Deer Hunting in Perspective

Why do We Hunt?

We are all born cold, wet and hungry. That’s why it’s human nature to be a hunter. When we hear the question, “Why do people hunt deer and other game?,” we all know it’s in our genes. Whether we hunt or not, we all know it because we all hunt — for one thing or another.

For those lucky enough to be exposed to white-tailed deer hunting at an early age, those first few outdoor experiences can light a fire inside us that lasts a lifetime. Someone mentoring another to hunt is nurturing a wise use of nature.

It was awesome being a youngster back in the day, waiting with as much anticipation for the opening day of deer season as I did for Christmas, probably even more. Even now, it’s still pretty darn exciting.

Hunting can be super intense, usually for mere seconds, but most non-hunters would classify the majority of the time spent hunting at “boring.” Hunting game animals requires a fair amount of time and there is not always a reward that can be easily shown for it; sometimes it’s only inside us.

Deer Hunting is Focus

Hunting was also simpler back when I was a kid. Of course, everything is simple when you’re young and unable, or maybe just unwilling, to interject the complexities which adults like to bring to situations. Do we need to deliberate over which broadhead or rifle caliber is best for killing something? No, they all do the job when used properly.

While less than 10 years old, I got swept up into chasing critters  — dove, quail, ducks, geese, the whole lot — and putting real, organic food on the table at a time when white-tailed deer management on private lands was in its infancy and full-blown, guided deer hunting was not yet widespread.

In fact, “organic” was implied on the food we ate. It didn’t need to be labeled as such. Times have definitely changed, but have hunters?

Hunting to Keep Score

Source: “If another kid under the age of 10 comes up to me and gives me the Boone & Crockett score of the buck they shot or says something like, “Dad shot a buck last year but it was only a 140” I will scream.

It is perfectly natural for kids or adults to become excited with the prospect of shooting big bucks but the fact is in the state of Texas we have created an unhealthy obsession. Many young hunters are so antler crazy they have zero regard for the deer and measure their hunting experience only by what a tape measure can show them.

The industry itself has not helped matters.

Trophy bucks that cost hunters between $5-$10,000 to shoot are paraded around hunting programs and many outdoors magazines like they are the only measure of a good hunter.

I have nothing against folks with money but what these deer in most cases are is a sign that a hunter could afford to hunt on the right high fenced ranch.

Fishing has not quite reached this level due to far more public access and the fact catching big fish still requires a skill set. These days the only thing required to shoot a monster buck is a monster payday.”

Why do You Hunt Deer?

The “hunting industry” takes it’s licks from time to time from hunters and non-hunters alike. But let’s face it, everything is controversial now days. Spoiler alert: The things that get the most attention in big media are actually of little consequence to most of us in our daily lives. That’s why I canned my live TV subscription. I can read the (often divisive) headlines online.

As a rule, we should not apply the standards of others to our own lives. Don’t size up your job, house or vacation against that of a friend’s seen on Facebook. As hunters, we should not measure the trophies of others against our own. Don’t use another’s tape measure of success to define your own.

We hunt game animals, but hunting is not to be gamed. We all have our reasons for why we hunt deer and other wildlife. The hunting community shares those reasons, for which there are really only a handful, for the challenge, food, recreation, tranquility, our heritage, and it’s in our DNA.

Deer hunting is still as simple and pure as we make it. We can improve the habitat found on our lands by maintaining the deer herd. We can manage the deer populations that use our properties, whether it be 10 acres, 100 acres or 10,000 acres. We can put food on the table, something that literally and figuratively satisfies our innate hunger to hunt.

Every hunter chooses the conditions under which he or she releases an arrow, pulls a trigger, takes a deer. We all have our reasons. Why we hunt deer and other game animals is our own business. We define our trophies in different ways. There’s plenty we could argue about in this world. Each and every deer I’m lucky enough to harvest is still a trophy to me.