Hunting takes us back to a time when the world was a playground and the possibilities were endless. Here are 15 ways hunting makes us feel like a kid again.
You get to make weird noises.
You can make duck calls, deer grunts and gobbler sounds! When else can you get away with making animal noises? Kids have all the fun.
You get to be sneaky and hide.
Did anyone else hide in clothing racks as a kid? Did you play hide and seek? There's something really playful and fun about peeking out from your hiding place!\
You're supposed to be dirty.
When else can you smear grease and doe urine on yourself and it be totally acceptable? Kids are supposed to be dirty and so are hunters!
You dress up in a cool costume.
You can wear camo hats, coveralls, ghillie suits, special boots and assorted gear. Are you a traditionalist or a gear junkie? Either way you're probably wearing things you don't get to wear at any other time!
You get to climb trees like a pro!
You probably climbed trees as a kid, but now you can do it with all kinds of cool equipment!
You dream big.
Hunting makes us feel like the next trophy could be coming right over the hill at any moment. In a jaded, grown-up world, dreaming of what could be takes us back to our childhood state of mind.
You get to bring snacks.
Is it just me or do hunters always have the best snacks? I tend to bring knife and fork meals to the office, but when I go hunting with friends I want finger food! Trade you for your cookies!
You get to play outside.
Crunching through the leaves or boating out to your spot, the sights, sounds, and smells take us back to when we would just spend time playing outside.
You're curious about everything.
Isn't it neat how hunting something makes you want to know everything about it? How do deer decide where they want to sleep? How come ducks' feet don't get cold?
You get up early because you're too excited to sleep.
Remember when something was happening the next day and you couldn't sleep because you kept thinking about how much fun you were going to have? This still happens to me at the beginning of a season.
You get to take home a trophy (sometimes).
I feel like all we get as grown-ups are certificates and a good handshake. Those little plastic, gold-painted figurines were neat, but hunting trophies are even better.
You trade stories with your friends.
We used to trade everything—cards, snacks, toys, you name it! Swapping hunting stories means there's never a bad trade.
You have specialized equipment.
Kids get a lot of things made just for them, whether it's playground equipment, toys or even theme parks. Hunting equipment is made just for hunting and using it makes us feel like high-tech commandos.
You get to be yourself.
Kids don't spend as much time worrying about what other people think. When we hunt, we're in our element. We do things the way we feel they should be done and focus too much on the hunt to worry about what others think. We may poke fun at each other later, but when the hunt is on, we do things our way.
You remember learning to hunt.
For many of us, hunting isn't just something we do for fun. It's a part of our culture we grew up with. It's how we bonded as a family and it's a part of who we are. Hunting as adults takes us back to those times and the lessons we learned from the people we love. It makes us nostalgic and also makes us want to pass on this tradition to our own kids. And when you hunt with kids, it's hard not to catch their excitement and feel like a kid ourselves.
NEXT: VIDEO: THESE GHILLIE SUIT SCARES ARE HILARIOUS
