Why are you a spearfisherman/woman?

That line is also very keeping with what we've discussed here so many times ad nauseum.

I think we all acknowledge that in only in the last couple of years, have we become homogenized and seperate from our environment.... outta touch with that "hunter" portion of the "hunter/gatherer" . Obviously, I mean we as a society as a whole. Hell, a hundred years ago a white man would've been foolish to ride his horse by where my house now sits. A hundreds year ago.

And yet, now we are expected to turn off this very drive that kept our families fed since the time we begin to walk upright. I don't understand the notion.

i am just playing devil's advocate here, but maybe there is an evolutionary component here. perhaps the trend twords farming and animal cultivation has triggered a new evolutionary jump in the brains of some non-hunters? perhaps, just as those who were traditionally the fastest were the ones who escaped the lions, now the ones who chose not to risk themselves in a hunt are the ones who live?

you all know this is not my stance, just offering a thought

Hmmmm....:confused1: You could have a point.

Remember my example of our house cats staring out the window fiending for the winter finches outside ?

Cats have been living under foot for longer than we've been domestic . Hell, we were using stone clubs to bring a woman back to the cave to clean out the damn litter box.

And yet, they still have to hunt.:D

For me it's the ocean - I once went several years without spending significant time around the water, when I made it a part of my life again I felt like I was waking from a fog.

Knowing that I could see anything on a given day: great prey fish, giant mantas, whales, big sharks, small tropicals, etc.

Then there's the challenge of getting better at freediving. I keep finding myself getting a little better, saying a little longer, going a little deeper. Sometimes I get into a pattern of just diving well and it is as rewarding as any fish that I might shoot.

It can be so hard - learning to calm my breathing and slow my heart while hiding behind a rig leg to get out of the ripping current preparing to dive through 40' of murk so thick that I can't see a rig leg 3 feet away only to get into clear water with so little light that you must stay a while for your eyes to adjust so that you can see - getting rushed by bull sharks in that dark water only to have to swim up into the murk with them on my fin tips.

It can be so easy - Jumping in with a small reef gun to shoot tripletail in clear blue water only to have a 52 pound mahi swim right up to me.

Cooking fresh fish for my family and friends. I've had at least half a dozen parents tell me that their kids don't like fish, but they love it when I cook it. "Mom, can you make it like Mr. Chad did?" Of course it has much more to do with the quality and freshness of the fish than my skills.

Friendly competitions with good buddies. Thinking about having a you shoot it and cook it contest. The winner is the one with the best dish. Should be interesting seeing the targets change from the biggest to the most tasty.

Thinking about, making, rigging, tweeking my guns and gear. Successfully hunting with guns and gear that I've made adds greatly to the experience for me. It can be quite humbling too when I've worked on something for a LONG time only to use it and decide that I really don't like it.

Dropping through the murk to see 50 wahoo each over 50 pounds - seeing a triple digit yellow fin calmly eating the chum almost close enough for a shot.

Meeting great people. Our sport is VERY good at seperating the talkers from the do-ers. I love nothing more than seeing someone who is humble go out and improve with each trip and shoot personal best fish. Seeing the big egos get knocked down a notch or 2 ain't all bad either.

Drinking that end of the day beer, eating ceviche, watching the sun go down while preparing to spend the night offshore, knowing that we will spend 10 or 12 hours in the water the next day is pretty good too.

Nice post Chad. This gave me a chuckle

Quote from griswold

I've had at least half a dozen parents tell me that their kids don't like fish, but they love it when I cook it. "Mom, can you make it like Mr. Chad did?"