Hunters: What We Really Are, Despite Some Who Disagree
I consider myself a modest, down-to-earth, upstanding, and fairly intelligent individual. I have faults, as all of us do, but I try to do well and meet a certain personal standard. I don’t smoke, although I will have a beer on occasion. I’ve never done drugs; and, thankfully, I’ve never been pulled over by the police. I’m a decent husband, a good father, and a proud American. Yet some people would consider me to be barbaric, sadistic, heartless, thoughtless, uncompassionate, and a cold-blooded killer simply because I fish, and especially because I hunt.
I wonder why that is?
For thousands of years man has killed animals in order to live; to provide meat for their families and clothes for their bodies. And even today in some cultures, fishing, and especially hunting, is considered a very spiritual event – a rite of passage into adulthood. It wasn’t that long ago that hunting was a commonly accepted past time in America- where hunters were viewed as heroes, and the animals from successful hunts were paraded through town as a symbol of success.
So why now, in the modern age, are there those who would compare me to a cold-blooded killer? Because that is definitely a different description of me then I laid out in the opening paragraph.
I think it stems from close-mindedness, and a definite lack of understanding of the human spirit.
My hunting activity stems from a deep primal need to hunt; and hunting rarely involves killing, so that is definitely not my only motivation. Killing is sometimes a result of my hunting pursuits, as killing is needed in order to keep myself alive, but it is not entirely what motivates me to hunt. I hunt out of love – love for nature, love for the spiritual connectivity I feel while hunting, and love for the animals I pursue.
If it’s about love, then how do I ultimately kill what I love you may ask?
Killing, first off, is necessary in order for humans to survive. Something has to die in order for us to eat – whether it be a living, walking animal or a living plant; it still needs to be killed in order for we humans to sustain life.
And because of my deep love of nature, and especially my love of the animals within it, I know there has to be balance in order for the animals I love to flourish and provide food for my and my family’s stomachs. What better way to provide such balance then by swiftly and efficiently placing an arrow or a projectile in the vitals of an unsuspecting animal; the consequences which benefit me and my quarry in multiple ways. By killing my chosen quarry I provide a natural balance, so that there is less chance of an animal starving to death due to overpopulation, while at the same time providing healthy protein for my body – a win-win situation, and a true example of cause and effect.
I also hunt and kill, as I said at the start of this post, and despite the claims from others to the contrary, because I truly think it makes me a better person; I think it fits my personality, and makes me the level-headed and genuine person I am. It keeps me grounded, self-aware, and connected to the circle of life.
And most importantly, I hunt because I think it connects me to my Creator. For those who have never killed before, I can see that this would be hard to understand. But I feel that taking a life, which helps to sustain my own, ultimately connects me to my mortality, and the reality that I will one day perish as well. Standing on the ground that my body will one day become part of again, while appreciating the animal that has given its life in order for me to sustain my mine, is nothing short of a religious experience – and a humbling experience too I might add.
Looking from the outside, I can somewhat understand the labels that the hunters of the modern era are tagged with. But, ultimately, these labels are completely the opposite of what true hunters are. We are well-disciplined conservationists. We are nature lovers. We are husbands. We are fathers. We are level-headed and clear thinkers. We are compassionate human beings. We are intelligent and intellectual. We are spiritual and God-loving.
We are animal lovers.
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Arthur, it seems you have touched on this before but you again have made very good points. It truly is sad to think that there are some people who just can’t see the big picture like we hunters do.
It is also sad to think that most of them are going to be unchangeable in their views and that is their right but, it is not their right to jump all over us because they don’t like it.
The best thing to do is if you are confronted by these type’s of people are to try and explain and if no progress than quietly and adult like turn around and leave. It shows you are the better person and just goes to prove that they are the narrow minded ones by standing there and yelling at you.
Some things are never going to change at least not enough to make a profound statement. I have accepted that and I think maybe we all should too.
Arthur,
I may sound flip and sarcastic when I make this statement, but I am very serious as I have been subjected to and have been seriously researching what makes these anti’s tick.
Quite simply put, “A lack intake of the proper nutrients” and as I have stated before (and you can do the research to see if I am correct).
The B complex vitamin’s/enzyme’s found in meat, can only be found in meat and cannot be synthesized.
When the vegans/vegetarians found out that their b-complex vitamins were derived from a “meat” source they began to turn to other sources.
The other sources ie: plant matter and derived from those particular vitamin/enzymes found in them, are not as efficiently absorbed into the body as their direct source would be, which is meat.
And as we all have seen over the past 60 years that when someone is deprived of this complex vitamin/enzymatic cooperative their begins a slow metabolic breakdown within the human body.
So just as Adolph Hitler (who was a vegetarian) began to show outward signs of Schizophrenia and bouts of Depression, fit’s of Anger/rage and a complete mental breakdown, so must any Vegan/Vegetarian do as the same.
The other individuals who are meat eaters but would call you a murderer, well they are just simple hypocrites and nothing more than SHEEPLE!
I think it is amazing that people can look at one thing, out of dozens, that we do and enjoy and give us some of the labels we hunters end up with. Thank you for another excellent post about this subject.
Now… if only I could say that I’d never been pulled over by the police and given a speeding ticket, sigh…
What an excellent definition of what and why we do what we do. The people who battle us and fight against us will never understand it my friend. As for what Mr. Riddle said, I have never heard this before but it gives me food for thought to research it and check out just what he is saying. This would help explain why they are so angry and vicious! Great story my friend!
I’m an avid hunter, environmentalist, and 4-season outdoorsman. But I totally understand — and am even sympathetic — to the anti-hunter movement that is sweeping this country. Unfortunately, it is fed by a lot of unethical, kill ‘em at any cost hunters. Take a look at what’s on the web, e.g. YouTube by “hunters”–bragging about whacking deer at 800 yards without getting out of the truck, intentionally killing two deer with one bullet, shooting elk etc in canned hunts, driving around with deer dressed up in costumes…
If every hunter was what Petersen calls a “spritual hunter” (much like what Arthur describes in his post) we hunters would not have so much of an image problem.
We can all help this problem by calling “B.S.” on the idiots among our own ranks.
Ecorover,
I agree that there are some hunters who portray us in a negative light. But aren’t there a few bad apples in every bunch? And I can somewhat understand vegetarianism, but the anti-hunter movement I can not. They might have a problem with a hunter bragging about a 800yd shot (which I have yet to see any hunter actually do, or even come close), but they still ultimately have that connection to nature that the anti’s are missing. And usually that same anti-hunter, who has a problem with a small celebration after a kill, goes home and eats their store-bought meat and doesn’t think twice about where it came from.
I do agree with your last comment, though. All hunters should be pointing out all the poachers, slob hunters, and anything like them. Honestly, the anti’s should be using more of their energy to work with us hunters – instead of against us – in order to get rid of those types of people. They are law-breakers and criminals, not hunters.
Great response Arthur!
I don’t believe that I would have been so tactful with mine response. And especially with the 800 yard B/S which has obviously been gleaned from an Anti/Propaganda media source.
Good work!