Jeff - unless you're reading something I'm not, I never said it was all about the end result. If it were truly only about the end result and none of the sport or journey involved we would all pay our money and head to a high fence operation, kill something, then go home. But it's not, which is why my answer stated that both are important to me. While you may tire of my point, I tire of hearing the "it's all about the journey and the experience and the kill doesn't really matter" stuff that we all know is a total lie. It's like we are ashamed to admit that we enjoy the kill and that it is, in the very least, a part of what keeps us coming back each fall and what helps us determine a successful hunt from an unsuccessful one. At the end of the day when you strip away all of the other stuff - the preparations, the friendships, the scouting, the blood, sweat, and tears we leave in the woods our main purpose for doing what we do is to kill. No, it isn't the only reason and for some maybe not the primary reason, but it is in the very fabric of what hunting is. You simply cannot have hunting without killing, but you most certainly can have hunting without friends, scouting, or the other stuff. I leave you with the definition of the word hunt. hunt –verb (used with object) 1. to chase or search for (game or other wild animals) for the purpose of catching or killing.
The kill as I just go nuts at the moment of truth and that death is imminent after the shot. Nothing like that heart pounding through your chest then that tiny sad moment when the animal expires. I love it! The story is after the hunt and how you tell it is up to you and only you.
I was thinking this as I read through the thread. I enjoy the journey. I have learned more about myself during my time in the woods than most other times in my life. I have met some of my best friends because I hunt (and shoot) and I have witnessed Gods grace and creation during the journey. I hunt to tag an animal, to fill the freezer and provide for my family. It is for both, and without one there can not be the other.
It's all about whatever, whenever, and however "I" want to do it. Let's face it, the "how, when, and why" does not make you a better hunter than anyone else. It just gives "some" the right to brag that they did it their way. Pffftt
Yeah I would be lying is I said I didn't strive for the end result. Do I get TOO caught up in it sometimes? Sure. Like Justin said, I can sit in a tree any day of the week 365 days a year with no bow in hand if I really wanted to (assuming the journey was all that mattered). Fact of the matter is my intentions are quite clear by toting my bow with me With that being said, I certainly enjoy the preparation, the planting of plots, hanging sets, glassing, trail cams, and of course watching the woods wake and go to sleep 6 weeks out of the year. It's all a blessing, really.
The things leading up to a big deer down is what i remember about the hunt everything after the shot is work, the later in life i get the more remorse and sadness i feel for a life taken,and i spend some time paying respect to the animal i have taken. someone send me a cold one.
Easily, the Journey for me. I LOVE the kill just as much as the next guy, but I enjoy my hunting trips much more than whether or not I kill something. Sitting in a treestand bores me really, which is why I struggle with deer hunting around home. I LOVE getting out spotting and stalking, and traveling in general. My trip to Alaska changed me as a hunter and my outlook on things hunting related. IDC about stacking up racks for my wall or being able to kill the biggest buck among my buddies, I want to get out enjoy the world and what it has to offer. I had MUCH more fun in my 5 day stint in AZ this past fall than either of the previous two seasons here in KY, although my success would suggest otherwise..... Just can't see a landscape like this from a treestand in the woods of KY. Can't wait to get back out there this winter to go at them again.
I'd say it's both for me. I very much enjoy the journey, but the kill is also a huge part of it. After all, that IS why I hunt...to kill and consume. If I can immensely enjoy the journey to that end then all the better.
During the season, its all about the kill. Most importantly, its about putting venison in the freezer. Killing 4 does would be a better season to me than killing one 150" buck. Don't get me wrong, I love big bucks, but I have and would shoot a doe in early November before finding out if a buck is following her. After the season, its fun to look back at the journey. So I guess in present time, I'm about the kill. When looking at the past, it is the journey. If any of that makes sense...
Maybe I'm part Klingon because while I do love the "journey", I LIVE for the kill. It's encoded in my DNA.
They go together. The journey is fun, but putting your hands on that trophy once you have accomplished your goal makes for a good ending. To me you need a little of both.
