What is the point?

I recently asked someone whose opinion I highly value to read some of the things I have written here to get some constructive criticism. I was told basically what I already knew. I had no direction for this blog. While I stewed on this for a while, I finally feel like I might be comfortable enough to share what my ultimate intentions are.

Over the past couple of years, I have observed a commercialization of hunting and being an outdoorsman that causes many to lose sight as to why we hunt and puts emphasis on the wrong areas of the sport. I don't even need to pick a specific hunting show, watch any hunting show on Outdoor Channel/Pursuit/Sportsman Channel. The script is the same for every show, and it is disgusting.

The host, opens the show talking about how blessed they are and how they just got done hunting Kansas/Colorado/Texas for the past week and it is time to go to the next hunt in Canada/Utah/Kentucky. Next they show clips of them driving to the new destination, trailer full of gear from their sponsors, including bags of bait, brand new ATVs and brand new bow/gun. The next clip is them talking about how the guide has seen plenty of big bucks at this particular stand and that they show up every day at 5:47 PM. What they don't tell you is that the deer show up because the feeder kicks on at 5:45, yeah these guys are real hunters, really showing their skills, they can shoot deer over a feeder, what a joke.

Next come the sponsor commercials, did you know that if you do not use the ANGST Super Pro XTREME Cutting Edge broadhead that it is technically impossible to harvest anything? OK, next clip, cue the heavy metal music in the background as they show shots of a big buck walking down the trail, making sure they edit out all the shots of the high fence and the feeder. The host turns to the camera and says, "this buck has been on our hitlist, we call him 'Steve'". This practice, the "hitlist" is one of the most offensive things about all of this, any one that calls them selves a hunter should not have a hitlist. You are not an assassin, you are an outdoorsman that hunts to harvest game for your benefit, for hard management and for the love of the hunt, not for contract kills.

More commercials, selling unnecessary equipment to unsuspecting sheep. Cut to the last segment, again, more heavy metal music, followed by the host drawing, shooting and then ultimately posing with a monster deer. "I want to thank sweet baby Jesus, without him I never could have had this opportunity. Oh and the troops too, never could have done this without the veterans... 'MURICA"

You may be reading this and thinking, "yeah it is awesome, I love that show". If that is the case then stop reading, go out and shoot yourself. These shows glorify the kill, they teach Joe Shmoe that if he buys the sponsors products that he/she can go out and do the same. This sends thousands of weekend warriors out into the woods, that have no idea what they are doing, that end up wounding animals and ruining the experience of dedicated hunters and at the same time portraying to the public that this is hunting. Guess what there are people that think we should not have the privilege of hunting, and portraying hunting as something that is all about the kill and not about the sport just gives them more ammo when they try to propose the banning of hunting.

This post is a little all over the place in trying to make my point, and really it still does not answer the question "What is the point?"  So here it is. The point of this blog is to show you that you can truly appreciate the time and effort that goes in to hunting and that it is not about a hitlist, it is not about the kill, rather it is about the dedication to the sport, enjoying the outdoors and if all things line up, by using our skills, we may be lucky enough to harvest an animal.