# Born With It...Or Aquired



## Hortontoter (Apr 27, 2012)

I read a post by NattyB about his eight year old asking about permission to hunt. It got me to thinking.

Is our desire to hunt, fish and just be outdoors somthing we are born with? Or is it imprinted in us by someone else?

I feel we are born with it. I say this because of my past. I had four brothers as a kid and we all grew up in the same house on 5 acres in the country. We were all introduced to hunting and fishing by my dad and his brothers and their friends. As youngsters all five of us fished a bit and we all owned Red Ryders. But, for whatever reason, I was obsessed with the hunting bug.

I remember my mother always called me her "Little Woodsman". I was always in the woods chasing some type of "game" with my many BB guns. Seems every Christmas the long narrow box had my name on it. It is the one gift I remember asking Santa for every year.

I feel bad thinking of the untold numbers of songbirds, mice, frogs, turtles, chipmunks etc. that I killed as a kid. But, lets be honest, I couldn't help myself. I was born to spend my life hunting. I was my mothers Little Woodsman, and I had to live up my title.

As time went on and my brothers and I got older I was the only one that continued with the outdoor lifestyle. Yes, my brothers hunted once in a blue moon, but none had the obsession that I was born with.

My one brother, that passed away a few years ago was a very avid fisherman and hunted on occasion. I sure do miss the fun times we had.

So how about you. Do you feel you were born to be outdoors or do you think that a person or persons in your life had a big bearing on your outdoor lifestyle?


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Sort of the same story, 6 kids- I was the one always out in the bush, only one that stuck with the hunting side of things. Did it on my own, my Uncle started me big game hunting when I was 14.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

I think something happened to make you want to hunt, or perhaps it was just something that got you interested in guns. I believe that is how it happened for me. My father didn't hunt or own a gun, He was turned off to it by his brother who was 12yrs. older than he and a 10gauge shotgun when he was 8(knocked him on his butt) He and my Mom (I ate to admit this) were(and are) democrats, the local club had a turkey shoot every year that I loved to go to so I could shoot a borrowed 410, under the tutelage of a neighbor and, every year I would win a turkey shooting against adults, at 10 dad bought me a 12ga( I still have it) and the collecting began. I was lucky enough to be raised in a rural setting, where I could walk across the road and hunt rabbits and pheasants. I also think that my brother who does not hunt was turned off to it at an early age, when a mean stray dog was killing the neighbors chickens and he went out and shot it. I think that may have been somewhat traumatic for him knowing that it was at onetime someones pet(we always had a dog) Mom always made the effort to cook whatever i brought home and made a big deal out of it. It seems ironic to me in some ways that although I never saw either of my parents shoot a gun, they provided my biggest push into the world of guns and hunting.


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## Fitz (Jul 12, 2012)

I think most of us are born with it but then video games were invented. I think it's our human nature to do anything that's adrenaline pumping. Some people are lazy though and to the point where they'd rather sit in their house playing video games than go hunting. Or they find another way to get the high like drugs or extreme sports.


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## prairiewolf (Feb 19, 2012)

I think I was born with it, My father and mother split and I left Ohio at 7. I really didnt see my father untill I was older. He owned a bait shop and fur business,plus did alot of trapping in Ohio. My stepfather didnt own guns and didnt even go camping so I really didnt start the outdoor life untill I left home at 18 and got married. Thats when I started fishing and hunting and dont really know why, I started going with a few buddies and have been doing it ever since. I started going back to Ohio every few years to see my dad and we became real close, I still have the few guns he left me and cherish them alot. My mother would always say you must have gotten hunting from your dad.


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## Rick Howard (Feb 25, 2012)

Okay let me take the middle ground... LOL I think it is both. In my case my father taught me to hunt and fish. Born with the desire I was. Yet, I have several friends that had no interest in hunting until adults. I think it is both. For most it is probably born with it though.

We never could explain why I was a golfer...... I am the only one in the family. LOL My dad had 1 club...... a 2 iron...... He brought that 2 iron and at 12 pack of Labatt. He would say... I will hit this club until I hit it good, or get drunk..... either way I will be done.


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## Hortontoter (Apr 27, 2012)

I'm wondering if he bought more balls or bottles.

I think you are right though. Many find the outdoors to their liking at a later age. May come with maturity or a way to deal with the everyday stress of life.


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## Rick Howard (Feb 25, 2012)

He would not buy golf balls. He would go looking in the woods while I played the hole.

My guess is the later.... If you knew these guys..... you would be inclined to agree. LOL


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## 220swift (Mar 2, 2011)

I would be of the "born with it camp". My mom and dad also split up when I was only 5. My mother's second husband was against hunting and forbid guns of any kind in the house. Didn't stop me. My desire to shoot, hunt and be outdoors was stronger than his belt. Having a paper route, I had my own source of money and owned and kept three guns (air rifle, single shot 410 and a 22 pump action) hide until mom and he divorced when I was 16. Mom's third husband and was my father figure was a big time hunter, especially raccoon hunting with dogs. We rode mules and those nights in the timber with him are some of my most cherished memories. He and I also hunted squirrels with a rat terrier dog and yes we still rode the mules. Even after moving to Colorado, I would make a trip back to Iowa in the fall for several days of squirrel hunting and riding. We did that for 18 years. Our last squirrel hunt was the fall before he passed. He was 83 when he passed and went on a horseback ride 40 days before he died. I can truly say he brought my outdoors passions to a new level that I still have today. I got to know my true father later in life and remained close until his death and yes he also hunted.


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## prairiewolf (Feb 19, 2012)

SG, I guess I missed something, I didnt know you had a crossbow!! you dont need a gun then, especially if your hunting in thick cover.


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## Jonbnks (Jan 21, 2012)

I'd have to say I was born with it, but the itch has gotten worse as I've grown older. My dad isn't much into being outdoors because he used to work out in the weather. My grandfather was the one who always took me walking in the woods. My uncle is my main hunting partner. Would love to spend more time in the woods, but the poision ivy is terrible!


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## knapper (Feb 5, 2010)

I loved to hunt we didn't have much money and I did not hunt much. My dad never really hunted except birds and that was about it. I think it brought back bad thought of the time he spent in Europe during the war. He never talked about that much either. We was a shooter and club sponsor, i think it was the hunting he couldn't enjoy any more.


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## bones44 (Jan 7, 2011)

I'm thinking a little of both. While I started at a young age with a recurve and pellet gun my Dad still made sure I did things right. He still hunts with me every year for gun season he's still busy working as much as he can and he's 67. I am a an outdoor fanatic and I think it gets worse every year. I'd rather be out fishing or hunting than just sitting around with people anymore. My wife says I'm anti-social, I say it's more like addicted to something I love.


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## fr3db3ar (Aug 6, 2011)

I would believe your environment has the most to do with it. Country folks naturally do things outdoors, this includes hunting and hiking in the woods. City folk tend to do things city related and what their parents peers teach them, free running is an example.

If you're not reared in a country environnment and exposed to hunting, I believe it's a lot less likely that you'll take an interest in it as a youth.


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## knapper (Feb 5, 2010)

I don't think that is always the case, there are a lot of city people that I know that hunt.


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