I've had a bunch of questions lately about my year
spent guiding stuff all over the place in terms of topics what's better horses or mules are you
afraid of cougars how about Grizzlies then even some controversial ones right why do people hunt
what do you think about doing yourself backpack Hunters versus guys that go at guided hunts what
are your thoughts on wolves I'm talking questions all over the place all these questions are awesome
guys but you aren't asking for facts you're asking fo
r my opinion on these things so that's what you
guys are gonna get in true to form I'm gonna nerd out on some of these we might touch on politics
the meaning of life hell who knows the last one I did guys check it out right here the topic there
was when to move spots while you're elk hunting but today I'm going to cover the deeper question
of why do we hunt in these videos I'm going to say things that lots of folks disagree with and I'm
gonna be brief there's not gonna be a [ __ ] pile of e
xplanation so if you have something to add
or you hear something you disagree with go for it in the comments guys I want to hear it why do
we hunt the comments are going to get interesting seen on this one it's not exactly a softball if
you really look at our history as humans today or you know recent history is really the anomaly
the real question should be why does 95 percent of the population not hunt roughly 12 000 years
ago the majority of the human population departed from an entire l
ife that was based on hunting and
we're talking about an entire existence you know that centralized around the hunt moving families
constantly to follow game a complete diet and culture intimately tied to the hunter-gatherer way
of living at that point you know 12 000 years ago we shifted to an agrarian way of living I think
it's fair to say that at that point the majority of folks started to become specialized and fewer
and fewer numbers of people were directly involved in hunting for food
mostly you know the food
provider population was Now farmers and that continues on to today so that point roughly 12 000
years ago is what I call the point of us quitting as Hunters right that's really when hunting ended
for the human human species it's really not a super recent phenomenon but the startling fact is
when we started hunting that was two million years ago based on a fossil record so we're comparing
12 000 years of kind of being nine Hunters versus two million years of being H
unters that means
that for 0.6 percent of human history we have been nine Hunters if you randomly jumped around
to the different years in our history 165 out of every 166 years everyone's whole life would
have been hunting Centric every aspect of daily life would be about killing [ __ ] and collecting
food think about that for a second now I will say if you believe the fossil record is hogwash and
humans actually just showed up on Earth roughly a hundred thousand years ago still roughly 90
percent of History our entire existence has been about hunting guys you're gonna get my opinion
here and I'm just going to be straight up about it I don't hunt solely for meat I don't hunt for
gripping Grand pictures and trophies I don't hunt only for camaraderie and honestly I don't believe
anybody that says that's why they hunt humans are honey machines we don't look at but these Fat
Heads got us there that's what we were made to do and I think that's the gist of why we hunt
why does a p
ig root and why does a horse run so unfortunately I'm not really giving you an answer
at least not one that's going to be viewed as a rational explanation that's why people like the
idea of harvesting meat as a justification it's a rational explanation you hunt for healthy protein
yeah I agree that is a nice benefit but it isn't primarily why we hunt people like that explanation
because it fits the mold right and everybody can understand it we hunt because we were born to hunt
not because i
t is a practical way or a rational way to acquire meat let's think about it in a
non-controversial context if you mimic a few basic aspects of a nomadic hunter's life you get sun and
physical activity every day you limit your sugar in carb intake you spend time with a close-knit
community family and friends if you do those three things your chances of happiness in this life are
100x the average person do you really think that's some sort of weird coincidence it's a statistical
fact look it
up on in on any scientific research on happiness any factor that plays into happiness
would have been a prerequisite to survival in a hunter-gather era so I don't see why it's hard
to make the argument that hunting is an intrinsic part of who we are a lot of the activities 900s
partake in are really just fake hunting or they're representations of the hunt right golf fake
hunting going backpacking or camping fake hunting where we get mixed up and folks get upset is the
killing part I do thin
k it's weird for people to enjoy killing like the actual mechanics of killing
an animal to get sheer joy out of that it's weird and it's odd I will say that and I believe that
you know wishing pain or suffering any of that on another living creature is not not healthy but
a hunter smiling being excited with success that is not sheer Joy from killing that is excitement
from a gold Med the loss of life has a glimmer of sadness that Hunters acknowledge too a matter of
fact I personally believe
that Hunters have more context around that fact but at a minimum I want
nine Hunters to know that Hunters acknowledge that I've never met a hunter that truly enjoys like
the act of killing something right the mechanics of killing something that is super rare and
I've been there guys I've I've been at that moment's moment hundreds of times you know most
non-hunters have never been there at that moment not even once in their life have they seen life
fade yet they have a strong opinion on it
it's really odd the project the feeling that Hunters
must have at that moment it's weird that they do that it's like a slug explaining aerodynamics
to a bird or something what people who don't hunt will never understand is that the killing part
is Trivial to the overall hunting Endeavor how can something so intense dramatic or whatever be
trivial people asking this view the two words as synonyms right hunting and killing same word well
again let's put it in a non-controversial context every
one 900s vegans vegetarians poor people rich
people you know country people City people living life that inflicts death on other life eating me
eating vegetables habitat loss from your homes pollution from your lifestyle fuel consumption
all of that leads to death do you stop and cry or debate Your Existence all day every day that
is because it's inconsequential to you at least as a hunter we know what really goes on all right
guys I'm sure there's a ton of controversy and a ton of disagree
ment out there but that's how I
roll I'm not sure I cleared up anything guys but at least they gave you my opinion and maybe it
put out some ideas for folks to chew on honestly guys I feel like I just attempted to you know
answer the secret of life or something it was kind of exhausting to think about it and flesh it
out but guys hit me up with your comments and if you like these videos or my other videos please
subscribe to the channel the next q a video is going to be on the differences b
etween horses
and mules and my preferences for pack animals in the mountains man it's kind of weird to say
that after after this uh this one but whatever you know kind of jumping all over the place but
anyways uh in some ways guys think that's just as controversial right mule guys there's horse guys
so anyways should be a good one guys thanks a lot
Comments
I like to say, I don't just observe nature. I participate in it. You'll never truly experience nature, until you start hunting. You'll see and experience things your average hiker or backpacker never will.
In 1986 I made my first 200 yard whitetail harvest. "You hit it"! Is what my father said. Just like we practiced. He died 3 years later. I still have that memory of him.. Accomplishment!
At the age of 73, you just helped me understand why i'm in the woods! Thank you.
Well said, Cliff. There's always a bittersweet sensation after each animal taken. Most people who are critical of hunting don't see all the time and work put into it for most of us. Not to mention, many hunts don't end in an animal harvested. Either way, the individual always comes away with something beneficial. I'm a little bit better hunter after every time I've gone out. It taps into something deep inside us as human beings. Keep up the great content.
this almost brought a tear to my eye… i’ve struggled with how to explain this mentality to my wife and peers in the past, actually not fully understanding it myself, but this short video summed up the exact sentiment i myself have had trouble rationalizing. thanx again man
Cliff, As a Science teacher, active conservationist, and hunter I’ve pondered this a great deal. I have my pitch ready because I think it’s extremely important that you can share your message in a positive relaxed message. I agree with you on much. Some of us are wired to hunt. We are omnivores that developed over millions of years. Our eyes face forward and our senses sharpen in the natural world. Others come from a long line of gatherers and such. Does this put us in a box? No, but genetics and epigenetics play a huge role. We are part of the system like a deer, wolf, frog or anything else. No more important. No less. I hunt because it’s where I feel natural. My mind slows, my senses heighten. The world falls away. I cherish every scent, sight, and sound. I harvest healthy field to fryer protein in as quick and painless way as possible. I thank the animal. I thank it by using all the parts of it I can. I thank it by investing in conservation. I cherish being an active member of an ecosystem. I take and I give. I hunt for adventure. I long for struggle and chance… I could go on, but you get the point. Thanks for the video!
Good stuff. We hunt because we were made to hunt. The joy of the kill isn't the mechanics of killing; it's the satisfaction of a goal achieved. I've often been struck by the fact that no one lives without something else dying, not even vegans. As hunters, we are more in touch with that reality, which I consider a very healthy thing. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Cliff!
I've been on YouTube and Facebook for years and I don't believe I've ever commented once. I do believe this this is the one of the best videos I've ever watched. Thanks!
I appreciate you sharing your perspective! I sometimes find it hard putting into words why I like hunting
Very well put. Often hard to put into words, but I think you did a great job. "Like a slug explaining aerodynamics to a bird" love it. 👍🏼
I find it sad, when I kill an animal. And often think of that moment while eating it. Took me a long time to get good at cooking them. They are some good groceries and I thank the Lord each time I get one.
Cliff, Love your practical content. You've helped me be a better hunter. But you really knocked it out of the park with this one. You've eloquently articulated almost exactly how I and many of us feel. You might like my favorite quote about hunting: " We don't hunt to kill, we kill in order to have hunted." (My paraphrase from the original Spanish by Jose Ortega y Gasset). On a random side note: I also was an Econ major at Stanford and was accepted at Booth, but chose to go somewhere else. (Bad choice on my part.) Thanks for all the tips.
To truly participate in nature, To be a better, more pure human.
One of my favorite videos of yours. Thank you.
During my first harvest I got so excited and amp’d I finally connected. My cousin and I walked up to the elk and instantly I was overcome by sadness seeing a beautiful animal at the end of its life. Then my cousin told me what I experienced was called Hunters Remorse. Then being the jokester he is, he assured me I wouldn’t make a very good cereal killer lol. After 10 harvests, I still get sad and say a prayer
Hunting has been very good for me. Our family suffered a traumatic event earlier this year, and I slowly realized I wanted to be outside more. It just that, but doing something constructive. Nothing else was open except squirrel, so I grabbed my .22 (which had been collecting dust for years). The first time I got one was a beautiful fox squirrel. I was amazed that I had hit a target smaller than a house cat with a projectile smaller than a pea. And my wife was so happy to have more meat at home. I have had good and bad experiences since then, but overall I come away from it, knowing that I can do certain things that appeared very hard.
I've been asked the same question a few times and I honestly believe it's just in my DNA. I love it because it's hard to do and especially hard to be good at. I don't celebrate the kill like I see some do ( no judgement) I feel a sense of relief to be honest, I put a lot of pressure on myself to be a good at this thing I love and when it all comes down to that moment of truth to keep your shit together and close the deal it just gives me a feeling of accomplishment that nothing else in my life can compare to.
Fantastic take on why people hunt. Hunting definitely scratches that primordial itch deep down in our subconscious brain as omnivores. We're reliving a life our ancestors experienced that most modern humans have became too detached from. That being said, I would argue that getting a healthy source of protein is a legitimate reason to hunt as well and not just some sort of moral justification or some cheap excuse to those that look down upon hunters. There's just something primal and masculine about the idea of being able to feed your family. This year was my first time hunting big game and while I came home empty handed, I've learned so much and am pumped to get back out there into the beautiful wilderness for another round. I've been watching your vids and it's super helpful. Thank you.
We were born to hunt.... That says it all!
Would love to hear your story on how you got started hunting and got into guiding.