Hunting
I believe in my right to hunt no matter how people view the sport. I could not imagine a world without it. Hunting is what strives me to live for the next day; hunting gives me a sense of freedom. People may view hunting as malicious, immoral, and just plain wrong, but for me hunting is a tradition, one that goes back many years in my family. Just like my idol Ted Nugent says ‘I don’t hunt for sport, I don’t hunt for recreation, I don’t hunt for meat, I hunt to hunt…” (tednugent.com). my entire life hunting has been my passion.
When I turned twelve I got a 22 rifle for my birthday. This was the day I became a hunter. This was my first gun and first year to be able to hunt. My family was very supportive of my hunting passion, but others were not. My parents heard comments like “He’s too young for a gun” or “That gun could kill him or someone else.” “How could you let him kill those poor animals?” The truth was I did not care what any of them said; I was going hunting that’s all I cared about.
A couple years later I got to high school, and my first year being able to go deer hunting. I told the school office that I would not be there the week of November 15 because I am going hunting. They told me that it would be an unexcused absence because hunting is not school related. I told them I would be missing the days anyhow. I would rather miss school than miss time hunting with my family. Through the rest of my high school years I never attended schools activities like dances, football games or any thing else a normal high school kid would do. I would always be in the woods of Michigan hunting.
I am now nineteen years old and hunting is still a major part of my life. If one day I have kids I hope I will be able to share the great sport of hunting to them, as my father did when I was young.
When I am hunting I can feel a sense of freedom like I have never felt before in my life. I get a natural high off nature; there is nothing better than sitting in a tree stand waiting for the monster buck while the November snow descends to the ground. Everyday I wake up in anticipation for another day in the woods with my family; this is what I live for.