Both.
I grew up as a hunter, like most poor country kids in that time and place. I could not afford to shoot, nor did I know anyone who could. One was expected to produce food if shells were expended. As my career progressed and my kids became more and more expensive with cars, tuition, weddings, etc, I worked a lot of 80 hour weeks. Time to keep and train dogs, to hunt extensively, etc, became hard to find. Strictly as a form of mental masturbation (weak substitute for hunting and dogs), initially, I took up competitive shooting. I shot competitively for about 25 years and that eventually transformed from mere mental masturbation to an end in itself. My wife and I went all over the place in our motorhome attending shoots. During that time, I was fortunate in my career, so I could afford to shoot quite a bit.
At age 50, I looked around to realize that my kids were married; that my land and other things were all paid for; and that my business was well-established and no longer needed my constant attention. So, I got back into being a dogman/hunter – even took a job as a guide which we do a day or so a week when the dogs and I are not out hunting wild birds. I’m 60 now – have been doing this for 10 years. We get to do a good bit of bird hunting. For example, the dogs and I just returned from spending three full weeks camping in the Nebraska Sandhills and hunting greater prairie chickens and sharptails in the early season. See pics:
We’ll chase local ruffed grouse this weekend; then phez open next weekend. Newfoundland ptarmigan are next on my motorhome trip list. We hunt hard seven months out of the year – when all the wild bird seasons are over, we hunt pen-raised birds at my hunting club. Mostly, I enjoy my dogs and hunt for my dogs – if I didn’t have dogs, I wouldn’t bother to hunt.
As part of that mid-life epiphany, I gave up serious competitive shooting. I was in stuck AA and AAA classes and quitting was like stopping beating my head against a wall – didn’t realize how much better I felt until after I quit. I still shoot a lot, but only little local SC and skeet shots and the occasional box bird. Shooting still is an end in itself for me, plus it helps me maintain my wingshooting skills. However, now the competition is just with myself and maybe a few friends and I don’t get all upset if I miss a target now and then. I wouldn’t hunt if I didn’t have dogs, but I would still shoot.
I’m lucky enough to own some “fine” guns – both target and field. They are all used extensively – I am not a collector. I figure their makers intended them to be used and I know that I can’t take them with me when I’m gone, so why not?
