kevin1

Ditto what Tazman said , in spades .

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lhook7

Well said! Did you get any response on the editorial?

Handles

I haven' t heard this arguement yet:

We humans are omnivores, therefore we must eat both vegetable and flesh to obtain the nutrients needed for our bodies. Since the dawn of time man has eaten the flesh of animals that it has killed, or scavanged off of animals killed by other means. As do our closest relatives the Chimpanzee (that' s right, they hunt on a regular basis. Don' t believe me? Read " Faces in the Mirror" by Jane Goodall) This has been going on for over one million years. Genetics have dictated that we are hunters. Those who could not get meat did not survive because of a lack of essential nutrients. The human brain give us a huge shot of adrenaline just before the kill.Why? Because it has been programmed in to our systems. The heart quickens, our senses become keen because the time before the kill was one of extreme danger (hooves, horns, teeth, claws) and man needed to be at his peak readiness to survive.
It has only been within the last 50 years (since Bambi?) that some humans have begun to go against all that is natural in our make up. Today' s man does not routinely have that surge of adrenaline that we crave. Why else would people do drugs, jump out of planes, etc.? Do we need to hunt to live today? No. Do we need to hunt to be alive? I say Yes. Those same genetic memories of our ancestors still stirs in each of us. Ask any hunter what he feels as the sun starts peaking over the hill, and the woods, once black and quiet becomes alive with the sounds of nature, and ultimately his prey. We are at the top of the food chain for a reason, thousands upon thousands of hunts in our past have taught us the way. Remember the old saying; It' s not nice to fool with Mother Nature. She made us this way, we should accept and be proud of it.

deerhunter1224

I could write a book on why I hunt. Here are a few reasons why i hunt.
1. fun
2. like being out in the woods
3. huge stress reliever
4. gets me away from school(being in college can really get to you at times)
5. getting away from the women
6. all i have running though my mind in the woods is when is that buck going to come past my stand
7. once that deer does come by i love the natural high feeling you get

skeeter 7MM

Like other have said nature, peaceful, thrill, relaxation, tension reliever, friendship and so on. I agree with taz' s comments about it being very important to be a steward of the land and educate those who don' t hunt what sportsman actually do to protect the resource we love so much and chase so heartly. The harvest, horns, meat is the bonus, some might say the reward but for me the ability to get out and be at one with nature is reward enough.

However I would say the thing that drives me wild about hunting any game is the anticipation of the hunt, anticipation of the next min, hour or day(what is around the next bend or tree). I will bet we have all had many nights before a hunt where we tossed and turned, not needing an alarm clock to get up in the wee hours to head out in the cold with the anticipation of what we will see, experience and feel. I guess about the only way to assimulate it to a non-hunter is possibly a kid the night before christmas...except it never gets old or wears thin. A nervous tingle with excitment abounding (but controlled) and feelings of this is what everybody should experience to appreciate all of what life, nature and God has to offer. Hunting is a devine privelage that one can' t help but to thank the creator, cherish and protect the resource. An experience and feeling only those who hunt can relate too.

Good luck in your speech!

Gryan

There are two comments here. Why I am allowed to hunt and why I hunt. Unfortunately, our society has evolved away from our needs as hunters and partners in this world and into a society of people looking for the easiest path through life. People can only cram so many minutes into their day so they' ll eat out, buy that roast chicken from the deli section and so on. As for hunting, it is like the family dinner...there is just no time. We are allowed (or able) to hunt because the game needs management. Concepts like carrying capacity, game management, population control and so on are why we can hunt. Why do I hunt? I hunt because I need to. I need to feel alive and I feel most alive in the woods. I love the outdoors and like anything I love, I just can' t do it passively. That is why I get into the whole predator/prey relationship. I assume the role of the predator and I do whatever I can to bring my hunt around to a kill. It is the hunt I enjoy but the sweetest memories I have were when the hunt ended in a kill. The kill is not essential but it is ultimately the reason I am there. So many things make me laugh and many things make me cry. I am always challenged and I love spending time in the outdoors with my dad and with my son. I get to see things that others will never see. So I guess I hunt for the preparation, the hunt, the kill, the friendships, the mental and physical challenge, and to be a part. I' d rather be up on that hillside living much more than passing by on the interstate wondering what goes on up there under that canopy of oak leaves.

Chubber

Because it closes the " circle of life" and makes you an active participant in your own survival.

Chubber