Veteran Hunters &Respect

HunterHarry

Long Time Member
Messages
4,995
This is going to sound wierd to some of you. Some just won't get it and some may later on,
First, let me say that I have been a passionate hunter for many,many years.
I have a trophy room full of trophies,from Blacktails to Muleys to Mountain lions to Grizzly Bears to Wolves etc.
The passion still burns inside to take the great big game animals that Mother Nature has given us. I have been a trapper and a bird hunter taking hundreds of lives my years in the outdoors.
In the last ten years or so I have been a hard core Salmon and Steelhead fisherman. I have introduced my son to the outdoors as soon as he could keep up with me,he is 11 years old now . He now is a very,very competent fisherman.I watched in awe this winter as he successfully landed and released 15 steelhead in one day. I stood there and watched him give thanks to a wonderful 13 lb buck steelhead and revive it to watch it swim away to reproduce in the incredible northern river from which it came.
Tonight I was in my den looking at the great photos of that trip,and while looking at all my mounts in my room had a re-occurring thought: Have you ever tried to explain to an outsider how you can truly love the quarry in which you intend to kill? Have you ever wrestled with the question itself?
Maybe I am getting softer now that I am reaching my mid forties
I have had friends and family die,I have seen my son be born,I have tried to ingrain that deepest of loves for the outdoors that I have had since I was very young, into my son.
However,It is a very strange relationship that the predator has with it's prey,be it a fish,a bird or a beautiful buck.
It is hard for a man to bear his true feelings in a public arena,but I am sure some of you guys have that love and respect for the magnificent animals that we persue.
I only hope we can pass this on to future generations.
Take your kids with you!
(HunterHarry)
 
Not wierd at all....it's called appreciation and increases as you mature. Recent example; A friend of mines father (who has hunted all his life) stopped hunting geese just last year. He shot a nice honker and then watched it's mate swoop down immediately and cover it with his wings (to try to protect it). That did it for him after knowing that they mate for life, that I think made him throw in the towel. Years prior he'd just blast em and not think too much of it.

Good for you, you've matured much as a hunter. I think we all should hope to mature in that manner, it's a great thing to have that real and true love for wildlife.......
 
Hunter Harry
You nailed my thoughts exactly. I was going through the same emotions this past hunting season with my oldest (8 years old) as she took her first buck. I too am in my forties and have the same feelings about our quarry. You see I have two daughters. Not sons. I feel I should grant them the same passion for this sport as I would a male child. I see and hear too many times that "She is a girl and should not be subjected to such things as hunting and fishing." I say yes she should.
As human beings (animals and predators) it is in our nature to hunt and fish. As youngsters we only need a little direction and guidence from our parents to become the predators we were BORN to be. It is our duty as parents to instil the hunting furvor that burns in us, in our children.
Children are the key to the future.
Even though my girls are meer babies, I am looking forward to many years of hunting with them and my grandchildren.
This may sound cliche' but take a kid hunting. It may be the most important thing you ever do.


"We must HUNT"
 
I've been coming to this site for the past five years and the above posts are the best I've read . You guys put into words what many feel but few say . Thank You
 
Thanks HH for your post, I've felt the same for several years now. I'm in my mid-forties and believe that part of it is respect and reverence for life. I finally shot a buck last year after ten years of not shooting one because I could never find one BIG enough. And the one I shot was not a giant but a good end to a great hunt. After hunting for 30+ years I have grown to love my limited time in the outdoors and cherish it more now than ever. I'm more selective about where I hunt but I think I'm looking forward to it more this year than ever. And not to KILL anything, just to be there living for a short time with God and his beautiful creations. Hunting in out of the way places, away from the busy crap of life is to me a spiritual thing. Maybe not the killing part but for sure the hunting part of it. I am very puzzled by the fact that I love to hunt the animals that I love the most on the planet. Part of it is the challenge but that's no reason to obsess over it six months in advance. Ortega said "Men hunt to have hunted" and I believe it's true. Be sure to get and read "A Hunters Heart" by David Peterson. It's a good book that kind of covers this topic. Sorry I'm not much help, I think it's just another mystery of life. Steve
 
Nicely said HH, and as my three year old daughter found her first shed antler yesterday,it was a better feeling than I have ever had bagging a nice animal. I love showing my three girls (Yes sotex three and no boys)the great outdoors. I just pray its their long enough for them to enjoy it as much as I have.
 
HH, what a great great post. speaking "personally" (for sheepshooters laugh) These feelings I struggled with for awhile and then I quit trying to rationalize it too myself. I just accept it and try to ingrain it in my two sons. I have as much or more pleasure helping someone get on an animal as I do in killing one myself. two years ago my son shot his first big game animal, an antelope doe and I was pumped. Lets keep involved and involve as many kids as we can.............great post HH............ Thanks, Allen Taylor......
 
HunterHarry,
Very well said. I am a little older than you, but share the same passions about hunting and trapping and the feelings about the animals I pursue. In a way, they and the country they live in, are and have been my life.
Steve
 
H-H" Ditto man, it's been real hard to express that same settament to my wife & other family members. thanks.....
 
HH, What you said, is what I've always felt. I think that anyone who doesn't understand and feel the way you do, doesn't truly value the gift of being able to hunt. If the anti's felt this way about anything, maybe they would then be able to relate to our feelings and passions. As sheepshooter said, these are some of the best posts I've ever read on this site. Hope to read more in the future. Scott/Couesbitten
 
HH,

You hit it right on the head. I to am in my forties and have a 12yr old son and daughter that I am passing it on too. I was lucky to have a Dad and uncles who spent time with me as a kid and still do when we get the chance to get together.I to Have said goodbye to a few of the older hunters in our party that have loved the pastime and tradition of hunting and being a sportsmen. Now that my Dad is getting older and wiser he does not hunt as he used to but still loves and cherishes the time spent together and in the field. I am now seeing the other level of it that he has for many years a bit clearer now. He enjoys watching his Grandsons and his son and all the generations that he has passed on the tools and skills to on a different level. Seeing the smile on his face when my son and I pulled out a little California Blacktail last year you would of thought it was a world record buck. It was my sons first time in on a kill and I don't know who was prouder, my Dad or my son but that is what it is all about and you put it very well. It is very hard to explain our love and passion and respect for the animals we slay but basically we are hunters and gatherers and the bloodlines run deeper in some than others. Thanks again for the great post.

LET'S KEEP THE HUNT ALIVE IN ALL OF US!


Happy trails
Ridge Runner
"Now Pilgrim,you sure you can skin griz"
 
Awesome post HH and great replies guys. I am still a young buck(22 years old) but I know exactly the feelings you guys are describing. Last year in 03, my 12 year old little sister drew her first big game tag. An Arizona coues hunt can be mentally and physically exhausting but she hung right in there with the best of them(better than some men I have guided!) When she finally shot her coues buck, you could have heard me yelling all the way to Tucson. When we approached her buck she burst into tears of joy because she had worked so hard to get her buck. Standing on that hillside that day with my little sister and her first buck and seeing the pure joy on her face is the highlight of my life. I got more joy and excitement on her hunt than any other hunt I have been on. If I could have bottled that feeling I had that day and sold it, I would be the richest man in the world. I would rather watch her shoot some small buck than me kill a world record. She is now a hunter for life and when I talk to her all she talks about is when the next hunt is coming up. It is kind of weird that I even hunt because I come from a family of non-hunters. I have been obsessed with hunting since my earliest memory but none of my family hunts. My father never took me hunting although I begged and pleaded. Sadly this has caused resentment to build in me to the point that my father and I have almost no relationship at all. If he only knew what good times he was missing out on with his son. Luckily, I was blessed with many older friends who hunted who took me out until I could finally drive. It makes me happy to read and hear all of the wonderful father-son hunting stories. The more kids we can introduce to hunting, the better. It sometimes makes me sad and even a little envious to hear those stories because I never got to and now probably never will experience any of those wonderful times with my father. Even now he thinks it's ridiculous that I make my living in the hunting/antler business. So all of you guys please don't take for granted the hunting trips with your fathers/mothers or children because some of us will never have those good memories to reflect on. Sometimes all we have are memories and feelings. Take kids hunting whenever you can so we can continue this great tradition of hunting in this country. I know it's hard to explain to others the feelings and emotions us hunters have but we still got to keep trying. I am glad to have been able to pass this on to my little sister and I will try to pass it on to as many others as I can.

Take care,

Chief
 
HunterHarry;
We know what you mean. Just because we chase it and catch it, does not mean we have no respect for the game we stalk. I have taught two sons to hunt and fish, but most of all to respect the game they are after and try their best to make a humane kill. Also if it is not for varmint control, do not shoot it if you do not plan to eat it. Now I have several grandchildren that the boys and I will be teaching to hunt and fish and to enjoy the great outdoors as we have enjoyed it.
RELH
 
HH....sounds like we all "get it." We all must be weird huh? It is great to know that there are so many sportsman who feel this way isn't it.

I remember when all I wanted to do was fill my tag, with anything. At 31 with more maturaty and experience, it just isn't the case anymore. There's a difference between killing to kill and killing to profide and it sounds like we all know what it is. It sure is nice to let that beautiful animal walk on by or just keep feeding with his head down never knowing you were even there. Or catching a nice fat steely or even a little rainbow and letting it go.

I can't wait to teach my boy(1) and two little girls(3&5) EVERYTHING about everything.

cya
 
HH,

I love hunting and have only been doing for seven years(since i was 14). I know that your son appriecates all that you have taught him just as i do with everything that my dad has taught me.

PY
 
LAST EDITED ON Mar-30-04 AT 05:15PM (MST)[p]HH,
Don't sound at all weird to me. Hunting is a way of life that has been handed down from one generation to another, and it's nice to know there are other hunters out there that share the same respect for wildlife that I do. Teaching our children and others that same respect is really important for the future of hunting as a sport. Because we all know there are those out there that don't have that same respect and love. I appreciate your post and Ditto! on everything you said. Thanks
 
Very profound & emotional topic you have touched on Harry.
Thanks for all the wonderfully responses, I think you all have voiced many things that I have always know true, yet haven't read before this. Similarly I have been smitten with that 40yrs. + disease, which up until now I've considered being stuck in hunting doldrums.
Unfortunately for me I additionally suffer from a species specific prejudice, where after mule deer, my obsessions wane dramatically.
one aspect of mule deer which feeds my appreciation hierarchy is the difficulty's & hardships I have personally endured in their pursuit, some of which would be considered cruel & unusual punishment by a non-hunter. These are the hunts that become folk lore to friends, family & especially kids.
Kids need & thrive on problem solving accomplishment & challenge, something urban existence is sorely lacking.
Take them hunting, make it challenging(but fun)& watch them grow.
 
Hey HH, you have hit the nail on the head, as have all the others who have commented. The change just seems to happen whether you want it to or not. One day you can't wait to fill a tag, and before you know it, it is just the chance to head for the hills and away from "everyday life" as we know it. The thrill of seeing one of your kids harvest their first deer, or drop their first goose, or just being in the mountains with them enjoying our maker's creations, is worth way more than filling that tag ever could have been. The challenge of passing up that "respectable" buck, just to maybe get a shot at something better, is still fulfilling knowing that you could have easily harvested that animal, but had the respect and self control to pass it up and hunt another day, and may not see another animal worth taking.
I think that is what makes hunting the great sport that it is. It gives you the "excuse" to spend prime time with family, friends, and in the most beautiful areas of the world, and if by chance, you happen to find a trophy animal, that is a bonus!
a*r
 
It is so great to finally see a topic like this on this site! I'm still a bit younger than you old sticks(sorry, but 40+ seems real old to me, its all in good fun!) but at the ripe age of 18, it is weird to know exactly what you guys are talking about. My dad and I have always had a really close relationship, even closer than both of my other siblings, and I think that has a lot to do with the time that we have and still do spend together in the field. I thank him every time I have the opportunity to hunt with him, and I would like to thank all of you for taking your kids afield with you, you may never know how much it means to them! For me, there is just something about hunting, its hard to put words to, but I know you all have felt it, in a sense it makes me feel complete. I pray every night that I will be able to hunt for the remainder of my life, but who knows what the future holds. But once again thank you guys, this topic has helped me to put words to my feelings about hunting, maybe now I will be able to explain it to other people that just don't get it. I think that the best thing a father can give to his son, is a love and understanding of the outdoors! Thanks again guys, I really appreciate this post!

-Andrew
 
THANK YOU ALL!
Thank You for all the heartfelt responses!
You guys really get it!
I truly have developed a greater respect for life,now that I have reached mid life. I think I have re-defined some of my values in life.
I really enjoyed Andrew's post as a viewed through a youth's perspective.
I have watched my son progress as a young sportsman and can only hope that the wonderful adventures that we have shared in the outdoors have helped shape his character.
I have wondered and hoped that my spirit will accompany him to the mountains and rivers long after I'm gone, and that the opportunities that we have been able to share will be availabe to him to pass on to his children.
It's such a shame that so many kids today are completely out of touch with the outdoors,as it is such a great classroom in which our kids can learn from.
 
personally, i think, as hunters we are killers. game assasin's. all this mushy stuff makes me wanna barf. oooohhh, look at the sunset. ooohhh, look at the flowers. screw that, i wanna shoot something. my kids can go their way and i'll go mine. if they don't wanna hunt with me, who cares? i do what i wanna do. all this stuff just shows weakness and in that weakness the anti's will prevail. just my slant.
 
LAST EDITED ON Apr-01-04 AT 07:26AM (MST)[p]RLH
I hope that is just your "slant" and I hope you are just trying to stir the pot, because if you are serious, boy you are out of touch! If hunters were just killers and assassins, it wouldn't be long until there wasn't any game to pursue. Yes, hunters kill, but not in the sense of just "killing". And if you do have kids, I feel for them, and if you don't yet, hopefully your views will change if you ever have them.
Just my point of view, and probably of many others! AM I RIGHT?
And if this is just an April Fools "post", I'll back off! I'm fairly new to the site, so I don't know many of you too well, but thought I have read some good stuff from RLH.
Happy April Fool's to all!!!

a*r
 
thanks for ruinin' my prank. dangit. didn't even get rollin' good and somebody done an' throwed water on the fire. oh well, guess i'll hafta just concentrate on the women in the office. they fall for everything. read what i wrote and reverse it. i'm with most everyone else. when i go hunting, i want to fill my tag for sure. but there's so much "auxilliary" stuff that goes with it that makes the whole thing a lot of fun and a good thing to do. this past pig season me and my buddy were sittin' around the campfire roastin' weenies and marshmallows with our kids and havin' a great time. then i realized that me and him are past the half century mark and the youngest kid there was 18. it was like we were all young again. actin' like kids. i was wishin' i had a kid there that was small enough to put on my knee. maybe in a few years i'll have some grandkids to bounce around and teach how to blow in the hose when it's plugged up (actually, it'll have my foot on it). folks that never experience the outdoors, never really are alive.
 
Sorry about ruining the prank but you got me going for a minute.
Kind of got my dander up if you know what I mean... Didn't quite take you for that kind of a person...
I just started on getting the Grandkids and can't wait for the first marshmellow roast with them. That should happen within a week on Easter Camp...Got a 2 1/2 year old granddaughter who thinks that every time we get in Grampa's pickup, we are going huntin' elk.
Took her a lot last summer while scouting and now she can't get enough. That is one of the things that life is about!!!

a*r
 
HunterHarry,
I completely agree with you , that not nearly enough young people are experiencing the outdoors. I went to highscool on the west side of Washington state, and I'm not kidding that I was probably one of about 5 guys that hunted at my school, we had 1,200 students! I know, that when I do have kids, hopeing for sons so I can carry on the family name considering I'm the only male cousin, but be they boys or girls, I will try my hardest to enstill in them a love for the outdoors! Keep up the good work guys, every son, daughter, or grandchild(wow you guys are getting old! hehehe, I don't even have a niece or nefiew yet, and I'm the youngest of three) that you take into the field is another well educated well rounded person in our world, and we need a few more of them!
 
You know I have a book called a hundred years of hunting with a passage, as to why the author taught his sons to be hunters. It really displays similar feelings to the ones you have expressed here. I agree totally. Good post.
 

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