Neil,
In Denver last weekend you wondered aloud why we hunt. Why anyone would work so hard and so long for a few bits of protein. I thought about that while hunting chukars today. Thanks for the motivation – everyone should go through this exercise periodically, taking stock of why they wander the ridgelines and prairies. Other hunters may have their own reasons, but here are some of mine:
Oh yeah, and then there's the scenery
It starts, and ends, with the mystery and magic of a dog at work, centuries of genetics and instinct in a furry, panting, slobbering package … the manic excitement of that first 15 minutes out of the truck, trembling, intense points, the way at the end of the day he lays his head on my lap as we drive home. A hunter knows where the term “dog tired” came from. Dog and man, hunting, speak a language others don’t understand, and both of us are better off from our time together. There’s tiny towns like Fields, Oregon, population 9, opening its arms and hearts to me. Rural America is alive and well if you know where to look. Hunting places are full of honest, kind, helpful, hard-working people and we are lucky to share their world if only for a few days.
There’s the chance to spend time with the only person from college worth spending time with. Sure, it’s just an excuse and we could do the same on the golf course or in Vegas … or could we? Sharing a wild place puts things in perspective. There is no posturing, there are no walls, literally and figuratively. Knowing you’re in a place where humans aren’t at the top of the food chain changes your attitude, as does realizing every step could be your last: off a cliff or battered to pieces in a rock slide. We embrace life fully when we risk losing it. Respectfully taking a life reminds us of how close we are to the brink, to the earth, sky, and fundamental elements that make up a full life. Hunting is the ultimate reality check.
We see things that nobody else does outside of the Discovery Channel: bald eagles and great blue herons, the spear point lost 200 years ago by a Paiute deer hunter, the tiny spring hidden by lava frozen in time. The long-lost friend driving up a rural road as I’m driving down, and catching up on the past five years at the local café where I know how to run the coffee maker. And do.
The gratitude of knowing a year earlier I couldn’t walk the length of my driveway, yet today sat at the top of a 2,000 foot climb with my dog at my side, surveying majestic mountains, sere desert, lush riverside and blue sky. Knowing you are truly alive on a hunt, senses pegged to the max. Killing something isn’t necessary for a successful hunt, knowing you might is critical. Bringing home free-range, organic protein is good, in fact better food than most of our friends will ever dine on. But the pursuit also links us with our not-so-distant past, and those who still must hunt to survive.
You walk with purpose while hunting, eyes open wider, smells more intense and sounds piercing your soul. You are re-connecting with generations past, fulfilling a centuries-old mandate to provide for the tribe. But the nourishment goes beyond rebuilding cell walls and fueling one’s metabolism.
Sorry for the long list Neil, but those are a few of my reasons. Come with me some time and start your own list.
[And the rest of you – how about starting YOUR list, in the comments section below?]
Scott Linden Outdoors 
[…] [And the rest of you – how about starting YOUR list, in the comments section?] […]
Very well written, and all true Scott. But don’t forget how good the beer tastes after the hunt (and the game of cribbage after dinner)!
Tastes great! Certainly not less filling.
For me, Hunting is all that you’ve said. It gives me the chance to be an active participant in nature and all that it is, not just an observer of it. It’s all about sharing in my dog’s joy of hunting – when my last hunting dog died, it was about 12 years before I hunted again, when we got our Chocolate Lab, Sophie. Although I missed hunting during those years, it wasn’t the same without a dog.
You hit the nail on the head, murphydogs … I wasn’t even a hunter until I got my first bird dog, so you can imagine my priorities. Much the same as yours. Thanks for the insights.
All of what Scott said, and because I still can. I enjoy very much the fun and pleasure of being with friends that enjoy the same sport. It’s like going to a sporting event with your best buddy, only different in that you get to join in the sport and relive it every time you get back together. You know, I’ve forgotten about football games I’ve attended with friends but don’t know if I ever forgotten a hunt…good or bad. It seems even the bad ones, still have a lot to remember about them, and a lot to talk about later. I wouldn’t expect a non-hunter to know this feeling, but all hunters and fisherman know what I’m talking about.
Hey binko, yep, we should simply be grateful we can still walk those hills (headed for chukars today). I’d only amplify on your analogy: the key difference is we are on the field for the entire hunting game, not just watching from some cozy couch or bleacher seat. We become a part of the hunt, not a spectator.
Scott, “True” pointer fans will cringe when I tell you this, BUT, I’ve trained my German wirehair to flush on command. Annie will point and hold it till the “old guy with the gun” gets there. Then when I’m perfectly set, caught my breath, gun at the ready, thumb on the safety, I quietly say ” O,K, PUTEMUP ” ! Boy does she ever! She has never caught an uninjured quail or pheasant but I’m sure she thinks SOMEDAY she will. My reasoning for this command is simple: Why take a chanch on being off ballance, caught in the thorns, etc. when I can send the dog? Oh, and my wife TOTALLY accepts my frequent hunting trips, though she does go into fits of laughter when I claim my dogs “earn their keep” while her dogs (2 American bull terriers) are simply “Turd hounds” (Their primary function being to turn perfectly good dog food into dog turds! Somehow she doesn’t think a few ounces of meat justifies the expense. Silly Girle!!
She just doesn’t understand!
Nicely written. One of the better ones out there. Mine are similar, but it comes down to just wanting to be more connected. More connected to the land. More connected to my food and where it comes from.
There is something so exhilarating about being in the field, there’s no way to explain it to those that don’t hunt. It’s life in its most basic state.
Thanks Bill. The standard at our house from husband to wife is “you just don’t understand.” She tries, though. Gotta give her credit. Ya’ll have a similar situation?
Oh yeah, same way at home.
Can’t live with ’em, can’t shoot ’em.
I think you hit every one of the things I have on my list. I hunt because it’s humbling, exciting, entertaining, rewarding, fun, anxious, exhilarating, disappointing, refreshing, and the list goes on and on.
It connects us to back to ourselves, as well as nature. It’s simply and purely awesome.
Thanks Arthur. Don’t forget exhausted. Anybody else want to add to the list?
Well said.