The early settlers in the Appalachian Mountains hunted for one main purpose: to survive. This wasn't for sport or enjoyment (although they no doubt enjoyed hunting most of the time). Hunting, you understand, in this era wasn't like hunting today. They came here so they could live like they wanted, farm, explore, trap for furs, not have to hear a neighbor's axe and make moonshine whiskey.īut I like to think they came here mostly to hunt. These people, the Scotch-Irish, and some English came here to get away from all of the problems and restraints of the eastern part of the colonies. My ancestors (and yours, too, if you hail from this region) came here largely (in my opinion) to 'get away.' To get away from the more crowded (even in the 1700s) eastern part of Virginia and other colonies with the flatter, more sought-after farmland, and all of the problems and drama that come with densely populated areas. There is a picture somewhere of my grandmother in a full hunting outfit: the old brown duck canvas material, pants and huntin' coat that everyone wore back then - even the iconic Jones-style hunting hat.

My grandparents hunted and fished, of course, both grandfather and grandmother on my dad's side. My dad hunted and fished, he took me with him, and it just seemed to be the most natural thing in the world. I started hunting when I was a little kid, and looking back on it, I don't see how it could have gone any other way. I'm from Appalachia, and I hunt and fish.

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