Answering the question

Why?

The question is inevitable. I’m a fortysomething guy with numerous interests and hobbies. So why pursue hunting?

The naysayers might say it’s because I have some latent desire to “be a man.” Others could say I’m giving in to peer pressure. Or is a longing to recapture some youth? Do I need to gather my own meat, a throwback to frontier times?

None of these are correct and many aren’t even close to the real truth. First of all hunting animals does not make me a man, nor does any other singular activity. For me, manhood is defined by taking responsibility for oneself, being a leader of a household, making a commitment to one woman (a vow that is to last for a lifetime), putting in an honest days work, and keeping your word. No, shooting animals doesn’t promote any of these traits.

For me, the reasons to take up hunting are simple. For starters I like to be outdoors. I’ve hiked, backpacked, four-wheeled, and mountain climbed (not a fourteener in Colorado, but a “twelver” in New Mexico). Since the onset of adulthood I haven’t had the leisure time to enjoy a lot of these activities but I also admit I haven’t made them a high priority for much of the time. Earning a living, going to graduate school, and raising a child all take a toll on one’s time. But the good old outdoors is still there, unchanged, ready for me to participate once again.

Second, moving to this area did stir up a desire deep inside of me to hunt. Something about being away from a city or suburbia environment and finding myself smack dab in the middle of pheasant and deer habitat here in NW Kansas ignites a deep-seated yearning to head out on foot and challenge my skills against those of Mother Nature.

Third, while there is no peer pressure on me to join up with friends and acquaintances I do see hunting as an opportunity to connect with others around here in a different way. From what I hear hunting seems to further friendships and gives everyone a way to share a common outdoor experience. Add to that that 97% of the land in Kansas is privately owned meaning no National Forest or BLM land on which to enjoy the great outdoors, and hunting just seems like a natural activity.

To round out my list of reasons I’ll also cite an affinity for shooting. I first did target shooting with a .22 over 30 years ago at summer camp. I liked it then and my thrill of hitting the bullseye hasn’t diminished with time. In fact Geogal and I gave little Geoana a Daisy BB gun for her birthday this year and she seems just as inclined to use it as I am to practice my marksmanship now.

So while I won’t go overboard on this hobby (I just plan to procure the right equipment over the course of time) I do look forward greatly to the fall and the coming of deer and pheasant season. Just this morning there was a crisp feeling to the post-dawn air with an outside temp of 49 degrees. Won’t be long now.