Going on your first hunt is an exciting experience, but it’s a lot more than just that. While most of us don’t have to hunt for our daily sustenance, it’s a task that traces back to the dawn of human history, and there are some powerful lessons embedded in the very act of hunting. While the tools may have chanced, the principles remain the same. These are four ways your teen can grow as a person through the act of hunting.
How Interrelated the Natural World Is
Mankind’s success as a species has in many ways separated us from the natural world, and it can be easy for us to forget how delicate the ecosystem really is. Without natural predators, prey species can grow unhindered and wreak a habitat. Human survival often means curbing the populations of predatory species, but scheduled hunts like those conducted at an axis deer trophy hunting ranch can reset the balance. A hunting excursion can be a great excuse for an object lesson in our responsibility to our environment.
Failure Is an Inevitability
We aren’t defined by our failures but rather by how we choose to overcome them. Sometimes, either due to the circumstances of our environment or our own missteps, hunts never result in the big score you’re looking for. The act of hunting can remind us that doing something can be just as important as succeeding it. Take the time after an unsuccessful hunt to help your teen understand their mistakes and learn how they can grow from them.
Guns Are Tools, but They Need to Be Used Responsibly
Hunting is a sport centered around firearms, but it’s also a sport that recognizes the danger in the power guns possess. A hunting excursion can teach your teen how to responsibly use firearms in the field in a way that shooting ranges and backyard practice simply can’t. When you’re out in the wild, a clumsy shot or lack of safety precautions can cause serious injury to a loved one, and hunting reminds your youth that sensible safety practices are about more than just etiquette.
Rewards Come to Those Willing to Work for It
A successful and rewarding hunt comes only with great patience. Good hunters are willing to lay in wait for hours at a time, and the skills needed to accurately trace prey through the brush takes hours of practice and experience. A skilled hunter understands it, and they can apply that patience and perseverance to the challenges in their everyday lives.
Perhaps most of all, bonding is an ideal way to bond with your friends and family. Being out in the wild with the people you love reminds you of what really matters, and it’s an experience well worth sharing with your teen.