WHAT HUNTING BREEDS - field ethos
“Problem solving is hunting. It is savage pleasure, and we are born to it.” – Thomas Harris
My first big game rifle was a Model 70, chambered in 30-06, a classic hand-me-down rifle. Eventually, I would trade it for a Remington 700 modeled after my first sniper rifle in the Army, the M24A1. Such a massive improvement from the ol’ Woodie I grew up with. With that rifle, I learned what absolute precision could be and, with it, the dedication it took to master it. The switch from hunting four-legged critters to two-legged men pushed me into manhood.
Personally, or professionally, I’ve been in the field with a bolt-action rifle for the last 21 years, and I have realized that hunting is a sliding scale. Not every hunt requires stiff mountain boots and lightweight equipment. Sometimes it takes an open-top high back and an old double lock, or a tree stand and slug gun. They are all equally important.
Some of you reading this could give two fucks about mountain hunting. Similar lessons can be learned walking sagebrush and shooting grouse, arguably more fun than slogging up cold alpine slopes looking for Muleys. Still, mountain hunting remains the most challenging, both physically and mentally. There are days you must really dig deep to make it happen. You will be sore and tired without success, and if it all comes together, you get a heavy reward in your pack and a long walk back to the hooch.
This is a life lesson that needs to be learned in modern society. Many believe that once they have accomplished their goal, the work is over, only to realize too late that the real challenge wasn’t the journey to the goal. It is the responsibility that comes after they achieve it. Hunting is a perfect modality to teach the lesson of responsibility. We have all heard of hunters leaving meat to spoil because of poor planning. “How irresponsible,” we always say. I feel the exact sentiment watching societies attempt to cripple traditional values and hobbies.
