Hey Collective Crew, Shaun here. This week on The Collective, we explored a topic that is both a primal human activity and a profound metaphor for life itself: “Hunting.” Joined by Travis Bader, founder of Canada’s premier firearms training company Silvercore, and former CIA officer Doug Patteson, Chance and I moved beyond the mechanics of the hunt to explore its many deeper layers. The conversation delved into the mindset of patience, preparation, and purpose, uncovering how the lessons learned in the wild – about observation, ethics, self-reliance, and our connection to the natural world – carry over into every aspect of our lives.
This Week’s Hunters:
– Travis Bader: Founder of Silvercore, firearms and outdoor skills expert, with decades of experience in the bush.
– Doug Patteson: Former CIA operations officer, lifelong hunter, combining field experience with acute observational and analytical skills.
Key Insights from Our Hunting Discussion:
1. Hunting as a Connection, Not Just a Harvest
The panel immediately established that hunting is about far more than just killing an animal. Travis described it as a “connection to our natural world, our past, and a way to learn more about ourselves and the divine.”
2. The First Hunt – A Foundational Moment of Connection and Self-Discovery
The conversation turned to the power of the “first hunt,” a moment that often serves as a foundational experience. Doug Patteson vividly recounted his first time hunting squirrels with his grandfather, a WWII pilot, framing it as a profound lesson in life, firearm safety, and the vital principle of respecting the animal by ensuring nothing went to waste. Chance shared a similar early memory: not a traditional hunt, but spending countless hours shooting gophers on the family ranch, an act rooted in the responsibility of protecting the land for the livestock, which forged his initial connection between firearms and a sense of stewardship. My own story was one of self-discovery. Arriving in Canada as a 10yr old boy, solo hunting became my way of understanding the rugged mountains of Alberta, and more importantly I began to discover my innate, intuitive connection to nature. Travis Bader’s experience was different still; without a direct mentor, his early forays were driven by an internal pull to stalk and learn, driven by a deep-seated need to connect with the wild. These diverse stories highlighted a common truth: the first hunt, in whatever form it takes, is often a powerful, formative crucible where our relationship with nature, our mentors, and ourselves is forged.
3. Presence and Attunement – Nature’s Antidote to ADHD
Travis, diagnosed with ADHD as a child, found that the woods calmed his “chattering” mind. In nature, all his senses engaged in a way that allowed him to enter into a state of deep presence. This highlighted hunting as a powerful practice for attuning to the subtle energies and patterns of the world, something often lost in the “assaulting” noisy bandwidth of city life.
4. Hunting Yourself – The Internal Quest
I proposed that ultimately, while facing the weather, terrain and absence of animals – these are elements of a crucible designed to reveal your true nature – “you are hunting you.” The animal is often a proxy for an internal quest. You are out there to work, to learn, to test yourself, to find your own patterns, and to connect with a deeper, more primal part of your being. Doug beautifully amended this, adding that it’s also about returning to yourself, to the core of who you are, reconnecting with the legacy and lessons of those who hunted before you.
5. The Ethical Compass – Navigating Morals, Ethics and the Weight of the Shot
The conversation delved into the profound ethical and moral dimensions of hunting. Doug Patteson shared the painful memory of wounding and losing a whitetail due to a misjudged distance shot, an experience that instilled in him a permanent, unwavering commitment to ethical shooting and cemented his personal rule to never hunt without a rangefinder. He also spoke of the integrity required to pass on unethical shots (even under peer pressure), and the importance of ensuring you are in the field with others who share your ethical framework. Travis Bader then introduced a and crucial distinction: societal ethics versus personal morals. He framed ethics as the external, agreed-upon rules of society or a community, while morals are the hard, internal lines an individual draws for themselves. This is the ultimate test of character. He shared his own story of having a legal “spike fork” moose in his sights, only to realize it was ten minutes past legal shooting light. No one else was around, and no one would have ever known. But, as Travis powerfully stated, “you know who would know? Every time I had a bite of that moose, I would know it.” This refusal to cross his own moral line, even when the ethical breach would be invisible to the world, is the hallmark of a person. It’s about developing an internal set of non-negotiable standards that you hold yourself to, especially when the ego, excitement, and desire for a “successful” outcome are at their peak. It is in these quiet, solitary moments of decision that a hunter’s true character is forged and revealed.
6. The Shot is Where the Work Begins
A common misconception is that the shot is the end of the hunt. As Chance noted, it’s often where the real work begins: the tracking, skinning, quartering, and packing. This mirrors life: achieving a goal is not the end, but the start of a new phase of responsibility and effort.
7. The Sharing of the Harvest – The Communal Aspect
The conversation highlighted the deep satisfaction that comes from sharing the harvest. Doug spoke of the camaraderie of cooking backstraps over the fire in Africa, and Travis emphasized the importance of setting ground rules for sharing meat to maintain harmony within a hunting party. This communal act of providing for and fair sharing with your tribe is a core part of the hunting tradition.
8. The Energetic Exchange – A Connection to the Animal’s Soul
We ventured into the most mystical aspect of the hunt as I posed the question to the panel: when we take an animal’s life, are we, in some way, capturing its soul? This isn’t a literal question, but a deeply philosophical one about the energetic exchange that occurs. Chance powerfully affirmed that he feels he takes on a piece of the animal’s spirit, which stays with him and forever connects him to that moment and that place. This speaks to a profound, invisible reality of hunting that transcends the physical act. It frames the harvest not as an act of dominance, but as a sacred transaction, a participation in the great, mysterious cycle of life and death. This perspective demands the reverence Doug spoke of. It means the hunt is an energetic and spiritual undertaking where you are not just taking a life, but accepting a piece of its essence into your own, a responsibility that fundamentally and permanently changes you.
Final Thought: The Hunt is a Metaphor for a Life of Intention
Hunting, at its deepest level, is a practice of presence, patience, and purpose. It teaches us to observe, to be still, to respect the natural world, and to understand our place within it. It reminds us that our actions have profound consequences and that the greatest rewards often come not from the kill itself, but from the journey, the connection, and the hard-earned wisdom gained along the way.
What are you hunting for in your own life?
Listen to the full “Hunting” discussion here: Hunting
Stay wild, stay present,
Shaun & The Collective Crew
