Killer Hike

I hunt on some land that pretty much all grassland and doesn't see an ounce of fertilizer. I usually take one deer from here every year. Totally grass feed natural deer. Can't get anymore organic than that.

I am a life long hunter, and backpacker. When you combine the two you get the ultimate wilderness experience in my opinion. I was looking at this magazine to see if I could benefit from it, I will be subscriber from now on.

I see I spelled vegetarian wrong. No, I am not just a dumb hunter. Just a human like you. Share the wilderness. lol

I have not even read half of the article yet and I never chime in on these things. This article, however, is the best article I have ever read in any outdoor magazine bar none! Bringing people together is what we need now more than ever. I have been an outdoorsman since I was 8 and caught my first sunny with a stick,line, and hook. I grew up in the woods of suburbia and gradually wandered further out. I fish, ski, hike, mountain bike, camp, anything I can to be outdoors. I didn't start hunting until I was 35. I needed something new to do and was invited to hunt. It's not about the killing, it can't trully be explained until you do it. I am one of the minority I guess that is not on either side. I see nothing but being closer to nature when I hunt. I had a girlfriend that was a vegiterian. She said at least it's honest, and you use the whole animal. Not like the drive through. Plus if it ever hits the fan she said she had me to get through it. The most exciting times are when I harvested nothing. The close encounter with bears, the 5 minute old couger tracks etc etc etc. Thank you for an honest look at hunters as just avid outdoors people! We love what hikers love ...being in tune with nature! Let's try to respect each other on common ground.

What we need to understand here is that people are entitled to their own opinions and beliefs, and whether or not you agree or disagree with hunting, you should respect others' beliefs. To "Cal" who posted earlier: You are an idiot. Who are you to judge what Bruce (the author) believes? I don't care how much you are against hunting or the killing of animals, you do not wish death upon a person. Your opinions are your opinions, nothing more. You are just one of billions, so your beliefs have no priority in this world. I've never hunted, and I don't like the thought of killing animals/game purely for fun, but I would kill a thousand animals and leave them to rot before I would wish death on a person. It's this sort of lack of respect for other's beliefs that cause problems in the first place. If you want to hunt, then hunt. If you don't, then don't. Live your life the way you want, I'll live mine the way I want, and Bruce will live his the way he wants. Stop being so concerned with others' lives, they're not yours!

To Bruce: Thank you for this article. Whether or not I agree with you is beside the point, I enjoyed your sharing your beliefs (which should not be disrespected) so boldy.

Excellent article. I have been a backpacker for many years and like you never really considered giving hunting a try. I am seriously considering taking the hunter's education and giving it a try. Thanks for sharing your experience and thoughts.

Great article I have been a person who enjoys both hiking and hunting... I have hiked in Denali and the Wrangells and hunted and hiked in the Brooks Range, would love to see more cross over articles for I am always looking thru BP for ways to safe on weight and gear to use on my trips.... Thanks again good job

I thoroughly enjoyed this article.

I was pleasantly surprised to find this article. As a person who hunted with my family as a child, became a "backpacker", and now has returned to hunting for a variety of reasons, I've been on both sides of the coin. While the ethic of "leave no trace" is slowly and fortunately permeating hunting, hunting has given back something I missed as a hiker. Moving slowly, stopping and remaining motionless for hours, conscious of every leaf and puff of wind, I see the smallest plot of land with a depth that would have would have missed in the miles I racked up while backpacking. Having returned to hunting as a urban 40 year old, I also had to take a renewed look at the philosophy and ethics of hunting, and I enjoyed the author's well written account of his own exploration of the issue. While I doubt Backpacker will or should start publishing rifle reviews, I can say that I read through other parts of your magazine with a new interest for the first time in a while. Thanks for being willing to explore beyond the stereotypical boundaries between two groups that share a common cause in preservation of wilderness.

Great article and my kudus to BP magazine for publishing it. Perhaps you have opened some eyes to a part of internal but suppressed chemistry of our being. For many hunting is an "excuse" for being outdoors that allow us to feel the world around us at a higher resolution than I do when I'm hiking in the woodland hills during the other months of the year.

Excellent article! Please keep hunting and flush this out into a book. As a Natural resource management student I had similar converstions with the Forestry students. I have returned to (bow) hunting and find it further bridges this odd divide among the outdoor crowd.

What a great story. THANK YOU for writing this. I am glad the author took on a challenge that was out of his comfort zone. The article was extremely honest. It was a great read and I will be passing this onto others!

Bruce covered in vivid,engrossing detail most of the activities of a large animal hunt for food. I would just like to add that first time "hunters" could research outfitting businesses in their hunting area of choice, and hire an outfitter to guide a first hunt.We have such an outfitting business and would welcome a novice or two. Dana Ivers, cowcreekoutfitters.com

I absolutely loved his article. As a lifelong outdoors enthusiast, backpacker, and Bambie-lover, I had my first deer hunting season last year (you can read my story here: http://myrbou.blogspot.com ).

Deer hunting season is a mere week away and I can't wait - yes, I know, I am one of "them" now...

When I tell other I started hunting, to the horror of some, I only accept criticism from those who don't eat meat - otherwise, it is pure hypocrisy, as somebody, somewhere, is killing an animal just for you to eat...

My mentor-hunters don't like to play God - and I understand that some hunters do... sadly - especially those who do not kill for food... and that is a whole other side of hunting which can be debated ad nauseum...

Thank you for the thoughtful essay on an issue and experience that is difficult to put into words. Whether we hunt or not, we share a world where beautiful, wild places are rare and diminishing. We should work together to pass them on, along with the freedom to hike and hunt. www.backcountryhunters.org.

My fiance and I are hikers and I've been telling him I want to go hunting (both my grandfathers and my dad hunt, but I've never been). He had me read this article before we actually go and it was a great choice! Thanks for sharing your experience!

What a great, well written article…probably one of the best I’ve ever read in Backpacker. It touched on many of the points my hunting buddies and I talk about all the time. Some of us avoid REI because of the treatment we get when we mention we’re buying gear for hunting. Some of us tolerate the attitude because of the quality and selection of gear. I love hiking and hunting, but I find I put my outdoor skills (navigation, fire starting, etc) to the test more while hunting than hiking/backpacking probably because most of hunting is done off-trail and in the colder months. Many of these skills I’ve learned from the pages of Backpacker. Also thank you for touching on hunters’ contribution to wildlife habitat conservation. As a member of Ducks Unlimited and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation I’m glad the conservation efforts are recognized. Congratulations on your buck.

I hope you die soon Bruce.Meat is murder.

I am glad that Backpacker has published this article. I am an outdoorsman and enjoy hiking and hunting together. I hope to see more of this. I actually canceled my subscription because of articles and posting against hunting.
We must all find a path that preserves our heritage. I am a hunter but foremost I am a Conservationist.

Bravo on an amazing and well written article. Very refreshing point of view. I wish everyone could be so open minded. I'll admit to being one of the few receiving cabelas and REI catalogs in the mail regularly. It's difficult to explain the sensation and thrill of hunting to those who question it, but I hope keeping a copy of your article handy will help me explain that I'm not a blood thirsty lunatic. Thank you and well done.

Very good article and fair. Why can't we all coexist together in the outdoors?

Thank you, Bruce, for that wonderful article, and props to Backpacker for having being brave enough to include a piece on such a potentially controversial subject.

I grew up hiking, climbing and skiing in the Rocky Mountain West, and was, for a large part of my youth, a vegetarian. After college, I had the good fortune to land a job training horses at a ranch in northern Colorado. Working with the ranch's cowboys, and being paid, at least partially in grass fed beef and elk steaks, I was forced to reevaluate my dietary and lifestyle choices. I began, for the first time, to see the value in raising or hunting one's own meat.

A few years later, my then boyfriend, now husband, and I got our first dog, a German Shorthaired Pointer, and began thinking about what it might be like to hunt with her. We were both avid fly fisher-people, and my husband loved the idea of shooting birds and using their feathers for fly tying. We started with Chukar in the west desert of Utah, and now, all these years later, are hunting and training dogs for all manner of wing shooting pursuits.

I would never have imagined how much pleasure I would feel at walking out behind a dog I trained myself, to search for grouse in the high mountains of New Mexico or the North Woods of Wisconsin, pheasants, sharptails and Huns in a North Dakota blizzard, or back at home in Wisconsin.

Now, as I find myself living far away from the mountain landscape I grew up in, hunting has given me a new way to experience and enjoy the outdoors here in the Midwest. It has taught me so much about the land, the plants and animals, and, perhaps most importantly, about myself. Nothing in the world equals the sense of accomplishment that accompanies my dog retrieving his beautifully worked bird to hand -- except perhaps the moment we sit down to a meal of green chile pheasant enchiladas at the end of a long, cold day.

Thank you again, Bruce, this made my day.

Thank you, Bruce, for that wonderful article, and props to Backpacker for having being brave enough to include a piece on such a potentially controversial subject.

I grew up hiking, climbing and skiing in the Rocky Mountain West, and was, for a large part of my youth, a vegetarian. After college, I had the good fortune to land a job training horses at a ranch in northern Colorado. Working with the ranch's cowboys, and being paid, at least partially in grass fed beef and elk steaks, I was forced to reevaluate my dietary and lifestyle choices. I began, for the first time, to see the value in raising or hunting one's own meat.

A few years later, my then boyfriend, now husband, and I got our first dog, a German Shorthaired Pointer, and began thinking about what it might be like to hunt with her. We were both avid fly fisher-people, and my husband loved the idea of shooting birds and using their feathers for fly tying. We started with Chukar in the west desert of Utah, and now, all these years later, are hunting and training dogs for all manner of wing shooting pursuits.

I would never have imagined how much pleasure I would feel at walking out behind a dog I trained myself, to search for grouse in the high mountains of New Mexico or the North Woods of Wisconsin, pheasants, sharptails and Huns in a North Dakota blizzard, or back at home in Wisconsin.

Now, as I find myself living far away from the mountain landscape I grew up in, hunting has given me a new way to experience and enjoy the outdoors here in the Midwest. It has taught me so much about the land, the plants and animals, and, perhaps most importantly, about myself. Nothing in the world equals the sense of accomplishment that accompanies my dog retrieving his beautifully worked bird to hand -- except perhaps the moment we sit down to a meal of green chile pheasant enchiladas at the end of a long, cold day.

Thank you again, Bruce, this made my day.

Bravo to all of the hunter/backpackers out there and to the author for being honest with himself and to his readers.

I grew up hunting with my Dad in The Deep South. I love dove hunting every year. Killing my first (and only) deer a few years ago was amazing, but I find myself wanting to leave it to the men to bring home the big meat. My husband and I backpack/canoe/hunt. We saw two wild boars this weekend and spent the rest of the trek talking about how we'd like to bag them next time and methods on preserving the meat :)

Thank you for this article and for the solid Ted Nugent quote.

Like all the other hunters and backpackers who commented on this outstanding story, I congratulate the author on his open-minded recognition that hikers and hunters have a great deal of shared interests, despite the "cultural chasm of ignorance and mistrust" and the fact that "crossovers are a distinct minority". He did a fantastic job describing the sensory elevation and awareness that happens when hunting, and the primal satisfaction that comes from a succcessful hunt. I am very lucky to have a half dozen hunting buddies ranging in age from 35-56 (I'm the oldest) who look forward all year to our weeklong backpack elk hunt in Colorado wilderness areas. We pack in our all our own gear and pack out the meat. We avoid the plague of ATVs that ruin the national forest hunting experience and we have the satisfaction of doing it the hard way. Our annual hunt is our single biggest motivator to stay in shape year-round and we all look forward to that week as a highlight of the whole year. Thanks to the editors for including this story that is atypical of Backpacker Magazine. Well Done; Great Job!

I am also an avid backpacker and hunter. I went hiking in Colorado in September and I'm going bowhunting in Kansas in November. It was good to see an open-minded article addressing the issue. Hunting is an important management tool and provides wholesome recreation and nutritious meat. Its not for everybody and not everyone understands it, but it is an enjoyable and beneficial outdoor activity just like hiking.

I grew up hiking in the Pacific Northwest, canoeing and climbing. As I got older, I went out hunting with my family...deer hunting to me has amounted to walking through fog shrouded timber and clearcut alike, never having had a deer in my sights, COULD I take the shot. I truly dont know. That being said, I thoroughly enjoy duck and goose hunting, and fully believe in and support Ducks Unlimited, and any efforts made at wildlife/habitat conservancy. I want to be able to raise my baby boy to see animals in the wild, but to see a future where we are wise enough to preserve that future for hunters as well.

Reading this story reminds me of my first deer hunt....I grew up on a farm, learned to clean fish and dress quail before I started school. Most of our table-fare came from our land, lakes and streams. If we didn't raise it or hunt it or catch it, we usually didn't eat it. I was 35 yrs old when I went on my first deer hunt...and was a bit confused to find myself wondering if I could actually squeeze that trigger when an opportunity arose in the deer woods. But when that big ole buck stepped out, the adrenalin rush flushed away any trace of hesitation.

Bruce, you are obviously a very talented writer....and this story is sure to spark a few more discussions among your non-hunting readers....and for the hunters who read this magazine I can see them nodding their heads in agreement with many things you bring to light. At the very least, for me, you brought to life the sure essence of why I enjoy hunting so much.

Thank you sir.

Thank you for looking at the "other side" for a while and helping some to understand that we all have more than one point of view!

Excellent story, Bruce. Thank you for writing it, and congratulations.

I had the privilege of guiding the folks in the article on the second hunt begining at the top of a canyon 3,000' above the Grand Ronde River in southeast Washington. As a backpacker/hunter most of my life I thought the relationship between the two was handled exceptionally well in the article. Where I have treked in the west the two go hand in hand.

Fantastic article. Everyone who enjoys the outdoors has to accept the fact that hikers and hunters want the same benefits from the outdoors and many of the permit fees and taxes on hunting and fishing equipment support conservation and outdoor resource management.

I am a life long hunter in my early 50s and i am happy to see one of them (hahaha) do an article with an open mind. People dont like to admit that we are predators and allways have been and once we cease being predators we will lose who and what we are.Thank you for a well written article!!

Bravo brother Barcott! Welcome to the fraternaty of Hunter! A very thoughtful recant of your experiences. I found your words honest in their intent, factual in their delivery and expressive of the emotion that runs through every hunter. Well done.

Great article! Great job Mr. Barcott.

This is the best hunting article I've read. Ever. As a 43 year old deer hunter in Maine, I've long since given up telling people that I hunt, much less trying to convince non-hunters to try it or trying to explain why I hunt. The number of us that hunt, hike, camp canoe and relish every moment in the wilderness is large. We just don't talk about the hunting portion.

I thought this was one of the most well written articles I've read in a long time. I grew up hunting, and it is a big part of my life. Hunting is not for everyone, but it is always nice to see someone go into it with an openmind, and give it a try.