Is sharing time with family the most important aspect of hunting to you?
On a recent road trip, my hunting partner Rick Young described a buddy as "being in love with planning the hunt," while Rick described himself as "loving the act of actually hunting." That got me thinking about which category I fit into and if there are other categories folks would classify themselves as fitting into. Here's what I've come up with so far:
The Planner Loves the Process of Hunting
- Do you love the last minute trip to Gander Mountain or Cabela's?
- Do you love laying out all your hunting gear and meticulously packing it?
- Do you love strategizing the "where's" and "how's" of every field walk?
- Do you keep a detailed log of each year's bird harvest totals?
The Chaser Loves the Act of Hunting
- Do you simply love to grab your gun, a handful of shells, and start walking?
- Does the flush of a rooster, the swing of the shotgun and the puff of feathers put the wind in your sail?
The Escape Artist Loves Getting Away Through Hunting
- Do you love the camaraderie of hunting that only college dorm life can rival?
- Do you love a walk in the pheasant field behind a bird dog with nothing in front of you but the rolling hills and the sun on the horizon?
- Do you look forward to that pub cheeseburger after a long day's hunt for 364 days out of the year?
The Traditionalist Loves Hunting for Food and Family
- Do you love the basic instinct of providing food for the table?
- Do you hunt to connect with your son, grandfather, dad, or another family member?
I don't believe any of these categories are "better," than another. I just think it's interesting to examine all the different motivations about why we all enjoy hunting. I doubt I've even covered all possibilities for how a person would classify themselves as a hunter. Likewise, I'm certain most readers will look at this list and see a little of each category in their own love for hunting.
However, with all that being recognized, if you were to categorize yourself into one of these four slots . . . which one do you most fit into?
