# 423 Why Do You Hunt? – Frans Diepstraten

Why Do You Hunt? – Frans Diepstraten Frans Diepstraten – My first exposure to hunting was probably around six years of age, going on big driven pheasant and hare shoots in my native country of The Netherlands. Recently I have fallen victim to the love of traditional archery. This year my hunting partner Kyle Steed and I will hunt with recurve and longbow. We started a blog to document the highs and lows of this endeavor www.crooked-arrow.com Why do you hunt …When in casual conversation with strangers or other people that don’t know me well the topic of hunting comes up, inevitably I get asked the question “Why do you hunt?” This can quickly be followed by other, often intentionally provocative statements, such as “Can’t you buy meat at the store?” or “Are you one of those trophy hunters?” There are many ways of answering these questions, assuming you have the gumption for a potentially lengthy and volatile conversation, each with a different angle: wildlife management, food acquisition, and personal motivation being a few of them. And though invariably the asker wants to know about the latter, I like to start from the broader perspective and talk about the role that hunting plays in the conservation and management of wildlife, and maybe follow that up with the healthy food angle. If we can get through that without calling each other names, there is a chance that the more nebulous drivers behind my motivation to hunt will find an open-minded audience. Hunting the Rockies this fall? goHunt.com insider is the foremost research resource for DIY hunters. Receive a $50 goHUNT Gift Card by using code WR2017 when joining Insider http://bit.ly/2s8dX5k