You probably know there are a lot of hunters in my neck of the woods, also known as the Deep South. What you might not know is a bunch of them are female. Some ladies, even in the South, are put off by the idea of shooting an animal. But the rest of us? Give us some camo and our favorite firearm and we’ll be in hog heaven. So, why do we love it?
Many of us are introduced to the concept at a young age because our fathers (and sometimes mothers) are hunters. It’s a wonderful opportunity to bond with the men in our lives. Dads teach us the ropes and when we grow up, it’s something we can compete share with our mates.
Jaren Williams showing us how it’s done. Photo courtesy of Regina Williams.
We might start out with a BB gun and later graduate to custom-made rifles or shotguns. When I was little, I shot holes in all the towels Mama hung on the clothesline. She told Daddy to take me hunting to get me out of her hair. Learning how to shoot is half the fun and it takes quite a bit of target practice to prepare.
I’m envious of Lynn Clevenger’s new custom rifle. Photo courtesy of Cal Clevenger.
Who doesn’t love waking up to chilly morning air and traipsing through the woods? Wait! Don’t answer that. If you love the outdoors, hunting can be a wonderful way to get back to nature. It’s beautiful and peaceful(except for the gunfire part). Hunters must practice stillness so they don’t scare off the animals and that’s not something people get to do very much in our busy world.
There’s a certain amount of pride that goes along with putting food on the table (and a possibly a trophy on the wall). My grandmother used to be so proud when my dad and I came home with a sack of birds for her to cook. At her house, the hunters got to serve their plates first. If you’ve never had deer sausage, wild turkey(not the beverage), fried quail, or stewed rabbit, you’re missing out. All of these creatures and more can be found a short drive outside town. Or if you’re lucky and live out in the country, you can just look out your back window and see them scurrying around. Be sure they’re in season before you start shooting though. We don’t want the Game Warden to get after us.
Regina Williams showing off her buck. I’m going to eat at her house.
The efforts of preparing for the hunt are not always rewarded, but sometimes persistence pays off. There are a lot of life lessons to be learned from hunting: sportsmanship, patience, respect, dealing with disappointment…
Why do you love it?