A quick one for y'all...

The Mohican Sneak · November 8, 1999, 04:53 AM

I came across this on another forum and thought I'd share.

"How can you call hunting a "sport" when only one side knows it's playing?"

Byron Quick · November 9, 1999, 09:55 PM

Whoever made that statement is making an unwarranted assumption. I firmly believe the deer where I hunt both know they are hunted and are playing also. Case in point: I've been hunting a big buck for two years now. He'll damn near eat by my truck before deer season starts. Try to get him to do it on opening day of bow season. Last year I never saw him but it seems he saw me for he left me a gift-he shed an antler right in the middle of the food plot I hunted over the most.

------------------
Byron Quick

Rod WMG · November 10, 1999, 12:25 AM

Deer are prey animals and, as such, possess a God-given sense that something is always out to get them. If they have experienced hunting at all, they are constantly on guard and alert to human danger.

In point of fact, hunting, though enjoyable for the hunter, is not a "game." It is a source of frustration, exertion, concentration, study, preparation, strategy, and possible success. It is, in essence, a struggle between an animal which wants to preserve itself and a human who wants to secure it.

The deer has a single, overriding purpose, to maintain life and safety. The hunter has at least one (maybe more) purpose(s). For some, meat is a real consideration. For others, it is secondary. "Trophies" are often spoken of, though very few hunters actually secure a real one. For a mature hunter, the experience of pitting himself against the prey is an extremely important consideration. Taking the animal of your choice (as opposed to "getting a deer") through a careful plan and execution of that plan is a source of real satisfaction. Any deer so taken is a trophy.

In the two areas of Texas where I now hunt, the likelihood of getting a genuine "book" deer seems not to exist right now. Consequently, I am looking at taking at least one spike and two does in the four deer whitetail season. I hope also to take an eight-pointer or better. In the mule deer season, I will at least start with a handgun hunt. It is one buck only and I will take a spike if offered. If not, I'll try to get a six pointer (Texas count) or better.

I anticipate hard work in the rugged desert and mountains of West Texas and a much easier time in the Hill Country of central Texas. The whitetails are in the midst of a severe drought and in very real danger of starvation. That's not why I'm going to hunt them, but it is a consideration.

A game? Not to me, it isn't.

The Mohican Sneak · November 10, 1999, 03:33 AM

Rod,

There's a fine line between a "sport" and a "game". A game, to me, is played purely just to see who's best. It's played just for bragging rights on who beat who.

A sport, to me, is where a challenge is presented and we see if we can overcome it. If we can, fine; if we can't, then we continue onto the next one. With nothing lost, and ego untainted.

You speak the truth in your post. It's the whole experience of the chase, and every animal is a trophy.

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November 8, 1999, 04:53 AM	#1
The Mohican Sneak Member Join Date: June 7, 1999 Location: Soperton, GA Posts: 76	I came across this on another forum and thought I'd share. "How can you call hunting a "sport" when only one side knows it's playing?"

November 9, 1999, 09:55 PM	#2
Byron Quick Staff In Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Waynesboro, Georgia, USA Posts: 2,361	Whoever made that statement is making an unwarranted assumption. I firmly believe the deer where I hunt both know they are hunted and are playing also. Case in point: I've been hunting a big buck for two years now. He'll damn near eat by my truck before deer season starts. Try to get him to do it on opening day of bow season. Last year I never saw him but it seems he saw me for he left me a gift-he shed an antler right in the middle of the food plot I hunted over the most. ------------------ Byron Quick

November 10, 1999, 12:25 AM	#3
Rod WMG Senior Member Join Date: July 3, 1999 Posts: 167	Deer are prey animals and, as such, possess a God-given sense that something is always out to get them. If they have experienced hunting at all, they are constantly on guard and alert to human danger. In point of fact, hunting, though enjoyable for the hunter, is not a "game." It is a source of frustration, exertion, concentration, study, preparation, strategy, and possible success. It is, in essence, a struggle between an animal which wants to preserve itself and a human who wants to secure it. The deer has a single, overriding purpose, to maintain life and safety. The hunter has at least one (maybe more) purpose(s). For some, meat is a real consideration. For others, it is secondary. "Trophies" are often spoken of, though very few hunters actually secure a real one. For a mature hunter, the experience of pitting himself against the prey is an extremely important consideration. Taking the animal of your choice (as opposed to "getting a deer") through a careful plan and execution of that plan is a source of real satisfaction. Any deer so taken is a trophy. In the two areas of Texas where I now hunt, the likelihood of getting a genuine "book" deer seems not to exist right now. Consequently, I am looking at taking at least one spike and two does in the four deer whitetail season. I hope also to take an eight-pointer or better. In the mule deer season, I will at least start with a handgun hunt. It is one buck only and I will take a spike if offered. If not, I'll try to get a six pointer (Texas count) or better. I anticipate hard work in the rugged desert and mountains of West Texas and a much easier time in the Hill Country of central Texas. The whitetails are in the midst of a severe drought and in very real danger of starvation. That's not why I'm going to hunt them, but it is a consideration. A game? Not to me, it isn't.

November 10, 1999, 03:33 AM	#4
The Mohican Sneak Member Join Date: June 7, 1999 Location: Soperton, GA Posts: 76	Rod, There's a fine line between a "sport" and a "game". A game, to me, is played purely just to see who's best. It's played just for bragging rights on who beat who. A sport, to me, is where a challenge is presented and we see if we can overcome it. If we can, fine; if we can't, then we continue onto the next one. With nothing lost, and ego untainted. You speak the truth in your post. It's the whole experience of the chase, and every animal is a trophy.