Well, here goes!
I hunt for the sheer exhilaration of finding that particular animal which I have been tracking for 2 solid days.
Much like finding a hidden treasure which you knew was there somewhere, but, you had to decipher many clues before actually being able to find it.

I hunt for the positive communion with nature which I can experience no where else except, in natures own element and at natures own level. Because, as a naked, toothless and clawless creature I am forced to exercise my intellect in order to outsmart these very crafty creatures which I intend to harvest!

I really like the idea of: If everything goes all to “hades” then I have the outdoor skills needed to survive in natures elements and can thus provide for myself and family!

The thrill of the chase has always been an important factor in not only my personal psyche but, it is also deeply woven within the very fabric of humankind itself.
That, along with the genetic disposition of the “Carnivore Human” is probably the reason that I truly cannot help myself when the desire to go hunting comes over me.

Mostly, the reason that I hunt is to quench the thirst of a wilderness deprived lifestyle that we are all forced to live in this very crowded and modern world.
I need the solitude of an environment which offers nothing more than the sounds of nature, which for me, translates into: The Sounds Of Silence!

Man, those area all such great reasons to hunt. I will get to work on putting together my list!!!
Thanks for taking the time to put together such a concise and thorough compilation of why you hunt as well as challenging the rest of us to do the same.

I don’t know a single hunter, anywhere, who honestly hunts BECAUSE he’s performing a wildlife management service. We hunt because we love to hunt. We love the things it entails to us as individuals, the experience of nature, the mind-bending emotional roller-coaster of making a kill, the pride of providing natural food for our families, or any of a dozen other commonly quoted personal goals.

Therefore, to say we hunt because we are helping to manage the herd, or to provide money to wildlife and habitat through our fees and taxes… well, it really is a lie, well-intentioned as it may be.

These are benefits of what we do, not reasons. These benefits DO need to be kept in the public eye, and we should all keep them out there. But let’s not confuse the reasons we hunt with the fringe benefits of our actions.

If I would have to put a human element to hunting, as I have done in the past many times when I promote hunting, it would be the following.

1.) For me hunting is a way of life. I have grown up in a family of hunters and anglers and do not know any different.
2.) Hunting is an important part of our human nature. People are hunters, even the ones that do not hunt animals still have that instinct in them. Denying this fact would be denying our existence.
3.) Although in the modern world there is no need to provide food by means of hunting and gathering it gives me great satisfaction to do so and it brings me closer to my natural roots.
4.) As a hunter I have learned the skills that ones were common to all people and it gave me a greater understanding of what nature is all about and how everything, including humans, are linked together in perfect natural balance.
5.) Hunting has made me realize that humans are not above it all but are a small part in a bigger plan. Some may call that plan God others Evolution whatever it is you call it there is a bigger plan behind it all.
6.) Hunting has made me more appreciative of nature and the time we are allowed to be here on earth.
7.) Above all hunting has taught me respect for nature, animals and other humans. And finally hunting has given me enjoyable experiences and memories with other hunters partaking in an heritage that has been passed down from generation to generation since the beginning of times, that will last a lifetime.

-ov-

I’ll also give some thought to the post you mentioned you would be interested in reading. I was casting about for a topic today, so maybe that will be it.