Why do I hunt?

I've been asked before about why I hunt and I give them the short answer "for meat." But, there's more to it than that. The definition for hunting is: "the activity of hunting wild animals or game, especially for meat or sport (Oxford Dictionaries)."  That is true, but only in part, I see it as much more.  It's being out in God's country and reconnecting with nature and our past.  It's the joy and excitement of seeing that giant elk or the smallest of fawns.  It's the fact that you get to know and respect the animals better than many that you know.
It's the camaraderie of family and friends.  The sharing of stories and the passing on of knowledge.  It's a part of you, it's in you. You cannot wait for the next fall to arrive so you can get back out there.
It's the indescribable feeling as you walk up to an animal, and you realize that God let you take this animal to nourish your own.  And the feeling of what a blessing it is to be able to hunt.  You realize that after all the disappointments, all the missed shots, all the times it just didn't work, don't matter anymore.
That is what hunting is.  It's the whole experience.  That's why I hunt.