WHY

[olducker]

WHY I Hunt

I have been hunting for almost 50 years. Waterfowl hunting with my labs for about 30 years.

My kids started hunting when they needed a hunters education course, which I attended with them. One of of the conservation officers explained the 3 hunter stages and it stayed with me.

l. The killing stage
2. The trophy hunter stage
3. The laid back stage -

#3 is the stage I am in. I am here to tell you that once I reached this stage, hunting became so much more enjoyable. It is more about being with your family, taking your grandkids for their first hunt and seeing your lab make a great retrieve.

Just being out and enjoying the hunt whether you take game or not.

Hunting season is upon us, so be safe, laid back and enjoy SEE YA in the Field eH



These bands represent my 30 years of waterfowling. Each band represents not just a bird taken, but who you were with, which lab retrieved and the sights and sounds of that HUNT.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8...D480/ry%3D320/

[riverrat12]

Very cool, I can also see a parallel with the three stages being just a fisherman. I'm constantly looking for trophy's but get a big kick out of watching someone I take out get there biggest fish. The older I get the more laid back I get. I'm even getting better at keepin my cool during the sauger run on the Ohio.....Well not that old yet lol...Chuck

[Tim_T]

I showed this to my wife and told her I was now in stage 3. She replied that I was not in any of those three stages, because If I was so laid back, I wouldn't spend so much free time in the woods when it is not even season yet. Of course she doesn't complain too much when all that meat is in the deep freeze lol.

Thanks for that post ducker.

[mhall]

Excellent post and very true. I too have now made it to stage three and love every minute of it. The last 6 to 7 years taking very nice to trophy bucks has came almost easy for me. I really credit my new who cares approach as it has made me hunt so much different.

[roadrunner]

I agree with every thing said I was a quail hunter but we do not have any quail in huntable numbers. To bad we can't shoot and release.

[artcarney_agr]

I'm 27, and am already at stage 3. I've hunted hard for the last 15 years, and am starting to drop back a little as marriage is coming here soon, and there are so many more responsibilities that I now have with work and everyday life. My hunts are getting to be fewer and farther in between, but when the opportunity comes, I enjoy it for all it's worth - not so much the pursuit, but the moments that I live for, like working a group of ducks and hearing the sound of whistling wings, or having a dozen Candas sail into range like a group of B-17 bombers coming in for a landing. Each sunrise and each sunset brings to mind many memories shared in the field and being that I have gotten a good early start in life on hunting, there's going to be just as many more. I look forward to sharing those moments with great friends and family and taking in sights not seen by most people. For those who have never done it, they cannot understand - and those who have cannot explain it.