I’ll start simply, hunting is not about guns. Period. I am passionate that people understand this fact because I believe that hunting can get a bad rap. I think it’s important for non-hunters to understand what hunting truly is and why so many sportsmen and women enjoy it. In short, Hunting is about respecting nature and the desire to bring home food for one’s self and his or her family. With that comes an ethic of conservation, and I don’t believe there’s any better reasons to go out and harvest game than self-sustenance and conservation.

I have been told by people I know that they view me differently upon learning that I am a hunter. Hunting is constantly coupled with guns in the minds of many, and considered alongside the polarization of firearms here in the United States, the topic of hunting with guns can prove to be a testy one.

The number one Merriam-Webster definition of hunting is “The act of one that hunts; specifically: the pursuit of game”. In other words, hunting is the harvesting of wild animals by whatever means the practitioner sees fit.

In my experience as a hunter, as well as those hunters with whom I have chosen to surround myself, the act of hunting has very little to do with guns or killing. Instead, it has almost everything to do with the experience of having a relationship with your food and your peers.

Let’s face it, for those who eat meat, the food on their plates at each meal was killed by someone. I would therefore argue, that is it not better to have that relationship with your food yourself? The phrase “farm to table” is constantly thrown around nowadays; as such, I use the term “field to table” which I believe reiterates the importance of hunting. The bottom line is that I would prefer to not allow someone else to do my dirty work for me.

In addition to placing me in relationship with my food, hunting also allows me to cultivate a relationship with my dog. Our relationship has a depth of mutual partnership that few beyond other working dog handlers get to know. This relationship is not limited to the field, as the countless hours of training gives us further opportunities to grow close.

What is more, is that despite being a hunter, I am actually an advocate of gun control. Regardless of how you view the Second Amendment, there is no denying that U.S. citizens possess a constitutionally held right to use firearms as tools for specific purposes. However, I think there are both reasonable and unreasonable uses and strict regulations should be in place to limit or prevent the latter. I also do not believe that guns should be glorified. As such, I make it a point to practice excellent gun safety with my shotguns.

I understand that not everyone feels comfortable with taking a life, but I like to think that hunting keeps me in touch with a side of my own humanity that many of us have lost. I have also made numerous friends and several connections that would never have formed if I didn’t hunt. At the end of the day, it is just another activity.

It is indisputable that guns are loud and they are in fact, dangerous. However, in the hands of individuals who view them as tools and take all proper precautions, guns in and of themselves are nothing to fear. Let’s hold onto that relationship with our food or reacquaint ourselves with it if lost, and harvest responsibly. We cannot allow the stigma that surrounds hunting as a practice and the tools used therein, to distract from what hunting truly is.