Top 69 Hunting Tattoo Ideas – [2022 Inspiration Guide]

Grab your camouflage, rifle, and bow; you’re about to discover the beauty of wildlife captured in ink. From small hunts to big game, discover the kingly and timeless sport of hunting.

For ages, the art of hunting has put man’s competitive, skillful tracking and watchful eye against an elusive target. From wild animals or game, including deer, fox, wild boar, pig, duck, and more, the pursuit has been enjoyed since prehistoric times.

In Mesopotamia sculptures, you’ll find war chariots with kings hunting big game animals like lions. In ancient Greece, the aristocracy considered hunting not only as a manly sport but also as an admirable practice for war in times of peace. Hindu scriptures also deemed it to be an honorable occupation for a man.

During the early part of Medieval Europe, Johannes Scotus Eriugena, the famous theologian, philosopher, and poet, once claimed hunting to be one of the seven mechanical arts. Sport aside, hunting also has a place in specific pagan religion rituals. Not to mention the competitions among European sport hunters of the 19th century, who pursued game in hopes of a trophy.

No matter if you hunt for food or for sport, one thing you can be sure of is to be inspired by these 69 best hunting tattoos for men. Each hunter tattoo idea symbolizes the majestic beauty of the great outdoors paired with masculine hunter designs.

1. Deer Hunting Tattoos

The white-tailed deer is by far the most abundant cervid – the family of animals that moose, elk, and reindeer belong to – with numbers reaching one hundred animals per one kilometer in some parts of the United States. With Americans hunting and processing over 6 million white-tailed deer every year, it is no surprise that many hunters choose to get deer hunting tattoos inked on their bodies.

2. Hunting Compilation Tattoos

These gorgeous tattoos take a collage-like approach to create large pieces dedicated to the menagerie of animals found in the wilds of America. From wolves and deer to ducks and salmon, the different animals that hunters come into contact with in the forests and plains of the US make for excellent subjects in great tattoo art.

3. Duck Hunting Tattoos

Every year, over 10 million ducks and waterfowl are hunted in the United States, from California to New York and just about everywhere in between. These majestic birds make for great tattoos for duck hunters, thanks to the beautiful colors and patterns in their feathers, as well as the opportunity to incorporate in the tattoo design the gorgeous waterways that they call home.

4. Fox and Fowl Tattoos

While not a particularly common American pastime, there is a long tradition of fox hunting around the world, and they make great additions to hunting tattoos, thanks to their distinctive looks and association with the spirits of the forest in stories and myths. Birds, including turkey and pheasants, are also regularly hunted in the United States and make for great elements in a bird tattoo design for hunters.

5. Canine Companion Hunting Tattoos

Dogs have been hunting companions to man for thousands and thousands of years. In fact, it is widely accepted that the domestication of canines came about as a primitive hunting strategy. Whatever the case, hunting dogs are still common, most notably the bird dogs that track, point, and set game for their hunters.

6. Hunters With Guns Tattoos

While bow hunting has continued to grow in popularity, hunting with rifles is still, by far, the most popular method. These powerful weapons make for striking tattoos, thanks to the unmistakable lines of a rifle, along with the opportunity to add interesting details like reflections in the scope and wood grain textures in the stock.

7. Big Game Tattoos

From elk and bears to moose and caribou, big game animals are some of the most prized quarries for sport hunters, and it is no surprise. These powerful animals are fundamentally impressive thanks to their large size, strength, and the visceral connection they have with the wilderness. For these same reasons, they make for excellent subjects in tattoo art.

8. Bow Hunting Tattoos

Growing in popularity, bow hunting provides people a deeper connection to the hunted animal, thanks to the shorter range and necessity to get much closer to the prey than those who hunt with rifles. Utilizing images of drawn bows and patient hunters in tattoos is a great way to show the world that you belong to this ancient club.

9. Innovative Hunting Tattoos

Tattoo artists are always looking to implement a one-of-a-kind tattoo idea. Through the use of unconventional compositions and expert application of black and gray shading as well as color ink, a tattoo artist is able to push the boundaries of what is possible in a hunter tattoo design.

10. Hunting on the Wing Tattoos

Using bold black ink and interesting compositions, these bird hunting tattoos make for the perfect commemorations of the birds that are such popular quarries with hunters in the United States. The stark black ink creates the unmistakable silhouettes of hunters bagging fowl.