# Please explain the "fun" of hunting **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 21, 2014, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-fun-of-hunting/705242 "2014-11-21T13:56:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2014, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-fun-of-hunting/705242/21 "2014-11-21T15:11:35Z")
Moved MPSIMS --\> IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![nogwart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nogwart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nogwart)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2014, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-fun-of-hunting/705242/22 "2014-11-21T15:16:23Z")
Thank you, Scumpup and Hello Again! Notes Taken! Will use this when the next Venison comes my way, which should be very soon. [the only hunted meat I’ve had given to me and had to cook has been venison, so far] Very much appreciated! ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2014, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-fun-of-hunting/705242/23 "2014-11-21T15:20:22Z")
[ul] [li]Being in nature.[/li][li]Conquering nature (staying warm, finding your way back, being a predator)[/li][li]Knowing you can survive/control your own destiny if /when (:rolleyes:) the zombie apocalypse/nuclear holocaust/Russian invasion occurs. [/li][li]Bonding with your buds/father/child(ren)[/li][li]Cheap getaway. Hunting cabins are some of the cheapest vacation homes between the cheap land & their small size.[/li][li]Good tasting food.[/li][li]Relaxation/hobby.[/li][li]Charity. We have massive overpopulation of deer in this area. My neighbor goes out with his bow for an hour or two a couple of times a week. When he gets one, he takes it to a butcher who donates his processing time & sends all the meat to a food bank.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![JuliaSqueezer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/82dd89/32.png) [@JuliaSqueezer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JuliaSqueezer)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2014, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-fun-of-hunting/705242/24 "2014-11-21T15:20:51Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’m not a hunter but I know plenty of people who are. The main two rewards from what I’ve observed is that it’s an application of skill and the social aspect. Hunting is a common interest that can bind together a group of people. I’m not a hunter, but growing up in Northern Michigan, many of my family members were and continue to hunt deer with guns. Some skill at shooting a gun (or using a bow and arrow) would be an important draw, plus that whole getting away and not shaving, hanging out in the local bars and playing poker at deer camp. One thing about the actual hunting that seems to have changed, at least in my family and friends who still live in that area, is that they no longer really “track” deer. The style of deer hunting seems to have evolved. Hunting used to involve long treks, looking for signs (tracks, scat) following them, then killing and dressing and dragging the carcass out of the woods. Now, they go to the local gas station, buy 50 lb bags of carrots, and drive to the woods where a deer blind awaits. They bait their station or blind and sit there all day and wait for deer to smell carrots and wander into shooting range. Boom! Dead deer. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2014, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-fun-of-hunting/705242/25 "2014-11-21T15:21:10Z")
So, in your OPINION every who says they like it is lying but, actually, you don’t know how to cook and can’t be arsed to use google. In my OPINION you are lazy in your opinions. ---
**Author:** ![nogwart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nogwart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nogwart)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2014, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-fun-of-hunting/705242/26 "2014-11-21T15:23:50Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > So, in your OPINION every who says they like it is lying but, actually, you don’t know how to cook and can’t be arsed to use google. > > In my OPINION you are lazy in your opinions. Yep, guilty as charged, Mr. Prosecutor! 🙂 I didn’t know of any good recipes until this thread. EDIT: Also, to other posts, I get that the social aspect is probably the attraction to hunting in general. To be honest, though, I don’t know any “friends” I’d like to be alone with in the wilderness for any length of time. Wish I did, but I don’t. That’s on me. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2014, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-fun-of-hunting/705242/27 "2014-11-21T15:30:24Z")
I’m not a hunter, but have a couple of friends who do hunt annually for deer and in one case, elk (on a trip to Colorado.) Hunting is practically a religion here. And yes, the two people I know most definitely hunt for the meat. Last year IIRC I posted a question here asking what to do with venison medallions I was given…I did something involving tomatoes and lemon juice; it was very good. Also some processors will also make sausage from the meat. I’ve had that several times and it’s really good. One person I know who hunts is the husband; it’s an annual “up north” trip to a cabin in the woods with a bunch of guys. The other is a couple; they both hunt and last year went to Colorado on a hunting trip and got a massive elk. The summer sausage from that animal was phenomenal. My dogs enjoy eating select parts of deer carcasses too! So not much goes to waste. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2014, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-fun-of-hunting/705242/28 "2014-11-21T15:38:24Z")
> [@nogwart](#): > > - For the meat. Sorry, but this is just NOT a realistic answer IN MY EXPERIENCE. IN MY OPINION, everyone who says they like the taste of hunted meat is lying in order to boost the ego of their “manly-hunter”. I’ve had HUNDREDS of meals prepared with “hunted” meat, and it has never, EVER, tasted good. NEVER! Really! NEVER! I don’t hunt, but many of my friends do. I LOVE venison. I LOVE pheasant. We just made room in our freezer for a deer, in fact. A buddy promised us a whole deer this year! Maybe you don’t like the taste, maybe it isn’t being prepared as well as it could? ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2014, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-fun-of-hunting/705242/29 "2014-11-21T15:41:07Z")
> [@nogwart](#): > > - For the meat. Sorry, but this is just NOT a realistic answer IN MY EXPERIENCE. IN MY OPINION, everyone who says they like the taste of hunted meat is lying in order to boost the ego of their “manly-hunter”. I’ve had HUNDREDS of meals prepared with “hunted” meat, and it has never, EVER, tasted good. NEVER! Really! NEVER! Two points. 1. As they say, there’s no accounting for taste. My theory is that, like cilantro, some people just don’t have a taste for game. I sure as hell don’t - everybody keeps telling me that I haven’t had it prepared right, but these are the same people who keep serving me game. But others do. And the preference for domesticated meat vs. wild game is not new; at least as far back as the Old Testament, there were some who preferred domesticated meat over wild game - see Gen. 25:28. 2. There are some for whom wild game is literally putting food on the table. Around where I live there are people who are so dirt poor that bagging and dressing a deer will assure food for the winter. From time to time, such people will engage in what’s affectionately called “off-season hunting.” The game warden will generally look the other way. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2014, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-fun-of-hunting/705242/30 "2014-11-21T15:44:52Z")
> [@nogwart](#): > > Sorry, dude, I thought “IN MY OPINION” was clear. No dismissal, just an opinion. No offense, but I think you’re looking for an argument where there isn’t one. > > Otherwise, I’m glad you enjoy hunting. Have fun! But, I’d still like to hear any recipes you might have. 🙂 Yes, it was very clear that the dumb, dismissive thing you said was your opinion. ---
**Author:** ![HipGnosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/76d3ee/32.png) [@HipGnosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HipGnosis)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2014, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-fun-of-hunting/705242/31 "2014-11-21T15:47:55Z")
This thread could be about any hobby. Different people find different things enjoyable and it all defies logic. No one could ever talk me into trying or enjoying stamp collecting. Hunting isn’t for OP. Hunters have no obligation to justify it to the OP. Life goes on for all… ---
**Author:** ![nogwart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nogwart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nogwart)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2014, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-fun-of-hunting/705242/32 "2014-11-21T15:48:18Z")
All posts noted, and thanks! Clearly, I was incorrect in my initial post in that there MAY BE ways to cook hunted meat that make it tasty. At the time of my initial post, I was not aware of any of these ways, hence my OPINION. Going forward, I hope to implement some of the posted recipes, and I hope that my OPINION will change. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2014, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-fun-of-hunting/705242/33 "2014-11-21T15:48:35Z")
> [@nogwart](#): > > - For the meat. Sorry, but this is just NOT a realistic answer IN MY EXPERIENCE. IN MY OPINION, everyone who says they like the taste of hunted meat is lying in order to boost the ego of their “manly-hunter”. I’ve had HUNDREDS of meals prepared with “hunted” meat, and it has never, EVER, tasted good. NEVER! Really! NEVER! I don’t hunt, but many of my friends do. I LOVE venison. I LOVE pheasant. We just made room in our freezer for a deer, in fact. A buddy promised us a whole deer this year! Maybe you don’t like the taste, maybe it isn’t being prepared as well as it could? ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2014, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-fun-of-hunting/705242/34 "2014-11-21T15:48:38Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Two points. > > 1. As they say, there’s no accounting for taste. \*\*My theory is that, like cilantro, some people just don’t have a taste for game. \*\*I sure as hell don’t - everybody keeps telling me that I haven’t had it prepared right, but these are the same people who keep serving me game. But others do. And the preference for domesticated meat vs. wild game is not new; at least as far back as the Old Testament, there were some who preferred domesticated meat over wild game - see Gen. 25:28. > > 2. There are some for whom wild game is literally putting food on the table. Around where I live there are people who are so dirt poor that bagging and dressing a deer will assure food for the winter. From time to time, such people will engage in what’s affectionately called “off-season hunting.” The game warden will generally look the other way. This could well be the case - I wonder if the OP (or you) like lamb, mutton or goat meat? I’m guessing not, since those are also quite strong-tasting, aka gamey meats. If that’s the case, pretty much no recipe will make them taste good to you. ---
**Author:** ![nogwart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nogwart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nogwart)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2014, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-fun-of-hunting/705242/35 "2014-11-21T15:51:20Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Yes, it was very clear that the dumb, dismissive thing you said was your opinion. Yes, and now it is very clear that your opinion of my opinion is dumb and dismissive. Yay! Let’s do this some more! It accomplishes so much! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2014, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-fun-of-hunting/705242/36 "2014-11-21T15:55:01Z")
> [@](#): > > For the meat. Sorry, but this is just NOT a realistic answer IN MY EXPERIENCE. IN MY OPINION, everyone who says they like the taste of hunted meat is lying in order to boost the ego of their “manly-hunter”. I’ve had HUNDREDS of meals prepared with “hunted” meat, and it has never, EVER, tasted good. NEVER! Really! NEVER! so basically you want to insult people, then run and hide behind the words “IN MY OPINION.” ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2014, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-fun-of-hunting/705242/37 "2014-11-21T15:58:45Z")
Very young predators like cats and dogs will hunt when very young but not kill. Young boys will often do the same thing if they have access to afield. I tend to believe we are geneticaly wired to hunt, but not as strongly as a pure predator. Many dogs have lost this instinct for example. I enjoy hunting but have lost my taste for killing. Most wild meat I don’t care for. I can spend days at a time shooting arrows at rabbits even if I don’t hit a single one. ``` Tree stand hunting for larger game is popular but has little appeal to me. A successful hunt can be a bit of a rush. I know men who have hunted for 50 years and have never lost any passion for it. I have been absolutely addicted to making bows, arrows sling shots, traps,fishing poles, all the things needed to hunt and kill with yet have little desire to actually use them beyond testing. Go figure? ``` ---
**Author:** ![nogwart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nogwart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nogwart)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2014, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-fun-of-hunting/705242/38 "2014-11-21T16:04:28Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > so basically you want to insult people, then run and hide behind the words “IN MY OPINION.” Oh FFS! Enough! Here we go, folks: I have never, in my experience, tasted hunted meat that tasted good! There may be ways to cook hunted meat that make it taste good, but I have never had the pleasure of that experience. I hope one day to have the knowledge and experience required to cook hunted meat so that it does taste good, but that day has not yet arrived. Hopefully, with the wisdom and experience acquired within this very forum, I’ll be able to achieve my goal. Yeah, that makes me a horrible person. Hate me! Wow! I really thought this was a non-volatile topic. Wrong! My REAL question was what people found “FUN” about hunting. I think I found the answer: Social Bonding So, Done! ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2014, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-fun-of-hunting/705242/39 "2014-11-21T16:04:44Z")
My best friend’s father used to go moose hunting every year. One time he said that they kind of wish they WON’T get one because that’s when the work starts. Like previous posters said, I think he was in it for the time in the wilderness with his friends. They’d get drunk and play cards and just have a good time. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2014, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-fun-of-hunting/705242/40 "2014-11-21T16:17:46Z")
**Nogwart** , learn the words “I apologize” or something synonymous. They will take you far in life. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-fun-of-hunting/705242.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-fun-of-hunting/705242.md?page=3)