CLOVECHOK: As my Dad would say, ‘By virtue of the fact that we are hunters, we are conservationists’

Columbia River - Revelstoke MLA Doug Clovechok

My Dad taught my brother and I how to hunt and fish from an early age. He taught the values that come with these activities, he helped us discover the deep-seated love and respect we have to this day for all things wild. 

As my Dad would say, 'By virtue of the fact that we are hunters, we are conservationists'.

Fast forward a couple of decades and now some of the most rewarding moments in my life have been teaching my children, and my grandchildren, how to hunt and fish. The rewards come in many ways. 

It is where a mother and father can witness the first time their children hit the target with their pellet gun. It is where parents can experience the excitement of watching his son or daughter hyperventilating at the sight of his first buck in the wild.  Then the first time, in the deer camp, when you hear the excited exclamations of your kids who have finally managed to take their first buck. 

It’s a youthful reminder of your own reaction to your similar experience decades ago.

Hunting teaches children self-reliance, teaches them about the natural food cycle, inspires the love of the great outdoors, represents a rite of passage, teaches conservationism, and promotes fitness and life skills to mention but a few. 

Why do we hunt? To pass on traditions so that our kids and their kids will know why.  However, people who don’t hunt always ask me why I do.

It’s not always an easy question to answer, because the passion for it is rooted in my DNA.  It is a bond we have with the wild world – the wilderness -- and a connection to an innate knowledge that we are part of something far greater than ourselves. The bush always reminds a hunter of this reverence. 

Then there is the unexpected.

Columbia River - Revelstoke MLA Doug Clovechok

I am always reminded of the time we were calling in a bull Elk.  Instead of the bull crashing out of a poplar grove, a Grizzly sow and her two very large cubs rushed thinking our call was an Elk. The three bears stopped, rose up onto their hind legs, and then tried to get a scent of what they thought was an Elk, but instead was our calling. Fortunately, the wind was in our favour, and they eventually moved off.

To this day I can remember the feelings their charge brought. The hair on the back of my neck standing up, the sound of my pounding heart that felt like it was coming out of my chest, and the absolute exhilaration of this experience for what I still today view as a true gift. 

It gave me an understanding that we as humans, placed into the natural environment we evolved in, are not only connected -- but vulnerable.

At that moment in time, at that very moment in my life, I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be and doing what I was meant to do.

Now, if you’ll recall, early on I asked the questions, “Why do we hunt?”  Now, I'll end with the most important reason ... and that is conservation. 

The final video below speaks to the conservation aspect of hunting and why it is always at the forefront of all things we do as hunters. Although the video is presented through the eyes of an American hunter, it reflects the exact sentiments we as Canadian hunters hold as well.

I want to thank those who have taken the time to read, and watch this conversation on Why We Hunt. 

For those of you who do not hunt it is my sincere hope that you now have a better understanding as to why so many of us choose to hunt. To those of you that do hunt, hold the flame high as you wade through the next mountain stream following the spirit that drives you.  

For the women and men who hunt, I am betting the following videos will reaffirm the passion and pride you have for hunting. For those that don’t hunt, it is my sincere hope that you will not only enjoy the videos, but will come away with an understanding and respect for hunting and why we do what we do.

Please note that if you don't hunt, you may find some of the scenes to be eye-opening, as these are real videos about hunting.

Thank you to the hunters for creating these videos; they are full of beautiful scenery and majestic animals. 

Why We Hunt (extended)

Hunting ... Who We Are

Why We Hunt - Thanks to our friends at Sitka Gear for once again putting into pictures what we cannot describe

Why I Hunt - Conservation Is My Responsibility by Randy Newberg