Why do we stalk?

[Wilkesy]

So I'm pretty new to the whole deer stalking scene but have been small game hunting most of my life. I'm open with people about this being one of my hobbies but its never very long until the question is asked 'why do you go hunting?'

Now a question like this, could quite easily lead to a very complex answer. But I tend to keep it simple and say something along the lines of, it's natural to hunt for our food and certain species populations need to be controlled but also because it's down right exhilarating!

What is your go to answer when someone asks you 'why do you go hunting?'

 

[Jon69]

 

[Feugh]

“For the food. The vast majority of the red meat we eat is self procured venison “.

 

[Crowstalker]

View attachment 342565

A picture paints 1000 words.

 

[Crowstalker]

View attachment 342565

Looks delicious by the way!

 

[HallyButt]

For yummy food, fun, and enjoying the countryside

 

[barbel]

simply instinct, been doing it for a long time, feel at one with the countryside.

 

[Wilkesy]

Got any going spare that looks fantastic?

 

[keith74]

I stalk because it gives me a reason to be out in nature and at times when I would probably be sat on the couch doing nothing. I stalk for the same reasons I fly fish hill loch it gives me a reason to go outside and just switch off from daily life. The full freezer at the end is a bonus plus I give some to my older neighbours for them to get a free meal out of.

Stalking for me is a great way to go wander about an area of forest and tune my sense into the surroundings.

 

[NullMac]

Venison.

I eat fish and my venison.

 

[ShootyBang]

My answer depends on the audience. Talking points include:

1) Its tasty, free-range, cruelty-free, low-carbon miles protein. It is the most "woke" way to be a meat-eater.
2) There are no predators in the UK to eat deer--we must cull them or there would be no forest, no ground-nesting birds, etc. Conservation demands that we hunt to maintain a stable environment.
3) "Are you a meat-eater? If so, do you understand how the meat gets to your table, and the conditions it lived and died in? So can I turn the question around: if you know how commercial meat is farmed, why do you find hunting questionable?"
4) It allows me peace and quiet, and to hunt well you must understand the forest, the animals... it gets one closer to nature than most people manage. You understand the environment better if you act within it.
5) "Have you ever had pan-seared medallions of muntjac backstrip? That tasty goodness will convince you immediately."
6) (added because of some entries below) I enjoy the challenge and its thrilling to know you can stalk up and take an animal. Its a challenge, and its hard, and its fun.

 

[User00047]

Many hunters in the UK are too scared to admit that they like to hunt and kill animals….in those words.
I don’t dress it up: I like to hunt and kill prey animals because I am a natural predator and I’m wired up that way…100% natural instinct.
People love to say “I only hunt to eat the lovely food”
This is not true. You like the food and you enjoy hunting and killing it.
If you just wanted venison you can buy it for next to nothing these days and it wouldn’t make any economic sense to go and get it yourself, you’d just pay £10 for a muntjac and eat that instead of paying £12,000 for a rifle, ammo, scope, thermal, 4x4 vehicle and syndicate membership.

So in short, I hunt because I feel like it.

 

[Jon P]

I was asked the same question on a recent night out with work colleagues, some new , some old. I explained it is an unexplainable drive deep inside of you. If you have not got it, you won’t understand , and this is why I am quite happy to get up at 3.30 am once a week and get home at 10 pm, it has nothing to do with the killing of the animals, it is like an addiction to do it. It is not a fad, been hunting in some form or other since I could walk, now in my 50’s. My vehicle and home are geared up around my hunting. It is who you are- not one person could disagree with me or criticised me for my way off life- then we all got very drunk .

 

[Dickie]

I enjoy it plain and simple and I get the great bonus of tasty food from my outings.

 

[Overlay]

I’m crap at golf



Whatever that is

 

[T.eddie]

I got into shooting live quarry for the desire to have better food and take in the all experience (butchering etc)
I'm now rarely out with the shotgun and get much more enjoyment stalking. So much so I've taken it upon myself to learn as much as I can about the ins and outs of it and continue to do so. I'm very open about it and enjoy getting out, following sign, understanding my area and hunting the animal. I also still very much enjoy the butchery/packaging and eating experience and like to experiment with recipes as well as get the family involved as much as possible

 

[Sako6.5x55]

Many hunters in the UK are too scared to admit that they like to hunt and kill animals….in those words.
I don’t dress it up: I like to hunt and kill prey animals because I am a natural predator and I’m wired up that way…100% natural instinct.
People love to say “I only hunt to eat the lovely food”
This is not true. You like the food and you enjoy hunting and killing it.
If you just wanted venison you can buy it for next to nothing these days and it wouldn’t make any economic sense to go and get it yourself, you’d just pay £10 for a muntjac and eat that instead of paying £12,000 for a rifle, ammo, scope, thermal, 4x4 vehicle and syndicate membership.

So in short, I hunt because I feel like it.

It’s a good job you’re not the spokesperson for all stalkers, I don’t stalk because I like to kill because I don’t. I reload and I like to develop my loads to be as good and accurate as possible, I like to reload and the relaxation I get from it. I like to shoot targets in order to complete the development of the reloading and get the buzz from achieving that perfect load. I then like to walk out with my rifle and home loads either on my own or in the company of a fellow stalker with a common interest in the expectation that I might get to use them for the purpose they were made. When walking out I get the relaxation and enlightenment and fulfilment from being in the outdoors in various locations and seeing the wildlife and nature that we are fortunate to have. If I see deer I feel fortunate that my effort in stalking them has proved my skills to be at least competent and count myself lucky to be in a position to see an animal of such beauty and if I’m fortunate enough to make a shot I feel pride and satisfaction only when I know that shot is clean and the animal has been despatched in the most humane way possible and fulfilled the expectation of the land owner in controlling the deer numbers. I then get to turn my quarry into food, this evening I ate Roebuck steak, baked potato, portobello mushroom and peppercorn sauce. This is why I stalk and I count myself lucky that out of all the stalkers I know non of them likes to kill. I’ve been doing this probably a lot longer than most on this forum, I’ve shot a lot of deer in that time, and my regrets in that time are the shots I made that weren’t as good as they should have been and I’ve never enjoyed killing anything.
The answer I give when I’m asked why I shoot deer is “it’s because I don’t like my meat killed on mass on a conveyor belt, why do you?”

 

[Beretta V]

I enjoy being out in the countryside, being close to nature and helping to maintain the countryside.
If I get some wonderful free range food that has had a wonderful life it’s a bonus.
It’s a good feeling harvesting meat and being able to turn it into great healthy meals.

 

[Bo Diddley]

I love the great outdoors, I love the nature, and our quarry and my desire to hunt and immerse myself in the chase is strong, be it with gun & dog or rod & line.

 

[Madu]

I'm not allowed to hunt people anymore so....