Hunters At Heart: Mark Flemming Lauritsen

Next up in our Hunters At Heart series is Mark Flemming Lauritsen. He is our Marketing Brand Manager for Seeland. Together with his brother, he was brought up with hunting accompanied by their grandfather.

How did you come to hunting? What sparked your interest??

My grandfather was a hunter, and as soon as my big brother and I were old enough to keep up with him, he brought us along almost always. I was five or six years old when I went hunting for the first time. It just caught my interest right away. Mostly the small game hunts during the fall, because there was a bit more action, nice hunting dogs you could scratch behind the ears, and you were allowed to talk. I had a hard time keeping quiet when I was a kid and that is not ideal if you are hunting.?

It formed a strong bond between my grandfather and me. And as I got older, we were more a pair of good hunting buddies, than grandfather and grandson. He died two years ago, but he is still with me out there, as I use his old shotgun at small game hunts.?

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What does hunting mean to you??

Sorry for the cliché, but hunting is part of who I am. It was a big part of my upbringing and it’s a part of how I identify myself. I have always been hunting as much as possible, and after I finished my education and started working, it has just grown. Now I am lucky that it has become a part of my job, so I feel pretty blessed.?

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What’s a hunt that’s stuck with you??

I went to Ireland in 2018 to hunt Sika deer. Until then I had only hunted in Denmark and Poland, so stalking in the hills of Southwest Ireland was completely new territory for me, and the scenery was breathtaking. For me, a hunt is not only measured in the trophy, actually?far from it. I value the whole experience and a difficult hunt over trophy size any day, so this was for sure an amazing experience and I know that I need to go back there. A nice trophy is more “the icing on the cake”, but it should never be the main goal for a successful hunt.?

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What’s something you would like a non-hunter to understand??

How much hunters do for wildlife and nature in general. Not only the species that we are allowed to hunt, but for all the animals who benefit from the work that we do. I don’t think you will find any other people interested in renting land on another mans proberty and then spending additional money and working hours, making sure that the habitat is as good as possible for the wildlife.?

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What’s something people would be surprised to know about hunting???

How difficult hunting is. Usually, you only see pictures and when someone has had a successful hunt, not the hundreds of times they went home empty-handed. And how much hunters do to make sure that an animal is harvest as clean and quick as possible.??

What’s the best thing about hunting??

For me, it is a way of connecting with my roots and taking a break. And I love to be able to provide my family with delicious meals made from venison. I know that the meat we eat at home has had a good and free life, and I try to replace beef and chicken with venison, as much as possible. My daughter is 2 and a half years old now and has eaten more types of venison than many adults eat through a whole life, and she loves it.?

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What’s your best advice for fellow hunters??

Tell the whole story. Share your failures as well as your successes. And use that venison to introduce hunting to non-hunters! I have gained a lot of understanding for hunting, through delicious meals.?

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned as a hunter??

Always know and respect your limits. Do not take chances when it comes to taking a shot on an animal. If you are not sure that you deliver a 100% deadly shot, then the chance is not a chance. A shot can never be taken back.?