Tolkkinen: Why do people hunt when we can just go to the grocery store?

In Scandia, there’s a guy who wears his grandpa’s leather belt when he goes hunting.

The Details

Derek Johnson was 6 when his grandpa died. He was 12 when he discovered the belt among his dad’s hunting gear. He’s 40 now. His grandpa probably would never have imagined he’d be remembered in this way, but it says something about the bonds created by a hunting culture.

Greg Planting of Duluth said his dad told him 53 years ago to always have a roll of Lifesavers in his pocket when hunting — in case he had to cough.

“He’s been gone 16 years now and I still carry Lifesavers in my pocket, mostly to keep my dad with me on hunts,” he said.

We’re in the middle of one of the most important rituals of rural life: the firearms season for deer hunting. Every November, hundreds of thousands of hunters fan out across the state, getting up before dawn to trek through fields and woods to perch on chairs, in tree stands, or in blinds, waiting for a whitetail deer to materialize.

You don’t get married during hunting season. You don’t plan elective surgery or out-of-state trips or important business meetings. And heaven help you if your baby is due on opening weekend.

There are people who take hunting very seriously, noting the contours of the land and deer travel patterns and wind direction. And there’s everything in between.

Some are out for a good time and want to swap jokes and stories and hang out in the woods. Others aren’t too bummed if they didn’t get their deer.