You Don’t Need That!

I talk…a lot…about hunting. Especially during deer season. Every weekend that I can I am going hunting and friends, family, and coworkers know this because I talk about it. I generate numerous conversations because of this lifestyle I lead and I enjoy it thoroughly. One thing I have noticed from either new hunters or non hunters is some of the things they think they must possess, both material and other to be able to hunt.

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I’m not sure if its because of what is seen on hunting television shows or just not having the network of hunters around them, but there are some things I would love to tell new hunters to ease their mind or stress a little about things they think they must have.

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The first is that you can have a heart; you don’t have to be a soulless, ruthless, and cold blooded to be a hunter. You don’t have to have rage in your heart to go out and kill an animal. If you notice most hunters use the term ‘harvest’ rather than kill because to the majority of us that’s what it is. We will harvest that animal to feed our families with. If it can’t be eaten its probably some form of management of predators or pests. In fact my moral compass shows that I do not want to see any animal suffer and leads me to only take ethical shots for quick expiration or pass and hope for a better shot later. There are even times when I witness a tragic event of nature, such as two bucks who have died because their antlers were locked together during a fight and they couldn’t get free. My heart actually breaks to see that; so you can have compassion, in fact you need it to show respect and love to Mother Nature. There are people out there who don’t
have this (poachers, road hunters etc) but its not the majority. I may get extremely excited and overwhelmed with joy when I harvest an animal, but it’s not simply because they are dead; it’s because of the long hours, hard work, practice, patience, beauty, and accomplishment of it all. The ‘laying down pics’ of my harvest with big smiles on my face is all of that rolled into a single moment and trust me, there are tears (both of joy and frustration sometimes) emotions and pure unaltered joy. So bring your heart and soul along…your hunting experience will thank you for it.

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Second is experience. You don’t have to have years and years of experience or have lived with family and friends who hunt. It doesn’t hurt to have a friend who can help and guide you, but with so much information available (such as these blogs) learning to hunt is easier. Some of the best hunting stories and memories will come in your rookie years where you are absorbing so much information and learning so much; I know mine have. I can say with 100% certainty that you WILL make mistakes but you will learn from them. Guess what…that’s experience. I can also guarantee that even seasoned hunters with years of experience will continue to make mistakes and learn from them. Nature is unpredictable and therefore will keep you on your toes each and every hunt. You will, however need to practice with whatever weapon you are taking into the field to obtain a comfort level and accuracy to ensure ethical shots, but no harvests, lack of hours in the field or
minimal experience is not a reason or excuse to avoid this magnificent adventure.

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The third thing or things you don’t need is a truck, a lot of weapons, thousands of dollars of gear, or any specific or new gadget that everyone else has. Now don’t get me wrong you need appropriate gear to keep you safe, warm, and ethical, but you don’t have to spend all your money to be able to enjoy hunting, especially starting out. You will learn as you go what works for you, what specific items are important to you and necessary for the area you are hunting. Although a truck makes it easier to haul your gear, if you really want to get out in the woods, pack up whatever vehicle you have and get out there! (Just don’t try to go off-roading in the mud in a Prius haha)! If you are a mom or dad with limited resources but want to get your kids out there go for it. Do what you can, but for kids, especially early on, its more about being out in the woods than harvesting anything.

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There are so many products and new things out there, but don’t get overwhelmed and miss a great opportunity to experience the great outdoors because you don’t have the experience or latest gear. You might just surprise yourself too if you didn’t think you can ‘kill’ an animal; when you change your mindset to ‘harvesting’ an animal and experience the beauty of nature and the rush of a hunt you might just unlock a piece of you and a passion you didn’t know was there.

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Get out there and enjoy nature and feel free to ask me or any of the other queens questions about getting started. I might not have all the answers but will try my best to help :).

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Candace