Why I Hunt

Tomorrow is one of the mornings I wait for all year. It is the start of deer season. I know many of the animal rights groups have started aggressive anti-hunting campaigns and that is why I want to tell you why I hunt.

I do not look forward to this morning all year because of a need to kill something, in fact the killing is not something I enjoy. I would guess that I am not alone among my fellow hunters. However, it is part of hunting and necessary.

So, if I don't hunt out of a need to kill, why do I hunt? I enjoy being out in nature and watching the animals, you never know what you will see on any given day. I enjoy trying to understand the patterns and habits of the deer and trying to be one step ahead of them. My time in the field gives me a chance to relax, a time to think and time to take a deep breath. This year it gives me a chance to connect with my son and to pass on my love for the outdoors.

OK, so you get all of that, why is it necessary to harvest deer? Deer need to have their numbers thinned out. Left unharvested, deer will overpopulate and this will lead to an increase in disease and can lead to destruction of food sources (crops) and starvation for deer. I guess I see a quick death as a better alternative to a slow death due to starvation or disease. Furthermore, the venison provides my family with a great source of meat.

Deer are put on earth to serve as food. Whether it be a predator like man or one like coyotes, deer have a definite place on the food chain. I wish I could share my day tomorrow with you, watching the sun come up, listening to the coyotes and the turkeys, smelling the fresh air and, hopefully, harvesting a big buck.