I was de-boning it... maybe that's why we never hunted? Anyway, I look forward to passing on all the knowledge I've gained in the past four years to my little guys one day!

Until then, I'll keep asking questions on here and reading responses... trying not to be jealous of the guys whose father's taught them about all the mistakes I'm making :)

[mrbb]

well I think we all have our reasons
Me, I grew up in a NON hunting family, no one hunted and NO guns.
so I was not in family line of hunters
I got my interest in, enjoying the outdoors, also something My family didn't do?
Nor did any of there friends!
hunting was just something I wanted to do, but never had any personal help in getting started or teaching me!(same with shooting)
I was the odd ball of the family
I found that I could never learn enough about the outdoors, and that lead me to wanting to hunt, to see if I could get close enough to a deer, grouse or what ever
I was hunting them for yrs long before I even owned a gun or a bow
and was very good at getting close to them, even touched a few
that got my interested even more in hunting, I read every book I could get my hands on and subscribed to every hunting/shooting related magazine I could fine
I was hooked on the outdoors and shooting
LONG before I ever went or knew anyone that went hunting or owned a gun/bow!
I was fully self taught, both shooting gun's bow's and hunting!
and to be honest I did 90+ % of all my hunting over the past 30+ yrs alone
it was always more about the challange and enjoyment I got, I never needed anyone to share it with
However, I did enjoy taking all the people out I have over the yrs, I very much enjoyed taking first timers and or getting folks there forst game animals, be it a deer, turkey, pheasant or>??
I got about 20+ people there first deer/turkey/pheasant and so on
but never really stuck with anyone of them afterwards
most times folks came to me for help, either first timmers, or after they hunted a while and didn't kill, couldn't get the job done!
then after I took them out, and gave them some pointers, they went there own ways again!
so, me hunting was about personal goals and ways to enjoy the outdoors, same with shooting sports, got very heavy into them, with long range shooting
being one of my fav and still is!
But ran the course of that, from about ever weapon there is a working man could get, and owning a gun store could allow! rom learning how to teaching shooting sports, all again self taught, and then got into the better end of things thru working with some pro's

Hunting never had anything to do with family or friends for me. it was all personal goals, and then work related
LOL
so guess I am an odd ball here!

[mneal]

I grew up looking forward to going rabbit hunting with my father and uncles 5-6 times a year. My dad kind of gave it up as I got older but I was always included by my uncles... especially the one with no son (3 daughters). It was a way to keep in touch with the relatives and to be included in the family activities while doing something I really enjoyed. They had great stories about each other and going hunting as kids (6 brothers) when their family needed the meat. I remember smoking rabbits out of holes, sending a ferret down a hole after a rabbit, and being the guy who got to "play dog" during the years when none of them had a beagle. My uncle with three daughters was the only bow hunter in the group, and I had no interest in sitting in a tree all day waiting on a deer to walk by. Fast forward 25 years and I now share trail camera pictures and hunting stories with my 83 year old uncle who just gave up bow hunting 2 years ago. I never dreamed I would be such an addicted bow hunter. Two of my three sons have harvested deer with their bows and the youngest (9years old) just moved up to a 40lb. bow this year.. so hopefully he will be the youngest yet... next season. I actually bought 80 acres in SE Ohio.... just for bowhunting. I have had my uncle down and several other relatives in the last few years just to experience hunting in such a great part of the state. They stay at our house and at the small cabin on the hunting property 4 miles away. My wife and daughters look forward to "deer camp" every year now. They make big pots of venison chili and lasagna and we finish each hunt with a big meal they have prepared. So... the tradition of sharing the hunt with family is a big part of "why I hunt". But, to be honest....(like MRBB) I would hunt even it was just me. I love the thrill of it, the discipline it requires, the patience it demands, and the satisfaction of the harvest. I just wish I had not waited 43 years to figure out what I was missing. Oh the bucks I could have harvested and the experiences I could have had if I just started a little sooner. So now, I take a day off here and there to hunt. I let my sons miss a day of school here and there during the rut. I look forward to fall every passing day of summer. I appreciate the basic things like the warmth from the the sun when it finally reaches you in a tree stand and the smell of autumn leaves after a rain. I have traveled the world and had a lot of great experiences... but I'll take chasing whitetails with a bow and arrow over all of them.

[Toke2]

Great stories... I am in the same boat as Genesis. Non hunting family, but picked it up a few years back. Two main reasons 1) love to be in the woods 2) I have two young sons. I know that hunting will provide memories ( Like BuckHunters) that they will one day share with their kids. That is my hope! Had my oldest out already with a crossbow ( bought a two man stand this year). He enjoyed it and wants to go again! I also enjoy the "camp" with several college buddies - good food, drink, and stories around the fire!

[BUCKHUNTER30-06]

MANOFTHEFALL, No my grandson's name is Mason. but my son nicked named him Wildman He wants to shoot everything. he has the hunting bug real bad. I don't see him dropping out of hunting like a lot of youngsters seem to do now a days. I think the 1st deer being a 4pt. will also help. now he can set his goals a little higher next time.

[Genesis 9:3]

...to see if I could get close enough to a deer, grouse or what ever. I was hunting them for yrs long before I even owned a gun or a bow and was very good at getting close to them, even touched a few...
so guess I am an odd ball here!

You snuck up on a deer and touched it? Why even hunt with a bow then? I can't imagine any kind of rush that would compare with sneaking up on a buck with a knife!

I started out hunting for the food. My father in-law kept telling me I wouldn't save any money... but I promise I can't get steaks like I do from my deer at the grocery store, let alone afford them if I could! Each year when we run out of venison, it's a very sad day when my wife puts the ground beef or "fajita steak" on the table... there is NO comparison.

Now as my first cries every time I go hunting without him, it is transitioning. I don't know what it will become, but it sure made me proud when my oldest insisted that we put this picture of us that my mom framed for me in his room...

10785

[mrbb]

You snuck up on a deer and touched it? Why even hunt with a bow then? I can't imagine any kind of rush that would compare with sneaking up on a buck with a knife!

I started out hunting for the food. My father in-law kept telling me I wouldn't save any money... but I promise I can't get steaks like I do from my deer at the grocery store, let alone afford them if I could! Each year when we run out of venison, it's a very sad day when my wife puts the ground beef or "fajita steak" on the table... there is NO comparison.

Now as my first cries every time I go hunting without him, it is transitioning. I don't know what it will become, but it sure made me proud when my oldest insisted that we put this picture of us that my mom framed for me in his room...

10785
Yeah I have several times over the yrs, more way back when I was a kid, but a few yrs ago was the last time
I have also hand caugh ruffed grouse too, and pheasants, cannot tell you how many times I have had birds and tree rats walk on me while out hunting too!

and I have been known to crawl into a few bear dens over the yrs with bears in them and touched the bears too!
I was a rather crazy guy most of my life, and had a huge interest in bears and all wildlife
I took many things to the extremes
and to be honest, I doubt many folks would even believe many things I did
I know on the bear dens, most of my friends didn't even believe me till I took them there and had them see me do it! LOL
I am NOT some great hunter or woodsman guy
I just tried really hard and took a lot of time to learn what ever I could
and was lucky to live where there was a lot of wildlife, and freedom to let myself learn , mostly by trial and error, but I spent more hrs in the woods than anyone else I know to date!
like most things when you put the effort and have the chances, you get to do a lot of things many folks don't!

[ManOfTheFall]

Well, congrats to Mason!!!!! He looks a lot like another youngster I know here from Tuscarawas County.