Spending so much time in preparation for the hunt, it becomes more apparent how harvesting animals for food is a very sacred act. There is a recognition that we would not be where we are today had our ancestors not perfected the art of hunting. We don't consider animals game, and we don't take trophies... the lives of the animals we take are as precious as are own. It is a blessing for us to be able to take part in the cycle of life and to connect ourselves with the lives of the animals around us.
For us, hunting goes hand in hand with compassion. When you rely on an animal for sustenance, there is a natural gratitude that comes from taking its life with your own hands to fuel your own.
There is recognition that another being has sacrificed itself so that you may grow. It is an intimate aspect of life that can't be viewed at the grocery store. The way we are learning to hunt breeds compassion, and an appreciation for life and all its beauty. Randall L. Eaton talks about the transformation young men go through when they hunt, in his book From Boys to Men of Heart, Hunting as Rite of Passage, with excerpts from Jon Young. It's well worth a read.
For those with self-sufficiency in mind, hunting is a great way to put meat in your diet. Wild animals eat wild plants, meaning that no cultivation or energy-intensive labour is required to feed them. With the environmental problems we are facing today, hunting is a good option for the planet and for us.
Traditional bow hunting is not only a way to pay respect to the animal, but a way to test your naturalist, tracking and stalking skills. Having to get close to an animal as aware as the white-tailed deer, a master of stealth and camouflage, is not easy. Working hard for something will make you ever more grateful.
For us, hunting goes hand in hand with compassion. When you rely on an animal for sustenance, there is a natural gratitude that comes from taking its life with your own hands to fuel your own.
There is recognition that another being has sacrificed itself so that you may grow. It is an intimate aspect of life that can't be viewed at the grocery store. The way we are learning to hunt breeds compassion, and an appreciation for life and all its beauty. Randall L. Eaton talks about the transformation young men go through when they hunt, in his book From Boys to Men of Heart, Hunting as Rite of Passage, with excerpts from Jon Young. It's well worth a read.
For those with self-sufficiency in mind, hunting is a great way to put meat in your diet. Wild animals eat wild plants, meaning that no cultivation or energy-intensive labour is required to feed them. With the environmental problems we are facing today, hunting is a good option for the planet and for us.
Traditional bow hunting is not only a way to pay respect to the animal, but a way to test your naturalist, tracking and stalking skills. Having to get close to an animal as aware as the white-tailed deer, a master of stealth and camouflage, is not easy. Working hard for something will make you ever more grateful.
If you are interested in hunting or even just increasing your awareness and invisibility out in the woods in order to get close to the White Tailed, to undertand them better, check out our Way of the Hunt class November 22-28, 2010.
1 comment:
It is absolutley refreshing to hear of some our young folks speak with such ethics and compassion on the art of The Hunt...After hearing how some disrespectful hunters were using a deer carcus as a prop on their ATV's and taking shots of it with their Beers ....was just disgusting!!!!!There should be more mandatory courses for hunters to learn how to respect their quarry and to learn proper hunter's ethics....So proud of all of you!!!!!!
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