Does Being a Guided Hunter Make You Less of a Hunter?
Huntress Livy Jan 21, 2014, 1:15 AM EST

There has been criticism amongst hunters who consider themselves better because they don’t have to rely upon a guide to hunt.

Being self-sufficient says a lot about a hunter. He obviously knows where to go, what to look for, how to anticipate, how to kill, track, clean an animal and pack him out. This takes a tremendous amount of skill of which is likely learned from a father figure who dedicated time sharing his abilities with his child(ren). Additionally, hunting skills become sharpened through trial and error, success and failure. Especially if a self-guided hunter spends each season in the same area it’ll allow him to anticipate animal movement, the best way to approach and close the distance and ultimately understand the dynamics of his favorite hunting region.

But there are those who didn’t grow up with mentors teaching them how to hunt; consequently, they’ve relied upon a guide to educate them. Where there may have been an innate desire to hunt, maybe they lacked territory to master the art of pursuit and had to hire an outfitting service to put them where the animals were.

Like a child with a grandfather who’d spend his free moments teaching little Billy everything he knew about hunting, the guided hunter (who’s likely much older in life that he can afford a guide) learns from his guide so that he too can become a better hunter. If the guided hunter really has the desire to learn and understand the outdoors, he’ll watch every move, ask a million questions, and mimic everything he’s learned until he can apply his newfound skills on his own hunts.

So shall we belittle the person who didn’t have a mom to take her into the great outdoors and teach her how to be the best huntress, or embrace, support and encourage her instead?

http://fromthelodge.nbcsports.com/2014/01/21/does-being-a-guided-hunter-make-you-less-of-a-hunter/