Many years ago I read a article by one of the top outdoors writers of the time. I can’t remember exactly which one it was, but the article
got a lot of attention.
Basically, he made a point that all hunters go through phases.
The new hunter just wants to kill something, anything legal.
After a time, just killing something isn’t important. Most hunters start being selective and want at least a decent buck.
Eventually the hunter gets to the point that just being in the woods and observing nature, away from the hustle and bustle of the office, is more important. If a really nice buck should show up, he’ll take a crack at it.
I say there is a fourth stage. The final stage is the hunter begins to really get into perpetuating the sport and nurturing the animals he loves to hunt.
When I began hunting at age 12 in PA, I was lucky enough to take a spike buck on the opening day. In my family, it was for food. Nothing got wasted. I didn’t even see another deer during the rifle season for three years. I did, however spend a lot more time in the woods and
gained a lot more respect for the animals I was looking for. Food was not my driving goal any more. I just wanted to be in the woods.
I used to carry an old camera that a friends dad fixed up for me. He was a professional photographer. I wanted a camera that didn’t click every time I took a picture. He modified a Minolta camera I had so it was silent. Still have it even after it quit working. I carried that camera because my friends would always ask if I had seen anything. When I told them I passed two legal bucks, they laughed and told me I was full of it. So, I would just pull out the camera and show them. They thought I was crazy, and still do, 50 years later.
We cannot legislate integrity into hunters. It has to come from example and experience. Even then, if the person doesn’t want to grow, nothing we do will change them. Today many people are just following the crowd. Until the next fad comes along, they will be here so we have to lead by example. Some will never change, some might. Nurture the ones that ask questions.