Today is September 15th, the opening day of Missouri archery season and I am beginning to write this on a private jet back home from a trip to Washington D.C., which is something that I neither deserve nor thought would ever happen. Life is crazy. Anyway, as I sit here I had the the thought of my connection to the outdoors pop into my mind and the difference between someone like myself and others. This is something that I believe varies to every individual and this is a good thing. Diversity kills boredom.
There are millions of people who will be entering the woods or fields this year in pursuit of big game, small game, waterfowl, upland birds, trappers, the list can be endless. Each and every one of those people are doing it for a different reason. There are similar reasons, but I believe no reason is the same between any two people. There are meat hunters, trophy hunters, hobbyist, die hards, purists, rednecks, rich, poor, black, white, the point here is that the outdoors is full and welcoming of everybody on this planet. All for different reasons. The obvious reasons being it is a fun and exciting pursuit. The adrenaline rush you get when that big buck walks into range, or the excitement of that group of mallards backpedaling over the decoys is a feeling that can not be imitated in anyway or anywhere else on earth. This is the main reason we do it.
There is another reason, and it gets covered up by the previous reason in most people. That connection you get to the animal, the area, the style, or even the history, is why we all keep going back. You will never meet a true, genuine, outdoorsman who cares about nothing else but killing that animal. The sad reality is that there are people who do just that. They are strictly only there to kill the animal for that short but wild rush. It is easy to spot these people in a crowd, although, they will put on a good front to fool the rest. These people suck.
True outdoorsman will put the animal and the adventure before the kill. Without the animal being there, and without that adventure of pursuing that animal, you have no hunt. There are many, many, people in the outdoor world who are like this. Good people. People that actually want more animals on the earth, healthier animals, cleaner landscape, beautiful habitat. These people do not do it just for the kill. Many hate to see a hunt end. When it is over, it is over. What is the fun in that?
All of this is attributed to the bigger and unseen mental connection humans have with nature. Some will never understand, some do not care, and some will sadly never get to experience it first hand. Unlike a big set of antlers, or a shiny leg band that can be held and shown off, the true reason we do it can not be held, but you can feel it. It can be shown through effort and told through stories. Always learning, always helping, always conserving. These people care, and it is obvious in many ways.
As I finish up putting these short thoughts into writing, I ask that you, the two(?) people that read this, to think about why you do it. I bet the real reason is not exactly what first comes to mind. Think about it.
I pray you all have a happy and safe hunting season this year. Please share all the stories and photos with me!
