Oct 17, 2015 5 min read

As I skim through the obituaries printed in this newspaper, I realize there are a high number of hunters residing in Washington County. The obits confirm this as many of them contain the words “he loved to hunt.”

It’s probably been 15 years since I was asked to be a guest speaker at Washington & Jefferson College. The primary subject was taught by professor Collen Hyden on humans’ use of animals.

I was to speak on the subject of hunting. Since I don’t mind public speaking, I thought this was going to be a piece of cake.

That was until I was asked why in a modern society do we hunt? Why go out and shoot a poor, innocent animal when there are quick food places all across the country? There one can buy a hamburger, porkburger, fishburger or a veggie burger. We do not need to hunt to be fed.

When we buy a sandwich, we don’t get cold feet, aching muscles or a drippy nose. Seldom do such things occur in front of the fridge.

Instead, there is a high percentage of people who spend a fortune for a decent rifle-scope combination, something that can cost $1,000. Good boots come in at well over $100.

Add everything up and that venison in the freezer is high-priced meat.

So that brings us full circle back to that question, why hunt?

Despite what might be said, we don’t hunt to save money. There are some who love nature and that might call them outdoors and to the hunt, yet nature can be enjoyed without a gun.

Perhaps the answer to this question lies much deeper.

Man is a predator and is built as a predator. You have heard me say it is the position of our eyes that decides that for us. Animals that are typically prey have eyes on the side of their head. This is also true of birds.

This side positioning of the eyes enables the animals see much further to the side and rear – where an attack might be coming from.

On the other hand, or should I say head, eyes that are aimed straight ahead see and focus on what they are about to attack. Are your eyes in front or on the sides of your head?

For many thousands of years, man has been a hunter and a gatherer. By berry picking and animal hunting man has survived in a hostile world.

Those that were inept at hunting would have soon disappeared.

This includes those who believe it OK to starve calves to create veal but that hunter out standing in the cold waiting for a buck of a lifetime is cruel.

To hire another to do your killing is somehow more noble than hunting. That’s an interesting code of ethics.

But in reality, because it is still in our genes, that is how we got here. For thousands of years, the good hunter survived while the lousy hunter and family disappeared.

We hunt for that simple reason. It is a background of hunting that got us to this point and that gene is still with us.

• A friendly reminder may be in order this time of year. Those headless deer lying along the highway weren’t born that way but met their demise in a highway accident. Someone stopped and took the head home claiming a hard-won trophy.

Such action done without permission from the Pennsylvania Game Commission along with the removal of the antlers is illegal. If you are caught doing this, it can result in a fine and possible revoking of a hunting license.

Another common violation is shining a spotlight on someone’s home. It’s bad enough the wild beasts are hunting for sunglasses, but why disturb the homeowner who just might be the person for which you are going to ask for permission to hunt?

You might ruin things for others who could be thinking of asking for permission to hunt.

• We all like a mystery, thus the popularity of many of our shows on television. Well, here are a couple for you: A boat is huge while it is being towed down the highway but it shrinks when it gets in the water. Like the boat, the climbing tree stand is huge when it is being carried through the woods but there is something about it going up a tree that makes it shrink.

When 15 feet off the ground, it’s hardly bigger than a postage stamp.

Then there’s that darned trigger on the 30-06. When empty, that trigger pull feels wonderful but at the range a different story is told.

Place a live round in the rifle chamber and the now loaded rifle has a feel like a 14-pound pull. It grew heavier when I loaded the darn thing.

George H. Block writes a Sunday Outdoors column for the Observer-Reporter.