Personal Essay: The Value Of Hunting In My Life

I come from a family that is strongly influenced by the outdoors. We spend countless hours outdoors camping, fishing, and hiking. At a young age, I grew a passion and love for nature. That passion soon grew to be an obsession. When I was a young boy, I discovered the sport of hunting while looking at several books and pictures stored in my father’s closet. My father would tell me several stories of when he hunted in Mexico. I was fascinated by this sport and dreamed of one day taking part in the tradition of hunting.

Years later, I was out in the fields hunting with my father. Through the years I have improved my hunting and marksmanship skills. Hunting has taught me several things that I will value for the rest of my life. As a hunter, I am a provider for my family, I give back to the hunting community and to the natural wildlife reservations. I have learned to respect and honor the animals I hunt, to thank God for the opportunity to hunt on his beautiful land. I belong to a long tradition of hunting within my family, it has been something truly passed down

generations by generations. As my father taught me how to hunt, I would pass down those teachings to the new generations so they too can cherish the art of hunting.

When I was 13 years old, I discovered a sport called Sporting Clays, a form of clay pigeon shooting.

I met a shooting instructor named Jim Porter, he saw my hidden talent for shooting and soon became my coach. I fell in love with sporting clays. Sporting clays to me is so special and very emotional. It has given me a platform to meet people that I would never have met before. Shooting is an art form and it allows me to be creative with my athletic talents. The sport of shooting is all about responsibility, discipline, and focus. Shooting is not just pulling the trigger on a gun, it requires strong mentality. Being in this sport has changed the way I use my mind and think. I have trained my mind to become focused at any task I do, either mentally or physically. Shooting has made me become a much more responsible and mature young adult. I take my responsibilities very seriously and always put 110% of my

effort.

My dreams all evolve around my passion for hunting and shooting. Ever since I started sporting clays, my biggest dream is to win a gold medal at the Olympics for the shooting event. I’ve been working hard to achieve my dream. Training is what makes or breaks an athlete. Getting to the range, putting in the time, and building the desire to succeed is what nurtures the my dreams. I have become motivated and determined to reach my dream. My dream of standing on top of the podium with a gold medal around my neck will soon become reality.