Alsatian

Hunting -- and elk hunting is exemplary for me -- is rewarding to me because it is an integrated experience. That calls for some decompression and expansion, because there is a lot lurking in that "integrated experience" phrase.

It gives me the opportunity to breath fresh air, to exercise, to enjoy the physical power of my body. Nothing better than hiking, climbing in the mountains at about 11,000', unless it is hiking and climbing in the mountains at about 12,000' . It gives me the opportunity to observe nature and to be with nature. I like to watch and see wildlife of all kinds. I like to see the trees. I like to see waters flowing without the distraction of bridges and other artificial constructions.

Hunting involves "being in nature" in a special way. It involves getting into the mind of the quary. Where would an elk want to be at this time of day? Given the disposition of vegetation on this ridge, given the time of day, given the disposition of water, what is an elk going to do? I need to solve that problem, using my brain, using my previously acquired knowledge of both the quary and of the hunting ground -- and the hunting ground can be pretty extensive and pretty complicated. I put myself in the shadow where I can see and shoot but without being seen. I try to be as still and silent as possible while sitting from an ambush. Meanwhile, as I watch and wait for my elk, my mind is free to meditate and wander in a very peaceful and happy way. If I were just sitting there for the purpose of reflecting or "enjoying nature," I think I might be self-conscious and have a hard time sinking into this peaceful, free state. I think of how many other people before me have been down this path and how this is a shared and common experience. Figuring out a way to find and get close enough to a game animal to kill it so you can eat it. You see things you don't see when you are in the city or even if you are out in nature but are not a hunter. The experience of being in nature in this special way is enjoyable to me. I think most experienced hunters will have experienced what I am describing only poorly. This is perhaps the most enjoyable part of hunting for me. When this leads to me and the elk being where I can get a good shot off, this is the punctuation to this experience.

I take pleasure in learning and using the myriad specialized skills needed to hunt proficiently. In elk hunting, this may include camping at high altitude and making yourself comfortable in this circumstance. It is going to involve caring for your kill -- field dressing, skinning, cutting into manageably sized portions, transporting these portions back to camp or your truck. Then it involves butchering this meat and cooking it. Being able to use a knife skillfully so I can take my elk apart without wasted meat gives me pleasure. Being able to find my way to my desired hunting spot in the dark gives me pleasure. Handling your firearm skillfully is also part of it. Going on such a hunt with others, sharing a hunting camp with others is yet a further dimension to this pleasure -- to be able to share your experience and thoughts with them, to receive their experience and thoughts, in the context that you are all dialed in on the same experience and living the same experience. That is really special. Helping them out when it is in your power to help them out. Having them help you out when you need help.

And all of these myriad aspects all come together in one integrated, hollistic experience.

I prefer do-it-yourself hunting, because for me the greatest value of the experience comes from doing it all myself. This extends to butchering my own meat and cooking it myself. All of this gives me a lot of pleasure that extends to having my family and guests sit at my table an enjoy the meal I have prepared, based on game meat.

Speaking for myself, my evaluation of my hunting success has nothing to do with the size of antlers or number of points. In fact, I'm just as likely or more likely to take a cow elk as a bull. To me I'm hunting for all the above reasons, and these reasons are little related to quantitative metrics.

At least some of my enjoyment of hunting derives from the difference of this experience from my day-to-day life. I live in flat land in a suburb just north of Dallas, Texas. I work in an office, working with patent documents. In the office, I thrive based on my patent skills, my language skills. A largely different set of skills and constraints prevail in the elk hunting zone -- although it should be appreciated that hunting is not brainless -- far from it, good analytical skills are needed to figure out the hunting problem, to solve the hunting problem.