Last week, like tens of thousands of West Virginians, I took off work and headed to the woods for the start of buck season. The annual pilgrimage is just as much about unplugging from the daily routine as it is bagging a trophy buck or filling the freezer.
Sitting in a tree stand, alone, for hours on end gives you a chance to appreciate the world around you, the warm sun on a cold morning, the entertainment of two squirrels chasing each other, and the quietness of the woods.
That is, until that quietness is broken by the unmistakable crunch of leaves over your left shoulder. It’s a sound every hunter is familiar with. A deer is creeping through the trees, unaware you are there watching. Your pulse starts to pick up when you see the rack. You try to remember if this is your target buck, the one you have pictures of on the trail camera.
Now comes the tricky part: slowly moving your rifle into position, without him noticing. You slowly ease the rifle into place, take aim, draw one last breath, and commit to taking the shot. With one slow, steady squeeze of your index finger, the silence of the woods is broken.
I wish more people got the chance to experience that moment.
Not necessarily for the thrill of the chase but to understand the power and responsibility that come with that final part of the hunt, raising the rifle and pulling the trigger.
According to a compilation of state license data, there were about 16 million hunting license holders across the country in 2024. That’s about five percent of the U.S. population who have had similar experiences to what I just described.
Conversely, about a third of the U.S. population owns a firearm. That’s between 105 and 115 million people.
The vast majority of those are responsible gun owners who take firearm safety seriously. Many take time to go to gun ranges and even train in simulators to make certain they know how to properly handle firearms, but shooting at a virtual target or a piece of paper on the range cannot replicate the real-world ramifications of pulling the trigger. Paper targets do not bleed, and you can always reset a virtual simulation.
Without getting graphic, harvesting any animal is not something most hunters take lightly. They will go to great lengths to make certain they take a good shot, the animal doesn’t suffer, and they will always do their best to recover the animal.
Harvesting an animal leaves an impression on a person.
That’s also the reason so many hunters are obsessive about firearms and don’t tolerate nonsense around guns. They have seen firsthand the immense power of the tool they are using and the responsibility that comes with it.
Most people who own firearms will never aim at another living creature and have to make a calculated decision about whether or not to squeeze the trigger and then deal with the consequences of that decision.
If more people had that experience, perhaps they too would have a greater appreciation for the power and responsibility that comes with owning and using a firearm.