My late great father, 3 Tour Marine in the Vietnam Campaign. He took me hunting at 5 years old and it took off from there. Deer Hunting Louisiana as a youngster at one of my Uncles farms with dad was a tradition growing up. I started waterfowl hunting around 14 and learned the art of calling ducks and geese. For 17 years I guided in Paris TX and still chasing whitetails and waterfowl today. I'm sitting here in Ozarks of Missouri right now, planted my food plot last Saturday getting prepared for archery season in September.
God Family and the Outdoors is my life.
Acts 10:13 "Arise Peter Kill and Eat"

Dad would take us up to grandpa's place and they'd hunt deer every fall is part of it - grew up eating the sausage, battered/fried backstrap, and venison baconburgers.
I was too small to ever hunt when they went often - and to into 'my own world' as I got older for hunting - but did fish a lot.

Once dad/grandpa no longer went , it was only my brother(s) sharing some of their venison that reminded me of the flavors I craved, and now wanted to share now with my kiddos.
That was all it took, ran out and bought a used 30-30 and have been keeping venison in my freezer at all times since!
Bought a shotgun too and try to make the dove opener with the brothers on that family land every year too!

Nobody. No one in my family hunted. For some reason I always had an interest in it from a young age. I have been hunting now for 50 years. I’m 62 years old now. The kids and grandkids really have no interest either. I plan to keep hunting as long as I can. It would have been nice to have had a mentor but I’m self taught and proud of it.

Dad got me started and why would you ever leave? Never had to find a reason to keep doing it.

What got me into hunting?
Hogs

What keeps me hunting?
Hogs

My Dad was talked into hunting by his best friend when they were in their early 30’s. That got me, and a brother, into it. Dad got us all lever action Marlins. My Grandpa had already given me an education in shooting (ex rifle and machine gun instructor in WW1). Dad hunted till his early 80’s. I’m still hunting and don’t plan to stop till old age does it. The brother quit hunting years ago, but has been taking his grandsons hunting, so he’s still involved like that. He asked me what rifles to get them, and I suggested Rugers in 6.5 CM.

I don’t quail or dove hunt these days, but will be after deer, hogs, and coyotes when the woods cool off later this year. The only person hunting with me these days is the oldest grandson. He does like to hunt, but will never reach the level of Dad and I.

Grew up in a family that hunted and fished and had access to some decent places. Loved it since I can remember. I continue to do it because I love it, and every time I do I am reminded how much it makes me feel normal / relaxed / at peace / like my old self. I think that connection to the natural world is extremely important for some of us.

Started: My dad. One of my best memories is a trip we took with my grandfather, dad, me, and a family friend to west Texas. I'm pretty sure we didn't see a single deer, but those memories have stuck with me forever.

What keeps me going: Trying to recreate those memories for my son and get him interested in hunting as well. Also the feeling of satisfaction when the wife and son both enjoy a meal made with the deer or pigs I bring home.

Man ain’t that the truth!

just think how excited that kid would be if those were paper hulls he was smelling, nowhere near the same

Add to that some 2 stroke exhaust

I grew up in CO and both of my grandfathers were hunters and my father was a hunter. In my family hunting, especially elk hunting, was a way of life and how we filled the freezer. Both of my grandfathers and my father have passed on. Hunting keeps me connected with them. I will hunt until I am no longer physically able to hunt and I hope that day never comes.

There is nothing like being on the water at dawn when you fire that two stroke up and get enveloped by a cloud of blue smoke.

One of the best scents in the entire world

Just got a brand new, fresh out of the box, Great Grandson. Sent a Red Ryder BB gun.

Congratulations Señor!

My grand father had a small farm in western NJ in the 60's which my family visited on a regular basis to get away from the urban area we lived. Where Giants stadium is today. Members of my mom's family were small game hunters and although my dad had little hunting experience he had an immense love of the outdoors and had a real attachment to mountain men and the Lewis and Clark era.

He would take me ground hog hunting in the cow pastures with a break action 22 and this exposure expanded into small game hunting for which we eventually acquired a couple beagles which were always a integral part of our family.

I can still recall the sleepless nights on the eve of opening day of small game where my anticipation was uncontrollable.

In my late teens and 20's my focus turned to big game hunting. I hunted every state in the northeast on multiple occasions NJ. NY. NH. Ma, Me. I eventually moved to Colorado to taste the nostalgia of my fathers passion for the mountain man era. It was an amazing 7 years. I was. at the time. a machinist and actually machined a Hawken rifle from scratch.
I have hunted most American game species with only a couple trophies. But just doing it has meant everything. Elk. deer. bear, antelope. moose. dove, pheasants. quail, ducks. turkey rabbits and squirrel
I'm now in this amazing state of Texas, with my beloved 160 acres, retired and spending all my last precious hours in the mesquites all season long. Will do so as long as our good Lord permits me.

My dad had an old 30" single shot 12 gauge. Not sure what he hunted. didn't go on hunts with anyone. My older brother had an old daisy pump bb gun(around 1962 ish) .
I couldn't hold it up with my left hand so I held it up with my right hand and learned to shoot left handed(to this day) caused me to be left eye dominant but right handed in everything else.
I was eat up with hunting. Moved from Mobile Alabama to Texas when I was 10(air force base closed) and witnessed all the hill country deer. I was hooked.
I hunted Chap WMA when it opened in 1969 on a quail hunt. It was pretty wild back then. I was relegated to guide when my boys started shooting and now this year, will be guiding my grandson.
I have always had the mindset of rather being outside than inside.

My dad didn’t hunt but was a big fisherman so I was outdoors a lot. Got a job with a construction company out of college and dove and deer hunting trips were fairly common. Met a guy in my next job who was huge bird hunter and got me into ducks, geese, pheasant, and a lot more dove. Birds are still my favorite. I didn’t really start deer hunting until 8 years ago or so. I enjoy it but don’t get overly excited about shooting deer. Would rather eat beef when you get down to it. I do love being out at the lease though and love to whack pigs.

I just never really considered not doing it. I am blessed to have access to property homesteaded by my great grandfather in 1912 so even though I've hunted some leases elsewhere I've always had a place to hunt, regardless. My grandfather killed his first deer there, my dad, myself, now my daughter as well. Same thing for other branches of the family tree. While I grew up in the suburbs 2hrs away, the property was always central in our lives. Hunting has just always been part of life, like fishing. I don't remember a year where hunting was not a given. I may have missed one opening day since I was 7, but I can't remember it if I did.

What keeps me into it now isn't chasing big bucks or seeing new and different parts of the country chasing different animals, I did that for a little while too. I enjoy being on the property, working to improve habitat and seeing the results of it. Watching the animals throughout the year, year after year. I spend far more time on-stand in the off season than I do in season. And while I do still take a deer here and there, as I am starting to get old the whole thing has been more about the kids we have coming up in the extended family, continuing the tradition. It's become more about the tradition than I remembered it being as a kid, because back then it was just, life.

My Dad got me started as well. He only hunted dove and quail which I loved also. Started deer hunting after I was on my own. Branched from whitetail to mule deer as well. Added exotics. Am also hooked on offshore fishing for almost 40 years. I really like to eat Red Snapper, Ling, Mahi, and Wahoo. Started my two sons off very young now grandkids as well. We pretty much do everything outdoors as a family.