Hunting, A Personal Perspective

Written by Craig Caudill

Do you have pet peeves?  I certainly have pet peeves.  One of the biggest I have is when people do not show respect for wild game when it is harvested.   Here are some pieces and parts of this for you consideration.  I share them here as means of discussion, please share your ideas with me.  

1. Do not publicly post your photos of dead wild game on the interwebs.  I see this all the time and it both saddens me and upsets me. We as hunters are doing this for one of two people groups.  The first group is a group of hunters.  I am assuming we are seeking other like-minded folks congratulations and adulation, but why?  Do you hunt so that other hunters will think you are cool and skilled?  If so, we are doing it wrong.  I do not believe we should be killing other animals and posting photos as if they are some sort of great accomplishment.  It’s not.  Providing nourishment for you family or others is important, very important.  However posting photos for other to see is egotistical and prideful.  Neither of which is positive.  The other group that may see the photos are non-hunters.  These photos do a disservice to these folks.  Do we really think we will persuade non-hunters to join us in these traditions if we have deer carcasses with tongues hanging out for the world to see.  I think not.  
2. Please stop mounting dead animal heads and bodies.  I am certain that several of my friends, good friends, will not like me suggesting this one.  In my opinion doing this is another sign of ego and pride and both are negative.  Hunting, killing and processing animals should be a more personal thing than most of us hunters allow it to be.  I am not saying that we do not share hunting stories.  The “big one” that got away, and the “big one”  that didn’t get away.  Those stories and discussions are best left among hunters.  To have a trophy mount is egotistical.  Animals (two legged and four legged) are part of a very complicated ecological system.  To put a part of that system up as  trophy does it a disservice. 
3. When harvesting an animal and processing it, treat it with respect.  Dragging larger game, handling smaller game is not fun time.  It is a very large part of the processing portion of taking animals from field to dinner table.  By mishandling it you run the risk of improper elements entering the meat source.  All of which makes the meat source not taste appropriate.  
4. Quit trying to take the “gamey” taste out of meat.  That ‘gamey’ taste is the taste of a 100% organic meat source, guaranteed.  The fact that beef or chicken for example does not have that taste is because it is an inferior meat source.  Period.  You usually add things to it as a meat source to give it taste.  Wild game comes with it supplied for you.
5. A note to vegetarians. I respect you, please know that.  The vegetarian lifestyle is OK in my book.  However, if you think that taking the life of an animal is different than taking the life of a plant…then please come walk with me in the woods.  I can show you how the trees “think”, how the plants communicate and how they “hurt” when they are injured. 

Come on, join in, let’s learn together.