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Why I Hunt

The answer to the question people ask the most

By Cameron Johnson Published 3 years ago 8 min read
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One of the biggest questions I get asked by non-hunters is why I do what I do. In a world filled with grocery stores and fast food spots why do I still chose to do things the old fashioned way? Truth is my desire to hunt and fish goes deeper than the need fill the freezer. There are numerous physical, mental and emotional components that go into my decision to be an outdoorsman. Here are the reasons why:

Food

This is probably the most obvious reason why anyone would chose to hunt. It’s main reason why humans have hunted in the first place. In the old days of humanity there were no grocery stores, marketplaces or mega farms. If you wanted to eat, you had to go out and find something. As time progressed we became more sophisticated in how we obtained our food, primarily through agriculture. You could make the argument that farming has been the biggest component to human development throughout our entire history. Now most food that our ancestors had to go out and find is readily available in most areas. Not only that but you can even have your food delivered to you through one of the many app-based services that are available. So why go hunt if you truly don’t need to? Because a lot of the food in the stores isn’t very good for you. The food available today is nowhere near the quality of our parents generation. And the food of their generation is nowhere near the quality of their parents. Fruits and vegetables are often sprayed with chemicals to keep their color and prevent insects from eating them. While chickens, cows and pigs are pumped with growth hormones and antibiotics which destroys the quality of the meat. But as a hunter, I don’t have to worry about that. Wild game eat a natural diet and drink from natural water sources. There are no growth hormones, antibiotics or food coloring in their meat. Wild game is far healthier for you than anything you can buy at the store. I can literally take a map, point to an exact location and say "This is where my meat came asically if you really want to eat organically, you may want start hunting or fishing.

Variety

Piggybacking off my previous comments about food, most people eat the same things when it comes to meat: chicken, beef, pork and a few types of fish and shellfish. But how many people actually go beyond that? A lot of people would cringe at the idea of eating a deer or a rabbit, but these are mainstays for most hunters. I personally have eaten things that most people will never even see, let alone taste. And many of them are quite delicious might I add. Being a hunter gives me a more diverse pallet and greater variety in my diet which is always a good thing.

Exercise

We live in an age where jobs are becoming less and less physical. Much of the work these days are done by machines and computers. The need for physical labor is decreasing dramatically and as a result many people live very sedentary lives. If they aren’t pushed physically on their job then they would have to start working out at the gym or at home to get exercise. But lets be real, most people don’t make that kind of commitment. But the life of an outdoorsman is one of great physical challenge. Many people greatly underestimate how physically demanding being an outdoorsman truly is. I have hunted all my life and even I get surprised by how difficult some trips are physically. Whether it’s chasing elk up and down a mountain or pulling a halibut hundreds of feet from the ocean floor, if you spend enough time outdoors you will be pushed to your limit at some point. Knowing this motivates me to stay in shape throughout the year because when one huntingseason closes another one opens. There’s no real downtime in this kind of lifestyle and no room for inactivity. The demands are just too great.

Travel

Hunting and fishing is unique in the sense that it literally forces you to get up and go places. The animals won’t come to you, you have to go to the animals. This means going to some of the most beautiful and remote environments the world has to offer. Those snowcapped mountains, I’ve been there. That beautiful lake with the crystal clear water, pulled a nice trout out of there a couple years back. That misty forest and those wide open prairies, been there done that. That rocky coastline, been fishing there since I was little. Being a hunter has given me the opportunity to see some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. And the great part is that there is still so much more to see. And I know it’s only a matter of time before I have another one of those Kodak Moments.

Challenge

Each hunting and fishing trip is like a complicated math problem. There are a bunch of variables and factors that need to be figured out in order to succeed. Every animal has characteristics that make it a challenge to get. Every environment has elements that will make your job more difficult. The weather will greatly affect how animals behave and the time of year will determine where an animal will be located. You have to take into consideration every possible detail to be successful. Overlooking even the tiniest factor could be the difference between filling the freezer and coming home empty handed. It goes without saying that failure is part of the process. Any hunter that says they have had more success than failure is a liar. This isone of the those things where you could do everything right and still not succeed. And that is what makes the process so interesting. You never know whether your next trip will be another failure or if it will be the trip of a lifetime.

A Break From Society

Everyday we are being told what to do, what to wear and how to live. There are certain things we can’t say, certain gestures we can’t make, certain questions we can’t ask and certain things we can’t partake in. We live an existence of rules and societal standards that dictate how we live our lives. The wilderness offers a break from all of that. Out there the rules of man mean almost nothing and you are free from a lot of the things that rule your everyday life. When I go on a hunt the only law I pay attention to is natural law. The only rules I follow are the Hunters Code. The only race I care about is the human race. The only deadline I need to keep is the end of the season. And the only boss I have to answer to is The Lord Himself. When I’m hungry I eat. When I’m thirsty I drink. When I’m tired I rest. In the wilderness you are free from a lot of the mess that comes with living in this modern society. Out there life becomes much simpler and we could all use a bit of simplicity in our lives.

Peace Of Mind

Peace of mind is one of the things we as people often overlook or we tend to sacrifice it altogether. And one of the biggest things that affect our peace of mind is uncertainty. Truth is none of us know what will happen 5, 10, 20 years in the future. We can make all the necessary plans but life has a funny way of surprising us all. Just look at this year. Who could have predicted that a global pandemic would change everything about our daily lives. I have gone through unpredictable moments in my personal life such as the sudden and undeserved emotional abuse from the woman I’m in a relationship with. I say all this prove my point: life is unpredictable and there are very few things that are certain in this world. But for me and many other hunters there is one thing that we can rely on. No matter what is going on in the world ourselves and our families will always have something to eat. In a year where millions of people are experiencing financial hardships and difficulty putting food on the table, my father and I traveled Colorado and hunted 2 elk. Producing enough meat to feed our family for over a year on just a single hunt. It’s situations such a these that make me proud to be a hunter. Because while the rest of the world scrambles to get what they need, me and my family will always be taken care of. We don’t need the politicians, the police or the social workers. My skills alone are enough to keep my family alive and healthy. And that gives me tremendous confidence and peace of mind for the future, no matter what happens.

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