Morgan’s Hunting Story

I wish I had some heartwarming story about how I would sit in a stand with my father as a child in the middle of the woods and learn to hunt, but I don’t. Truth is, no one in my family hunts, but that’s not something that has discouraged hunting from being a part of my soul. Even at a young age, I yearned for some sort of self sufficiency, and was intrigued by the idea of hunting and fishing for food. When I got into middle school and high school, I was often teased by the “hunters” when I would encourage others to recycle and sustain resources. I would get into thick arguments with them, telling them if they truly cared about hunting, they would want to conserve natural resources too!

I am now earning my bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Management at a small agricultural school in South Georgia and am surrounded by people who love hunting. In my classes, I have learned the importance of hunting, and the positive impact it can have on wildlife populations (if done correctly). I have now had the opportunity to hunt deer, hog, squirrel, water fowl, dove and turkey. After shooting my first deer (an old aged 10 pointer), I realized that I would rather go down in weaponry, than up in trophy size… so a couple months later, I got a bow. Bow hunting has now become a passion! There’s nothing that makes me happier than sitting in my stand with a bow in my lap, watching the sun rise and listening to the forest come alive.

In the past few years, I have become an advocate for hunting, and speak out against anti-hunters. I believe that, if you eat meat, hunting is the responsible thing to do. To me, it is clean and humane. I think “anit-hunters” don’t realize that the wild game that aren’t being hunted, are dying of starvation, disease, and predation. Hunting has taught me that patience is truly a virtue. It has taught me that not everything happens on your time, and some things are definitely worth waiting for. I have learned to be still and be silent. Sometimes I leave hunts empty handed, but there is never a time spent in the woods that isn’t fulfilling.

Though I am still a novice, hunting is a part of me. I have the upmost respect for the animals I kill, and will not kill something I will not eat. I have even gone to the measures of learning how to tan hides, so I can ensure that as much of the animal as possible can be used. I am not into hunting for the bag limit, but am in it for the self sufficiency and clean natural eating. Let’s just say, I’d rather observe nature, than go to the grocery store. This is why hunting will always be a part of my life. I can’t wait to grow as a huntress, and I hope I never stop learning from my hunts. Hopefully one day, I’ll be sitting in a tree stand with my child, teaching them to hunt.