The stages of a hunter
I told a friend recently that I get just as much enjoyment out of doing the ground work of wildlife management and conservation as I do from the hunt. Planting food plots can certainly be rewarding when we return to see the crops growing and the ground punched with tracks.
Other things such as scouting, cutting paths, putting up stands and repairing gates are now a part of the total outdoor experience for me.
Most hunters evolve and go through certain stages in their hunting careers. I know from my own experience that we generally start out just wanting to pull the trigger. We want to be able to see game and maybe get a shot. I can still remember wanting to get my first quail, first duck, first deer.
Then we start to measure success by numbers. There is a need to bring home the game. It is a natural progression that comes from an increasing skill level in the field. Looking back, I can remember wanting to get the limit of ducks or fill all my turkey tags. I think it was about proving myself as a hunter.
Eventually, the desire to shoot lots of game changes and is replaced by a self-imposed selectivity. We want quality in place of quantity. Our prior success tells us that we can get the game, but the goal now is to hunt the mature bucks, adult gobblers or a totally different species. Maybe this is why some hunters turn to alligators or make a trip to Africa.
A new method to take game is the next challenge. Hunting with a muzzle-loader or a bow and arrow becomes a unique experience. These methods take more practice and discipline and are cherished as part of the process. I've taken some deer and turkeys with my Dad's old double-barrel hammer gun. It doesn't have the range or power to take down game like the more modern guns, but it is a certain self-restriction that is rewarding.
Nowadays I care less about how many and the method and more about the entire experience. I care more about spending time with new friends at the hunting club than filling a tag. The total hunting experience offers the highest rewards. Just being outdoors, connecting with family and friends and taking the time to soak it all in happens more now. Activity in conservation work is at its peak now.
Mentoring young sportsmen or new hunters and seeing them enjoy and experience what you have experienced can replace even your own opportunity at taking game. When I hunt with someone now, I always tell them, "you're the shooter." I haven't grown soft; I just don't need to pull the trigger myself.
Not all hunters experience these stages completely or in this order. Some are completely satisfied to stop at any one of these stages, and some go through them all. There is no right or wrong way.
I also believe there is a higher stewardship stage that revolves around the land and our connection to it. It doesn't start after going through all the other stages. It starts when we start caring about the natural world and the total landscape. Our stewardship phase matures as we do. It revolves around improving the habitat and leaving the land a little better than we found it. The transition to stewardship might happen early, or it may take several decades.
I own my own land. It's not a big place, but it is mine. There is always work to be done there. I've planted trees, constructed ponds and installed drainage structures. My imprint there is minor, including hunting. I consider it my Reserve.
I still love to chase whitetails and run and gun for turkeys, but I am equally content to sit on a tractor for hours at a time or just take a stroll through the woods.
Reach Dan Geddings at cdgeddings@gmail.com.