i started when i was 12, didnt bag anything bigger than the occasional hog until i was 18 or so. i hunt deer, pheasant, hogs and quail.
i hunt because of the solitude of being alone in the woods with your rifle stalking your prey. i also enjoy the nights back at camp drinking with my family and friends and cooking up something that we got that day, if we didnt get anything, well its venison sausage on white bread with a little mustard... gotta love it.
on a side note, i go for head shots on anything less than 50 yards out and head shots only on does when we have tags. if its more than 50 yards or its a trophy buck, i go for the neck or the heart.
i also go hunting because face it, we as a species have invaded their land, and if we didnt have yearly hunts to thin the heards, they would literally starve themselves to death if left to their own devices. atleast my girlfriend is okay with that aspect of it.