With all the modern conveniences available to those of us who live in the United States, some wonder and many argue the purpose or necessity of hunting. If you consider the cost of equipment, licenses and permits, the per-pound price of wild game is certainly more than the average cost of ground beef at the local grocery store.
Results from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that only 5% of the Americans aged 16 or older hunt. Most hunters know they are in the minority against a larger non-hunting population and understand how they act in public is a reflection of the group as a whole. Non-hunters fall into a few categories. Generally you can categorize them as those who don’t participate but don’t mind it, those whose don’t see it as viable, those who are against it, and those who wouldn’t mind getting into it.
Anti-hunters have written about their perspective on the subject but few from the perspective of hunters. For those who fall into two of the categories above, they will undoubtedly find these writings. If you are looking for supportive material, author James A Swan PhD is probably one of the more prolific pro-hunter voices and highly recommend reading his book In Defense of Hunting. While his book is criticized by anti-hunters as being biased against them, Swan definitely outlines good reasons for hunting supported by his research and others.
Much has changed for women regarding roles or careers in which they can pursue, however, for the vast majority of men, our traditional roles haven’t changed. We are still trying to be good providers and protectors even in the face of it being unwanted or unappreciated. Some men have tried to shed the role of provider and protector. However, in recent times, this has also been lightly poked at. For instance in the movie comedy The Intern, Anne Hathaway’s character Jules, states, “How, in one generation, have men gone from guys like Jack Nicholson and Harrison Ford to… take Ben, here. A dying breed. You know?” The point was her character wanted a good honest man, more of a traditional man then what her generation had produced. I grew up in a time when male role models still taught you to take your hat off before going into a building and to open doors for others, especially women. It wasn’t a sign that we thought women weaker or incapable but rather out of reverence, respect and honor. It meant we, as men, did a simple act to show women had value over our personal agenda or time. The idea it was done because men thought women too weak to open the door is a perspective that is more projection than reality.
Regardless of your position on gender roles, hunting personally started for me out of a desire to be a good provider with a basic challenging question that still fuels much of the desire to continue to do it today. The question being, if I could no longer go to the grocery store whether it due to natural disaster or say the end of times would I be able to sustain myself or my family? When grading myself as a provider or self-reliant man, I had a profound deficit when it came to surviving without modern conveniences. Hunting started as a quest to learn a skill. This is and suspect always will be a primary reason for continuing it today. Skills, if not practiced, are perishable and certainly changing terrain or habitats means adjusting or adding to knowledge already gained.
With any new skill, it took time to learn and implement just the basics. Many times I wanted to give up because largely I was trying to do it on my own. For each setback or missed opportunity, something else was starting to grow which at first went unnoticed. Over time, hunting filled more voids than I even knew where there. It also gave me new appreciations that are in common with even anti-hunters.
One of the first benefits came from the fulfillment of being closer to our Creator. I had grown up in Christian faith and a connection to God was something I understood I needed. However, going to church and praying often left me personally unfulfilled. I still felt disconnected to God, whether it was out of a sense of my own brokenness or all the distractions of our modern world. As technology increased it only got worse. In spite of having more access to information from around the world, I felt myself drifting away from Creation.
In the woods, while waiting for or stalking game, there is an incredible opportunity to be present in the moment. I engage as many senses as I can as I actively participate. My mind is focused on my environment and nature, the process of feeling connected to something greater than myself overshadows me. The notion this world was created for mankind washes over my senses. Purpose and meaning are found in the simplest things. I feel a connection to my Creator even when I harvest an animal. As a Christian, I understand that nothing happens without my Father’s will. As a Hunter, who looks at hunting statistics for harvest percentages, I know all too well that we are trying to hunt an animal in their natural habitat and are at a disadvantage. Man has created many tools to try and overcome those odds but ultimately, taking an animal is statistically low. When it does happen, it is knowing these facts that drive me to kneel beside the animal and thank my Creator for the gift. The idea may seem foreign to those who have not hunted but most understand or believe Native Americans have a profound connection to the Earth. Native American cultures did and do much of the same and evidence of other cultures doing it is also present. As a hunter, I have experienced a similar connection to Creation.
Biblically, we are to be good stewards of our resources and planet. While hunting, this started out small as I picked up one or two pieces of trash and stuffed it into a backpack. It then progressed to packing a small trash bag in my gear just in case. As time has marched on, my daughter has been taught the lesson to always pack out everything including things that someone might have left behind. Caring for habitat and on a greater scale, the environment with respect to pollution is where anti-hunters and myself can somewhat agree. While you won’t find me out beating the climate change drum, taking care to reduce our impact on habitat is a good practice to ensure future resources. Organizations like Leave No Trace and Backcountry Hunters & Anglers are a good place to start if you want to get involved.
As I have gotten older and more concerned about my health, hunting has provided an outlet for natural and organic protein. Sure, I can get protein at the local grocery store. However, that is, in my opinion, outsourcing and fails to answer my initial premise question. Being able to provide natural, organic and hormone-free meat to my family is a source of great pride and accomplishment. Like many, I struggle with maintaining a healthy weight and have digestive problems that seem to center around processed foods, high sugar and chemicals like glyphosate, antibiotics or hormones. Game meat is my best choice for getting as natural a source as possible when it comes to animal protein.
Some of the greatest benefits I have received from hunting stay with me long after the hunt. Counter to what someone might think and some anti-hunting groups have surmised, hunting has taught me patience, perseverance, responsibility, respect, conservation and the value of life. The last being one of the more important especially now.
Respect for life might seem counter to the purpose of hunting. However, as an ethical hunter, I make decisions in the field whether to take a shot or not. This is not out of some god complex. I have let many animals walk choosing to watch them in their natural environment or when regulations set forth by state conservation efforts say I can’t. When I have taken an animal, the act of doing it gives you a profound understanding of just how precious life is and how we should cherish it. I understand that I am responsible for every shot I take and the consequences of it. A good hunter understands that what we do impacts so much more, especially with respect to life.
I understand this upsets many anti-hunters, the thought of taking an animal’s life. Often hunters are portrayed as having some mental problem but there is absolutely no research to support such claims and data to suggest just the opposite. Though they may disagree with my choice of sustainment, I calmly remind them that no one is excused from the basic fact that in order for anything to survive it must consume nutrients given by the life of something else. This is the meaning behind the expression “The Circle of Life”. Hunting, for me, has never been about how many inches the antlers are but always about sustainment.
On that note, hunting has taught me more about myself, natural order, conservation, life, and my Creator than I could ever express in any one blog. I pray I am able to continue to do it and share it for as long as possible.
- L. Yarbrough, Bucks & Beers
