ROCKWELL OUTDOORS

                                                          HUNTER KINTNER

                                               WHAT HUNTING MEANS TO ME

  EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HUNTS, RIGHT DOWN TO MY MOM.  I HAVE A YOUNGER SISTER WHO CAN'T WAIT TO GET INTO THE GAME OF HUNTING.  THE MEANING OF HUNTING TO ME IS NOT SO MUCH AS HARVESTING THE ANIMAL AS IT IS THE FUN OF THE STALK AND LISTENING TO THE WOODS BRIGHT AND EARLY IN THE MORNING.  BUT WHEN I DO FINALLY GET THE CHANCE AT HARVESTING AND ANIMAL, I ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT I TOOK A LIFE, BUT I AM STILL HAPPY FOR MY ACCOMPLISHMENT!

  MY FIRST EXPERIENCE OF HUNTING WAS WITH MY FATHERON MY FIRST YOUTH TURKEY WEEKEND OF 2009. IT WAS QUITE THE FIRST HUNT FOR ME AND MY DAD TOGETHER.  IT WAS BRIGHT AND EARLY AS WE WALKED THROUGH A LARGE FIELD.  JUST AS WE REACHED THE FAR SIDE WE HEARD A TURKEY GOBBLE FROM WHERE WE JUST CAME.  SO WE QUICKLY TURNED AROUND AND RAN TO GET SET UP ON THE BIRD.  WE FINALLY GET SET UP AND THEN WE HEAR HIM AGAIN. GOBBLE GOBBLE!!  "OH NO"!  MY DAD SAYS, I THINK WE SET UP TO CLOSE TO THE BIRD. BUT, INSTEAD OF MOVING WE TOOK THE RISK OF WAITING AS THE GOBBLER APPROACHED.  WHEN THE TURKEY WAS ABOUT 15 YARDS AWAY I WAS GETTING READY TO SHOOT, BUT THE TURKEY WOULDN'T COME OUT OF STRUT!  FIRST MY DAD HAMMERED ON HIS SLATE CALL. WHEN THAT DIDN'T WORK HE STUCK HIS FIST UP TO GET THE TURKEYS ATTENTION....NO USE.  FINALLY, HE GAVE A HOOT AND A HOLLER.  HE FINALLY CAME OUT OF STRUT, I GO TO PULL THE TRIGGER "CLICK" THE GUN MISS FIRES!!  THAT BUMP IN THE ROAD DIDN'T STOP MY DETERMINATION OF GETTING MY FIRST TURKEY!!  WHAT A BRUTE, 10 INCH BEARD AND 1 INCH SPURS!!

  NOW THAT MY HUNT WAS OVER MY FATHER DECIDED TO TAKE MY FRIEND TYLER.  WITHIN A HOUR HE HAD HIS TURKEY, THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME AGAIN EVEN THOUGH I WASN'T HUNTING.  THERE WAS SO MUCH ADRENALIN RUNNING THROUGH MY BODY I COULDN'T HEAR THE SHOT!!

  AFTER THIS HUNT WE TOOK OUR TURKEYS TO THE GANDER MOUNTAIN YOUTH HUNT CONTEST WEIGHT IN. i PLACED SECOND IN MY AGE GROUP AND I WAS ALSO THE ONLY GIRL TO ENTER INTO THAT YEARS COMPETITION!!  BUT THAT DIDN'T MATTER TO ME.  ALL THAT MATTERED WAS SPENDING TIME WITH MY FATHER IN THE WOODS AND A HUNT I'LL NEVER IN MY LIFE FORGET!!

  THIS IS WHAT HUNTING MEANS TO ME, SPENDING TIME WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY, SEEING ALL THE ANIMALS IN THE WOODS, SMELLING THE FRESH AIR.  BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY THE ADVENTURE!!  THESE ARE ALL THE THINGS THAT MAKE HUNTING FUN AND ENJOYABLE TO ME!

                                                                 ADAM PRIESTLEY

                              WHAT HUNTING MEANS TO ME

  TO ME, HUNTING IS A WAY TO ESCAPE THE STRESS AND TROUBLES OF EVERYDAY LIFE BY GOING BACK TO A SIMPLER TIME AND PRESERVING ONE OF THE OLDEST AND MOST IMPORTANT OF AMERICAN TRADITIONS.  HUNTING HAS BEEN A PART OF THE AMERICAN LIFE SINCE THE FIRST PEOPLE SET FOOT ON HER SOIL DURING THE ICE AGE AND HAS CONTINUED FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS UP TO THIS DAY.  THE SOLDIERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION WERE ABLE TO WIN THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE IN PART BECAUSE OF THE SKILLS THEY HAD LEARNED FROM HUNTING.  HUNTING HAS PUT FOOD ON THE TABLES OF AMERICANS THROUGHOUT TIMES OF PROSPERITY AND DEPRESSION AND FEW OTHER TRADITIONS ARE AS INGRAINED IN OUR COUNTRY'S HISTORY.

  I HUNT BECAUSE I AM PROUD TO BE CONTINUING THIS GREAT TRADITION.  IT IS A WAY TO GO BACK IN TIME AND EXPERIENCE THE WORLD THE WAY PEOPLE HAVE FOR GENERATIONS.  IN THE WOODS, LIFE SEEMS MUCH SIMPLER: A PLACE WHERE EVERYDAY WORRIES DO NOT MATTER.  THERE IS NOT A MORE PLEASURABLE FEELING THEN SPENDING A CRISP FALL MORNING SQUIRREL HUNTING.  I HUNT BECAUSE I FIND MYSELF AT HOME AD AT PEACE IN THE WOODS.  I HUNT BECAUSE HUNTING IS A TRADITION THAT NEEDS TO BE KEPT ALIVE AND PASSED TO FUTURE GENERATIONS.