I think it’s a lot to ask from a new hunter to realize what’s really important about spending time outdoors. In the beginning it’s pretty much all about taking. Taking a turkey, taking a deer, taking a big bass etc, it’s pretty much all one sided and that’s understandable. If you’re blessed enough to continue to be a hunter or fisherman, then at some point you should realize that it’s the giving that’s important.
If you stop and think about it, God and Mother Nature do a great job of “giving” to get us interested in the outdoors. Everything out there is about giving. The sunlight gives us warmth and light, the trees give us shade and clean the air, water gives us great fishing not to mention life, the wildlife provides us not only food but a reason to be there, the hunt. It seems only natural for a hunter to transform at some point from a taker to giver and most do.
How many older hunters do you know that now spend more time improving the habitat or introducing kids or new people to the outdoors than actually hunting. The fire or passion that got you interested in hunting in the first place will hopefully last a lifetime. The way you spend your time addressing that passion may change but most likely the fire will still be there. It’s no different than great athletes; after they are done playing many will go into coaching or commentating just so they can stay around the game. We are blessed in the hunting world to basically never have to retire and can remain active participants or “in the starting line-up” for life.
