The Religion of Hunting

“Would you shoot a 180″ 3 year buck?  You would!!!  Well that is just wrong and you are going to ruin hunting.”  That just sounds silly to me, but the sad thing is, conversations just like that go on every day all over the web.

Why would someone say something like that?  Well I think one part of it is that on the web, people will say anything because there is no risk or chance they will have to back up their words.  Everyone is an expert and you all know exactly what I am talking about.  But this day and age gives everyone the ability to yell at someone else because of something they believe in or something they were told to believe in.  Now I am not saying that QDM isn’t a good thing.  I totally believe in it and think its a great program.  But would I pass on a decent buck because it’s not old enough?  A Heck No.  They only time I pass on bucks is the first couple weeks of bow season and the first couple hours of gun season.  After that, I am to hungry to pass on deer.  Will I have a better chance of shooting a great buck by passing on the small ones?  Again Yes.  But I like how the little ones taste so I prefer to shoot them.

Now the religion of hunting is how everyone criticizes and chastises all others for not following their way or beliefs of hunting.  I am not a religious man and you will never hear me discuss it hear or on my podcast.  But others preach their religion is best and others preach their way of hunting is the best.  But is it really their way of hunting or is it just the way they wish they could be.  Ya, I wish I could go out day after day and pass up 160″ 4 year olds every other day.  But if I am lucky I will get to pass up 60″ 1 year olds.  We as Average Hunters don’t have the option of hunting properties like this.  So we take what we can get and love every minute of it….. Wow, I am jumping all over the place.  What is the topic of this again.  Oh ya..

So why has hunting become such a religion?  I think its the online mask everyone gets.  Most guys go all day as your Average dude or dudett, but once they get online, things change.  They instantly become a P.I.H, a Professional Internet Hunter.  This is also called other acronyms but I can’t remember them all.  But pretty much the same thing.  They read someone else who they may admire write something somewhere and now they are a pro.  So they begin preaching that information to everyone and feel very strong about it.  Something to the point where things can become very heated.  If any of you belong to hunting forums, then you know exactly the types I am talking about.  They feel the power of immunity.  They make up some random username they nobody knows and now they can’t be traced.  So now let the trolling begin.  There are so many topics that many right answers and guys and gals will argue and argue that their way is the best just like religions.  Do I like QDM, yes, but I don’t follow it.  Do I think rifles and xbows are cheating, yes but I will be the first one out there using them.  Would I shoot multiple bucks over some does, I don’t want to but I will because I like meat.  Who’s way is the best?  That’s a pretty simple answer in my book.  Whatever way you enjoy doing it.

I am not a pro at anything so I will never preach what way is the best.  I talk about hunting because love hunting and I can.  I am not good at writing, but I do it because I can.  Don’t chastise me because I do things the way I do them.  I enjoy it and its not hurting you.  Everyone just needs to calm down.  There is a giant war against us and the ones that beat us will be us.