Motivation

[Nate Bailey]

#4227

Hello all
There was a time in my life when I serously thought about hanging it up. That is, I was going to quit hunting all togather. During this time I did a lot of soul searching–which lead to one of the biggest insights of my life. Something I wouldn’t have ever considered without asking–what was my motivation for Hunting. This question also lead to my love for traditional bows, but more importantly, it made me a more solid hunter, mentor and a man.

With that said I will ask you- what is your motivation? You can post it here if you wish, but more importantly, I challenge you to mull it over in your head.

Ill share what I found out about myself and the world around me a little later as lunch is over and I have to get back to work.

Nate

[Bruce Smithhammer]

#28435

Interesting idea for a thread.

For me, the primary motivation is pretty simple – learning. Hunting, and particularly bowhunting, encourages me to learn all kinds of cool things about habitat, animal behavior, etc. It’s another way for me to explore what I’ve loved doing since I was old enough to walk – being outdoors, in wild places.

A close second to that is the skill-building. I love practicing and honing the skills that it takes to be a successful bowhunter. Stalking, tracking, awareness, etc.

And third, I don’t want to be easy fodder when the zombie apocalypse happens.

[Raymond Coffman]

#28561

I hunt {with a bow} because I have to — I have been this way from childhood. None of my family are hunters, but I was born this way. I have never needed a reason why [ or thought much about it for myself ]- I just do it- I love to be free on the Land in pursuit, I enjoy the Chase. Success is always nice and required on occassion, but the chase is paramount.
Scout

[skifrk]

#29241

I hunt for the fun and skill building it gives me. Along with a chance to be in nature and enjoy the solitude.

[fattony77]

#29316

I guess I’d hafta say my motivation to hunt begins with me enjoying God’s perfect creation in a way that I had never experienced before. When I hunt I feel like I’m living the way He intended for us to live. It’s the constant learning about how the world REALLY is supposed to work. The love of the beauty of His creation and the reminder that I am part of it. I like the thought of providing perfect food for my family (although it hasn’t happened yet). As for bowhunting, it started out as simply as because it gave me more time to be hunting. Then I picked up a traditional bow, and I have fallen in love with it. I suppose it’s partly because it feels even more natural.

[SteveMcD]

#29350

I wrote this quite a few years ago. Had to go look for it.

[wildschwein]

#29424

While I do enjoy hunting as an activity and the wild as a release from the every day rat race, my wife and I hunt predominantly for meat. Between the two of us we consume about six Deer a year. Thats why the rifles always come out the last week of season, unless we have already tagged out with the bow.

[Troy Breeding]

#29432

I guess you can say I started bowhunting for spite….

When I was young I used to watch the ol’ Fred Bear and Howard Hill short movies at the theater. Everytime I’d come home I’d tell my dad (a staunched military master sarget) about the flick.

He always reply “if bows were so great then why in heck did the indians garb every gun they could get their hands on?”

Argueing with him wasn’t in my best interest so I’d just nod my head and slink off.

When I was old enough to hunt on my own I bought a 45# Ben Pearson recurve and some 2020 aluminium arrows. I never said a word to him about buying it and had to bribe my mom to keep her mouth shut when she found it in my closet.

Anyway, after acouple of seasons of not taking anything with the bow it finally happened.

Oh yea, I’d take a deer or two each season with the rifle, but the bow didn’t see any action until one evening when a little spike finally came in close enough that I knew he was mine.

While skinning the spike out my dad came down to the shead to check things out. When he saw the interence wound he looked alittle funny. Thats when I started laughing and told him about the bow. What could he do or say about it now?

Yea,,, I took alot of razzing about it until my next kill afew weeks later.

Since then, he has desided bows aren’t that bad and dang sure doesn’t turn down any of the meat I carry to him on my trips home.

I guess you can say the spite has gone and now do it for the love of the sport.

Troy

[Rogue]

#29844

The more I reflected on this question the harder it became. I wish I could say that we survive on the meat but if that was the case I would use the easiest means for obtaining said meat, and that would be a rifle (or cruise missle which are hard to come by).

If it was just experiencing nature I could do that at anytime carrying nothing more than a camera and a bottle of water.
I hunt to be a participant in life not just an observer.

To accept that I am a predator and experience the wild as a part of it not as a bystander.

I choose traditional equipment for its simplistic grace,and I am ill equiped with minimal fangs and nonexsitant claws to do the job.

I hunt, not because its what i do, but rather who I am.

[JEMBO]

#30325

I recently read of a Celtic saying that heaven and earth are only three feet apart but in the “thin” places they are even closer. I do enjoy all the trappings of the hunt, the skill , the learning, the effort, being close to the animals,success, etc. But after nearly forty years of traditional hunting I’ve come to realize what truly drives me is to be in the “thin” places… just to be there.

[SteveMcD]

#30375

Jembo wrote: I recently read of a Celtic saying that heaven and earth are only three feet apart but in the “thin” places they are even closer. I do enjoy all the trappings of the hunt, the skill , the learning, the effort, being close to the animals,success, etc. But after nearly forty years of traditional hunting I’ve come to realize what truly drives me is to be in the “thin” places… just to be there.

I really like that! Well Said! 8)

[Steve Sr.]

#30414

OH MY! Where does one start? How does one follow such great thoughts? ….my feeble input and my thanks for the question as well.

I could name the many reasons I speak aloud amongst locals.
I could copy and paste many posts from many sites where Ive rambled on and on………and on.

Most of all, at least these days, is it is my way of stepping back in time, at least inside.

As most older folks, I do NOT like the present world, the rules, the attitude change in people, etc, etc.

In the woods, stickbow in hand I simply am stepping back into “my world” where I often give thought to previous hunters/tribes/peoples that may have set foot where I stand, may have hunted ancestors of the animals I hunt and even give thought to those that follow in decades after I am gone.

I hunt because I love it and need the medication it gives me to unwind, forgot my problems too if I can.

Too often what we concentrate on what we “need to do” instead of enjoying what we are DOING. Every day, every minute is planned ahead and no time to “just live” is allowed.

I attempt every year to make each day a little more involved with living THAT one rather than worrying about tomorrow.

I pray that in a few years that will become more of a way of life for me, rather that treatment to get me through till next time.

Some great stuff here guys!
God Bless
Steve Sr.

[strait-aero]

#30445

Much of what Steve Sr. said rings true for me on this subject…(awesome thread,fellas!) I tried compounds for more years than I care to say…but finally just quit that after a decade for lack of a challinge. I was killing deer year after year and not feeling satisfied with the sport(?):?
A good friend invited me to take up hunting with the stick and string and I never looked back. I have a “beginner’s mind” again and I aim to keep it until the day I die.
Wayne

[tom-wisconsin]

#30916

I am glad to be able to read the wisdom on this site. We all honor the outdoors in a special way and the wilderness is kept valuable by our efforts and our thoughts.

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