Why I hunt - Food

[u1299]

Man, it's a tough one to (explain) in words just why I hunt. Yes, I love to eat the meat it provides, no doubt about it, but I'd be kidding myself if I said that was the only or even the main reason. Honestly, I doubt I'm alone in saying I'm also looking to harvest what I consider a trophy quality animal whether it be antlers, horn, beard with turkeys or a big mature bear. That doesn't mean only the biggest record book animal will do, I have no desire for that, none what so ever. If it's a trophy in my eye and I worked my butt off to get it under DIY Fair Chase, I'm thrilled. I know plenty of hunts where I harvested nothing, not because I couldn't have but because I chose not to take an animal that I would not have been personally satisfied with and that's fine, I still have great wonderful memories of those hunts with a few close friends and family.

I feel like I was born a hunter and fisherman, it really seems that it's something I'm genetically supposed to be. I love the anticipation, participation, scouting, walking, packing, glassing, setting up camp, tearing down camp, and if I'm fortunate to get to pull the trigger or watch my kids do so on an animal we've hard worked for, that's great too.

2 episodes of Fresh Tracks, a 2015 Goat hunt with Mr. Hodges, and Randy's 2015 Central WY B&C antelope hunt, pretty much sum up why I hunt. The humility of the hunters and the visible respect shown for the animals harvested and the hunt itself really stood out to me. Nothing I can put in words it seems could explain more clearly why I hunt than just watching those 2 episodes.

I'm passionate about hunting, fishing and the outdoors and make no apologies to anyone for that, I'm also humble, thankful and respectful of the game I kill, I'm not that way because I think I need to be to convince those who don't hunt to tolerate me and or hunting, rather because that's just the way I think real hunters are and are supposed to be.

I still remember when my son was 7 or 8 and I returned home from a week long solo deer hunting trip, where I was unsuccessful, so I could pick him up to take him for the last 4 days of the season through Thanksgiving. His Mom had all his stuff packed when I got home and he was ready! It's still the best memory I have to this day seeing the look and excitement on his face and in his eyes because he was going hunting with his Dad! I know exactly how he felt because it was the same way I felt when I was that age and my Dad took me. So for me at least, I guess it's pretty much about family and our family tradition, that's why I hunt.

 

[HSi-ESi]

That is a ton of material in a 2 minute clip. I re-watched it several times to hopefully have some decent comments.

It appears from Randy's first post that there is going to be a series of these clips, the first one focusing on food. If that is the case - then my only comment would be on the second half of the clip moving towards a more conservation mindset. Since this one is just food, I would transition into some "cooked" or plated meals. Maybe some sit-down shots at dinner. You have harvest at the beginning, some butchering and packaging - so I'd complete the circle with some finished food plates. I would continue on with the food aspect and have a shorter conservation message - or leave the conservation message for a later clip.

I do have say though - it's a great video and 100000% better than clips I see most days. I am only being this nit-picky because Randy asked....

 

[JayCO]

That is a ton of material in a 2 minute clip. I re-watched it several times to hopefully have some decent comments.

It appears from Randy's first post that there is going to be a series of these clips, the first one focusing on food. If that is the case - then my only comment would be on the second half of the clip moving towards a more conservation mindset. Since this one is just food, I would transition into some "cooked" or plated meals. Maybe some sit-down shots at dinner. You have harvest at the beginning, some butchering and packaging - so I'd complete the circle with some finished food plates. I would continue on with the food aspect and have a shorter conservation message - or leave the conservation message for a later clip.

I do have say though - it's a great video and 100000% better than clips I see most days. I am only being this nit-picky because Randy asked....

I agree 100% with this. Great messages, but it wanders from "I want to be involved in my supply of meat" to conservation. Both are fantastic messages, but if there are to be a series of these, I think the themes can be consolidated.

Production value is really good though. Kudos to all.

 

[Solo Hunter]

Great video! Echoes exactly how I feel. We hunters are connected to the animals and landscapes we hunt. What happens to those animals and places we feel.

 

[T Bone]

Well done.

 

[33AD]

Great - appealing to a large audience (but clearly, there is a certain cut that just won't get on board). While it may not persuade everyone to hunt their own food, certainly gives them food for thought (no pun intended) about it being reasonable that you do.

From an opportunity standpoint - I think slowing down the field dressing sections, to real time (or even slower, to match the tempo of the music) may make the scene more solemn and befitting the message.

Love the videos - keep it up! Your show/podcast/site are why a WY 'lope hunt is on my list!

 

[JayCO]

Great - appealing to a large audience (but clearly, there is a certain cut that just won't get on board). While it may not persuade everyone to hunt their own food, certainly gives them food for thought (no pun intended) about it being reasonable that you do.

From an opportunity standpoint - I think slowing down the field dressing sections, to real time (or even slower, to match the tempo of the music) may make the scene more solemn and befitting the message.

Love the videos - keep it up! Your show/podcast/site are why a WY 'lope hunt is on my list!

Man... That's some pretty astute Don Draper messaging advice. Speeding up the footage during those sequences comes across like you're trying hide/shield the audience from something . Yet, you are unapologetic in your dialogue messaging. The disconnect can be misconstrued as disengenuous. I like 33ADs idea of taking it the opposite direction. Slow the clip down a bit to the cadence of the music. Convey deference to the animal. It's not affected, just comes across better in a 2 minute video.

 

[jhudson1]

Randy, well done. I will be sending a lot of folks to watch that. Thank you.

 

[devon deer]

Good clip...and commensurate with my attention span.

I agree!

I could give the reasons...but living in the UK there is one reason that probably wouldn't go down too well on here.

Cheers

Richard

 

[Matt/VT]

I like it Randy. The food angle, in terms of owning the blood on your hands, is how my girlfriend has come around to it. Plus she likes the taste. A quote that she has come to know, transitioning to a rural way of life is from Aldo Leopold: "One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace."

I would echo some other comments about sticking to the food angle for this clip, as much as I know you get the conservation message out there. Show the gutting process in more detail, cooking, etc

To the question of additional points, I would submit a couple.
- The idea that hunting allows for a deeper interaction with the natural world, even on a spiritual level.
- Hunters as conservationsts, but also as those who know the most about the landscape, it's health and the critters upon it.
- That it is ingrained in us from an evolutionary stand point as predators.
- The healthfulness of active pursuit.
- The traditions of family and history (camp life, fathers and sons hunting, etc).

 

[jrabq]

I personally thought the speeded up sequence of the elk being broken down was just fine, I don't see how it looked like Randy was trying to hide something. It showed how much work was involved, and that nothing went to waste. If you slow it down nothing gets done in a 2 minute clip; just some guys standing over a dead animal.

 

[joelweb]

Good job, Randy.

 

[7mm08mo]

Very good. Some of the exact reasons I hunt but I am not eloquent enough to put them into a well spoken video like you. I love the part about the garden or farmers market, that should ring true with anyone. Keep them coming.

 

[Walkathon]

I like it. For a 2 minute clip, I don't think you could have explained it any better. Most of the people I know who don't hunt are ok with hunting if the primary purpose is to secure food.

 

[landon55]

I began hunting in my adolescences to become a man. I thought that killing an animal would be proof enough to the world that I was ready to take on society. It wasn't so much an honorable experience but rather a right of passage. In reality, I was a kid scared to feel the recoil of my father's rifle. I yearned to take something just because I was now old enough. I now understand that this was gross negligence.

Time is a funny thing. "Hunting to prove I am a man", the fact that I ever thought that makes me feel rather shameful. I began hunting seeking a since of manhood. Now, I spend time on the side of a mountain to regain the purity and truth of mind that I had when I was a youth. What once would have been an aggravation is seen as a blessing. Growing in myself has taught me that the sights of a sunrise are as fulfilling as any trophy animal hanging on a wall. The wonder and amazement of seeing the true innocent's of a new-born fawn can restore my faith in everything. Hunting isn't so much about the taking of life as it is the restoring of mine.

I hunt because it makes me feel like a kid again.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Great video Randy. Definitely captures a very real aspect of why I hunt. At this stage in life, food and providing for my family is a major justification for the time I spend in the woods. Honestly, the biggest reason I hunt is to be in wild places with people I care about.

The time away from work and the expense of hunting is offset by the meat that fills my freezer. I don't feel any need to justify the morality of hunting, but being able to eat a great meal that I provided for my family on a day that I wasn't making money helps me justify what it costs.

Factor in the added bonus of bonding time/shared experience with family and friends and hunting becomes even more valuable.

Add to that the sense of peace, connection with nature and de-stressing from the normal cares and concerns of life, a profound appreciation for God's creation and blessings He has given me and the total becomes a realization that hunting is not as much something I do for recreation as it is an expression of who I am.

No doubt Descartes would be credited with a slightly different quote had he lived in the Rocky Mountains instead of the villages of France. " I hunt therefore I am."

 

[Nick87]

Well said.

 

[Tom]

That is a ton of material in a 2 minute clip. I re-watched it several times to hopefully have some decent comments.

It appears from Randy's first post that there is going to be a series of these clips, the first one focusing on food. If that is the case - then my only comment would be on the second half of the clip moving towards a more conservation mindset. Since this one is just food, I would transition into some "cooked" or plated meals. Maybe some sit-down shots at dinner. You have harvest at the beginning, some butchering and packaging - so I'd complete the circle with some finished food plates. I would continue on with the food aspect and have a shorter conservation message - or leave the conservation message for a later clip.

I do have say though - it's a great video and 100000% better than clips I see most days. I am only being this nit-picky because Randy asked....

Great idea.

 

[NKQualtieri]

Thanks for this Randy, I think it's exactly the type of story that can pique curiosity and change hearts and minds of people beyond our own community. The garden/farmer's market analogy is great, you can sense the deep reverence you have, it's all there and it's really powerful.

Can't wait to see what comes after this. I agree with whoever talked about getting into the food side of things, if you were going to add a moment to that other video, or change it, maybe get into the "breaking bread" side of hunting, where it's about family and connection to the table. I think that would be an awesome follow up, as we all might not find ourselves on public lands at some point in our lifetime, but everyone eats. And you can connect everything back to the land from there.

 

[hank4elk]

Well done Randy!
Your much more succinct and elegant in prose than I ever am.....I usually get into the whole in their face,"You kill veggies & fruit" deal and regret it.....tho some folks do get why I hunt & gather along with growing my own when possible.