Recently while walking through an airport headed home from a business trip I looked around and noticed the vast majority of fellow travelers with faces buried in their smartphones. While people-watching, it occurred to me what I most looked forward upon getting home might not be the same as those around me. Oddly enough, as “connected” each traveler was, they made absolutely no attempt to connect to the person nearest them. In fact, most seemed annoyed if the unwritten rule of one seat separation was violated as the sitting area filled with passengers waiting on their next flight. They have the smartphone and the apps. They have all the right social media profiles. They have data and entertainment at their fingertips as they choose. They post, like, share and comment like a madman. But are they connected? More specifically, are they connected to what matters most?
Research is showing that smartphones, social media and like products stimulate our brains similar to drugs or alcohol. Likes and retweets give instant feedback that we seek. I have done it. I have posted something and then waited to see if anyone likes it. And sometimes, that happens four or five times in the same minute. So why I am talking about this while you probably are reading this from your feed on a smartphone? And, what does this have to do with hunting or beer? The odd reality is that during those times I realized I was allowing an object with a Wi-Fi connection to control my actions, no matter how connected, I didn’t feel connected to what mattered most.
There are places where I hunt that Wi-Fi doesn’t exist, or does not have data connection or cell coverage. The smartphone becomes mostly a glorified thin camera and suffices to say, a fairly good one. When I have turned the phone to Airplane Mode to save battery life on a signal search that won’t be fruitful a magical thing happens. I take back control. It’s like watching a movie where people are under a spell and it gets reversed. It is in that moment a part of you awakens again.
To be an effective hunter, you need to connect to something else entirely. Truth is, as a hunter, the odds are against you statistically of getting a chance at taking a game animal. Think about it, for the most part, game animals have better hearing, sight, smell and live in the woods 24/7/365. We are visitors in their backyard. If you need hard data, look at harvest numbers from your state’s department for wildlife management versus the number of hunters for a particular season. On the face of those numbers, you will see that a hunter’s odds are in favor of not tagging out. In fact, the reason many states adopt the license and tag policies in conjunction with restrictions and season dates is to limit opportunities. Teddy Roosevelt led the charge for conservation and hunters agreed to be taxed on goods used and sold to help supply revenue.
So what does it mean to be connected in the woods? Sure there are a few companies now that have trail cameras that will send you media files via email or text, but that is not what I am talking about. A few years back, one of my nephews came out from Michigan on his first hunt ever. He chose to come for a fall black bear hunt. We were walking on an old logging road and as we walked I heard a low almost inaudible warning growl coming from our right. I instinctively slowed my pace and but myself between him and the brush. At this point the musky scent of territorial marking, a warning that should be heeded, I had expected to smell hit my nose. We had just walked past some wolves. My nephew didn’t understand what just happened. I explained it later to him though I am not sure he really believed me. The importance of the story is to illustrate that hunting requires active participation and all your senses.
During my high school senior year in AP English, I was tasked with reading “Zen And the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” by Robert M. Pirsig. From the perspective of a 17-year-old young man, I am quite certain that I did not fully understand the book. I haven’t been one for Eastern Philosophy then or even today, however, the concept of being in the present resonates with the subject of hunting. As I have gained more experience in finding and stalking big game, I understand the need to connect with my surroundings. This means eyes, ears, and nose need to be working as you process information while moving through the woods or mountains. You must pay attention to the direction of the wind and sounds that might be carried on it. For the first time hunter, like my nephew, this is nearly impossible to achieve at first unless you’ve grown up in more rural parts of the country where a connection to the land is more accessible.
In an article written by James A. Swan, Ph.D. entitled “Minding Hunters and Hunting”, he quotes humanist-scientist Rene DuBos:
“Even though he lived by hunting, primitive man worshipped animals. In modern man also, the desire to hunt is paradoxically compatible with the love of wildlife. Hunting is a highly satisfying occupation for many persons because it calls into play a multiplicity of physical and mental attributes that appear to be woven into the human fabric… Certain aspects of the hunter’s life are probably more in keeping with man’s basic temperament and biological nature than urban life as presently practiced.”
In the same article Swan quotes Erich Fromm:
“In the act of hunting, the hunter returns to their natural state becomes one with the animal and is freed from the burden of his existential split: to be part of nature and to transcend it by virtue of his consciousness. In stalking the animal he and the animal become equals, even though man eventually shows his superiority by use of his weapons.”
The point and conclusion drawn from these passages as written by Swan are that humanity has removed itself from the natural world in modern life. Reconnection to Creation through hunting is natural. As stated in several of Swan’s articles and more recently Natalie Krebs‘ article in Outdoor Life, most hunters enjoy being outdoors and the reconnection to our natural world whether they harvest an animal or not. We hide away from nature in our suburban homes, offices and even cars.
In the book, “Zen And The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”, author Robert M. Pirsig likens those driving through the wilderness in their cars to watching TV through a square windshield. There is no interaction with the environment, you can’t feel or smell the air. With our AC on full blast, we hardly know if it is humid or arid outside of our vehicles. If you live in a vast expanse of city after city like the greater Los Angeles area, you nearly removed from any connection to wilderness save a few green spaces or parks.
I am not suggesting that hunting is the only outdoor activity that helps rekindle man’s connection to the natural world by any means. Backpackers, hikers, kayakers, rock climbers and more all experience a similar connection to the wilderness. It was created for us and we are meant to be in it. Man’s creation of modern convenience is a disruptor to what we were created for. I am not saying I want to plummet the world back to living in caves, but I am suggesting reconnection to nature is healthy and necessary.
For those who chose to do it, whether it be for additional fitness, sustainment, shared memories with others, or to recharge the soul, hunting offers something very unique. As I have found “out west”, hunting big game animals on their turf draws from something deep within you. From the moment you leave your truck, ATV, UTV or even horse, the body and senses must engage differently than from the city. The slightest sounds carried on the wind can tell you much about what lies ahead, beside or behind you. Tracks in the mud, scents, droppings and even a bush that shows signs of being foraged are all part of being active at the moment and connecting the habitat around you. So when you hear a low growl from a wolf, most likely an alpha male or beta female, while your nephew is yammering way too loud for there to be a bear within a quarter-mile, you might consider putting distance between the two as I did.
If hunting isn’t for you, try stopping on the side of the road the next time you are in the countryside. Leave your phone in the car and take a moment to let your senses run loose.
We are built for the wild.
- L. Yarbrough, Bucks & Beers
