I've been curious about the answer to this question for many years, and I think it's about 50/50, but let's find out. Obviously if you hunt and shoot, you like to do both. However, some of us really enjoy guns, their form and their function, so we go hunting in order to put into use the guns we dearly love. Others of us really like the outdoors, the travel and the pursuit of wild game, so we have guns in order to practice the passion of hunting.

Question:
Do you hunt in order to use your guns, or do you use your guns in order to hunt?

Choices:
I HUNT to use my guns.
I USE MY GUNS to hunt.
I simply can't decide, I love both equally well.

 

Personally, I'm a gun junkie and hunting is one of the good ways to use guns. I have a number of friends who are hunters, and for them a gun is what you hunt with.

How about a fourth option?

Maybe I am missing something with your wording, but unless a person is strictly a collector, they obtain their guns to hunt with, and after obtaining said guns, use them for hunting.

I really can make no sense out of your question, especially in this topic area.

After all it is American Big Game Hunting.

I did not vote, simply because the questions really does not make sense to me, especially when asked of hunters.

I would think, that most of us, desiring or interested in hunting, buy our guns for that purpose.

Then, once we have the guns, we would find more than enough reasons to use them for the purpose we bought them for.

Am I missing something here?

all of the above!!

I'll go for a fourth option too.

The interest in the hardware came first and goes back to VERY early childhood. Like, I was playing with a beloved uncle's real Peacemakers (and wishing I could find blanks for them) at age 7 in the early '50s. I know it was age 7 because I was in the second grade.

The hunting came a little later. In other words, I love the old game of hunting in itself, but the whole point has always been to pop a cap.

Btw, I would probably skip it if I had to use something besides a gun. Hate to say that, but it's the truth.

Use the Guns to Hunt.

As you age, you are able to Cherry Pick what remains and move out those which just don't do as well as you first thought. What remains(for me) is very rugged and totally reliable.

As for Pretty, I still hold the ladies accountable to fill that need.

I'm a gun junkie by my own reasoning I suppose, but not as big a one as I used to be. Probably not even a cause for concern by some peoples reasoning though. However, there is no one that knows me that will say I am not a hunting junkie.
If I only had one rifle and one shotgun, I can say, with 100% honesty, that my love for hunting would not diminish in any way!
So I use my guns to hunt.

This is a good poll. Look forward to reading the responses.

Sometimes you buy a rifle because its clean lines and handling properties appeal to you, and sometimes you buy a rifle to fill a real or imaginary niche. Like a fellow's first elk hunt.

If one didn't buy rifles because of their basic appeal or create imaginery niches to fill, why do I and others have numerous "deer" rifles? why would someone look in their locker and say,"damn, I've got 6 30-06s, where did they come from?? Or some other favored calibre or cartridge.
I voted undecided but I dearly love a nice, blue bolt action rifle in a good piece of wood.
I hunt them in the rain, in the snow, uphill and down. To me the extra TLC they need before and after the hunt just extends the hunt to my way of thinking.

I USED to hunt to use my guns. Now the rifle's a tool to get the job done. When finances allow it will be both!! I'd like a really nice rifle again some day...

For me it's both.

I hunt and shoot for fun and competition. I have dedicated guns for competition and some that do both.

I voted for the last option, but when I started hunting the first would have gotten my vote. When I started hunting, it was always on a shoe string budget. I had to scrimp and save for guns and ammo in order to hunt. I had to swap my first shotgun, a single shot .410 in order to buy shells to hunt Quail and Ducks because of a particularly lean year money wise. I have always really regretted that, because it would have been perfect for one of my 7 grandkids to start hunting with. Now that I can afford anything I want and own many guns of all sizes and shapes, I cannot replace that first one. I also now have the excuse that I want to leave all my kids and grandkids (one great grandkid) a fine rifle or shotgun to shoot. Three of them are doing their part and "WOW" is it fun. They also help me with the reloading (that is all their help I can stand) and it is a joy to see them grow into good hunters and shooters. I started off using the guns as tools, graduated to using them as a hobby, now probably a lot of both. Good shooting.

When I was just a child I loved guns and loved the thought of getting to hunt with them, I haven't changed all that much!
I really love to hunt and I love a lot of different kinds of guns so it is a habit that has a use no matter which way you look at it.
If I had to sell most of my guns the ones that would be keepers are the hunting rifles I have uses for. If I couldn't hunt anymore I would still have guns.
Am I making any sense?

Another poll could be do you shoot because you love shooting your guns or do you shoot to practice for hunting season?

Wait a minute I do both of those.

I am still trying to decide if this "Poll" is really serious, or just being presented to get folks to come up with a reason as to why they hunt or own guns?

What difference does it make, do we own guns to hunt, or hunt to own guns????

Sounds like someone is trying to make some form of apology for one or the other.

quote:

Originally posted by Crazyhorseconsulting:
I am still trying to decide if this "Poll" is really serious, or just being presented to get folks to come up with a reason as to why they hunt or own guns?

What difference does it make, do we own guns to hunt, or hunt to own guns????

Sounds like someone is trying to make some form of apology for one or the other.

It ain't that big a deal Crazy, I think its a fun poll and will spark some interesting conversation. Lighten up an relax, its not that serious.

+1
It's a lot better than the .243/6mm polls or the comprare the .270 to the .280 ones which usually gets everybody all het up and mad.
'sides, a little self analysis once in a while don't hurt.
Another interesting thread could be: "do you shoot to reload or do you reload to shoot?"

quote:

It ain't that big a deal Crazy, I think its a fun poll and will spark some interesting conversation. Lighten up an relax, its not that serious.

Since when does someone just not seeing any reason for such a question/poll, mean that they are uptight or something is wrong with them?

Are you a pyscologist or something?

My not seeing any sense in such a question is my perogative, as is stating my opinion on the matter, what is it to you?

If I don't think the question/poll, makes any sense, I have the right to say so, I was not attacking anyone with my statement.

Why do you feel it neccessary to jump me about my opinion?

Looks to me like your the one taking it serious, if you weren't, my response should not have bothered you in the least bit.

I stated my opinion, and why I felt that way, and all you can do is accuse me of being wrong in doing so.

Now you tell me who needs to lighten up.

quote:

I was not attacking anyone with my statement.

No, it's called being defencive.
And your next post confirms this.

quote:

Now you tell me who needs to lighten up.

Who gives a sh*t. If you think this is stupid then go find something in the miraid of topics on this site that you want to contribute to in a constructive, non-confrontational manner.

I love to hunt with firearms. I love take a new gun hunting. So I picked no. 3.

When I get a new one I can hardly wait to take it hunting.

But once I use it to take some game lots of them go back into the safe and old favorites come out.

Crazy re-read your first post and back the bus up a bit.
Lighten up relax its not that serious is hardly confrontational so get off my ass and don't try to manipulate this thread into something stupid and ugly, it was fun, still could be if you just relax a bit.

I am first and foremost a hunter. I have quite a number of firearms in the house, most of which have been given to me or been inherited, but very few that are not hunting guns. Those I have bought have been purchased with a specifac hunting need in mind. I do go to the range to shoot, but only enough so that when it comes time to pull the trigger in the field I have reasonable confidence in my ability to kill what I'm shooting at.

I certainly don't mean to cause anyone offense, but I have wondered if some of the rise in "hornography" in outdoor publications isn't at least in part the result of what happens when people who are primarily shooters and gun collectors become hunters. For most of us who grew up hunting (with whatever firearm or bow was lawful) the goal is usually the hunt itself, and the acquisition of inches of horn barely something worth thinking about. I can see, however, where a person who has a collector mentality to start with would, when becoming a hunter, be more interested in taking a B&C head than just enjoying a day in the woods looking for something to fill the freezer.

I am definitely not saying that shooters as such are bad people, but I do think it's a different perspective on hunting than that of the outdoorsman.

I am first and foremost a hunter, my first 5 guns were purchased purely for hunting needs. Since then, I have done much more recreational shooting, to the point where my IPSC guns, military collectables, and playing around with rifles way outnumber my real hunting guns. I shoot several thousand rounds a year with no hunting involved. I do not view hunting as "the only" reason I own guns, but I still think of myself as primarily a hunter. I don't know if that makes sense, but its how I am.

Tough question! I went with "can't decide" because not all of my guns are for hunting. Some are for fun, some are for defense and some are for war.

i like to hunt, and use guns (rifles, muzzleloader, and shotguns) when in season. i prefer a bow because of the longer season. whatever gets me in the woods is my favorite at the time.