By Alex Comstock
This time of the year I tend to spend a lot of time in deep thought about all things to do with deer hunting. From tactical to the path our country is on as it pertains to the hunting world, and everything in between. Lately, I've been spending a fair amount of time thinking about the developments of our hunting industry and some things that people may be overlooking.
In our day and age, everyone gets so excited about the next thing. Whether that be the next awesome trail camera, range finding sight, you name it. Most of us love the next gadget that helps us in the pursuit of whitetails. And that's awesome, but what we can't forget about is that deer hunting is all about the animal. Simply put, if there was no deer to hunt, we wouldn't be able to get excited about everything else that we love about deer hunting.
Besides the emphasis on gadgets, and hunting equipment, I think it's equally important for people to remember to respect the animals they pursue, and the same goes for deer. What I find slightly offensive is when I hear people talking about hunters, and how they only shoot bucks to put them on their wall, and we really don't even care about deer. For 99% of hunters, that couldn't be further from truth. For me, I respect deer, and if someone were to ask me what my favorite animal was, I'd say a deer. I don't take harvesting a deer lightly, and neither should anyone else. It should be a BIG deal every time you send an arrow or a bullet at a living animal.
Simply put, it's important that while hunting deer, we remember what it's ultimately about. Because if you don't remember that deer hunting is all about the whitetail, then why are you doing it in the first place? It shouldn't be a glamour sport, and deer hunting isn't just about how you own the coolest, newest greatest piece of gear.
Don't forget what hunting hinges on, and that's the whitetail deer itself.
Think for a second if there wasn't any whitetail deer, or if you weren't allowed to hunt them. Everything else would immediately go out the window. Without deer, there isn't anything else. No new stands, cameras, shows, or any of that. Without deer, there aren't those experiences we get to have out in the field. The countless sunrises and sunsets being watched from a treestand, the long hike into the stand hours before sunup, and that moment of walking upon a harvested whitetail. Those are the things we get to experience, and they shouldn't be taken for granted.
At the end of the day, whitetails are awesome. Deer hunting is awesome. I couldn't imagine my life without deer hunting and I truly wouldn't be able to function in the way I do now. I just wanted to remind you that it's easy to get caught up in everything else. But every now and again, take a step back and just appreciate what we have. Whitetails are amazing creatures, and I'm thankful that you and I can hunt them.
