Robert, you should "hunt" with me.
I hunt but seldom kill. This year, all I did was take a gun for a walk; but to tell the truth, I wasn't all that interested in harvesting, just hunting. I was in the woods deer hunting just to be there IF my brother's grand-daughter shot her first deer (she is 16). I even joked that I wasn't going to load the gun.
I bird hunted a week, bear hunted a week and deer hunted part of a week, all on the same trip to PA....... nothing. Rained (actually it more than rained) for bird hunting, bear season... only 3 were shot within walking distance of camp but I never saw them and deer (I saw three..... shhhhhh) didn't get shot either.
I still like getting in the woods and talking to other hunters. This year was unusual in that I came across seven youth hunters in the woods. They were not together, just happened to be on the same mountain. It has been a long time since I have seen that many young hunters in the woods or fields! The sights and especially the Fall aromas are wonderful. And, I get some much needed exercise too.
Some of my tree hugging friends give me grief about hunting but I explain to them that hunting isn't killing. I am almost to the point of hunting with a camera but there is something about walking with a fine old gun that makes the "walk" even more enjoyable.
When I was young, I guess I was a meat hunter but now its more about the experience and the memories of days gone by. I can't help but remember all the good times I had with friends and family that are no longer around. In a few years when I am not around, maybe my grand-niece will think back fondly to the times she hunted with me, I can only hope.
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