I'd be very bored, a book nerd, less money cause I wouldn't be as motivated to work hard to be able afford hunting and fishing that I wasn't doing. Probably driving a mini van or Chevy hhr proudly.
Interestingly, when I was working on my degrees I went about 8 years without holding a tag myself. This is after finishing hunters ed at 9, first buck that year, first elk the year after. 8 big game animals later I left rural NM for a large university 2,000 miles away.
During that time I found I had a pretty big void, but never really consciously identified it as the outdoors. I have an addictive personality in general, so I tend to stay active with “healthy” addictions.
I filled that void with girls, books and sports in college. Then lifting and nutrition while working through my doctorate. After school before moving back West I became obsessed with archery, fishing, woodworking, knives and sharpening, etc etc.
Funny, now that I am back in the mountains I could care less about the majority of what took up so much of my time in the past.
Unless it helps in the hills, that is.
I still maintain a voracious appetite for books. I hope I never lose that.
I have dropped in and out of big game hunting over the years. But there was always an outdoor theme to my hobbies. ATV's, 4wheelin, general exploring, mountain fishing, upland birds, ducks.
If I skipped the outdoors, it would have to be building a hot rod, or three. Had several in my teens and early 20's. Definitely not cheap. That theme always is there lol
I don't eat, sleep, or breath hunting/fishing but I suppose I would have a backyard so immaculate it would make Mr. Miyagi's look like a desolate wasteland.
Other than that, a boring lifestyle of cruising the mall on weekends while wearing a flat brim sports team hat.
I don't do stuff in moderation very well. Bowhunting is a solid obsession that doesn't kill me. At least not yet.
So either I'd probably be dead from doing some other dumb stuff, or maybe I'd be rich and wouldn't blow all my money on being free all of the fall. Hard to say. Lol
I'd be addicted to porn... because what other magazines would be in my bathroom besides hunting magazines.
In seriousness, I have had three passionate hobbies in my life: fishing, hunting, and snowboarding. Once I did snowboarding for a living for a short while I lost interest. I don't know why but hunting is my addiction right now. Oh wait, I know why because I tried archery two years ago... I think this will last for a few years. I still haven't built an 800-grain arrow yet...
I came to trout fishing kind of late at 17 through a high school buddy, and mule deer hunting at about 30 on my own. I am crazy about both pursuits but I can remember what life was like without them. They are both a way for me to get my solitude on, find adventure, and be intimate with nature. I have tried to find words to express the depth of what these pursuits mean to me but its difficult. Without them I'd backpack and hike more, cross country ski. Climb mountains, rafting, probably mountain bike... something outside for sure.
If I didn’t hunt everyone would know I had six feet of dirt on top of me with obelisk to mark the spot that read
“ I prayed to the lord for patience and he gave me the desire to turkey hunt”
I wouldn’t have had to get to the duck marsh at 2am in high school so I woulda been a lot drunker at those parties, even though I dried out in the marsh haha. I woulda spent more time at sports and been better. I can still remember those Saturday football practices in the fall when I wish I was hunting or summer baseball I skipped to fish. I’d probably be a better climber, mountaineer, rafter and snowboarder/ skier. I spread myself thin with a focus on hunting and fishing so I become mediocre at all hobbies but enjoy them all.
More back country skiing and foreign snow bunnies. More Swedish and European women for sure.
Or maybe just the one I saw in Big Sky, MT last year.... she would do nicely. Probably had a huge ranch with elk and deer all over it. Oh the bulls I could kill if I had just tried a little bit. Had her laughing which is half the battle.
I honestly can’t really envision what my life would be like without hunting and fishing, it’s just too big of a part of who I am. I like to garden, travel, woodworking, but I’d give every one of those up way before I’d give up hunting and fishing.
I hope I never have to figure out the answer to the question.