Shooters that do not hunt?

[myshootinstinks]

I'm surprised at the number of shooters I encounter that do not go hunting. They've either given it up for various reasons or never hunted to begin with, they enjoy shooting by its own merit.
I'll admit I'm not the diehard I used to be, age takes it's toll on the body. I still enjoy getting outdoors and Fall is my favorite time of year.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I'm surprised at the number of shooters I encounter that do not go hunting. They've either given it up for various reasons or never hunted to begin with, they enjoy shooting by its own merit.
I'll admit I'm not the diehard I used to be, age takes it's toll on the body. I still enjoy getting outdoors and Fall is my favorite time of year.

I guess I started shooting, in earnest, to develop the best possible loads for hunting. But over the years I have just enjoyed shooting and the accomplishment that you feel when you've had a really good day just punching small groups in paper. I shoot every week that the weather permits but I only fire a few rounds per year at critters.

I still love hunting and being afield, but spending time at our club is a pleasurable activity all by itself.

 

[birddog 68]

I'm surprised at the number of shooters I encounter that do not go hunting. They've either given it up for various reasons or never hunted to begin with, they enjoy shooting by its own merit.
I'll admit I'm not the diehard I used to be, age takes it's toll on the body. I still enjoy getting outdoors and Fall is my favorite time of year.

I'm not surprised. I work with a few guys that love to shoot and don't hunt. My wife and nephew love to go to the range but neither one would think of shooting a critter. Funny thing is all of these people love eating the venison that I love to hunt!
Some were born to hunt and some can be led to hunt but there's some that want no part of hunting.
No shooting enthusiasts that I know will put down hunting and I give them the same respect.

 

[DoneNOut]

I know many hunters who aren't shooters.

 

[del2les]

Yes. I met many shooters at the clubs and matches who never hunted, but they loved the shooting sports.
Then, most hunters I meet are not what I would call shooters neither. It was the rarer few who I would consider both and were good at both.

 

[bultinkle]

While I do both I find shooting itself very enjoyable. I think hunters can get tunnel vision and not realize how many shooters there are that shoot for the enjoyment/competition and have no interest in game.

Different strokes!

 

[MachV]

My daughter has been a shooter her whole life, never showed any interest in hunting. Last year she went antelope hunting with me, must have liked it she is getting her hunter safety and wanting to apply with dad Sometimes it happens when it happens.

 

[Rick Richard]

Much cheaper and the opportunities are more plentiful to be just a shooter. The days of just walking out to the "back forty" and go hunting are a thing of the past. So sad and I am happy I had that gift in my lifetime.

 

[comfisherman]

There's just some aspects of life that sometimes make hunting a little bit harder. When I first started reading this board and joined I was single 20 had a really good paying job that gave me most the winter off. I lived in an area where I made quite a bit of friends at church that had Wide Open Spaces and lots of varmints and game to hunt. Probably 4 days a week hunting maybe more if you count the weekends

Married, moved started a business, wife starts grad school... half a decade goes by and you realize you haven't hunted in a while.

Life happens, sometimes the range is easier to get to.

 

[David_h]

I'm surprised at the number of shooters I encounter that do not go hunting. They've either given it up for various reasons or never hunted to begin with, they enjoy shooting by its own merit.
I'll admit I'm not the diehard I used to be, age takes it's toll on the body. I still enjoy getting outdoors and Fall is my favorite time of year.

Fall is my favorite time of the year, maybe because of the prior years hunting? I still enjoy the fall weather even if not hunting. Except for my son, I've been unsuccessful getting others to begin hunting.

 

[myshootinstinks]

Fall is my favorite time of the year, maybe because of the prior years hunting? I still enjoy the fall weather even if not hunting. Except for my son, I've been unsuccessful getting others to begin hunting.

yes, same here. Those that did not grow up in a hunting family seem to have no interest in starting.

 

[comfisherman]

yes, same here. Those that did not grow up in a hunting family seem to have no interest in starting.

That's not been my experience, granted most the people that end up crossing my path are folks looking for adventure. I've seen guys that never hunted their whole lives raised in the city who introduced to guns and hunting go down the rabbit hole to a level thats hard to duplicate.

 

[bultinkle]

I've supplied first weapons helped zero and sometimes taken hunting 4 people for their first deer so far. 2 of them had never used a gun before. It can be done!

One was a vegetarian when we met.

 

[QuietTexan]

Hunting doesn't require shooting skills anymore, at least down here. Just pull out your checkbook, and you'll have whatever you pay for put in your crosshairs at 50 yards. Whitetails with zoo antlers, exotics, pigs, predators, varmints, you name it and all you have to do is pay. And with how many guys can pull out big checkbooks it's expensive to hunt anything worthwhile.