Why We Hunt.
Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2015 6:59 pm
Came across this recently. I thought it was quite well written and does a good job of expressing what most hunters feel. With main deer season about to open I figured it was a good time to share. Sorry for the caps, that's how it was posted and I just did a c/p. Cheers and good luck to all.
HUNTERS ARE THE WITNESSES OF THE WILD.
OUR PASSION DRIVES US TO RISE EARLY IN THE COLD DARK HOURS OF THE DAWN AND TO TRAVEL MANY MILES TO LOSE OURSELVES IN FAVOURITE LANDSCAPES, THE ONES THAT RESONATE IN OUR SOULS.
WE MAY GO WITH FRIENDS OR... FAMILY BUT AT SOME POINT WE END UP ALONE, MOVING QUIETLY, TOTALLY INVOLVED WITH THE BREEZE, THE UNDERGROWTH, THE HIDDEN PLACES IN THE VEGETATION AND THE VAST, OVER ARCHING SKY.
WE BECOME PREDATORS, AND THUS ONE WITH THE ECOSYSTEM - NO LONGER CASUAL OBSERVERS, BUT FULL PARTICIPANTS. WE ARE THERE, WHOLLY AND COMPLETELY, AND OPEN TO WHAT WILL COME.
AND SO IT IS THAT WE SOMETIMES COME HOME FOR THE FINAL TIME AT SEASON’S END WITH OUR TAGS UNFILLED, BUT OUR HEARTS OVERFLOWING. A SUCCESSFUL HUNT DOES NOT REQUIRE A KILL, ONLY THE POSSIBILITY OF ONE. IT IS THAT POSSIBILITY THAT PLACES US OUT IN THE HEART OF THE LIVING WORLD WHERE WOLVES TROT CASUALLY OVER THE ALPINE RIDGES, SMALL BIRDS DRAG THE SUNRISE INTO THE WIND AND BIGHORN SHEEP SURVEY THE WILDERNESS FROM HOLLOWED OUT BEDS ON HIGH TALUS SLOPES.
SOMETIMES WE FORGET WHAT THOSE WHO DO NOT HUNT CANNOT UNDERSTAND, BUT IT IS NOT THE KILL THAT MAKES US HUNTERS. IT IS THE WITNESSING, THE BEING THERE, AND THOSE INTIMATE MOMENTS OF DISCOVERY WHEN THE LIVING WORLD REVEALS ITSELF TO THOSE WHO WORK SO HARD TO FIND IT.
THAT IS WHY WE WILL BE THERE AGAIN IN THE COLD AND THE RAIN AND THE SNOW, WORKING HARD TO PENETRATE TO THE MOST SECRET OF WILD PLACES AGAIN NEXT SEASON. BECAUSE AT THE HEART OF IT, WE ARE NOT SEEKING DEATH. WE ARE ACTIVELY PARTICIPATING IN, AND CELEBRATING, THE INCREDIBLE RICHNESS OF LIFE.
THAT IS AT THE HEART OF WHY WE HUNT.
HUNTERS ARE THE WITNESSES OF THE WILD.
OUR PASSION DRIVES US TO RISE EARLY IN THE COLD DARK HOURS OF THE DAWN AND TO TRAVEL MANY MILES TO LOSE OURSELVES IN FAVOURITE LANDSCAPES, THE ONES THAT RESONATE IN OUR SOULS.
WE MAY GO WITH FRIENDS OR... FAMILY BUT AT SOME POINT WE END UP ALONE, MOVING QUIETLY, TOTALLY INVOLVED WITH THE BREEZE, THE UNDERGROWTH, THE HIDDEN PLACES IN THE VEGETATION AND THE VAST, OVER ARCHING SKY.
WE BECOME PREDATORS, AND THUS ONE WITH THE ECOSYSTEM - NO LONGER CASUAL OBSERVERS, BUT FULL PARTICIPANTS. WE ARE THERE, WHOLLY AND COMPLETELY, AND OPEN TO WHAT WILL COME.
AND SO IT IS THAT WE SOMETIMES COME HOME FOR THE FINAL TIME AT SEASON’S END WITH OUR TAGS UNFILLED, BUT OUR HEARTS OVERFLOWING. A SUCCESSFUL HUNT DOES NOT REQUIRE A KILL, ONLY THE POSSIBILITY OF ONE. IT IS THAT POSSIBILITY THAT PLACES US OUT IN THE HEART OF THE LIVING WORLD WHERE WOLVES TROT CASUALLY OVER THE ALPINE RIDGES, SMALL BIRDS DRAG THE SUNRISE INTO THE WIND AND BIGHORN SHEEP SURVEY THE WILDERNESS FROM HOLLOWED OUT BEDS ON HIGH TALUS SLOPES.
SOMETIMES WE FORGET WHAT THOSE WHO DO NOT HUNT CANNOT UNDERSTAND, BUT IT IS NOT THE KILL THAT MAKES US HUNTERS. IT IS THE WITNESSING, THE BEING THERE, AND THOSE INTIMATE MOMENTS OF DISCOVERY WHEN THE LIVING WORLD REVEALS ITSELF TO THOSE WHO WORK SO HARD TO FIND IT.
THAT IS WHY WE WILL BE THERE AGAIN IN THE COLD AND THE RAIN AND THE SNOW, WORKING HARD TO PENETRATE TO THE MOST SECRET OF WILD PLACES AGAIN NEXT SEASON. BECAUSE AT THE HEART OF IT, WE ARE NOT SEEKING DEATH. WE ARE ACTIVELY PARTICIPATING IN, AND CELEBRATING, THE INCREDIBLE RICHNESS OF LIFE.
THAT IS AT THE HEART OF WHY WE HUNT.