For as long as I can remember, I have been a hunter. 

It started when I was a little boy shooting squirrels with my pellet gun and has turned into a full-blown passion. Throughout me life, I have hunted ducks, dove, deer, geese, turkey, hogs, Aoudad, Axis deer, and Pronghorn. I have also chased many a squirrel, a few rabbits, some quail, a pheasant or two, bull frogs, and even an alligator.

To say that I have been blessed with some great hunting opportunities would be a huge understatement.  As I get older I find that while I still love to hunt, I don’t seem to go near as often as I used. This could be a matter of simply slowing down, or it could be that I have finally gotten my priorities straight and have begun to put more focus on things that are of eternal importance.

Either way, the simple fact is that hunting is a will sport that requires a great deal of effort. This is especially true if you want to be successful, and if you pursue big game animals with a bow and arrow, which happens to be my favorite. 

As I was considering all of the time, money, and energy that I have spent hunting over the years, I paused to ask my self a simple question: Why? Why do I hunt? What are the benefits that I am receiving for all of this effort. As I pondered on this for a while, here is what I came up with:

1. I love the peace and solitude

Some of my favorite hunts have taken place in some pretty remote locations.  Places that were far from roads and far from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. There were no cell phones to interrupt and no TV channels to watch, no Internet connection or WiFi to tempt me into check emails or social media. It was just peace and quiet.

Hunting has often provided me with this at times in my life when I simply needed to unwind and recharge my batteries. Sitting in a tree stand with the cool autumn breeze in my face sometimes seems to make everything right in the world.

2. Hunting provides a challenge

I simply love the thrill of the chase.  It isn’t so much about the kill as it is about the pursuit of the animal.  My hunting skills matched against his survival skills. It’s about me becoming the ultimate predator. In order to do this I must practice my shooting skills, stand placement, and basic woodsmanship. There is often times as much joy in the preparation as I shoot my bow in the yard as there is in the hunt.

3. It puts meat on the table

I am not at all making the argument that hunting saves you money because you don’t have to go to the grocery store to buy beef.

While this may absolutely be true in cases where you hunt big game animals on free or public access land, it is not generally true in Texas. The cost of deer leases, stands, gasoline, and corn are far higher than the cost of the meat we obtain. However, there is something that just feels right about hunting for your own food.  That pure form of protein is hard to beat, and I love being able to provide it for my family through hunting.

4. I feel close to God

Having spent so much time in God’s creation has helped me to feel closer to my creator.  I’m not saying that I don’t feel close to God in church because I do, I am simply saying that there is something about observing his magnificent creation that moves me. 

When I see a sunrise, a rushing river, or a majestic animal in the wild, I am very aware that God is behind and involved in all of this. I have had numerous talks with God while hunting.  Many people would say that I was in the woods all alone for the day but I would tell you that God was never closer. 

There have been many hunts where I prayed and read my Bible and God gave me answers to the questions I was having.  I have left these hunts more motivated and encouraged to fulfill my mission on earth. 

Simply put, hunting is good for my personal walk with The Lord.

5. I love the gear

I guess I’m a bit of a gear junky.  The truth is, I love all of the knives, guns, bows, arrows, scopes, rangefinder, packs, and bags that are necessary for hunting.  I love camouflage and I even find myself wearing on days that I am not hunting.  I enjoy shopping for deals on gear and reading about the latest must have hunting gadgets. If you didn’t know it … hunting gear is cool!

There you have it folks … the top five reasons why I like to hunt. There are many addition reasons that I could list, but these are the top for me.

As a hunter, I challenge you to ask yourself the same questions: Why do you hunt? After I answered I found out that it made me even more thankful for every sacred opportunity. 

May God bless your hunting season this year!

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Brian Johnson, originally of Port Neches, is pastor of the Outdoorsman’s Church in Winnie, owner of DuckDogTrainer.com and outdoors writer for The News.