Hiking is just as enjoyable as hunting, imo. In fact, it is more so. You get what you go for every time you go.
I've thought a lot about this and I can assert that you are wrong. When you're hiking you are only considering your own needs. When you are hunting you are not only considering your own needs, but are also considering the needs of your quarry. Sometimes you sacrifice your own needs in the hunt. You are more aware of your surroundings, where you walk, how loudly you talk, the wind, the angle of the sun, the moon phase, everything. You actually hear bird calls and squirrels bark and such because they can affect you, whereas a hiker might ignore them or not even notice them. Also, you're up and active early and late (and sometimes at night), which is when animals are most active. Hikers don't even get out of bed until the sun is up. FWIW, these aren't uniquely my thoughts, I took a hippie friend on my first hunt to Colorado and he noticed these things. I met a couple who spent an entire week in a wilderness area loaded with elk and they never saw a single one, couldn't even comment if they noticed any tracks or droppings. They were oblivious hikers.
