Hunting & Love of Outdoors Destined?
As you can tell from the picture to the left, growing up to be a hunter wasn’t an option for me, it was destined to be. This is me with my first deer, one apparent by my age in the photo that I successfully rattled in. That was just bad, wasn’t it? Sorry, but I couldn’t resist.
In all seriousness, I received a letter from my Mom that had some photos enclosed. One of them was this picture. It was taken when I was nine months old and the person helping hold me is my grandmother, I do believe. Proof enough that I grew up in a family of hunters, right? Not hardly, it actually started way before that.
The photo actually started a discussion between my wife and me, like most everything does. My mother is a hunter, which most regular readers are well aware of by now, and she actually hunted while pregnant with me. In fact, she was so pregnant that another group of hunters that were camping nearby packed up and left because they said they couldn’t enjoy hunting because of worrying about the pregnant lady out in the woods hunting. Anyway, on to the discussion.
My wife and I were talking about this, and then over the weekend on a hike in the woods, we were talking about settings being right for a person. It seems she thinks that woods and nature suit me, that I am at home there. The fact that babies can hear voices and sounds in utero and recognize them when born came up. She wondered if maybe why I was so comfortable in the woods had anything to do with that. I don’t know if it is true, but it would make sense, since I spent a lot of times in the woods listening to the sounds of nature before I was even born.
Whether true or not, there is no doubt that two things I have always loved and been comfortable doing is being outdoors in the woods and hunting. Either way, before or after I was born, the person I have to thank for it is my Mom. So, Mom, if you’re reading this, thank you from the bottom of my heart for passing those things on to me. Especially hunting when pregnant if those experiences made an impression on me before I was born.
hunting, hunting sense, outdoors, nature, hiking, camping, pregnant, mother
July 9th, 2007 at 10:41 am
Son,you are more than welcome,I do belive
you did hear the voices,and sounds.
I talked to you,about what and why,we were hunting the way we were.Altough,had to hunt from the ground,or from a fallen tree.
You and I spent many,many hours in the woods
together,even killed deer.
So,you all are right,you were hunting,before you were born,Now wasnt that just way cool.
My special,little hunting buddy.
Very proud of the way you love to hunt and just nature,You are, your Moms son.
Lots love Mom
July 9th, 2007 at 12:17 pm
First of all, I think this post is a lovely tribute to your Mom, who must be one tough lady. Being pregnant can make just walking a chore. I can’t imagine tramping through the woods.
I also think there’s something to be said for exposing kids to nature at an early age. I really wasn’t, I was ill as a young kid, and so didn’t get exposed to camping and nature until I was older. As a result, I’m just now getting more comfortable with outdoor activities.
So, I don’t know that it’s destiny, but I’d say exposure to the outdoors has something to do with it.
July 9th, 2007 at 3:55 pm
I’ve always heard that you can teach an infant while in the womb. My wife and I would read to our children before they were born. I think it definitely has an impact. You mom’s comments about talking to you about what she was doing while you were still in the womb had to have helped shape you into what you are today. And, it sounds like your mom is proud of what you became. Kudos to your mother!
July 9th, 2007 at 8:36 pm
[...] at Hunting Sense, asks whether his “love of the outdoors is destined?” Cliff comes from a background of hunting and fishing that started while he was in the womb. [...]