Growing up, the thought of sitting in the woods for
countless hours and freezing my butt off just waiting for something to walk by
while having to sit still and be quiet was not my idea of fun. So, I was happy
when my brothers and dad would go hunting and actually leave me behind. All
that changed for me one weekend when I accompanied my husband and dad to our
hunting camp in south Georgia. I went, not even caring if I sat in the stand to
be honest, but I did anyway. I shot my first buck that morning and since then
hunting has been a major part of my life. I started out not knowing anything
about it or even what it was to be an ethical hunter, but after years of
hunting I have found that I have grown and evolved in many ways.
There is more to it
I admit in the beginning filling a tag was what it was all
about. I was young and a woman in a male dominated hobby. I wanted to prove
myself to everyone and show them I could get the job done. So yeah, I pounded
my chest a few times and gloated about the animals I took. But after a while I
began to understand that killing an animal was just one part of the whole big
picture. I started allowing more deer to cross without so much as lifting my
rifle. I got more satisfaction by watching them just go about their everyday lives
without them knowing I was there to share that brief moment.
I remember one morning I was sitting in my stand and a doe
appeared to my right. I watched her come within fifty yards of me and she
stopped and stood there. It would have been the perfect shot if I had chosen to
take it. While she was standing there, she kept looking back over her shoulder,
which usually means that there is something else coming. I start hearing a
rustling and twigs breaking from the area she was looking at. After a few moments,
these twins pop out. It was early in the season so they still had a few spots
on them. They were obviously feeling good that morning because they were
running and jumping around having a great time. For about ten minutes I sat
there and watched them never moving, never raising my gun, just enjoying that
moment. I can’t remember a time I dreaded getting up and heading into the woods
for this very reason. I know now there is so much enjoyment to be had from just
observing what goes on around you.
Value
Giving thanks and value to the animal is just one part of
becoming an ethical hunter. When I first started, you couldn't catch me with my
hands in an animal's gut if my life depended on it. I would gag, whine, or just
throw the knife down and say “It ain't happening.” But now I have come to
realize it's my responsibility to that animal to finish what I started. It
lived its life free, no suffering occurred, and it didn’t die in vain, and now
it's on me to make sure that it is used in an ethical manner. Even though I
took that animal’s life I still value it. Some people will ask, “How can you do
that when you chose to kill it?” It’s not a simple thing to understand, and
unless you have done it, it’s something that you will never get. Millions of
people can go to the grocery store and purchase a pack of meat, go home and throw
it on the stove or grill and never give a second thought of what exactly they
are eating and how it got there. It’s a disconnect that modern day living has
given us. Back in the day if you wanted to eat, you killed, cleaned, quartered,
and cooked it. Sadly, in today's world people are happy to have the convenience
of someone else to do the killing for them.
Strength
One of the greatest hurdles any woman will face in her life
is that people doubting her abilities in doing things. Starting out, I was
reluctant to help with things like hanging stands, dragging an animal, or anything
that required physical labor really. The reason being, I didn’t want to
struggle with the task and it confirm to people that I couldn’t do it because
of my gender. I would offer to help, of course, and when they said no I would
sit back and let the men take over. After a while I started getting more
involved in the physical part of hunting. When someone would say they were going
to hang a stand or they needed help dragging something out I would jump at the
opportunity to help. Nowadays I try to
do as much as I can on my own. Don’t get me wrong, I still need help in certain
parts, but I have become comfortable in knowing what my capabilities are and
where my limits lie.
These are just a few of the ways in which I have grown and
evolved as a hunter. Every hunter will go through their own evolution in time.
It doesn’t matter if you are new to hunting or a seasoned professional, you will
never have the same thing happen more than once when in the field. Sometimes
you will have to think on your feet. Other times you will have to use a
strategy you have heard before to get it done.
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