Why do you hunt?

[IronSpirit]

I love being a part of nature! Thats why I hunt. I prefer stalking and stillhunting with a recurve. Instinctive shooting is my game; I feel I can hit anything within 25 yards with a traditional bow without sights...
I've been within 15 yards of numerous deer in the past couple seasons and haven't taken the shot. Seems I just like to see them. Personally I'm not a bait pile person or a tree stand guy. If I kill 1 deer in a season, awesome! If not, I've spent a lot of time in the woods and seen some cool stuff so thats just as awesome! There is no quantity or quality to measure my hunting season, it basically comes down to me enjoying God's creation! Curious as to what others weapons of choice are and what drives them to hunt...

[ACEarcher]

Sounds funny, but I'll purposly not use my last doe tag just so I can go out hunting. Like even with this early archery antlerless season. To be onest I really don't need the meat right now, and I really don't feel like dragging out a deer right now in this heat. But I love to hunt. I love to just be out there. Especially bowhunting that is my passion. I joke around with my buddies right now. I say right now I'm just scouting with a bow during this early archery antlerless season. I love to hunt and fish, but something just about hunting that gets me. I even made wildlife & fisheries biology my major of study in college. I thought about how much I love hunting and how much it ment to me. Then I said to myself how can I make this into a career. I looked into wildlife & fisheries biology. I decided to try and get into the science of the wildlife & fisheries. Through my course of study my passion only grew. I learned how we almost lost our wildlife & fisheries once. I couldn't ever imagin my life without the outdoors. Now I know how to preserve wildlife & fisheries and make sure that it's there for our future generations to come enjoy and learn how valuable this great resource truly is.:thup:

[onthehunt]

I prefer the compound but hunt with all weapons just to be in the woods. I enjoy eating venison but that is not why I hunt, I can get plenty of meat from my buds. It's exciting and keeps me feeling alive everytime that deer takes another step closer:thup:. Something about sunrise when the woods wake up and the anticipation when you here that "crunch, crunch, crunch,crunch..."

[meatonastick]

Like Hank Jr. once said " Its a family tradition" :D

[PhilCVG]

I love it ... that is why.

I love the challenge it presents.

I love the outdoors.

I love seeing things that 80% or better of the population will never see.

The venison is good also.

My brother hunts from time to time, so the time spent with him is very cool.

[never better]

Because of the adrenaline rush I get when I see a rutting buck blowing steam out of his nostrils on a cold November morning, chasing a doe and praying she will come by my stand and bring him with her..
I love being outside when its so miserable no one else with any degree of sanity is out there..
I love being there to watch the sun come up and the woods come alive...and to watch the sun go down and the deer come out of nowhere.
Tom

[mudmarlin70]

Because I've always loved the outdoors.
Very few others know the thrill of waking up at the ridiculous hour on a crisp dry november morning and not withdrawing when that sharp blast of cold hits the lungs, but leafs still rustling on the branches. Know how much you want to turn off the alarm, but thank god you didnt when you walk into that air?

How many know the sight of first light with a flock of ducks airborn overhead or the blasting gobble of the first bird to sound off on the roost.

I hunt almost entirely with a bow...only gun as part of a social thing. I am likely trending back to a recurve in the years ahead. I watched my father shoot a recurve before he passed. And there are times now when i'm less concerned with hunting the mature whitetails i love to hunt now than before. This early archery would be the perfect opportunity.

[wresnut]

Reason's are many, 1st would be solitude! the time to sit reflect on life without being disturbed, though not all hunts go that way! 2nd is the love of the game!! Not so much the kill but the hunt itself.

[ganggreen]

It's just what I do.

[Archer101]

I really enjoy just being out there with nature! That's why I mainly hunt during the archery season. IMO that's the best time to be in the woods!

[DoubleDown]

cos i cant shoot my old lady:huh::nuts:

[nightshooter]

I like the competition with my friends to shoot the most and biggest, the meat is pretty good as well.

[nontyp-hunter]

We all hunt or use the great outdoors because we can!
Do not want to start political ranting but:
Remember elections are right around the corner and no matter who you vote for look at their record on voting for recreational outdoor activities. Many politicians vote to restrict use of lands that we have made available and have been purchased through taxes on recreational equipment and goods. If we want to be able to enjoy these wonderful times outdoors get involved -vote, join a club or organization that supports the things you enjoy.
BK

[Barrell]

There is a good book called the "Hunting Animal" That discusses the different stages of the human hunter based on experience and age. It ususaly progresses with many experienced hunters taking up the camera and not killing anymore or very little but spending more time in the woods then they ever did when they were going through the earlier stages of need to kill, need for quantity, need for quality.
I am in the quality stage. I have a burning desire to take a buck over 150 and have passed up some realy nice 8 points and one realy nice 10 point that I regretted later in the week of the hunt.
But when your in the quality faze of life in most states your done if you fill your tag with a 120 or 130. So my quest continues. Ill be hunting Upstate Pa , SE PA, Adirondacks, and Indiana this year. Also thinking about Maine but I cant find anyone who wants to go. And Maine can be dangerous to hunt on your own. If I dont see that 150 Ill be happy for the time in the woods.
I love the stalk, and have spent hours crawling on my hands and knees through knee deep snow up to bedded deer. I coule never shoot a deer over bait. Even if it was a stae record. I dont want it that way. Nor can I go on a guided hunt where the guide tags along and walkes me up to a trophy. I dont want it that way either. When and if I finaly tag one over 150 I want to be on my own, deep in the woods, and on the stalk.

[bigolebuck]

I hunt for the love of the sport and mainly for the tasty food.

[Buck Banger]

Football is on sundays, Hockey is on at night so i need to hunt inbetween to keep me busy and yet sane ,in a quiet woods nothing like hanging around collecting some thoughts

[boatliftman]

For me I think it instinct, the same reason a lab. retrieves or a pointer points. I have often asked myself the same question while sitting in a tree for 6 hours or sitting in a duck blind by myself because its so nasty out no one else is dumb enough to go. If I don't hunt I feel like something is wrong:)