As we get farther into the year I must say my mind wonders more and more as I stare off into the mountains that surround me every day. More specifically, my mind wonders to the abundansy of life that roams the mountainside day and night. Then I start to think of the month of August and what comes with it. Hunting season.
(Photo credit to my little Brother)
(Still new and this so please tell me if my photo credit skills are lacking)
In others words it’s a season of being up hours before the sun, hiking miles and miles of mountainside, eating the civilian equivalent of MRE’s for a few days, being cold, wet and miserable. But sharing what will be some of the best memories of your life with friends and family that you love.
You spend all year practicing, you are out in the yard shooting arrow after arrow into a target ranging from 20 to 90 yards. Doing this puts your mind at ease and helps with something I have known as being called “Muscle Memory”. You shoot Hundreds, hell THOUSANDS of arrows preparing yourself for the only shot that counts.
(Photo taken by me)
You practice like this so that when the time comes, you can settle into the perfect position. You can control your breathing and keep your heart from pounding out of your chest. You are able to center the pin directly in the center of the peep sight and simultaneously on the vitals of what you are trying to harvest.
(Photo taken by me)
You talk to any good hunter and they will tell you that their goal is not only to fill their freezer but to kill that animal the quickest and least painful way possible. You see, a shot to the vitals and that animal is dead in seconds. A misplaced shot is the worst possible outcome any hunter would want to happen. Most people have a misconception as of why that is though. It’s not because we will have to track that animal through the night, or that a bad shot will most likely spoil the meat. It’s because any hunter I know including myself hates to see any animal suffer. Contrary To popular belief hunters actually love and respect wildlife more than most.
(Photo taken by me, High Uinta Mountain Goat)
(Photo taken by me. Nice Elk just off the beaten path)
We hunt because it is in our blood, all throughout human history we have been hunter gatherers. And when you go hunting for the first time (especially archery hunting) there is something inside of you that clicks. The only way I can really describe it is that in some way it connects you even more with Mother Nature and the wildlife that surrounds you. It’s an ancient and primal feeling, and it’s a feeling that you will never want to lose.
(Photo taken by my little brother)
(Photo taken by my little brother)
Now for one of the biggest reasons I hunt. The meat, it is the only way to know exactly what is in the meat you are putting into your body. It’s loaded with more protein than beef (depending on what you kill) and it’s a lot less fatty. That’s not even getting into how delicious it is!!
(Photo taken by me. The last of my deer meat from my last buck)
In the end there are a million reasons why I hunt. But when asked by someone who doesn’t hunt for whatever reason, my first answer will always be; Because it’s in our blood.