Why Hunting is Good for a Man's Soul

Science has long told us that hunting was a crucial part of man’s existence for countless years, from the dawn of civilization. In our modern society, it’s generally understood that hunting was a primal necessity for humans that’s no longer vital for our survival, but this is a belief that I strongly disagree with.

Hunting Connects a Man’s Soul to Nature

Our very being is infused with the natural elements we’re surrounded with when we’re on the hunt. Hunting provides distinct benefits that men won’t find anywhere else, and here are some reasons why I firmly believe that hunting is good for a man’s soul.

Being Grounded with Nature

I recently returned from a backpacking hunt deep in the north Georgia wilderness. Before the hunt, I had been striving tirelessly at work, attending to my usual duties as a husband and father, coaching youth wrestling, and a host of other activities that made it seem like life was one big whirlwind of never-ending hustling and bustling.

Once we reached our basecamp for the hunt, I took a short walk down a narrow trail. I reached a section where the trees opened to reveal a sprawling valley below. The wind swept by as I soaked in the view, prompting me to breathe in the crisp, cool air. At that moment, I realized something. I needed this.

I had been laser-focused on preparing my gear for the hunt, pouring over topo maps, and envisioning myself getting a shot on a trophy-sized black bear on this late-season hunt. But as badly as I wanted that trophy boar, I came to understand that just being ‘on the hunt’ was what I needed.

Nikola Tesla once said, “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration.”

Hunting anchors our soul to the natural world in a way that heals us from our modern, busy mindset. It grounds us in a way that no other activity or venture is capable of doing. If you find yourself getting too frazzled by the relentless pace of life, always remember that hunting is one of the best ways to ground your soul and reconnect yourself to nature.

Patience is a Virtue

There have been plenty of times when I’ve struggled with patience in my life, but hunting has been one of the most constructive methods I’ve found to build patience. Being in the wild forces us to become part of nature to some extent to succeed in hunting. It’s simply not possible for one to march into the woods, shoot, and harvest the animal of their choice with little or no preparation at all.

Success in hunting requires a considerable amount of trial and error. If you’ve been hunting long enough, you’ve likely come to understand that nature doles out a generous portion of humility to any hunter who thinks they can force the natural world to bend to their own desires. If you want to be a successful hunter, you have to earn it.

Before you harvest your first trophy, chances are that you’ll have to endure numerous hunts where you seem to have no luck at all. It’s only after we learn from our past mistakes, fine-tune our efforts, and patiently wait for the right opportunity that we have success in hunting. This patience that I’ve acquired through hunting seems to carry over into my personal and professional life in an assortment of positive ways.

Hunt for Your Health

One of the more overlooked benefits of hunting is the impact it has on a man’s overall health. Too many men today suffer from the effects of being cooped up inside an office or maybe just in their house without adequate sunlight and fresh air. Hunting is a great opportunity to enjoy the outdoors constructively, developing a man’s senses and overall well-being.

In order to be a successful hunter, we must train our eyes, ears, and other senses to detect the presence of opportunity. Many times, I’ve been on trips with men who are somewhat new to hunting and noticed their lack of visual and auditory perception compared to that of a seasoned outdoorsman.

This might seem like a trivial aspect of the benefit of hunting, but developing your senses is a good way to cultivate an overall sense of being in the present instead of focusing too much on the past or future.

In addition to these advantages, hunting also improves your health through diet – if you’re a successful hunter, of course. Eating wild game is exceptionally more healthy than purchasing meat from any grocery store.

As a hunter, you have the ability to harvest, process, and cook your meat with the complete confidence that you know exactly where it came from. Consuming wild game helps you and your family avoid unwanted additives or contaminants. As the saying goes, “You are what you eat.”

Appreciation for Nature

Over the course of my lifetime, I’ve grown to appreciate wildlife and nature more and more with each passing year. In our movies, television and elsewhere, hunters are often untruthfully painted as brutish killers who have no appreciation for wildlife. Yet, I’ve found the total opposite to be true in my own experience.

As hunters, we possess a deep respect and admiration for nature with a conscious acknowledgment that it is both fragile and precious. Hunters are always at the forefront of conservation efforts because we see and experience the effects of poor conservation methods and work to preserve wildlife in all its glory and splendor.

Hunting Rejuvenates the Soul

Every time I return from a hunting trip – whether I harvest an animal or not – I feel genuinely rejuvenated in a way that is sometimes tough to describe to a non-hunter. There is an authentic spiritual aspect to hunting that I believe each hunter recognizes at some point during their pursuits. For me, it was after harvesting my first deer at the age of 13.

I was fortunate to be sitting in a treestand with my father when I bagged my first deer. I’m still not sure who was more excited, but we both celebrated because we experienced something special during that hunt. As I walked up to the small doe I had shot, I was struck by the realization that I had just ended the creature’s life. I felt a sense of sadness, which was quickly transformed into gratitude when my dad instructed me to remove my cap and kneel next to the deer as he said a prayer thanking the Creator for this harvest.

Though the thought of hunting may not appeal to all men, I sincerely hope that every man can experience the thrill of pursuit, the adventure of the chase, and the appreciation of the harvest that hunting brings with it.

Fred Bear, the famous bow hunter, encapsulated my feelings about hunting in these words:

“Go afield with a good attitude, with respect for the wildlife you hunt and for the forest and fields in which you walk. Immerse yourself in the outdoor experience. It will cleanse your soul and make you a better person.”