As others have said, I hunt because that is who and what I am. I also hunt as I am a "gadget guy" and there is an endless number of gadgets one can get for hunting. A look in my basement, the bedroom, my wife's home office, the garage, all 4 vehicles, the cabin, the storage shed, and the poultry hut will quickly show this to be true.
I also live for wild game and it makes up a large part of our diet. I was more a bird hunter than big game but that changed when I got married as my wife likes venison and she brought a cabin with 60 acres with as a dowry. Before her, I headed out of state to chase birds during the MN deer season as it was not safe to bring a dog into the fields during that time.
I find a lot of peace and contentment when in the field, I have plenty of time to think about whatever I wish and watching what Nature brings into my view is always a joy. From mice and chickadees visiting me to bears and wolves walking by, one never knows what the day will bring. I also use hunting as an excuse to put off fall chores but that is getting harder and harder as the wife is becoming wise to that and is hiring a younger guy to do these chores at an overly high price. That eats into my hunting funds so I balance out the time to do these tasks and the money I meed. Now, if that young guy would just go away!
I used to be a fisherman but that ended when I got married. It is much easier to sneak in a new firearm, reloader, ammunition, and even a new dog than a new fishing boat. Besides, she insists on having a parking space in the garage which meant either a boat would have to go or the dogs and goose decoys. So, bye, bye boat...
