“The Skills”

Patience is something each and every one of us needs more and more these day. The stress of the world can push us to the brink. Once of the huge benefits of hunting is learning patience. Hunting is a skill that no matter how good you think you are at it, you can always be humbled. You can’t just walk into the woods each day and think you will be able to get a deer, elk, or even a squirrel (Yes people hunt them). There is a lot strategy involved in hunting as well as a lot of precision. Shooting a gun is easy. All you have to do is pull the trigger. Shooting a gun at something 300 yards away is a lot harder than the movies would perceive. When I was first introduced to hunting a friend told me learn how to shoot a bow first. It will teach you a whole lot of patience. The idea of waiting for an animal to get within range as your heart is pumping and adrenaline is racing through your veins is something to experience. 

The development and refinement of these skills of shooting over and over whether bow or gun helps the hunter become better. It helps with self-esteem. It makes you want to challenge yourself more. It almost becomes never-ending pursuit of perfection. 

If and when you are successful in the hunt there are other skills that will have to be learned like navigating the wild and tracking. All of this is very stimulating to the mind. It releases those positive endorphins that you can only get from being outside. If you know a hunter, talk to them about why they love it so much. Ask why they are so passionate about it. Give it a chance, maybe you will see yet another benefit of getting outside your comfort zone by learning how to hunt.